Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha – 05
This image not representative of actual events.
This week’s Inari Konkon is a beach episode! \o/
Awkward Beach Trip
As you can see, they’re getting along.
The basic summary of things is that human relations is hard. Here we have a collection of girls who are all jealous of each other in one way or another without realizing that the others feel the same way for different reasons. And then they decide to have fun at the beach while this is going on, so pretty much what should have been a fun day off turns into an awkward-fest. I’ll admit I found myself a tad bit annoyed by the roundabout jealousy, but such is the dramatic life of the average middle schooler. Who can fault the shy, generally unpopular Maru-chan for thinking she will be supplanted by the pretty and seemingly sociable Akemi? And who can fault the apparently popular but actually lonely Akemi for feeling bad about hanging with the unpopular Maru-chan? Not to mention Akemi is also jealous of Inari for being so close to Keiko. This is like the perfect time bomb just waiting to go off! Seriously though, the girls just need to get over their standoffishness and start speaking openly with each other, because that’s really the only way they’ll be able to learn about each other and thus get along.
Uncontrolled Powers
Akemi’s love.
Next we move on to some real serious business. I had always wondered if Inari would be able to transform others since she now has Uka-sama’s powers and we know Uka-sama was able to transform her. And the events at the end of this episode more or less confirm this in my eyes. It’s not explicitly shown what happens (presumably that’s saved for next episode), but all of the divine powers gushing from Inari suggest to me that what’s about to happen is she’ll unconsciously grant Akemi’s wish to become her. Which would, you know, make things even more awkward than they are now. Also there’s the fact that Inari’s cover will pretty much be blown when this happens, so we’ll see how she deals with it. I don’t think there will be any direct consequences with Kouji since there doesn’t appear to be any questions about her stint as Akemi, but there will definitely be backlash from Akemi if she realizes that the Keiko who escorted her earlier was actually Inari in disguise. Sure, Inari didn’t mean any harm by it, but clearly her actions have unintentionally ruined Akemi and Keiko’s relationship, which so far had been the most solid (though not by much) between the girls.
Uka-sama is having a hard time.
Then there’s the continuing problem of Uka-sama’s well-being whenever Inari loses control of her powers. This time there is no Amaterasu-sama to quell Inari’s powers, so there is potential for things to reach a breaking point.
Things are getting pretty heated, and it’s only just halfway through the show. The way I see it, the current situation with the girls will likely be superceded quickly with revelations of Inari’s supernatural powers. Which, despite my previous hand-waving, might still have an adverse effect on her relationship with Kouji. It’s a little disturbing to be with a girl who can change her form at will, after all. Though it’s entirely possible that Kouji won’t mind this point and things won’t take as bad a turn as I might think.
Will Inari grant Akemi’s wish?
About Sumairii
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Once you point him in the right direction, Kouji will be a bit nervous, but he’ll try to take things in stride. Just the type of person Inari needs. It’s been a fun, sweet show so far.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I thought this ‘awkward-fest’ (well put) was very entertaining and authentic. Middle school girls are bundles of neuroses, always worrying about who likes them and who is really their friend and who is better than them. Not even Inari is immune to this, even if Keiko says she’s able to make friends with anyone. She acknowledges that she was totally jealous of Akemi at the beginning of the show. But she gets over it pretty quick.
Hopefully this crisis with the divine power blows over quickly, because I like the ‘school girls trying to be friends’ storyline.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I love the girls’ drama as well, feels very genuine, and I’ve been wanting them to do a bit more with Maru-chan. I don’t think I’ll ever make ramen without thinking of this anime and character.
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
Akemi really is a genuinely nice girl. She knows full well that Inari hasn’t done anything to dserve the jealousy she’s feeling, and she’s deeply ashamed of herself for feeling it. Unfortunately, all that does is add a layer of self-loathing to her already confused tangle of emotions. She’s lonely, she thinks she fallen in love, the person she thinks she’s in love with is another girl of all things, said girl seems more interested in one of her friends rather than her, she’s jealous of her friend, she hates herself for being jealous of her friend, another person in their group of friends seems to dislike her and she doesn’t know how to deal with it, because her parents are never home she doesn’t have anyone she can talk to about all this… and on and on her feelings have gotten themselves twisted up inside her and she doesn’t know what to do.
In regards to the final moment, this and its continuation in the next episode is a very significant scene in many ways. In one way it is intended to help show the difficulties Akemi is going through and how she and Inari are really quite alike in some ways despite their many superficial differences. In a second way, this is intended to show how Inari’s character has grown since the days when she herself first made the wish to become someone else (this will be difficult, because some of that growth has been cut from the anime). Thirdly it is a very major point in the story of Inari and the divine power within her, which, while it isn’t immediately followed up, does have significant results down the line. One thing this does do is show how Inari’s divine power is evolving, no longer limiting itself to just changing her shape on command. There is also another thing about the power that is discovered, but it’s a spoiler, so I won’t tell you what it is. :p
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Well, maybe being awkward is the best way to get to know someone because I’m sure it was the same when Inari and Keiko first met, what with Keiko being pretty much a tomboy.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I’m getting worried about Uka-sama now. What’s up with the whole god powers being berserk?
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
A god’s powers are meant to be controlled by a god. Inari is human. She has no natural ability to control a god’s powers, nor does she have any trained mental discipline to focus her will to prevent them from getting out of hand. This is one reason why Amaterasu was concerned about Uka having given the powers to Inari.