I guess this is the season ending episode. For fans of Senjogahara, this was probably the episode they’ve been waiting for or wishing for, and surely it delivered. Senjogahara takes over the entire episode and shows the audience who is the queen among the harem, biatches.
As if hearing some folks’ complaint about Senjogahara (henceforth known as SJgH in the succeeding paragraphs) being missing in the previous episodes, this episode we’re treated with her on a date with Mr. Messiah Complex Nice Guy. He’s expecting something wonderful, and instead, it’s meet the parent time.
The long awkward car ride is amusing at best and annoying at worst. However, the interaction is superb if just a tiny little bit unbelievable. Everything happens, however, has a deeper meaning behind it
This probably doesn’t work in real life, but if your girlfriend actually takes you on your first date, together with her dad, and she trust her dad not to beat the crap outta ya, that means she AND her DAD trust you. We see that in this episode. No matter how harem-like the series had become, in the overall story, Araragi really makes SJgH happy, so much so that she tosses out bold verbal hints or rather, commands, as to bid him closer. Forcing him to say her first name rather than last name in the presence of her dad shows that she wants to show the other important man in her life that this guy is the prince, the knight in the shining high school uniform riding on a white bicycle that comes to save the violent tsundere twintail-free princess from all her losses. The fact that her dad does not even flinch or cringe during her teasing sessions for Araragi also shows a strong sense of approval, albeit it may be cringe worthy for the audience (if there are dads in the audience).
The problem was that this is a supernatural show and I thought her dad wasn’t real; it was some kind of apparition or something. I’m so used to not seeing real parents in anime it was a shock when he started talking and sharing! HOLY CRAP! This guy is real! He talks!
The 3rd part of the show where they get sweet on us is a little weird in that Kanbaru is part of SJgH’s possession and she’s willing to share “that” with Araragi…Now, that lost me. But for any fans looking for the shining moments of love, I will not get into details here but I will tell you to enjoy.
After all, this is the most normal episode filled with enough abnormality that it’s almost ironic.
Additional notes: Although Saito Chiwa is obviously the highlight, the voice actor for her father is superb and the talk in the car probably should go down as one of the best intimate sharing moments in any dramatic story, followed by the scene of the lovers lying on the picnic blanket. In addition, of course I could get into how this show is an interesting portrayal of awkward teen romance, how SJgH’s heart and social awkwardness is slowly healed by Araragi and all that jazz. But that’s best left to other folks with greater interest in the show.
