Amagami SS continues to make a pretty solid comeback with episode 14, the second of the Ai arc. What this arc has going for it so far it that Junichi is considerably more likable than he was in either the second or third. This is probably his most “normal” persona thus far – a typical HS scatterbrain who tries to catch a peek every chance he gets but generally tries to be a nice guy.

And those qualities seem to endear him to Ai, who comes off as a pretty balanced and sympathetic romance interest. She’s intrigued by Junichi being her senpai, but also maintaining the attitude of a kid – in fact, reminding her of her elementary school kid-brother. She enlists Junichi’s help in trying to figure out why the kid is acting out, after he’d already assisted her in preparing for a makeup exam in math.

What this arc lacks so far is the romantic spark that really made the Haruka arc pop. That may come – Junichi and Ai are likable enough as a couple and their relationship is progressing nicely, if slowly. At this point I would definitely rank this as the second best of the four plots we’ve seen.