NouKome – 07
Who’s directing the stadium big screen?
So for whatever reason, I’ve been listening to the OP single from NouKome S.M.L. by Afilia Saga. I think my co-worker (who I subject to way more J-Pop than he is interested in, but he’s gotta listen to something besides Weezer sometime, you know?) described it best, as “It sounds like 7 bands are auditioning at the same time.” But even so, it’s a lot of fun to listen to, so go get yourself some sweet melty love!
lllllllllllLet’s Get Ready to Rumbleeeeeeeeeee!
Someone definitely knows a little too much
We finally get to the big battle between the Popularity Five and the Reject Five, and while we get the briefest of chances of meeting Yumeshima-senpai, of course he/she/it’s not really part of the plot, except to wangle a bigger challenge for Kanade, as they bail out, leaving them to draft Chocolat into the battle. And while I was a bit afraid for this format of battle after the horrible job that Samurai Brides did with a similar thing, this one actually worked pretty well, with some suitable (and suitably stupid) competitions, and some high stakes for Kanade.
Don’t cross yandere imoutos
High stakes because he’s gotten all the girls except Seira to say that they like him, but she’s made that contingent on being the winner of the battle (we’ll talk a bit more about Seira later). Anyway, the battle goes through, and even though Furano and Ouka lose some pretty unfortunate close matches, going into the final battle it’s 2-2 thanks to Yuragi’s yandere acting (she really can be the full range of imoutos, can’t she?) and Chocolat’s lack of an effective opponent. That leaves us with just the final battle between Seira and Kanade, and everything to play for.
Jan-Ken-Pon!
Is that a vibrating phone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Yeah, they have to play Janken (rock paper scissors) for the final battle. But the interesting thing is more what happens after Kanade wins. Seira, the popular and beautiful student council president, announces to the assembled students that she likes Kanade, not as a person, but as a man. Add to that a big hug to pin him on the stage, and it becomes really clear that she’s completely in on what’s happening to him, not just from her hints before, but the fact that she’s egging him on about his mission. But because of her interference, he has to have Chocolat shout out that she loves him (of course, with Chocolat who knows what that actually means, but…).
Those are some shocked faces
So Kanade passes the mission, but at what cost? Well, the cost of the girls who actually do like him – Furano, Yuragi, and Ouka – feeling like they’ve already lost out, and the show makes this pretty plain. They straight up look hurt, even though none of them have actually had the ability to even come close to confessing (I don’t think we can count Yuragi’s “onii-chan daisuki!” as a confession). And none of them in their right mind would think they could compete with Seira, if Kanade liked her, but of course, they don’t know how involved in kami’s prank Seira is (nor do we, but we know she knows about it).
Furano should have won for this line
The pacing and flow continues to impress. This episode never got bogged down in being a contest, it never felt slow, and we are now done with Kanade’s 3rd mission, with 3 more episodes to go. Now I’m wondering if the final three episodes are going to even have a mission, or if it does, what it will do to further scramble up Kanade’s harem. I really don’t think we’ll get any sort of resolution to it, especially since Kanade himself doesn’t really seem that interested in dating any of these girls. But maybe he’s just had any thoughts of dating beaten out of him by his Absolute Choice and being stuck in the Reject Five.
And just to see if I can start some controversy, let’s have some input on favorite ship in this series. Who would you put together with Kanade, seeing all the major players, seeing how they seem to think of him, and how he reacts? I’m still going with Ouka #1, followed by Furano, Chocolat, and Yuragi. I do think that Konagi could be in there, but she’s a little too uncommitted, and who knows what Seira really thinks of Kanade. Is she cynically playing the spoiler, like Tatenashi with Ichika (man, do I feel bad comparing this show to IS 2), or could she be sincere in meaning she is interested in Kanade?
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: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I would have never taken either Furano or Yuragi out of frame, so not me…
I think any ship would be very fun, and would play into the side drama very well. They spent good credit building the characters up. Thou they are the definition of Troperific, the plot and pacing have made that a rewarding thing in the long run.
But, Furano is first girl. However, I think Yuragi would be more fun.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
We say something similar every week, but this show does more with less ‘originality’ than most shows are doing. And as you say, the characters are well built. Not amazingly deep, but not just the shallow tropes they appear to be made of at first blush. Yuragi may be the epitome of this, taking the ‘imouto’ trope and becoming everyone’s imouto, but tailoring it to whatever kind of imouto you ‘need’. She might not be the best girl, but she’s definitely a very interesting character.
