Golden Time – 19
Things aren’t going well for Mitsuo
Well, the Olympics are now finally over, so back to watching all the anime!
A Night in Paris
Some things are surprising
The titular allusion is a reference to Kouko’s earlier desire to have her and Banri’s first time be a perfect night in Paris. In complete keeping with Kouko’s continuing relaxation of her perfect fantasy world that she had constructed in her mind and realizing that it’s better to have real experiences than fantasy experiences. So instead of holding out for a trip to Paris and a perfectly romantic night, she’s willing to compromise and try to bring her ‘Paris’ to Banri’s apartment. Never mind that her Eiffel Tower is pretty terrible. And almost deadly.
Kouko doesn’t want to give up
Kouko’s admission that Banri’s apartment has become a place she’s comfortable in was very nice. One of her biggest issues throughout the show has been being genuine, true to herself instead of to the ideal she wants to project or have her life live up to. She’s been successful now on two fronts in working towards being more authentic: with her group of friends, even Mitsuo, and with Banri alone. I really think this is entirely due to being included in such a group and having an actual boyfriend instead of an obsession. I’ve said it before, but I think the best thing that could have happened for both Kouko and Banri is that they become a couple. They’ve both shown so much growth, both together and externally, and have been what the other needs.
Eventually they relax some
But now Kouko wants to step it up. I like the presentation here, that Kouko is both hot for Banri and also somewhat scared of it. If we hadn’t seen her last week begging for kisses and reveling in Banri’s scent while alone in his apartment, there would be a lot more wondering about how much she really is sincere about wanting to get more physical, but I think that the show has set up her sincere desire pretty well. Of course, that doesn’t mean that she’s completely comfortable with it, and their intimacy kind of hits the roadblock of circumstance, like everything that Kouko tries. Luckily she wasn’t hurt too much when her terrible statue fell on her head. But this really followed Banri and Kouko’s usual pattern: The first time they try anything, they’re both too worked up to actually follow through. I’m sure that eventually they’ll be able to relax more and enjoy themselves.
The Ugly Misunderstanding Train
Linda fills Banri in
I’ve mentioned before that the incomplete information that everyone in this show is seemingly determined to keep away from each other is causing problems, and this time we see that the noose may be closing because of it. First we have the speedbumps in a possible Linda x Mitsuo relationship, since Linda has been cold to Mitsuo since their encounter at the club, and Mitsuo can’t figure out why, although he knows that his being a jerk didn’t help. So he’s trying to get closer to her by filming a feature on the Festival Club, which only serves to freak Linda out more. As she tells Banri, she started thinking too much about what Mitsuo was interested in, and Linda really sells herself short, as Banri tries to tell her. She really is a cool person, and anyone would be interested in her. But the problem is that she just doesn’t know what Mitsuo finds interesting about her, so she’s kind of freaked out.
Banri doesn’t actually say anything
But the real problem shows up later, and is directly related to Banri not telling the others about his past. And he even realizes it’s a problem, but hasn’t been able to tell them: not Mitsuo when he asks (although to be fair, that’s partly Mitsuo’s fault for cutting him off), and not Chinami and 2D-kun. And when Chinami sees Banri being friendly with Linda, she gets mad at him from two directions. First that he’s talking very friendly with the girl Mitsuo likes, and that he’s there without Kouko. Even though Kouko knows about Banri and Linda, and even knows that he was there to talk to Linda in this particular instance. But because Chinami doesn’t know, what else is she going to think but “Banri is two-timing my friend Kouko, and with this girl who is kind of my replacement.” Banri really needs to clear this up as soon as he can, but it’s kind of getting away from him.
The wrong person to come by at that time
Well, they tried changing Golden Time to business time (Ok, that’s the last time I’ll use that joke) but as usual, things happen and screw it up. But it really seems like both Kouko and Banri are ready for that, so they will get there eventually. They just need to relax themselves. Where the real problem is is that so many of Banri’s friends just don’t know about his past. His past relationships, his past health issues, his memories. So it’s understandable that Chinami and Mitsuo get a bit of a wrong impression, and that’s what’s causing problems. Now Banri’s going to have to do some damage control, and hopefully Kouko will help him with Chinami.
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 Regular with 77 comments
I’ve grown to like this series more and more during the second cour. The characters and the scripting are starting to click better than they did in the first half of the show.
Hopefully it pushes on and finishes on a high note.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’ve also grown to like the series more, although I liked it quite a bit from the beginning. I think Kouko rubbed a lot of people the wrong way at the beginning, and even though I think she’s essentially the same person, her strangeness has come to make more and more sense, and she’s also grown as a person significantly. So her odd randomness fits a lot better.
I also think that Banri, by being consistently in love with Kouko has dispelled a lot of early fears that he was faking it with Kouko. There were an AWFUL lot of people who thought that New Banri really loved Linda, and that he was just going along with Kouko because she was crazy and he didn’t want to make her mad, and he should dump that crazy broad and get with the person he really loves who loves him (another thing I know people thought that I never really agreed with, as I’ve said repeatedly through the series). But with so much consistency through the series, I think it’s hard to say that there was ever a time when Now Banri was really in love with Linda.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 88 comments
I don’t think Chinami meant what she said. I think it’s more of her hearing about the deal with Linda and Mitsuo and that maybe she’s jealous now that she understands her feelings for the guy. That scene in the buffet where you see Chinami’s reaction when Mitsuo mentions his intentions of Linda – a hint of jealousy.
I mean, if Koko finds out, it wouldn’t matter. Koko has already confronted Banri about Linda in the past.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think there’s a little jealousy and a little melancholy, with the ‘could’ve been’ aspect of it. I still don’t know if Chinami really likes Mitsuo more than just a friend, but even at that, most people like attention and when someone who has been giving you attention changes who they’re giving it to, that feels like a loss.
But I think the main thing is that Chinami did mean what she said. I think she values her friend Kouko, as well as being friends with Mitsuo, much more than a possible romance with Mitsuo and so seeing Banri get close with another girl (strike one), who is coincidentally the girl that Mitsuo likes (strike two), she comes to the easiest conclusion. She doesn’t know that Kouko knows everything about Linda, and even approved of Banri going to talk to her in this particular instance.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Everyone’s Staff of Ra is to long.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I don’t know what he’s waiting for but for his sake, Banri had better tell his friends he and Linda were classmates in their hometown before things start looking really bad. Already, Chinami’s got the wrong idea.
“I’ll start by killing you. Then I’ll send Kouko after you” Whoa, nice words, Linda. They’re worthy of Hitagi Senjougahara.