I’ve been pretty consistent in my view that ToniCawa is at its best when its at its simplest, focusing on Nasa and Tsukasa and their budding relationship.  And I think it sets about proving that with pretty much every episode, this one being no exception.  The anime version of Kaname specifically has grown on me to a considerable degree, but in general the supporting characters (especially Team Chitose)  – and the situations the narrative finds itself in when they’re prominent – just aren’t as engaging as the love story.

This week, then, was definitely an ensemble episode.  And it had its moments, because Hata-sensei throwing himself over totally to comedy and his innate geekdom can be very amusing.  Did it add anything much to the overall story?  No – and with the anime adaptation likely to be a one-and-done, every such episode is a bit of a precious wasted opportunity.  But it was mostly fun, if nothing else, even if Chitose continues to be fingernails on the blackboard most of the time.

If a “takopa” is some emblem of hipness among Tokyo’s youth, as Nasa-kun thinks it is, this is the first I’ve heard about it.  But then I think that’s exactly the point.  As Tsukasa says Nasa is amazingly ignorant about certain things considering how smart he is, and I imagine what youngsters consider cool is one of them.  But for young marrieds hosting your first party is a rite of passage, and Tsukasa rightly sees this as a relatively safe and manageable way to do it.

Of course Chitose and her maids are along for the ride, and there are some amusing moments as Tsukasa trolls her unmercifully regarding her new living situation.  This gag is a bit of a one-trick pony though, and probably goes on a little too long.  Things do get a little more interesting when Aya-nee gets tied into the situation, as we’re still learning new things about her character.  She’s a lot more like Tsukasa than it first appears, at least in some ways – both of them are hardcore gamers and intensely competitive.  That trait, of course, makes living in the ex-playhouse of the Arisugawa’s AWOL father especially appealing for Tsukasa.

The takopa quickly enough turns into a gaming party.  Nasa is predictably hapless – solitaire and minesweeper are more his speed – and appealingly unconcerned about it.  Kaname is better, but only because Aya forces her to be a sparring partner.  Chitose is good, one senses because she felt she had to be to try and keep Tsukasa’s attention.  But it’s Aya and Tsukasa who are the only serious gamers at this takopa, and soon enough it devolves into a war between them, with Nasa as the prize (though they both forget about that in the heat of battle).  And it’s Street Fighter that’s the battlefield.

We’ve seen Street Fighter at the center of anime before of course, and it’s hard not to think of Hi Score Girl watching this play out.  It’s remarkable how much this game seems to be the heart of Japanese gamer culture, and we see the full historical sweep of it here.  Tsukasa’s secret weapon is the original Street Fighter, which Nasa has built her custom controllers for.  Aya is indeed a natural and picks this up quickly enough, but their battle ends in a draw.  As for what Tsukasa would have asked of Nasa had she won, well – one can dream…