I’ve never been a big believer in the old saw “good things come to those who wait” – in my experience “too much patience gets you absolutely nowhere” is more often true.  But Hi Score Girl is a strong counter-argument to that.  We’ve certainly waited longer than could credibly be believed, and what we’ve gotten has been more than good.  The greatest pleasure for me is of course the experience of the series itself, but watching a new group of fans discover how amazing this series is makes a pretty good dose of frosting for the cake.

For the record, this was the moment in the manga when I finally gave in as a Koharu loyalist.  I still adore her, and I still think she and Haruo make a great couple (in truth, probably the best couple in the series).  But even if I’d never really thought she had much of a chance, it was the events this episode adapts that convinced me not only that Akira would end up with Haru, but that she should.  You can’t fight destiny, really, and this is destiny if I’ve ever seen it.  But you still have to earn it, and Haruo and Akira are certainly proving that.

Everything about this section, from the Tokimeki Memorial sequence, to the otaku in shokudo gushing about Evangelion Episode 8, to the work done by Makoto and Haruo’s Mom – it’s all perfect.  Frankly it’s almost impossible to imagine a passage of adolescence depicted more perfectly than Oshikiri Rensuke and yes, the anime too depict this one.  I keep falling back on that word “authenticity” with Hi Score Girl but dammit, it just fits to perfectly.  I know the mangaka put a lot of himself in this story – I simply don’t believe it would be possible to achieve that level of authenticity otherwise.

In a sense – and full credit to Makoto-san for putting the wheels in motion here – Haruo designing a personalized RPG for Akira is the ultimate romantic gesture from one gamer to the other.  Being who he is of course Haruo pours his heart and soul into getting it just right, and of course he nails it – it proves to be the lifeline Akira needs as she drowns in a sea of Moemi-sensei’s oppressiveness.  It’s thanks to Jiiya (again – I’m amazed this guy hasn’t gotten fired for insubordination yet) that Akira gets to play “Oono Quest”, but things end as you expect they would – and Moemi throws away not just the game, but Haruo’s loaned NES too.

It’s almost hard to overstate how much of a personal violation it is for Moemi-san to do this, given the personal connections that game has.  There are limits to how much anyone can take, even Akira, but (and this surprised me when I read the manga, just as Makoto was surprised) she doesn’t respond with another escape or open revolt.  Instead she shuts herself down and everyone else out completely, which in hindsight was the most effective form of resistance she could have provided.  It must gall Moemi to have to go to Haruo to try and break the dam, knowing he’s the only one who can show her how, but at least she’s willing to swallow her bile and do just that.

I have to say I felt terrible for Namie-san, who was so excited to be on a date with Haruo, but to her credit she’s not so selfish as to impose herself on the moment when it comes.  This is a great bit, especially where Guile pops up and urges Haruo to wait before crossing the street.  The AOU Show (now merged into the JAEPO) is one of my favorite passages from the manga – even the stuff on the train out to Chiba is fantastic.  It’s so rare with manga or anime to feel so totally in the moment with the characters, but my God do I ever here.

The climax is, of course, when Haruo asks Akira which of the tchotchkes he and Makoto brought her she likes the best, and she shows him the ring he gave her when she moved away, back in sixth grade – one he certainly assumed she’s lost or forgotten about years ago.  There can be no doubt now – all the cards are on the table, and in fact when Akira resists going home there at the end, Haruo seems to be very close to suggesting that he and Akira take a huge step as a couple before fate (and Jiiya’s bumper) intervenes.  “Everything seems so impressive when I’m with you.”  Has there even been a simpler and more elegant summation of what it feels like to be young and in love?