Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo – 10

Miyamura Leona’s Lead:

It should have taken 2-cours to get to this point, but here we are at the final stretch of the seven witches story. This has been the part of the manga that I’ve been most looking forward to getting adapted, and I wasn’t sure we were going to get to it when it was announced that Yamada-kun would only be 12 episodes; yet here we are, rushed as it may have been. And this episode was just as fast as the rest before it, introducing Miyamura Leona (Sawashiro Miyuki) in order for the Supernatural Studies members to find out the identity of the seventh witch. Why Miyamura couldn’t just do this himself isn’t explained, but it did make for some good moments between Yamada (in Shiraishi’s body) and the scissor-throwing Leona.

The threats of strip teases, and Shiraishi not batting an eyelid when someone was pulling down her underwear were both pretty hilarious, but the gags eventually amounted to Leona turning serious and revealing that encountering the seventh witch means losing your memories of the witches, which is the reason for her becoming a shut-in. In the manga, Leona’s introduction and inclusion in the story felt much more natural, where as this felt like a quick answer to figuring out the identity of the final witch. Obviously, we haven’t got much time to waste, so it isn’t too surprising… but in an ideal adaptation we would have taken our time getting here.

The Seventh Witch – Saionji Rika:

We didn’t see too much of Saionji Rika (Tazawa Masumi) in this episode, but what we did see of her was enough to leave a lasting impressions. She’s very aware and very confident in her witch powers, which activate purely by touch. As sweet as she appears, she’s a self-confessed pervert with a odd sense of humour and an aura of sugar-coated intimidation about her. Leona may not have had the best introduction into the story, but Rika’s sure was a success. She’s memorable in design and personality, and her powers, although not violent in a physical sense, have drastic consequences that change everything we’ve come to expect from Yamada-kun.

Yamada Forgotten:

Yamada was willing to lose his memories in order to confront the final witch, and get Miyamura his spot on the Student Council. The gang had it all planned out: they’d re-introduce Yamada to the world of witches and make sure he joins the Supernatural Studies club all over again. It’s a painful notion to have him lose his memories, and brave sacrifice on his part. As it turns out, though, Rika didn’t make him lose his memories of the witches. Instead, she made everyone else lose their memories of Yamada (and Tamaki).

The anime did a pretty good job of capturing Yamada’s gut reaction to being forgotten: confusion, acceptance, and then anger. He wants to be able to do something about this mess, but he’s not in any position to do so (even if Tamaki wants to team up with him). But there is one saving grace in this sour situation: Shiraishi. I was all smiles when she asked Yamada if he wanted to join the club, but when she later caught Yamada and Odagiri kissing, it was like being stabbed in the heart. But Yamada says it himself: Shiraishi shouldn’t care who Yamada kisses if she’s really forgotten all the times they spent together, yet Shiraishi can’t help but burst into tears. Does this mean she remembers him from before, or did she always like him long before all the witch drama? Yamada did confess to her in a bit of a hurry, but has she really forgotten her own affection for this loveable delinquent, and their promise to be the first ones to kiss each other after the memory loss?

Overview – What’s Next?:

Shiraishi and Yamada’s scene in the school garden was possibly the most romantic moment from the entire series. To those who said there wouldn’t be romance in Yamada-kun… are you seeing this? Yamada and Shiraishi are smitten with each other and it’s absolute highlight of the show. Yamada may have already given his new first kiss away to Odagiri, but I hope Shiraishi gets something much better in return. There’s two episodes left to fix this mess, so let’s see of this adaptation can do it justice.

Full-length images: 20, 28.

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