An episode of Paripi Koumei without Koumei is kind of risky, especially in a one-cour series.  In point of fact he’s been mostly absent from the last two episodes, and it would be fair to say he’s missed.  Eiko and Kabe, while likeable enough, are obviously much more conventional anime characters.  And Nanami is pretty much a walking plot device – there hasn’t been any real development there at all, though her character’s direction has pretty much been charted.

What we’re left with in an episode like this isn’t too exciting, honestly.  It’d be a lot easier for me if the music connected with me at all (I know, I’ve said that before) but both Eiko and Nanami are pretty generic pop crooners and Kabe’s rap isn’t really all that exciting.  I also find the Engrish really annoying to be honest, though I guess with rap it’s inevitable – Eiko and Nanami’s voices are nice enough, I just wish they’d sing in Japanese.

In Koumei’s absence the kiddos are off on journeys to find themselves.  For Kabe that’s a return to his hometown, which seems like it might be pretty close to Tokyo – an exurb, maybe.  Seriously, would it kill him to check in on his parents?  Rather, he wanders the streets and convenience stores and eventually runs into his old rap partner Sasatcho under a bridge.  This is all pleasant enough in a generic sort of way but it seems oddly water-treading, especially (again) for a one-cour show.

As for Eiko, she’s still busking with Nanami, who still hasn’t told her the truth about who she is.  Nanami hates her idol life and the “pure” music of street performing is her escape.  I know this is supposed to all be about Eiko finding her own voice, but that she finds it basically by doing what Nanami tells her to do is kind of ironic.  It’s nice for Eiko to have a friend in her demographics (baths are great but I’m not a monjayaki fan, always looks like street vomit to me) but again, none of this material feels really essential.  A place-holder episode, really, and not a lot more than that.