I almost felt like that whole extended beach conversation about light novels was trolling me. Taunting me with the knowledge that in spite of liking Makeine right now, it was doomed to go the way of probably 95% of the LN adaptations I start out liking. I’m pretty sure Tamaki-kun’s comment about adding a subtitle so readers would know what the story was about was meant unironically – Makeine is a light novel after all – but it exemplifies why I just can’t take them seriously as an art form. But a light novel where the teenaged characters talk about creating light novels certainly is logical.
That meta side of things is interesting – these are the right people to be writing and reading LNs, really. But it’s hardly the main thrust of the narrative, just a sidelight. And I’m still liking this show after three weeks, there’s no denying that. It remains absolutely gorgeous (Remon may have the most arresting tan lines in anime), and I pretty much like all of the major cast. This episode had a bit of that “look at me, aren’t I clever” quality that LN comedies tend to have, which I’ll chalk up as a yellow light. But it wasn’t so overbearing as to come anywhere close to ruining the experience.
As you’d expect, third losing heroine (and “homewrecker”) Komari Chika is the main focus this week. She’s hot on President Tamaki as we know. He being two years (I think) ahead of her is only one of numerous obstacles I see with that one. Komari is quite the sad sack. We first meet her this week arguing with Nukumizu-kun about tap water (truly, two kids with no social lives there). VP Tsukinoki announces that the Literature Club is going to hold a training camp (at a youth retreat near the beach) in order to satisfy the complaints from the student council about the club not actually producing any literature.
Yanami-san invites herself along – declaring herself willing to join the club (if not remember its name) – because her family is throwing a surprise reconciliation barbecue because they think she and Sousuke are fighting. I don’t blame her for being desperate to get out of that, though a little truth would go a long way here. Remon decides she’s coming too, and the lot of them head off to the beach, where Tamaki delivers young Nuk-kun a lecture on the philosophical difference between school swimsuits (which Komari wears) and voluntary swimsuits.
One thing there’s not a whole lot of in this literature training camp (so far at least) is literature. Tamaki reads Komari’s novel, and declares it pretty good. He shows Nukumizu his own web novel, which the latter is actually a reader of. Remon shows off her tanlines and eventually throws the recalcitrant Komari into the sea. She also wins some fireworks in some sort of “beach diving” competition I don’t exactly understand. Eventually Anna gets her BBQ after all, and it seems as if Nuku’s brocon imouto actually followed the group to beach (unless she was coincidentally nearby on whatever her own out of town business was).
The headline moments are Yanami feeding Nukumizu some steak in a very couple-like scene – though I kind of picked up a little vibe with he and Remon earlier. Then, Komari almost blowing her own face off with a “dud” roman candle, only to be saved by the Prez. This eventually causes her to confess – which already sets her apart from her compatriots in the loser camp – though I can’t imagine that ending well for her. This all has a breezy charm to it that works quite well – a beach episode that feels pretty comfortable in its own skin. Considering the source material I can’t not be a bit cautious about committing to Makeine, but I can unequivocally say I hope it avoids the pitfalls that laid waste to so many of its predecessors.
Red Hat
July 29, 2024 at 1:02 amOne thing for sure
BOTCHI BOROMARU has 2 of the best OP/ED this season with this and NigeWaka
Guardian Enzo
July 29, 2024 at 9:03 amYeah, no disagreement here.
Nadavu
July 29, 2024 at 2:35 amI tried explaining to my wife why I’m a sucker for Komari – the awkward loner who, rather than having a heart of gold, is downright hostile and believes herself superior to mere mortals with their foolish social interactions. She said, “oh, you mean like how I was back when I was 17?” Yep. That’s my type.
Joshua
July 29, 2024 at 3:43 amHonestly, after being so inundated by the total irony poisoning from Deadpool in trying to pass off all of its major flaws as jokes to make sure that no one takes anything seriously, just having a relatively tiny amount of self-awareness feels quaint by comparison. And if it’s used to eventually explore depth in these characters who initially hide under a veneer, then even better. It doesn’t seem glib so far, which irony poisoned works often fall into.
