Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo is another one of those shows that just doesn’t get comments. I thought after the premiere there might be a stream of complaints about Kouzuki Yuria’s performance as Kujima – which I love by the way – but we haven’t even gotten that. You can never tell with “that niche” shows, because there are definitely exceptions, but they do tend not to spark a lot of conversation in English. I suspect if I were blogging Kami no Niwatsuki Kusunoki-tei (which I’m really enjoying) it wouldn’t be getting much discussion either.

This ep falls very much under the slice-of-life umbrella, as many Kujima episodes do. But it tends to nudge the larger story along even in those, and indeed that was the case here. The family – sans Suguru of course, far too busy feeling sorry for himself – heads off to visit Dad’s parents. This trip requires passage over the Seto Ohashi (it’s not clear which way), which gives us the first clue I’ve picked up about the setting, which is a lot further south and west than I guessed. This is a new year’s three day trip, and Dad doesn’t tell his parents about Kujima because he wants to surprise them. I think it’s safe to say that’s going to be mission accomplished…

Initially Grandma thinks it’s Suguru in a costume, but the truth seems to faze her a whole lot less. This is a pretty typical Japanese extended family setting. Grandpa is a bit dour but essentially a softie, and reminds Kujima of Maxim. Grandma cooks, the “kids” go out to take in the year’s first sunrise armed with her onigiri (one of which is ripped from Kujima’s hand by a kite, the scourge of outdoor dining in this country). Kujima borrows Arata’s phone to call Suguru and tell him he should have come, which nets them the predictable scorn. Suguru’s relentless douchebaggery is such a drain on his family, which I don’t see how he can be unaware of. But if he feels any remorse about that he almost never lets on.

Then we get an interlude of that most eponymous of new year’s traditions, mochi pounding (dutifully captured on camera by Mom). Kujima and the mallet don’t get on at first but eventually they get the hang of it. It would surely surprise many to learn that the most dangerous food in Japan is not fugu, but mochi. And it’s not even close. Every year hundreds of people are hospitalized after choking on mochi, with many deaths. They’re concentrated around new year’s and the elderly, but Russian bird things are not immune. It’s no joke – that shit is really sticky and it can kill people.

That’s not even the worst part of the visit for Kujima, though. That would be Ruiko, Arata’s aunt, who looks a good deal younger than Dad. She gives Kujima as good as she gets, she understands some Russian, and she has no qualms about relentlessly bullying Kujima (just as she bullied Suguru once upon a time, it seems). Karuta, Japanese badminton, whatever the game Ruiko has their number and isn’t afraid to dial it. This does make Kujima feel a little ]sense of kinship with Suguru, but I’m sure being around him again will change that soon enough.