“Aware” was certainly the theme for Aharen-san wa Hakarenai this week. But I think it fits equally well both in its English and Japanese meanings. Momo-chan-sensei’s tribulations over “esteem” are obvious enough, but it’s really striking how “aware” this show is about certain things. Like the romcom tropes it gently satirizes, while celebrating them at the same time. About the importance of formula – having a great central pairing to support the superstructure, which a judiciously-used supporting cast of weirdos around them. And about the tonal balance that all great satirical romcoms seem to have, which is really hard to get right.
Of course, Reina being “aware” is a major theme too, but we’ll get to that…
Momo-chan-sensei is the constant running through this week’s events and boy, does she ever have it rough. You know it’s bad when a co-worker like Miyashira-sensei (who I get the sense is interested) has to carry bottled oxygen like some kind of Everest sherpa. Our main couple is bad enough, but adding Ooshiro-san into the mix is the cherry on top. Ooshiro is still comfortably the weakest part of the series for me, but for such a truly awful character trope to be indifferent rather than a major drag is an achievement in itself for the series. And that bit with her being under the floorboards did make me LOL.
Momo-chan’s fantasy life was a real highlight of the episode (and boy, they sure don’t censor the blood). Reina and Raidou’s real life is absurd enough, adding Momo’s tortured imaginings on top of it really gilds the lily. I especially liked the part where Raidou (as the school idol) was bathing in rose petals in Aharen-san’s house when she got home. Again, great awareness of tropes here, and how to mock them without coming off as snarky. The festival sequence which follows is a prime example of Aharen-san wa Hakarenai pivoting to using those tropes to its own advantage (in a very aware way).
It takes some doing to make a summer festival chapter feel fresh, but we got there somehow. All the requisite boxes are checked, starting with the lost child bit. It’s Futaba, naturally, who gloms on to Raidou after mistaking him for her father. She’s actually starting to warm up to him now (she managed to choke out a “thank you”), which makes me wonder if we could be seeing a crush developing here. Of course Raidou and Reina are “lost” too, with the requisite Raidou misplaced imaginings – but they manage to reconnect in time to catch the fireworks.
If festival fireworks aren’t the ultimate anime matsuri trope, then surely the broken sandal strap is. But it’s all building somewhere, with Raidou eventually taking Aharen onto his shoulders (“doing the thing“, ROFL) so she can see at last. And she’s so grateful for that, which is an incredibly sweet moment. Her reaction when Raidou offers his hand is the indisputable proof that Reina is aware about the elephant in the room, and I think we’ve seen enough from him to know he’s not oblivious to it either.
I certainly didn’t have these two in my couple of the year pool going in, but at this point they’re giving NishikaTakagi a serious tussle for the crown. There’s surely no more well-worn chestnut in manga and anime than high school romance, but somehow – rarely – a few mangaka and screenwriters manage to make it fresh and original. I’ve not seen a couple quite like this before, and I adore both of them equally as individuals and as a pair. This is so much better than so many more commercially successful iterations airing this season that one could take that disparity in popularity as depressing, but it’s hard to be depressed about anything where Aharen-san wa Hakarenai is concerned. It’s just that sort of show.
sonicsenryaku
May 25, 2022 at 3:21 pmI never find myself laughing out loud when watching Aharen-san, save for maybe a moment or two, but I always find the experience to be pleasant and the comedic setups to be well-timed and effective. There’s a cozy feeling when watching this show, and I think that’s large in part to the main leads just being extremely wholesome to each other. Their relationship follows some common anime romcom tropes for sure, yet at the same time, it subverts and avoids a lot of the annoying ones that recent anime outings just can’t seem to grow past for some reason, which is greatly appreciated. I like how Reina and Raido’s intimacy is communicated both through their silent rivalry (mostly on Raido’s part) and the appreciation both of them feel for enhancing each other’s lives, a staple for any healthy romantic relationship. It’s also an extremely big breath of fresh air to see a couple who are as physically close as these two are without making it be such a big deal; literally one of the biggest strengths of the interpersonal dynamic between Reina and Raido for sure. It was a potent writing decision to have Raido be such a chad of a guy when it comes to giving 100% towards strengthening his relationship with Reina. The fact that anyone in Raido’s position would have got butt-hurt and quit immediately when he initially thought Reina didn’t want to be friends with him, but tried anyway despite his perceived failures, immediately sold me on the strength and nobility of his character. Raido felt dismay and disappointment like a real human being, but also reflected upon his emotions and responded with conviction and determination rather than vitriol and damnation, which grounded his actions in emotional realism, and at least for me, garnered my engagement. Cultivating such an admirable quality in your lead through action shows an author who understands how to yield investment from the audience without over-glorifying their characters or directing explaining why you should get attached to them.
If I had to explain why this show makes me chuckle moreso than laugh-out loud most of the time, I’d say it comes down to me finding the script to be average. The jokes have good setups and I find that they land most of the time, but comedy isn’t just about good setup and release when dialogue and directing are a part of your storytelling medium. Having stellar, interesting directing, dynamic character acting, and snappy, witty, and well-paced script will elevate any kind of humor whether it’s deadpan, slapstick, absurdist, or dark. There’s not much about Aharen-san’s script or directing that I find unique or noteworthy in its craft; it certainly isn’t bad or poorly executed, I just think if the script had a bit more style and a few more layers of intelligent composition, and if the directing oozed a bit more identity, that the comedy would be a gut-busting explosion more often than not.
As for this shows popularity compared to other anime of its type airing this season, I mean, I get it completely why this one is in the shadows; and no, I’m not going to rely on the whole, “typical anime fans just don’t know quality when they see it” excuse even though that argument is certainly viable at times. Honestly, the reason fans just don’t shower certain shows that deserve it with praise is a nuanced subject, but mostly boils down to accessibility, which in and of itself is a multi-faceted subject on its ow. To keep it brief, I think your general anime fan would take a look at Aharen-san and find a harder time immediately identifying something to engage with or relate to as opposed to other shows of its type airing this season. Aharen’s art and visuals, while boasting a sense of polish, isn’t swinging past the batting average of your typical anime production. Character designs are nice-looking enough, but I could imagine someone being put off by Reina’s stature, saying something like, “why is the main heroine a fourth grader?” and ignoring the show all together without giving it a chance. And lastly, because the main leads are two deadpan, emotionally inert characters on the surface, your typical viewer might not be able to relate to or connect with them immediately (hell, they might even find them boring to flow just based on that). On the surface, there isn’t anything eye-catching about this show, and even when you begin watching it, I would argue its appeal (from the viewpoint of your average viewer) isn’t immediately apparent either until you’ve processed it a bit or you happened to be someone who could immediately relate to and connect with the two main leads. I just think other shows of this genre this season are able to sell their appeal easier with less barriers impeding them. Something like Kaguya sama is so rich with directorial style, slick-editing, and interesting bursts of animation, that showing it to someone would immediately sell the appeal of that show as opposed to something like Aharen-san. That’s just the way the world works, my man. I’m sure if Aharen-san had stellar animation, a notable elegance in its directorial identity, and characters people could get into online arguments about who was best girl or boy, then this show would be getting more attention.
sonicsenryaku
May 25, 2022 at 3:27 pm*multi-faceted subject on its OWN*
*might even find them boring to FOLLOW just based on that*