Sonicsenryaku
July 29, 2024 at 6:36 amAnna is such a fuckin’ fool; I love it. Kazuhiro tells her that the literature club training camp theme is “canned” and she proceeds to text him (in the group chat, I believe) that her favorite canned foods are crab and corn beef…..It’s the way Anna goes around saying things with confidence despite her not knowing what the hell she’s talking about that sells how funny the character is. In episode 2 she has a conversation going on in the background where she reminiscences on “trying wool felting”, saying this with the most casual authority possible……accept it turns out she’s just out she’s just describing knitting instead. The extra layer in the comedy is how much of her idiocy is sprinkled in low-key without too much exaggeration; it’s really fun
Other than that, I like how each girl’s loss in their romantic pursuits have been for different reasons:
Anna- being the semi-unaccountable little gremlin that she is, loses because she found entitlement in her position as the childhood friend to Sousuke: “it’s like we’re already dating.” No girl; no you’re not! You still need to take the risk of laying your feelings bear and committing to changing the status quo of the relationship status with a friend, no matter how close y’all are. This is the kind of perception the childhood friend position seems to come with in the meta of romcom (the meta of being a childhood friend, if you will) thus, she rest on her laurels, never confesses, and loses.
Lemon- her childhood friend isn’t able to see her as a romantic partner despite her displaying signs of liking him. Problem is she got too comfortable not making her feelings more explicit in their clarity, perhaps feeling defeated from when he already wouldn’t respond to her previous attempts; thus, she was too late and loses
Chika- Doesn’t make the mistake the other two girls make, but unfortunately fails to read the signs that the guy she likes doesn’t see her in that way. Regardless, confessing was the healthy thing to do, but reading the room and realizing that “1. I have yet to establish any kind of rapport or chemistry with the target of my affection beyond long-distance admiration and 2. the way he treats me doesn’t come off as him being into me” would have given her the foresight to process her emotions and accept what is. Chika’s circumstances is probably the most tragic on paper, as she just has to deal with the cards given to her. There wasn’t any innate carelessness on her part; it’s just an unfortunate turn of circumstances. And thus, she shoots her shoot, but I imagine she’s gonna lose; I mean, it’s in the title of the episode
sonicsenryaku
July 30, 2024 at 1:41 amAlso, just something I thought was fun: this is the second time both Chika Anzai and Shion Wakayama star in high profile production by A-1 Pictures with character designs by Imigimuru; the first being lycoris recoil. I just find the coincidence of that to be quite amusing
Nicc
July 30, 2024 at 6:41 amIt’s just three episodes in and we’re already getting a beach episode? Then again, it is almost August and so I guess it works.
Right, Komari Chika is the featured heroine in this one. It starts out with she and Nukumizu having a discussion about where’s the best time and place to drink the water at school. Just from this conversation we can tell she’s not the social type as she’s struggling with getting the words out as she’s boasting about how she enjoys the water in the restroom (Because she’s eating lunch there. Dude…). Our schools had drinking fountains and they all tasted the same to me. President Tamaki just so happens to run into them and to let them know that there’s a club meeting later.
To follow up on the first episode, the student council is on their case to produce results. In this case, they’ll have to put out some writing. Thanks to the modern world, that means putting some works online instead of having to actually pring some books (I know of some places around here that have on-demand book printing services). If not, they risk getting “canned”. Oh, and just to drive the point home, there’s an actual student council member who’s been hiding in the clubroom. We’re briefly introduced to Shikiya, who I guess will play a larger role later on. So, the club is off to a training camp that’s near a beach so that they can get some inspiration.
Yep, Anna decides to spontaneously join the Lit Club just to get away from between her family and Sosuke’s, whom are close because they are childhood friends. Now, that’s just twisting the knife. It does sound like to me that Sosuke hasn’t told his family that he’s got a girlfriend now. Well, she gets to escape the BBQ, but she’ll still be grilled when she gets back from the training camp and her family asks why Sosuke’s got a girlfriend and it’s not her (Sosuke will likely bring Karen along without batting an eye). Well, at least the student council can’t can the club due to lack of members.
It’s off to the beach and the lads are enjoying the sights of the girls in swimsuits. Enjoy the summer of your youth, Nukumizu! Most of the beach shenanigans happen off-screen and both Anna and Lemon get screentime (And yes, some couple-like moments) despite being a Komari-focused episode. That’s to save time for the climax that occurs during the barbecue (Right, it seems that his little sister might be in the vicinity and she did say that she’d be out of town too). Nukumizu has got the right idea that it should be at least medium-rare. Anna gets the MVP of the BBQ from me for getting out the offal.
Everybody is playing fireworks when Komari gets surprised by a dud Roman candle. Prez steps in to save the day and the emotions that are welling up in her spill over and she confesses. Indeed, she’s the most socially awkward of the heroines, but she’s also the only who stepped up to the plate and take a swing. Certainly, we already know the final outcome as the show isn’t about “winning” heroines, after all. There’s plenty of writing material in this scenario for the club members, that’s for sure.