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「初体験です☆」 (Hatsutaiken Desu☆)
“It’s My First Time☆”
Haruka must be really sheltered by her princess-like lifestyle if she’s never had a hamburger before. What’s even more surprising though is that this week is supposedly her and Yuuto’s first date. All those previous Akiba-kei outings don’t count according to Mika, which when you think about it, really means they haven’t had a proper date yet. Somewhat shocking when it’s been 20 episodes since the start of season one.
In any case, Yuuto and Haruka spend a day at a theme park courtesy of tickets provided by Himemiya Miran’s chief manager, Kayahara Yayoi (Hikasa Youko), whom we’ve bumped into back in episode six. Unbeknownst to Haruka, this is Yayoi and her colleague Kobayakawa Nozomi (Kikuchi Kokoro)’s way of taking some professional pictures of her under the guise of a magazine photoshoot event. Having time until the event, Haruka and Yuuto go to the various rides and attractions at the park in accordance to the guide that Mika so kindly provided. At the event, Yayoi quickly finishes Yuuto’s session with a single disposable camera test picture, and calls in all the professional equipment for Haruka’s. Unfortunately for her, Haruka can’t smile naturally under these circumstances, so Yayoi resorts to photographing her when she’s alone with Yuuto.
For their troubles, Yuuto and Haruka are given a photo to keep as a memoria of their date, and decide to wrap things up with a ride on the Ferris wheel when it starts getting dark. During the ride, Yuuto gets an indirect kiss from Haruka’s lip balm, Haruka ends up on top of him when things get rocky, and they nearly kiss if not for Mika’s untimely phone call. At the Nogizaka house some days later, the two of them are looking at Haruka’s picture in a magazine, but they don’t think anything of it until Mika walks in with a letter saying Haruka’s passed Three Piece Production’s future model/idol audition.
Well label me not surprised about their kiss getting interrupted… again. I was hoping Yuuto would tell Mika that she just spoiled a big chance, but he was too flustered to even get upset over it. Instead, he was a bit unhappy about how she set this all up for him. Yes, he was actually discontent about Mika throwing her older sister at him with open arms. *Cue facepalm* Anyway, I’m not sure what Yayoi and Nozomi are hoping to get out of making Haruka an idol, but I can’t imagine her having any interest after finding out how she was tricked into it. I don’t really see Haruka nor Yuuto getting overly angry about being deceived though, as they’re probably more confused than anything else (much like myself). As for Yayoi herself, she’s played by Hikasa Youko (Akimiya Mio from K-ON!), but I had no idea it was her until I looked it up. They don’t sound anything alike to me.
Oddly enough, what I found more interesting than the story this week was the setting. The theme park they were at was basically Yokohama‘s Cosmo World, which I visited during my trip to Japan last summer. It’s located by the water and known for its gigantic “Cosmo Clock 21” — one of the biggest Ferris wheels in the world. That wasn’t the only indication though, as they had also had the aqua-colored fences, photos of the attractions by the entrance, the teacup ride, the water log ride, and the pink roller coaster tracks (which go underground via a hole in the water at one point). I happen to have some photographs from then, so to put Yuuto and Haruka’s date in a realistic perspective, we have the Cosmo Clock 21 from afar, the entrance with the aqua-colored fences, the photos of the attractions (notice the top-left pic of the “diving coaster”), a map of the entire theme park next to the water, the water log ride, and the pink roller coaster tracks. For some reason or another, I find it pretty neat when I can recognize places in an anime.
Back to Nogizaka Haruka, the preview has Inoue Kikuko as some new character talking about Afureko (short for “after recording” a.k.a. dubbing). The huge 17 on the character’s head gives it away that it’s her, plus Kazami Mizuho’s “Saiyuusen Jikou yo” (It’s top priority!) line out of Onegai Teacher! That said, I have no idea who the eternal 17 year-old plays here.
Preview
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They missed a kiss again? God damn it.
And they brought another real-life location? I wonder if we’ll get Winter Comiket too.
When will they just kiss? it’s really starting to get annoying, it used to be funny
M-I-K-A!!! Whatever, it really was a given wasn’t it. They should just skip the kissing & the dating & just get married like I did, life would be so much smoother 😛 The route that they’re taking now is set in stone. Its been done at least 6 times I can think of off the top of my head. I was getting tired of these 1-off episodes anyway.
Note to Yuuto: Turn the Cell Phone off next time.
@Caprin “It used to be funny”. Really?
haruka needs to be more aggressive, it’s obvious she wants to lock lips with him again, but she’s always waiting for him to be the one to do it.
also…… holy crap! mika has tits!
My question is this… How does Haruka’s “little” sister know so much about dating? Doesn’t look like she has ever had a boyfriend or is dating.
Also am I the only one having problems with the pictures from this site loading really slow? Has been that way on and off for at least a week now.
