Dagashi Kashi 2 – 05

That was a definite level-up from Dagashi Kashi – an altogether more substantial meal than the light snacks that have comprised most of this second season.  There’s no doubt in my mind that this show is so much better when it actually tells stories about the characters, rather than acting exclusively as a paid advertisement for the (admittedly quirky and interesting) Japanese snack food industry.

Even as an admitted Saya partisan, I have to say this ep delivered some pretty good Hotaru drama.  And I like Hotaru – she’s a fun character, with a genuine chemistry with Kokonotsu.  But we’ve never seen their relationship so abjectly teased like this (though we certainly see Coconuts abjectly teased on a weekly basis)  The trigger is a local hanabikaitai, which Saya (I find it admirable that although she knows Hotaru is a major threat, she still values her as a friend and tries to include her) suggests that Coconuts invite Hotaru to.  After some tantalizing moments with a “Home Run Bar”, Coconuts finally pops the question – but he omits the important detail that Saya and Tou will be there as well.

As much as I root for Saya, there’s no question that Kokonotsu is in love with Hotaru – it’s just what it is.  But this is really the first strong indication we’ve gotten that she might feel something for him, too – indeed, that she felt anything romantic towards anything but candy and snacks.  This is a tease too, obviously – Hotaru’s disappearance at the close of the episode indicates what she wanted to talk to Coconuts about alone was another matter.  But as hard as it is to tell with her, it really did seem like Hotaru was trying in her own roundabout to tell Coconuts she was into him.

With Hotaru seemingly off the map for next week at least, it looks like we might get a little Saya development in turn.  But one way or another, even with summer ending things definitely seem to be heating up…

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen – 05

I think we’ve been here before, friends.  Antics at home featuring Onii-san teasing and Kero-chan being cute, some cooking, an extended school scene with Tomoyo vamping and the appearance of a new card, and finally a tiny nugget of Sakura-Syaoran at the end of the episode to lure you back in one more week.  Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

Honestly, this was pretty good – better than most of the season on CCS, maybe.  I thought the three-way banter in the kitchen between Sakura, her dad and Touya was both funnier and more charming than usual.  And Kero’s dig with the pillow photo was quite funny.  Plus, Tomoyo sang this time.  But apart from that it was pretty much the same package.  I know mahou shoujo is all about formula, and Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the franchises that perfected it – that’s all fine.  It’s just that it’s hard to find much new to say about it each week when the formula is this rigid.

But then – that bit with Syaoran and the lunch was really cute…