For me, it’s Ouka. I just feel like there’s too much gap between Furano’s dere side and her emotionally separated side, although I do have empathy for her. But Ouka just has that mix of brazenness and sensitivity that I find appealing. Not to mention she’s really fun.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 175 comments
yea give this sure from yandere lil sister to “let them eat doobi-cakes”.
yet give kanade got win & mission done but a freakin riot & trash toss in cause pres want kanade yet turn into harem route?
even more wonder how much more kanade take from this curse he got?
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Yeah, I wanted to ask as well who instructed the camera to zoom in to that shaking ass shot. Never thought that they’d incorporate that vibration alert to cause even more trouble.
Add that facial expression and Seira’s seiyuu and oh boy…
Yuragi as any type of imouto certainly covered *that* type as well. Should have expected it.
I lost it at Silicone Inside. But who’s to say that the fake cannot surpass the original. Even if it’s a fake, the thought of it is still a beautiful thing. /emiyashiroulogic
I liked the fake in when the Prez confessed and Kanade was wondering why the mission is not yet over. Fooled me there as well and forgot the conditions of the mission. Seira definitely knows something. I have to guess that she’s probably the previous Kami. I remember the current Kami saying that her predecessor is a female. Why she is here is anyone’s guess.
This mess definitely started something with the other haremmettes. I like Ouka the most out of all the girls. Chocolat is close but she does need to help out more to Kanade.
3 more episodes. Sad but that’s the way it is. Needs more ERABE from the narrator.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
There was a little bit of a continuity issue with Kanade’s phone status for the mission. In Ep 5, before Yuragi was even introduced in the show, she was on Kanade’s phone for the mission. But Chocolat didn’t even show up until after she got included at the last moment, *and* Chocolat had already said she liked him, so why didn’t that count?
I don’t know that Seira would be the previous kami, since I thought I recalled she’s a hikikomori. But she’s definitely in on it, whether someone’s told her about it, or she just knows somehow.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 104 comments
This episode nearly kept me laughing from start to finish.Yuragi & Furano in particular were hilarious,although they usually are.I said before that NouKome reminded me of Hentai Ouji but I can now say,without any 2nd thoughts,that it clearly surpasses it.
As for ships,let’s see,let’s see…I would’ve picked Furano as #1 if it wasn’t for episode 6 that prevented any developments between her & Kanade.As things stand,I’m gonna go with Ouka too – that girl’s just fun and isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind.Furano will then also be my #2 but my #3 will be Chocolat.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I agree that Episode 6 should have not blocked that possible development between Furano and Kanade. But she did have a little bit of development, being able to even say that out loud, even if it’s to a mascot, is a good step for her.
Hentai Ouji started off pretty well, but by episode 6 or so it had devolved into a pretty big mess, imo. It lost almost everything that was funny about it, and stagnated the characters in the past, and in those recursive layers of overlapping and intertwined wishes. If they had been more transparent it would have been better, but the show was set up to just unleash one deus ex machina after another, doing whatever it wanted, with no care as to an actual progression how it got there.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
S.M.L is owning my “top played” music list as well XD Though I agree wh your co-worker comment.
Urgh, I was hoping there more to Yumeshima but oh well, i got my wish. Though how does he breath with all the bandages?
GJ Seira/Kanade/Chocolat, that HAD to set a ripple across his harem-dom. Also lol @ the things tht are tossed at the stage. I saw bombs in it XD
http://i.imgur.com/HX0c3Zs.png
I think this line among other things heavily points to Seira being the God tht set up the curse or at least being one of the God.
http://i.imgur.com/xBDMz1C.png
Dat “My X Can’t Be This Y” reference. And tell me I’m not the only one whom head went into the gutter when I saw the title.
I can definitely see Kanade ending up with Furano but she need way more character development be4 it can happen. But out of all the girls I like Seira the most atm so I don’t mind Kanade ending up with her unless she becomes a b*tch.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
That’s what all that wheezing is about, he can’t breathe.
I don’t see Seira as being a serious love interest for Kanade. She’s totally trolling him, although I don’t think she’s actually a kami. She’s definitely someone who knows about his situation, but we know of at least two other people who also know (Douraku-sensei and Chocolat).
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
>streaming
Eww..