Seems like most seasons there’s a show that surprises me by almost never getting any comments.  I have no idea which one it’s going to be (otherwise it wouldn’t be a surprise, I suppose), and usually no idea why.  This season it’s Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi, and as for the why – I wonder if it’s because there’s not much conflict in this series.  Its strong point is its positivity – there’s snark and mischief, but basically everyone (among the main cast) is nice, and treat each other pretty well.  Even the boss (which is as un-Japanese as it gets).  Conflict inspires discussion, I think it’s fair to say.

I often miss conflict in series that don’t have it, but I don’t miss it here.  Its absence ups the pressure on the writing because the rest of the package has to be charismatic enough to work.  In essence I enjoy spending time with these people, and that’s why Senpai ga Uzai works for me.  The core formula of a main couple around which a cast of zany characters orbits is quite the romcom classic, but it’s a classic for a reason.  If it works it works.  And here, it works.

A couple of those satellites got some more telescope time this week, and that’s a good thing.  I like Natsumi and Yuuto, and they add an element to the series that’s a little different from the office bunch and grandpa.  Fittingly given Yuuto’s presence, much of the episode is spent on a flashback of Futaba and Natsumi’s middle school days (I’m assuming Yuuto is in middle school, though if he’s as much like Futaba as he seems, he could be older).  Natsumi first met Futaba on the way to school – Futaba’s first day.  Or so Futaba thought, anyway – she got lost and followed Natsumi all the way to the arcade where she planned to ditch school for the day.

There are definitely parallels between Yuuto and Futaba – vertically challenged, first met Natsumi after getting lost, lacking in self-confidence.  And Natsumi is obviously the protective type, so both are a natural draw for her. In junior high she came to Futaba’s defense when a couple of boys were bullying her over her somewhat limited art skills, especially after they found out she planned to join the art club.  One of them takes the hint that you don’t mess with Natsumi, but the other one doesn’t know when to shut up and gets a pop to the cheek for his trouble.  In real life Natsumi would have been in deep shit there – but then, in real life people don’t have green as a natural hair color.

Natsumi encouraged Futaba to join the art club anyway, because she loves it whether she’s good at it or not.  In doing so she realizes what a hypocrite she’s being by ignoring Futaba’s entreaties to join the track club, since by her own admission she loves to run (and has been put off by a bad sports day experience).  In the present, she runs into Yuuto when both are out running, and immediately slips into big sis mode.  She encourages the timid Yuuto to follow his bliss and join the basketball club even if he thinks he’s not any good at basketball – and the fact that he winds up following her advice is the proof (not that it was needed) that he’s falling for her.  As for Natsumi, we had everything but the “Ara, Ara” but I’m sure she’s smart enough not to let that get too far.

We also had an office hanami party, and in Japan, work-related drinking is pretty serious business.  These things generally follow the “what happens in Vegas” mantra – in fact, it’s actually considered sort of rude not to act drunk, because it can be taken as a sign you’re not having a good time (for men, at least).  I don’t even want to imagine how much likker it would take even to get Harumi tipsy, but both he and Futaba are stone cold sober so I think we can take their progression as legit.  As always, the big question there is whether Harumi is indeed as clueless as he acts…