Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko! is a definite stealth bomber, I tell you what.  I’m hard-pressed to think of another show I was so lukewarm about after the first episode and so thoroughly smitten with by the fifth.  The thing about it is I love pretty much everyone in it and believe me, that just doesn’t happen.  I noted on twitter after Episode 4 that Tomo-chan was starting to remind me a bit of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun.  Nothing specific to the premise, but just the general style of the comedy and the way the characters interact.  If that sounds like high praise it is, and we’re a long way away from Tomo-chan showing the same staying power.  But it sure is on a hell of a good run.

I’m in that zone with comedies that really resonate with me where everything it tries is working.  We start out very Carol-heavy this week, which is always a good thing.  This time around it’s Misuzu and Tomo going to her “house”, after another one of those random Carol moments where she says “what time are you coming over on Saturday?” after not having mentioned it to either of them.  Her map is hilarious to begin with – though it does make me wonder why they wouldn’t just use Google Maps – and “house” is in quotation marks because it’s really a mansion.  And in the Western sense, not the Japanese…

Enter Carol’s Mom (Ohara Sayaka) – her name is  Ferris, though I don’t think it’s mentioned here – and it’s immediately clear the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.  She initially mistakes Tomo for a guy after her daughter’s virtue (well, after asking if they were “bad people”).  Ohara does kind of a standard seiyuu take on a gaijin Japanese accent that would be totally taken as racist of the situation was reversed, but somehow it kind of works in the context.  Ferris is if anything loopier than her daughter, and certainly just as into skinship.  She does take a moment to scold Misuzu for being mean to Carol  – but she also sees through Misuzu’s attempt to troll her immediately.

That’s an important indicator that we shouldn’t judge these books by their cover, because if it wasn’t already obvious Carol is really smart, and it makes sense Ferris would be too.  When Tomo expresses shock that there are midterms the next day (not an honor student, this one) the three girls wind up at Misuzu’s for a study session.  We get a look at the last of the moms (for now, maybe Kubota-san will appear later) and again, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.  Tomo hasn’t been over for a while – Misuzu disinvited her for breaking stuff – but instead of mistaking her for a guy Misuzu’s mom (Kawasumi Ayako) mistakes her for her mother.  Her “I’m not sure about this one yet” about Carol is the comic highlight of this scene.

Tomo shows modest improvement thanks to the tutoring (Carol is some sort of savant where math is concerned), ranking 70th (Jun is 54th).  Misuzu places second, but you can guess who’s going to place first, and I imagine Misuzu won’t have been too happy about that.  With tests behind them Jun invites Tomo over to play the new “Inazuma Winners Eleven” game she’s been wanting to play.  There’s some history here – Tomo’s first nickname for Jun was “Gamer Kid” (and he clearly wants to put that behind him).  In the end Jun invites Tomo to stay over and do a gaming all-nighter (that will prove hilariously inaccurate soon enough) and, forgetting herself for the moment and caught up in the rush, she agrees.

We can debate whether Jun was as innocently caught up in the moment as Tomo when he extended the invitation – since we don’t (yet) see things from his POV, it’s conjecture.  What matters to me is how incredibly charming these two are as a couple, and this scene is their best of the series so far.  Tomo has freaked out when she realized what she’s committed to.  And she’s quite perturbed at her parents’ seeming lack of concern (though for different reasons, clearly).  Jun has neglected to mention that his mom (no mention of Dad, hmmm) is out of town, giving Tomo another excuse to freak out.  Again – is Jun as oblivious to the implications as he acts?  Still conjecture –  and honestly, it still doesn’t much matter to me.

There’s so much to love here.  Tomo’s refusal to take a bath after Jun, their total inability to stay up late (her childlike amazement that he’d stayed up till midnight before had me in stitches – they’re such kids).  That bit with Jun’s cheeks is the tell that yes, he understands what’s going down here and why there’s tension in the air.  He sleeps on a futon and gives her the bed (it smells like him, she observes), but after she gets a little too frisky indulging her fascination with his face (and ears) they both end up on the futon.  I believe he stayed asleep through all this, but it’s still revealing.  And when she remembers where she woke up, Tomo has yet another reason to freak out.

The reason these two are so great is that they’re best friends first – clearly they love each other without romance ever entering the picture.  They just happen to be best friends who are now in love with each other, despite in most respects being still very much children despite being 16.  And neither has anything in their arsenal that can deal with this new reality, which  is really the source of the comedy.  Goofy, innocent besties running smack into biology is a great setup for romantic comedy, and this one definitely delivers.  The main couple and the supporting cast are perfectly balanced – neither overshadows the other in terms of appeal.  And that’s as rare as loving pretty much everyone in the cast.