“Slice-of-life” is certainly one of the most overused (and misused) labels in anime.  But occasionally we do get a true slice-of-life series, and Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi certainly merits the descriptor.  Manga and anime are quite good as this sort of premise, blending fantasy elements with mundane daily life.  I suspect it comes from the deeply-entrenched Shinto belief system, where the mythology is largely concentrated in the everyday and people hardly realize the degree to which it influences their lives.  As a belief system Shinto is about as far removed from Judeo-Christian as it gets.

This ep was about as slice-of-lifey as it gets.  Basically it consisting of the six (I guess we have to say they’re all principals now) principals talking about hatsumode, and hatsumode.  The best part for me was that Zoom call where everyone but Saejima was getting buzzed on their tipple of choice.  There’s nothing much for me to write about here, but it was just really charming and funny.  It just struck me as a group of incredibly affable and harmless kids (almost) letting their hair down in the most adorably tame was possible.  And Fuyutsuki getting caught on-camera in her high school track pants was a nice touch.

If you know anything about Japan (or read my “Bespoke” posts) you know that New Year’s is probably the most important holiday of the year here, with a truly dizzying array of rituals attached to it.  Like the thorough clean-out, and the first dream of the new year, and the fortunes.  Hatsumode is king of the hill of course, better still in kimono.  I knew as soon as Himuro-kun suggested an Inari shrine that was going to be where Komori’s parents lived, though the miko thing was a mild surprise.

Himuro and Fuyutsuki further sealing the deal is no news, really – that turn has been pretty well locked in for a while already.  Maybe if there’s a headline here it’s that the B couple took a couple of major strides forward.  First, Komori-san admitting (to herself) that she envied the A couple getting all couple-y.  And Saejima presenting her a gift – the charm he’d bought at the shrine office, thinking she wasn’t going to be there that day.   If opposites attract these two have an inside track – I’d like to see a little more of what makes Saejima-san tick, though.  Among the cast he’s the most mysterious so far – which is ironic, as he and Fuyutsuki are the only normal humans among the lot.