NouKome – 03
Moe Moe… Dojikko!
This season is pretty sparse on the outright comedy, with really only 2 mostly comedy shows that I can think of in Non Non Biyori and NouKome (you’d have to ask Karakuri if Megane-bu! would be counted as ‘comedy’, because I couldn’t stand it). But this is definitely one of them, so let’s see if Kanade will figure out a way to get Furano to laugh.
Not Just One, But Two Missions
“Oh you silly boy!”
The mission to get Furano to laugh is actually over pretty quickly, after a review and addition to the events ending the last episode. But Furano uses Douraku-sensei’s brute force method to make him forget her crying on the roof wondering if he likes her. Either way, it turns out that Furano is weak to classic pratfalls, and busts a gut at Kanade slipping on a banana. Mission Cleared!
She’s on to something
And that’s pretty much the end of Furano’s involvement in this episode, as the focus shifts to Ouka Yuuouji and her BFF Konagi Yawakaze, the pure girl who even has a fan club of protectors. Too bad for Kanade that his next mission is to see Konagi’s panties being worn, or that his Absolute Choice gets him in trouble a few times with the fan club when he has to ask about it. But Ouka thinks it’s fun that he’s so random, and is willing to help him, even promising that Konagi is a klutz, and if he just follows her around for a while, he’s sure to see a flash.
Damn censoring!
And it would have worked, if anime tropes didn’t get in his way! He even has four chances, ruined by sunbeam-chan, steam-san, a gravity-defying skirt and well-placed objects, all things that we know well. And all while he’s feeling awful about taking advantage of such a nice girl for this mission. And he eventually completes the mission anyway, with a little help from Ouka and a mixed up present, as she’s wearing panties that were supposed to be given to Konagi (string panties and a garter belt, even). So two missions down, who knows how many left to go!
The Key is in the Flow
They just get along really well, too
I think the thing I’m liking most about NouKome is the flow that this show has. There are sequences that just go from one to another, and flow well within themselves, that elevate it just that little bit. And Ouka, who has distanced herself as my favorite character in the show, is frequently a part of these. Every time she’s on screen it’s interesting, whether because of what she’s doing or her interactions with others. Her easy acceptance of being the judge in episode 2, and then this episode her calm conversation with Kanade about him needing to see her friend’s panties, even though he doesn’t really like like her, and her enthusiastic help in setting up her friend for Kanade’s sake, all of them just have a smoothness and wackiness to them that makes her a great character.
This sequence with them talking seriously was terrific
So then it’s kind of funny that she’s considered to be the single most undateable person in the school. Kanade even mentions that she’s cute, and probably has some fans who are interested in her looks at least, so I wonder why she’s considered part of the Reject Five or worse, the most undateable person in school (you’d have thought that Kanade took that role, even, and Furano is third). She’s definitely weird, but doesn’t seem horribly weird. And she’s a bit more observant than you might think, seeing that Kanade is always doing weird stuff and saying weird things, but thinking that all seems a bit fake, like she’s onto his Absolute Choice. So yeah, a goofball, but undateable?
Bonus Breezy Time!
It definitely looks like we’re not going to see who the rest of the Reject Five are, but now that we know what it means, that’s probably fine. Instead we’ll get to focus on Ouka, Furano, and possibly Chocolat, who so far hasn’t really done much. I think we’ll need to get her interacting with the rest of the group before anything really interesting will happen with her.
I do think that NouKome is in an interesting place as a comedy. Usually comedies are more even, but this one is tremendously funny at times, and falls completely flat at others. And it’s also not afraid to be unfunny now to make a better joke later, such as when Kanade is waking up after Furano beat him unconscious, with his dream about “Natsuhiko”, planted by Chocolat when she crawled into bed with him having BL fantasies. The show definitely has some deficiencies, some really bad animation, and a sometimes offputting pace. But it’s also got some really funny parts, and it’s got Ouka, so I’m definitely on board.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
im sure the other Zannen Five are nobodies?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Looks to me like they’re senpais who are not relevant to the story, therefore never going to be shown. But now that we’re given the definition of the 5, they’re no longer important. If they had been people linked to Kanade, Ouka, and Furano, that might have been a reason to introduce them, but if they’re just undateable people, nah.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
If you look at the shadows of the rest of them and look at the images of the rest of the girls in the OP/ED, it matches.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Do you think? I have been looking at that, but it didn’t seem that the shadows matched any of the 3 girls who are still in the OP.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
I hereby stand corrected. I must be seeing things.
Then again, the OP have some guys not introduced yet so…. (The 2nd one frm the right looks like a guy)
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It does, but it looks to me like they typical round-haired megane type of genius guy, rather than the spikey friend guys who show up in the OP.
I just go back to the way they trickled “4 and 5” off the screen when they were talking about them this week, and thinking that pretty much means they’re unimportant.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
On further examination, I just noticed tht the guy shadow have what looks like ribbons coming out frm his head.
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
They forgot Shadow-kun though for the censorings. He was a staple in the To-Love Ru Darkness TV airing.
And I agree, 3 episodes down and Chocolat hasn’t done much plot related. She’s still funny when she appears. She did provide the banana for the accomplishment of the first mission so there’s that. She needs to really appear though when assisting Kanade.
Ouka is definitely an interesting girl and we got plenty of screentime of her this episode. Weird though that she was willing to flash her pantsu earlier but a sudden wind flash made her embarrassed. I guess that separates the willing from the not. That kinda sounds wrong.
Not much to say about the new character except gap moe.
And of course, glorious Nakata Jouji narration never fails to spice up the show.
Pretty much enjoying this show and definitely looking forward to more of the missions and the Absolute Choices. The what if scenario this time though is…ugh.
The other girls in the OP/ED are probably the remaining members of the Reject Five but I should give up on wanting to see all of them. The first 3 girls are the most important to the story I guess.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
I liked last week’s What if? Female High School Romance!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, given the OP, we’re going to get at least 3 more girls introduced besides the 4 we already have: the pink-haired imouto, the silver haired girl, and the ring curls big-boobed girl. I’m guessing they’ll all be introduced the same way that Konagi was this episode, as the target of a mission for Kanade.
There’s a difference in doing something when you choose to, and having something happen to you when you either weren’t expecting it or don’t want it. Like half the girls in To-Love-Ru would love for Rito to grab their boobs at the right time, but when he ends up doing it, it’s definitely not the right time.
Chocolat’s funny enough, but I think they need to get her together with the other two for it to go to the next level.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Light and shadow are essentially the same thing just reversed 😛
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 88 comments
Now this episode is ridiculously fucking stupid. But I enjoyed that shit so damn much.
I thought the show’s gimmick of forcing lead guy to make a decision will get boring fast, but damn, the choices are getting more and more hilarious. Seeing him cringe over choosing the lesser evil choice had me in stitches.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
This episode they started throwing in ‘choices’ that were more with the flow of things, like “Flip it or Don’t Flip it”. And keeping the choice narration context sensitive really helps, as it got quiet for that quiet part of the show.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Show is like roller coaster smooth.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
For the most part, I’d agree, but there are some rough patches, just like there are some roller coasters that beat you to hell (one of my favorites had this reputation – Drachen Fire at Busch Gardens Williamsburg). There are also some really ooky animation derps in this show, like any time a character is walking with their legs out of the frame toward or away from the camera.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 175 comments
more keep watching making to much oh my really over ha ha on it yet to ask how did kanade even got multi-choice effect & end up on loser 5?
give more since series it’s 10eps like problem kids & blood lad.