Urara Meirochou – 03
Take a walk on the wild side (clip contains short audio)
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When you have Chiya keeping the wild and crazy beat, that allows for some room to spend time with the other characters. This time out we have Kon and Koume; with the Natsume household along for good measure… |
Benten’s Divination Supplies
…an eye for an eyeful…
The first of our two 4-koma style vignettes features that stalwart of keeping-it-simple storytelling, the fetch quest – go get the box for the person, bring the box back to the person. It’s practically foolproof! Well, this fetch quest has yet to meet Chiya’s nakama, and while they aren’t on the same level of idiocy that the lovable gang in Konosuba operate on, they are still lovable. But that isn’t the only thing going on, as this simple trip clearly shows. First, since I brought her up, Chiya is a workhorse. I love her no-nonsense, shoulder to the wheel work ethic, and she does it quietly, as well – a clear contrast to more moefied side.
“I’m useful!”
So I guess one question is, did they meet a boss level character of Meirochou in Benten the gamble in her eponymous shop? Or is this a case of conflating a kitschy little place? To be honest, the real star of the shop wasn’t the owner, but her newest erstwhile employee, Kon – the divination tool and assorted and associated ephemera otaku! I love her maido, and most of all admire her for finding the groove in what was an awkward situation – plus it looks like it’s the first time she’s gotten praise for her depth of knowledge. But it was Chiya’s pluck that kept her as first among equals saved the day. It wasn’t luck, Benten cheated on their behalf…which opens up more plot, perhaps, on this simple side quest…
They got the box
…and kept the work uniforms. Like Benten says, keep an eye on them…
White Tree Snakes & Tea Seed Oil
Mishaps…
So, much in the same way that Kobayashi’s household has become much more lively lately, so too has Natsume-ya’s. In addition to being the home of both Nono and Nina, it’s also an open shop, a classroom for urara education, and Saku’s crash pad. With this many young girls rubbing shoulders, mishaps and misunderstandings are going to happen. But as this second part of our story plays out, we see these small misfortunes as opportunities to learn more about Chiya and Koume; not that they go to hidden depths, that’s for sure, just a lovely step in the right direction. One thing of note: A great deal was made about a girl’s hair. I do enjoy that growth metaphor, and like how it was presented in Nina’s calm wisdom, as a small lesson on being connected by fate.
Can’t cut the hair, can’t cut the dress…
But is that a case of a carpenter seeing the world as a string of problems that need solving with hammer and nails? If so, then so to does fortune teller see the world, as mysteries to be plumbed and foretold. This is something that is on Koume’s mind as she has to navigate the day, stuck to Chiya as she is by circumstances. and along the way we do get to see what makes the connections that we have with people, we choose to have them and choose to make them important. It’s our shared pasts and the willingness to share those experiences, along with future ones. It’s how we get over something we might think of as shameful or weirdly personal, but which turns out to be a shared human foible, we only have to share it. And if it’s Chiya then it’s a goofy foible…
I mean, can anyone really relate?
I foresee a few more extra moments….
…geez Koume…
I forgot to say earlier but this is my 400th solo post!
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
And what would make a meido better?
NekoPara!Nekomimi!POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
…might be a wolf…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
This might be one of those shows that I wish would get more into the Macguffin and less about the characters. I think I’d like to see the girls grow more in the direction of becoming Urara, rather than just the wacky goings-on of Life with Feral Girl. It’s hopefully too early to make that kind of judgment, but it feels like the show could go either way at this point, and that it would be “easier” to just go with “let’s see what kind of random generic mess they get into this week!”
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Third episode, yeah, that’s too early to make that judgment. They have to get into Kon’s and Nono & NIna’s characters more first. Anime does that…
But, I saw plot stuff in some of those random encounters…
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I’m only watching for Chiya! She makes me laugh and I love her interactions with the other girls!
Fun theory I think Chiya’s mom is probably a god? Cause she was able to “hear” a voice when she was praying/making her wish or something like that? Then again I don’t really expect a whole lot from this other than good feels.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Yeah, the second episode kinda gives away that Chiya’s mom might be special in some way; divine, unique provenance, that sort of thing. She got some much during her first divination lesson; not so much during any other lessons, not that any others have really been shown.
While I do enjoy Chiya, I’ve come to see all the characters as watchable.