Three new shows to cover really quickly before the bulk of everything starts back up, Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, Minami-ke Tadaima, and Ai Mai Mi, which turns out was only five minutes long, so that’s a bit disappointing. So to fill that slot with something more substantial, I’m looking into Tamako Market which premieres this Thursday. Anyway, on to the show.
My hunch that this might pan out similar to Tonari no Kaibutsu wasn’t without merit, indeed Kidou is very Mitty-like, but not as dead-pan as Mitty was in TnK, and Natsukawa ain’t exactly Haru either. Instead, you have childhood friend Chiwa whose purpose is comic relief and being obsessed with meat, and a classroom full of nosy high school kids obsessed over Natsukawa and jealous of Kidou after a seating arrangement. Welcome to Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, or My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Fight Too Much. That title should explain it all.
Ugh, were to begin?
First off, before I say anything, I like the show, and am keeping it on the docket. Despite everything I am going to say, I still think it has entertainment value and potential, and it ain’t over until Nibutani Chiwa sings. What slightly annoys me is that we’ve seen everything this show is offering last season. The cold study-bug character who isn’t interested in love, only books and tests. The childhood friend hanging around for a chance at macking the main character after a fit of jealousy. The girl pretending to be sweet and loving only to really be bitter and jaded with blackmail on the main, and characters too chunni for school, with delusions of fantasy and grandeur. Yeah, chuunibyo and chunni are now standard-issue in anime. It’s not as if any of these are new, shows have been doing this one way or another for years, but it’s like we have to put a label on it so it can be replicated easier. Perhaps I am overthinking it.
Past all of that, it really does look like an interesting premise, and certainly I am interested to see if Natsukawa will soften, or if she will be this show’s Nibutani-hybrid and bitch-face it up for thirteen episodes. Time will tell.
TLDR Watch This: Delusions of Skyrim, silver hair, girls that remind you of Kataoka Yuuki
TLDR Don’t Watch This: You hate girls blackmailing you with Livejournal posts, you’re a vegetarian, aren’t a high-schooler anymore
Sub Group: Commie
First Rating: 7
2007. Some experts consider this to be the start of “moe anime”, or at the very least, many of the common themes we take for granted today. The legendary Lucky Star premiered in the fall of 2007, but what also premiered was Minami-ke, a story about three sisters, Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki. Nothing special, nothing fancy, just ordinary girls living ordinary lives doing ordinary things with ordinary people. Don’t read too much into it. Six year and three seasons later, where RUCKY STAR has yet to produce a single sequel, Minami-ken enters its fourth season with Taidama, which promises more of the same from the Minami sisters. Another season of adorable-yet-practical Haruka, mischievous-and-sly Kana, and innocent-but-deadly Chiaki. Complete with a cast of their friends and classmates, and plenty of amusing situations, it’s another season of ordinary things.
I suppose for me, it’s like southern comfort food, Minami-ke has always been a reliable show in terms of characters, plot, and expected value. You always know what you’re getting, the formula doesn’t change, and you enjoy it exactly for what is presented. It may seem trivial, but so many shows like to try to change up their formats, or introduce new elements that just don’t fit right. If you’re going to make a SoL show about three ordinary girls, you don’t suddenly have them fly to America and engage supernatural beings for a season. That’s the kind of comfort food I can sink my teeth into. God I could use some mac and cheese now.
TLDR Watch This: Ordinary girls doing ordinary things, I AM BOSS Kana, Angel/Devil Chiaki
TLDR Don’t Watch This: Long-winded conversations about kotatsus, oranges, anything else really
Sub Group: UTW
First Rating: 8
I’m not going to bother writing anything about Ai Mai Mi really, considering the shortness of the episode. It’s out there for download, go hit that up.
Anyhoo, more stuff coming up this week, so stay tuned.