The season is getting ready for the final stretch and shows are winding up and getting ready for their finales. Matt and I take a minute to appreciate how Harukana Recieve is doing just that.
Have I ever told you about my christmas/new years episode curse? I just never like these episodes (the only 2 exceptions being Gabriel DropOut and Gugure San). As a trade off I usually love Halloween episodes but you don’t get those too often in anime…Understandable, they can kind of sometimes be a bit empty feeling, which is ironic given that they’re supposed to be full of “hope” and “wishes” and what not. I like them but because of how laid-back they usually are… I’ll be careful not to say Laid Back too much around you lest I give you Laid Back Camp PTSD. Objectively I know Yuru Camp is a well made show, but it broke me a little.

So Matt, are you still enjoying Marissa? Is there are list of top anime MILF’s because she’d be among the best!
The idol girl took a big step back this episode. I miss her a little, do you?She was still… there… kind of tagging along, felt like the episode’s plot didn’t need her to be there but they just threw her in so you didn’t think she just left. She’s certainly a more interesting character when she’s front and centre and not relegated to a few reaction moments.
There was a flashback! I liked this flashback! I like knowing these girls from two different parts of the world–who started off as strangers and rivals became friends through the power of sports! Lovely!
When did Haruna and pinky become friends? They have each other’s phone numbers? I feel like I missed a few episodes. I don’t think we’re supposed to be thinking about it too much, though I agree the later half of this episode felt like it took place after a larger passing of time than between previous episodes.

My mother also use to drive like a complete maniac. I really related to the twins there. Mine too, the irlwaifu does as well, but don’t tell her I said that!No worries, it’s not like this will ever become public or anything.
I know that’s not how she meant it but it really sounded to me like Kanata ran all the way to the airport just to quickly trash talk her old team mate. That’s a pretty boss move! Respek! I thought so too, kind of like “you know that promise I made with you? Well I’ve got a new girlfriend and she’s got nice oppai and we’re going to Nationals together!” That’s how I heard it in my head anyway…
So what did you think of the episode anyway? Aside from this random assortment of thoughts I don’t really know if you liked it or not? I thought the ending was particularly sweet (even if her wording made it sound more confrontational than intended), it even brought a little tear to my eye, plus I liked that Narumi stayed true to her character and just held out her pinkie finger in reply rather than making a big speech or giving her a hug.
Well I was sort of neutral on it. I liked it well enough but I don’t have much to say about it. To me, the flashback pretty boring and it took the majority of the episode. I must say I liked the previous episode a lot more so I was a bit disappointed they switched the focus and tone back. At the same time I don’t have any suggestions for improvement either.

From what I can tell, this is a set up episode, just putting all the pieces in place for the narrative to pick up next week so there’s not that much for me to say. I think we’ll see the pay off of this week’s events later on. That’s when I’ll be able to figure out what I got out of it, if that makes sense. It seemed like a necessary episode, albeit maybe slower than most–tying up loose emotional threads so that things can carry-on forward without any lingering regrets on either side of the net. I suspect we’ll get a time-skip (with added training montages) to have us be ready for the National competitions in the coming episodes.
Wait they came in second to last… Can they really go to nationals? I guess we need to keep watching to find out! (see what I did there???)

I’m sorry Matt but there was not that much eye candy this week. I promise I’ll do better next time.
Hey, Haruka and Kanata were at least better than half of the teams in their tournament!
I also really don’t get the Japanese style of “I still care about you so I’m gonna show you what’s what when I beat you!” Maybe it’s a “Showing you still care enough to want to beat the other person, as opposed to just whatever-ing them” thing, but I feel like it doesn’t map well onto western culture.
And for me, Christmas eps are good, especially since Amagami SS is pretty much ALL christmas-related episodes. But, ah, you probably wouldn’t like that one (like heroin for romance-story junkies).
I think I started the Amagami game. It was a standard harem I believe. I didn’t finish it though. You’re probably right, i don’t think I’m the target demo there.
The show is an “omnibus” show, and has 4 episodes per romance story, so 2 cours of people falling in love in 4 episodes (the same guy with 6 different women), all around Christmas time. It’s probably my favorite not-really-a-harem romance show, and there have been other shows that try to do the same thing but just aren’t as good.
I loved all of Gabriel Dropout, although I never understood why Gabriel and Vigne didn’t petition to switch sponsors. . .I really think they’d have each been happier and both would definitely have seen their stipends increase rather than diminish. As for Yuru Camp, it joins a select few that I consider perfect–I don’t think it could have been any better if actual angels had massaged it. Of course, that’s just me. . .
I reviewed every ep. You can see the moment I snap.
“Have I ever told you about my christmas/new years episode curse? I just never like these episodes (the only 2 exceptions being Gabriel DropOut and Gugure San).”
Okay, time out. Time out!
Does that include the Toradora Christmas episode?
And please don’t say “yes” and shatter make me faux cross for several minutes! 🙂
If I remember correctly. The Toradora Christmas ep was on par with the rest of the show.
Okayyyyyy. That’s an evasive answer! I’m joking because Toradora’s one of my favorite series. It’s a likely Caw of Fame candidate. I loved the characters, from Ryuuji’s OCD to Taiga’s indomitable will to Ami’s smug veneer over her insecurities to Minori’s unfathomable depths, I thought they were the most engaging character I’ve seen in a rom-com.
Ph. but you hate rom-coms, don’t you?
Well, no one’s perfect!
I do not like Rom Coms and although there were some great things about Toradora I did not enjoy the female characters at all. Except for Yasuko (but even then)…
It’s strange, but it seems I miss Narumi more when I actually see her. It’s as if she’s all drama in a slice-of-life/sports show, so I feel like I don’t get to her enough.
Other than that I have nothing much to say.
Me neither. Good thing Matt was there to gush