“Pariya’s Determination”

Mori-sensei goes the cute and comic route this time around, a straightforward and simple about Pariya and her angst over her unfeminine behavior (and the chilling effect she thinks it’s having on her relationship with Umar).

As I’ve noted before, Pariya is certainly the most contemporary character among the main cast, and when she’s in the spotlight Otoyomegatari tends to come off as somewhat more conventional than normal.  That’s fine, though I usually find myself hoping it doesn’t stay in that mode for too long.

The reason Pariya woks as a character, I think, is that her ability to drive herself crazy with her insecurity seems to know no bounds.  She’s certainly no pillbug, and Umar isn’t even all that bothered about her true nature (which I suspect he was on to anyway, and kind of turns him on).  But it is fun to watch her in perpetual labor, being thwarted by life at every turn.

Hopefully Pariya’s friendship with her model girl Camora will take, because she doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of camaraderie with kids her own age.  As to Umar, we all pretty much know where this is headed so there’s not a ton of suspense there – this is “Bride’s Story”, after all…