Lucky because he almost got to orchestrate a yuri scene? Well, not really. Plus, I feel like I’ve seen the plot twist that happens at the end before in Kanon. But heck, this one had some good jokes and the best almost-yuri scene of the season.
Honestly, the situations in this show are kind of contrived. Is it that hard to start a club, even an unofficial one, at a school? (It might really be in Japan. I don’t know. And it looks like they want a faculty sponsor, which I can imagine would have some hurdles.) Is it really hard to believe that a girl, even if she gets 900 HITS on you, is really a girl? We do find out what’s behind Fuko’s stars at least, or why she’s, uh, developmentally challenged. This is, of course, where that iconic scene that forever will set the record as to the definition of “effortless kawaii” actually takes place:
I find it interesting that they have, for the most part, put aside the angst for the time being in favor of Tomoya- Yohei duo humor–and it’s actually funny! Of course, it’s the classic straight-man/idiot duo routine, the kind comedy-obsessed Sakuya in Hayate no Gotoku! loves so much. But heck, they got not only hit counters but RPG references in here this time too! Sunohara, of course, is clearly in love with Tomoyo, he just doesn’t know it yet. But the highlight of the episode has got to be the entire scene where Nagisa is about to “confess” to Ryou. The comic timing and beats are just perfect, and having Yohei being turned on by it all is a really…uh…nice touch. And did we just find out something new about Ryou in the process?
I like how Tomoya knows how to give as well as take a joke. Seems this depressed kid from a bad family has actually got a spark of life of his own. He hits a rare balance for harem leads, being both kind and considerate and a bit of a sly trickster, something most weenie protagonists don’t have the cojones to even try for fear of displeasing their girl just a little. The way he works off of Yohei, and that Yohei is starting to have his own character develop (just very slowly), is helping to prevent this from being a typical harem scenario. Much to my relief, because most of the Fuko and Kotomi scenes felt like typical harem scenes. I’m not sure what they contribute to the main storyline just yet, though I’m sure the players of the game would be able to tell me, though probably not without spoilers. 🙂
Moreover, I have a problem with the new information about Fuko. Aside from just not appealing to me as a character….(spoilers for both Kanon and this episode below):
[spoiler]
You see, when this sort of twist happened in Kanon where we discovered that Ayu is really in a coma in the hospital and she is projecting herself into the present situation, we had at least gotten to know her better first, and had thus grown to care more as a character when we discover her tragic past. Here, Fuko is just that really weird girl who acts like a kid with stars. We don’t know her well before the inevitable Sad Key Twist(c) that she is more or less a ghost is revealed. [/spoiler]
All in all, I enjoyed this episode, particularly as it went into its second half. The humor quotient picked up and the Fuko twist at least added something different into the mix for this particular story. A cheap cliffhanger, maybe, and nothing new for Key veterans, but a decent inducement to watch the following episode, whose preview had all but one piece of voiceover. (Which means it will probably be at least a little serious. Hooray!)
