Eromanga-sensei – 08

Everyone has ambitions!

Howdy folks! I’m back after a bit of a holiday break, so let’s catch up with the shows. It looks like Masamune-kun is collecting some idiot points. Let’s see how that happened. But before that a brief note on how it happened. My goodness this episode had some of the mostly lovely fluid animation I’ve seen this week…just some wonderfully framed scenes and such crisp character animation!

He wants all his ducks in a row

He can say all the right things at just the wrong moment?

So last episode Muramasa came in and swept everyone off their respective feet one way or another. It wasn’t just the writing contest that she upturned the proverbial cart on, it was her open confession to Masamune that spread the apples far and wide. We knew that wasn’t open and shut. Elf was aware of the situation all along. But more to that point, this is something that Sagiri found out with relative ease as well. So with a huge ball a nerves, and a lovely yukata, she confronted her brother about that. In turn Sagiri was somewhat delighted to discover that her brother turned his fellow LN writer down, but that soon turned back to nerves when he confessed that he loved her best, after she point blank asked him who he liked the most. This was his first baka point, and he earned it, just coming right out and saying how he felt was just earning her already nerve stretched ire; which is odd considering that Sagiri clearly stated she understands that he and Muramasa would confess the same way. Sometimes you just have to collect baka points no matter what? But that’s part and parcel to how deep and interesting the boy’s feelings go.

Sister-zoned

But with the contest won, Masamune now has the hard work of filling that hard earned slot with a new book. So the process of turning his short story (which was long form to begin with) back into a new long form novel begins. But that’s just the backbone of the one small story going on. The work proceeds apace, as it does. This is what he does now, he works, he writes, and the challenges are just that. But it’s the fallout from the recent situation that really gets our attention. One way to cut through the tension that has sprung up from the fallout is by throwing a wrap party for the budding authors. Solid and dependable Elf making that suggestion, she’s not letting him settle on letting these feelings lie. But no matter how much of the worried feelings get released in the long run, some of it is still going to linger, and who knows what it will turn to. Both Elf and Muramasa have shown how they felt, and won’t be persuaded to abandon course with just one turn down – or in Elf’s case, a trip to the oneesan zone. They both love him for the reasons that they do, and that has not changed for any writing contest. But what are they really up against, as it seems that Masamune has certain things in mind when it comes to the women in his life.

Sagiri makes things interesting no matter what happens…oh, and this guy Shidou was there…

So for all it’s fun and frolic the wrap party served more purposes than just cutting the tension between the writers. After all, the publishers decide all three participants would get a berth, just that the first rank would come out first, so it’s not like there are hard feelings of that sort all around. In truth, the party – with Sagiri’s presence coming in via wi-fi – was a reminder for Masamune, for all the food her prepared and feelings he shared. He’s grow up without a mother, a women that was taken from him when he was younger. That has left a huge void in him that he really wants filled. As far a relationships go, and his work may even spell this out – that would be a neat take wouldn’t it? – he wants something more stable than just a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, and the rules of life, at least from his standpoint, spell out that family has to be strongest. He has Sagiri as his sister, and he made clear that’s how he thinks of Elf, he won’t trade in romantic possibilities if that means that the family ties have the least chance of diminishing. From one point of view this is a sweet ideal, and it has merit. From another point of view, he’s holding people close to him to the definition that he alone sets, and he’s not really allowing them to express themselves. Sagiri is first, but only as family, and that’s all he wants. She wants more, and that is clear. But then, the young feels these things so strongly….

Extra Wrap-ups

She graduated from the L School of Eating With Dramatic Intent

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So what side do you come down on. Does Masamune have his ducks all in a row, or do those ducks have a legit reason to break from the row and make him chase his chances? For now, the situation is tolerable, and for the most part, fair. But as Sagiri wakes up the next day, she feels her chances falling further and further down. Will he always see her as a sister figure? Once they achieve their dream of making it big, will they take chances on each other. Will he allow that? Does this give room from both Elf and Muramasa to muscle their way in? Or is there some other plot or plots already in action? I think it’s going to be an interesting finish…

Dammit, I was sister-zoned…

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