“Time For Talk”

I don’t have too much to say about this chapter, as it’s a shortie – only 15 pages for some reason.  It’s full of the usual Otoyomegatari charm though, as Umar and Pariya’s fathers begin the process of negotiating their eventual marriage.  Meanwhile, Pariya continues her unequaled neurotic obsessing over every element of the budding relationship.

My favorite panel this week comes when Pariya is imagining herself as “one of the guys” so she can invite Umar along on a trip to see a waterwheel – the “guy talk” she’s dreamed up is truly hilarious.  Apparently she’s heard Umar is a waterwheel otaku (that may be the one fetish I’ve never seen at Comiket) and she’s certainly convinced herself that every more conventional approach she could take to get him to visit one with her would lead to disaster.

I rather like that the two fathers are pretty realistic about their kids, and that their interest in this pairing come out of genuine paternal concern.  Pariya’s dad knows she’s a difficult girl, one who doesn’t superficially seem to have the qualities that would make her much of a catch.  But Umar’s dad knows his boy hasn’t really spent much time with the fairer sex, and needs a girl he can relate to as a friend before he can relate to her as a husband.  He’s also concerned that his grandchildren get some robust genetic material as he’s worried his contribution is rather frail – and Pariya can certainly hold up her end of that bargain.  All in all these two have always seemed like a good potential fit and this just bolsters that impression.

A final note – congratulations to Mori Kaoru for Otoyomegatari‘s Eisner Award nomination (for “Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia”).  This series has been nominated for – or won – just about every major manga award in Japan, so it only makes sense for it to start racking up the international awards too. The big question remains: is there an animation studio out there with the cajones to try and adapt it?