First Impressions / Snapshots

「んっ、二本同時は 初めて…です。」 (N, Nihon Douji wa Hajimete…desu.)
“Ah, This is My First Time Having Two at Once…”

Third time is the charm may be an overused phrase, but in Shobitch’s case it’s definitely applicable. Sure the comedy has its annoying quirks at times and the whole concept is as cookie cutter as you get, but there’s a little charm here that is quickly making this show entertaining. Who knew a little family friendly fun (alliterations are the best) was all it would take for Shobitch to find its full stride.

What probably impresses me so far regarding Shobitch isn’t that the humour is working better or that Haruka can actually do things, but that it might actually be a half decent romcom in the end. It was not entirely clear last time considering the harem antics on display, but after seeing Haruka and Akiho alone? Well, my impression has changed. Remove all the sexual banter and maternal instincts from our awkward couple and we have a surprisingly affectionate relationship with lots of room to grow—emotionally grow, get your head out of the gutter. Akiho in particular showcases this potential, being incredibly naïve and hit or miss at times (looking at them jokes), but with a subtly endearing personality that works great alongside the new and improved Haruka. It might have taken giving the main man a backbone and briefly removing the harem competition from the picture, but Shobitch has shown it can do cute as well as dirty. You know, the best of both worlds.

Of course what helps produce all the angelic Akiho moments is the comedy, and Shobitch is proving last episode was not a fluke. While I may be biased with my ridiculous sense of humour (I blame my father), mama Fuyumi killed my sides on more than one occasion, between grading Akiho’s physical form and espousing on proper facial etiquette—I swear this isn’t a porno, really. I honestly would feel bad for the father having to deal with all of this, until I remember he knew all about Fuyumi’s robust mindset before engaging in the baby making. Don’t be hating mama’s deep, dark desires daddy-kins, you wanted a piece of that. All the pieces. Might also hilariously help that Fuyumi and her husband physically look a lot like Akiho and Haruka 20 years down the road, but I think that’s a subject for a later date—we haven’t even got to the mandatory kissing scene yet! For all the sexual innuendo there’s a surprising amount of perverted pathway to tread yet before we hit second base, and with four—yes, four—more girls left to introduce, Shobitch shouldn’t be lacking in “unique” situations to draw the funnies from. I think lewd school nurses will be the least of Haruka’s worries before too long.

While Shobitch will certainly remain divisive for some, I’m no longer in any doubt that it will be a blast to watch. The show has finally found itself, with clear romantic components ready to take advantage of and humour which functions the way I always hoped it would. While I’m not sure Shobitch is a good fit for blogging (it’s arguably better to watch than talk about), that doesn’t mean I’ll stop watching it anytime soon. No matter the issues, this show tickles my funny bone in all the right places, and is one series I’ll have my eye on when end post time rolls back around.

19 Comments

  2. And…this episode nearly put me to sleep. The comedy arguable missed more than either of the previous episodes. I’m not sure about this one. I’ve already been burned by the 2nd halves of both Masamune and Koi to Uso turning into boring grind fests. The romantic comedy genre has been hurting a little bit lately.

    Avalon
    Reply

    1. But this is a light hearted comedy without drama. Koi to Uso isn’t even RomCom, it’s romance drama. And Masamune had also some drama with the childhood rejection and the revenge plan. In both, the MC also didn’t actually get the girl, while the 1st thing this show does is get the main couple together.

      I’m not saying you have to like Shobitch, but I just don’t feel the comparison to Masamune-kun and KtU is accurate.

      bassgs435
      Reply

      1. That’s fair. Maybe my comparison is reaching, but those were what came to mind in recent seasons. Either I somehow missed the other actual romcoms or they were not worth remembering, which still makes me think the genre has been weak as of late.

        Well, with apparently 4 more girls needing to be introduced hopefully they will add something worth while to the show. The comedy really is a mixed bag. The first 2 eps were pretty funny, but this one just wasn’t working for me. I guess the daughter being a clone of the mother wasn’t helping.

        Avalon
        Reply

      2. It’s as bassgs435 says, Shobitch isn’t primarily a romance, it’s a comedy with romance trappings. The best way to think of it IMO is the romantic version of Seitokai Yakuidomo, the show employs a similar form of humour, but tries differentiating itself by grounding the humour in a different theme. The show has certainly has its problems (like the comedy in spots), but categorizing it like that will only lead to worse disappointment.

        Do agree with you on the romcom situation though Avalon, we have been starved for good shows of late on that front. Hasn’t really been anything notable since winter from what I remember.

        Pancakes
        Reply

      3. What about Aho Girl?

        Didn’t people generally enjoy Hajimete no Gal and Gamers, and those ended just a month ago. And from the spring, wasn’t there Machiavellianism (depending upon whether a harem show should be considered a romance or not).

        FWIW, Masamune and Koi to Uso both were souring shows, although the former wasn’t as much of a let down as it never really got off the ground.

        I found this episode mostly funny but a little clunky in terms of how it flowed. Not sure why but I had to keep stopping, pausing and rewinding during it.

        Mockman
        Reply

      4. Welp that shows how terrible my memory is, I completely forgot about Gamers! And Netojuu this season too actually, god I’m bad at remembering shows lol.

        Machiavellism is an interesting one to bring up too. Genre-wise I think it’s a strange case, it wasn’t really a romcom or harem, more like a shounen spoof with harem elements. Very fun (I did cover it for that reason), but not really in the same category IMO.

        Pancakes
        Reply

      5. Gamers wasn’t too bad though its final episode was a real let-down. Aho Girl and Machiavellianism I can’t even truly put it into the romcom category. Hajimete no Gal maybe, but I only watched a couple episodes of it.

        Avalon
        Reply

  4. This is the 2nd anime I’ve seen where the daughter is a younger clone of the mother, and if Haruka can keep Akiho, well, he’ll be set for life. Just look at Fuyumi – still needing a “straight man” to her leaps of conclusion, but not lacking in the beauty or health department.

    jhpace1
    Reply

  6. https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2011.jpg

    Such a MILF!

    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2016.jpg

    So 30° is cute while 90° is bat-shit crazy, lol.

    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2036.jpg

    And yeah, the raunchy comedy actually really makes the sweet and tender moments far more noticeable and impactful; both between Haru and Akiho, and Akiho’s parents. Each time, just hearing how hopeful and happy Akiho is at Haru’s words indicating that he still wants to be with her in the future (“next…year…?” and isn’t going to just abandon her, followed by a truly genuine smile just melts the heart.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

    1. I’m really hoping we get some more moments like the talk about the future this week, it’s an excellent bit of denouement from the crazy comedy skits and shows Akiho is “redeemable” with a bit of elbow grease. Also gives some nice development to both Haruka and Akiho, which definitely will be necessary as time goes by.

      Pancakes
      Reply

  7. https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2005.jpg
    So nice

    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
    So cute

    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2007.jpg
    So adorable

    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken/Boku%20no%20Kanojo%20ga%20Shobitch%20na%20Ken%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
    SO WRONG!!!

    Shahir
    Reply

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