I assume the bringing in the “lets make her an idol” plot could be their way of introducing conflict in their relationship. How many idol anime series have we seen that the first thing they do is try to dump the boy friend because it ruins her popularity. Honestly I hate idol type animes just because of that inhuman act and pray that this love story does not get pulled down that path. Heres hoping Haruka rejects them out flatly!!!
I can’t watch this show, I like it, but the thing is that EVERY TIME they are gonna to kiss each other, someone interrup them. God, I hate that, it’s not funny anymore >_>
@Splash: Well, it’s already established that Mika is a closet pervert since season 1. As for how she gets her info on dating and stuff: Maybe she learned a thing or two from the Nogizaka maid team? (Most likely Nanami.) Either that or Mika gets the chance to learn such stuff whenever her parents’ attention is focused on Haruka (and Haruka as we know is the innocent one). You won’t be able to learn such stuff with parents watching constantly over you.
With that aside…now that you mention that another character’s voice in Purezza was done by Youko Hikasa…
“I’m in despair! Being reminded of Stupid Moe Mio* has left me in despair!”
(Gah, just watched K-On!–moe overload–and following it up with Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.
*note 1: I’m saying “Stupid Moe Mio” a similar vein to “Stupid Sexy Flanders”, since Mio is a known catalyst for perverse sexual lust. Good thing Youko Hikasa doesn’t look pigeonholed with her VA role/s so far.)
@Neko
I second that. I know they had to introduce some sort of silly plot but this one is much worse than the whole birthday mess. BTW, going back to 1990 there have been 18 anime that dealt with this plot at one point or another & they (plotline) have all ended the same way o.O Don’t ask me how long it took me to find that out 😛
It just seems wrong for them to screw this anime like this. REC & Ichigo were bad enough, but this seems like they completely ran out of ideas. But I do have to take it into account that the whole 2nd season was on-the-fly anyway & the state of poorly paid script writers don’t help either. The OP also made it clear that they would push the idol scene at some point but this takes the cake. So Yuuto will just have to take it back.
Those two really need to get married. I know a priest in Kanagawa if they want a traditional Shinto wedding. Damn, Haruka would look great in a shiromuku .
Damn, Wayne just said what I was about to say. lol
Yuuto, next time turn off your bloody cell phone before you enter into any empty intimate space alone with Haruka, and make sure the doors are locked and curtains are closed for that matter, if there are any.
The idol plot reminds me of the last few chapters of the manga I’s, when the ruthless manager basically does everything under the belt in her attempt to shaft the boyfriend of her idol client out of the picture once and for all. I hope Yayoi isn’t that malicious or Yuuto might be in big trouble. Here’s also hoping Miran (the pink-haired idol in the OP) might do something to help Haruka out.
An irrelevant sidenote concerning Kugimiya Rie:
Though it is well known that seiyuus collect a certain commission per episode, which varies depending on their star power, I’m not sure whether they pay a fixed amount per episode regardless of screentime, or whether that’s taken into account.
Now here’s the interesting thing, because if they’re paid a fixed amount per episode, imagine just how much Kugimiya Rie makes in this series just for appearing a few minutes per episode as Alice, making the occasional grunts.
Splash: um… that’s our bad… the server that one of my administrators moved RC to is rather unstable atm. I’ve redirected the main randomc.maximum7.net domain to the backup randomc2.maximum7.net for the moment untill i can figure out a better place for it. Sorry about the loading times.
I’ve redirected all the image links in recent posts to our server for now.
Man, we need more Nanami…lol.
I just need to konw Yuuto trick to avoid blue b@lls !!! He’s always so close and always something gets in the way. I’m hurting down there, he has to be hurting too. Yet somehow manages the pain. He’s my hero, share the knowledge!
Haruka: Er, Yuuto, “Fate” is calling.
And to a fan of this show, he’d/she’d wish “fate” wasn’t so patient XD.
hhaah, another cliché… oh well, still love the characters ^^
I wish Yuuto was a little less “nice” and a little more “manly”. Yuuto better know that Haruka wants it, she’s made it very very clear. Next time you get interrupted Yuuto, be it cell phone, or the far more likely personal appearance by certain someones I want you to do this. Wave them off, Kiss the girl, and then bugger her right then and there. I promise you they will never bother you again, or at the very least their curiosity will be satiated.
I loved the Mika and maids fanservice. The idol manager stuff was pretty shady, but from the OP it looks like Haruka will try it out. I can’t wait for Inoue Kikuko next episode.
i think i’m seeing the main plot… after all the OP song did spoil the overall of the story..
this couple will never procreate!! simply due to all the random door slamming, window shutting, vase breaking, random peeper, thunder bolt sounds, distant screams, surprise visitor, etc etc etc…… all happening right when he’s about to PUT IT IN. what a life
anyone know whatw the name of the ringing tone yuuto used everytime mika calls?
anyone know what the name of the ringing tone yuuto used everytime mika calls?
@buff: It’s Beethoven’s fifth symphony, the first motif of which is sometimes associated with “Fate knocking at the door” (according to Wikipedia).
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I’m getting really tired of watching them almost kiss. Why can’t Yuuto just turn of the cell phone!