Meganebu! – 07

Characters that don’t wear glasses exist?!?!

EVERYTHING I’VE EVER KNOWN IS A LI- …Wait. False alarm. The president does wear glasses occasionally. They had me worried there for a minute. It’s weird that they would show William’s face without glasses on when they’ve gone to such lengths to hide everyone else’s, but I guess that’s what Akira was complaining about later in the episode.

Words cannot describe how great it was that this episode focused on the student council again. They’re adding another dynamic to this (admittedly) flat show, and it’s a nice change from the “guys in glasses doing stupid things” genre (…is this even an established genre?) that was going on before this. Though some things remain the same as ever. Hayato is still the show’s mutual punching bag and not even the possible destruction of the Meganebu itself is going to change that. Though with the introduction of Toru, maybe Hayato isn’t the show’s only punchline. William kind of fell into this territory as well, with his stomach problems and the fact that the one do-S member, Lorenzo, likes to relentlessly toy with him. …Though with that being said, the student council president’s reactions to things are ridiculously moe.

There was that (kind of) meaningful backstory with Toru though. His grudge over being called 3rd seems like he’s overreacting just a tiny bit, but it’s cute how he once wanted to join the Meganebu. Maybe they’ll one day be able to put aside their differences? Well, maybe not. Finally, a character in this show acknowledged that the Meganebu is full of nothing but idiots. I guess it shouldn’t be surprised that they’re bringing down the school’s reputation. …Though maybe the student council should be grateful for their existence. They probably wouldn’t have anything to do otherwise, with all of the nothing that seems to happen in this town.

The Meganebu did manage to accomplish something amazing again though. The glasses this episode seemed farther away than ever from being actual X-ray ones, but the fact that they could control someone’s mind like that was interesting (or I guess it was more influencing the mind than controlling it). Though they seem to have picked the least interesting character to wear them since Akira’s character wasn’t really all that restrained in the first place. …And actually, none of the Meganebu members really are (minus maybe Yukiya). So maybe Akira was the best choice, if only for the fact that he managed to maintain the Meganebu’s existence through yelling and threatening the figures of power in the school (which is obviously the best and most efficient way to get things done). I… have no words for Antonio’s reaction to the glasses. Though I guess it’s nice that he’s friendly with Hayato.

…You know, I really wonder what Akira’s take on the monocle would be. Does it count as glasses? Or at least halfassed glasses? Er anyways, this episode was kind of different, I guess. The student council was certainly present, and HOLY CRAP the characters do have faces when they aren’t wearing glasses. Or at least William does. Some of the background characters were more than just floating geometric shapes that vaguely resemble people too. I guess they’re branching out a bit. Or at least, as far as you’d expect a show like this to deviate from it’s normal formula. The entire student council seems to have been created on the logic that “race stereotypes are hilarious”, but it doesn’t seem malicious or anything. Some things are like that. Taking a rather well timed real life example, I had an older woman come up to me last week and ask if I was Chinese. After I gave a very hesitant “…yes?” she insisted on shaking my hand to bring her good luck (it was at this point I figured she guessed my ethnicity because I happened to be wearing red). Was it racist (and rather awkward at the time)? Probably. But it was also completely harmless. I don’t think Meganebu really means anything by it’s stereotypes, they’re just kind of there. …And that’s my halfassed wisdom of the week.

About Karakuri

University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.