Love Lab – 04
The Typical Look of Love Lab
They’re all one big group now on Love Lab, but will it be a big happy group? They didn’t get put together with the most friendly of intentions, so will that animosity continue?
Love Sniper Riko
Riko comes up with a plan
So far Riko’s been feeling guilty about misleading Maki and Suzu, but when Sayo wonders why Riko is the teacher for all of them, Riko’s pride takes over for her better judgment and she continues to dig herself in deeper, not disagreeing with Maki and Suzu’s increasingly grandiose descriptions of her prowess at love. Of course that just makes Sayo more skeptical, leading to her trying to set continuous traps for Riko to fall in. But even when she does fall into them, Suzu and Maki, and even Eno, are unrelenting in their idolization of her.
Are you really going to go with any advice these two have?
The thing about it is, even if Riko isn’t as experienced as she has let the others think, she’s still got more sense than the rest of them. Even Sayo’s ideas are tainted by her love of money. So if someone’s going to be the teacher, Riko’s still in the best position. But that won’t save her from the fallout when she’s eventually found out to have no actual experience. But she does manage to continue to forestall her exposure, although that means she’s just putting off the reckoning she knows all too well is coming.
The Chickens Come Home to Roost
Sayo sings along
In more ways than one. Not only do they get a question in the comment box about what to give a guy, but Riko gets called out to be able to answer it. And Sayo continues to give Riko a hard time, asking her to take pictures of the guys she asks for ‘research’, and generally needling her mercilessly. That is, until her ‘boyfriend’ is brought up as a source. The guy she’s been ‘dating’ for 6 months, but hasn’t seen for 6 months. And he keeps calling, emailing, and texting her, but she barely responds. Ouch…
The true name of Maki Natsuo
But the funniest return is of the random insult that Eno used on Maki last episode. It turns out that the “True Tree” (A translation of the kanji in their name) brand of lingerie is owned by her father, who sung perhaps the world’s most embarrassing song on a documentary about it. Not only that, but the “Summer Ribbon” brand of training bras is a translation of the kanji used in Natsuo’s name. And it just happened to show up… when she needed training bras. Riko tries to be nice about it, but it’s still too embarrassing for Maki.
The final bit is that even though they’ve figured out what boys might want, since this is a secret mission of the Student Council, they can’t just announce their results. Nor can they let the teachers find out, because dating’s not allowed. But seeing the type of people that they have, Riko comes up with the idea to do a radio-play style skit on the announcements. Will this work out? Or is it more of a crazy idea that will get them in trouble?
Let me check… yep, still hilarious. The interplay between the now 5 characters in the show is still great, and the natural animosity between Maki and Eno as well as Sayo and Riko works out well. Suzu’s just too nice to have an enemy, tho. So is anyone hoping that “Thinking Lingerie Day and Night” will be included on the soundtracks?
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
Riko is the most maso of the group. She can and will be the subtitute “guy” in one of their antics.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I agree. Riko is a first class masochist who loves forcing herself into a corner and all because of wounded pride. It’s obvious no one has told her pride goes before a fall.
POWUH: iLurker with 6 comments
This show is more fun than it has any right to be.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It certainly does the most with one setting that I’ve seen in a while. And while it’s not really comparable to GJ-bu in content, it’s similar in that it’s well-executed and generates its humor from within, from well-known and relatable interactions.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
For a collaboration of five members, there’s a lot of animosity, back sassing and back stabbing. It sums up the saying “With friends like that, who needs enemies?”.
Riko is digging herself into such a hole that it might as well be a crater. Every opportunity, she manages to make the situation more complicated than it needs to be. I’m really pitying her right now.
Man, Sayo is a conniving bitch and psychological sadist. Riko has her hands full shaking her off her trail.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
The best part is that both Sayo and Riko know exactly what Riko’s doing, and neither of them will give in, yet neither of them really want to watch Riko implode at this point. I almost think that Sayo will keep setting up Riko for opportunities to come clean and save a little face, like happened at the end of this episode. But of course, Riko, stubborn as she is, won’t admit it until she’s totally caught.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
You know, perhaps the joke of the show is that even after everything, Riko won’t be caught. It would certainly be unexpected seeing as all indications are we’re being set up for the big reveal eventually.
Also, the lingerie song definitely needs to be on the OST.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I dunno, given how well they have made very consistent humor out of all the situations, Riko getting caught has to be something that they, the writers, look forward to. Plus, dorama!