Golden Time – 13

Silly Kouko. That’s not how you use lipstick.

Golden Time is back! Two weeks is too long a break, and even though I did some other stuff, I really did miss seeing this show for a couple weeks. After that emotional previous episode (which I watched like 5 times), how will the show come back from the break? Let’s a go!

 

That’s right, Golden Time is finally back! And unfortunately I can’t say I like the new OP and ED… For one thing, I can barely hear Hocchan singing over the instrumentals. Sounds like someone messed up on the mixing.

 

Trying too hard

“Air yakisoba” is busted.

Highway\\ Kouko needs to just relax some. She really does. It’s cool that she wants to do all these things for Banri, and she wants to be a good girlfriend. But she needs to realize that Banri really is in love with her for the person she is. He knows she’s brittle at times, and that she can erupt at times, and while it’s good that she wants to change that, she needs to realize that she doesn’t need to be perfect. She doesn’t need to be the best cook, or the best girlfriend ever, or give their love too much ‘spice’. But that’s also part of her personality, so it’ll just be something she needs to learn. And hopefully she’ll learn it before it starts to wear too much, although I fully expect there to be at least one point where Banri tells her to just chill, probably in an emotional scene after something’s failed. He does tell her that “Normal is fine”,

Kouko leans in, but will Banri close the rest of the distance?

And for his part, Banri’s afraid that she’ll leave him because she’ll realize how plain he is. Another case of not getting it. Banri, she WANTED you to say “I want you to stay here with me and not go to Barcelona.” And then his crisis of confidence when she wanted a kiss. Man, if she wants a kiss, give her a kiss! But again, this just comes back to these two people who are really inexperienced and trying to learn about being a couple. And I really hope they can get through these trials, and anything that the awful Ghost Banri comes up with. Booooo, Ghost Banri! Go away!

Curses and Yakisoba

This needs to happen to ghost Banri.

Sumairii\\ I’m sure everyone that’s caught up is already thinking the same thing, but it’s worth mentioning regardless since he so deserves it. Ghost Banri just needs to stop. It’s already bad enough that he was whiny and needy, but now he’s also spiteful. Yes, I understand it’s not easy accepting that his body is no longer his own. But that doesn’t mean he has to be such a massive asshole. New Banri is my younger twin brother who should be naturally obligated to respect and carry out my wishes and feelings? What a bunch of bullshit. It’s his body now. And until ghost Banri can muster up whatever supernatural powers he needs to make a claim on his body, he’d best stop trying to make new Banri miserable just because they don’t agree on who he should like. As much as I want to sympathize with ghost Banri’s unfortunate circumstances, he’s making it really hard to do so with his horrible attitude and personality. Nana-senpai should have socked him in the face instead of new Banri. Now that would have been satisfying to see.

We need more of this Linda, not flashback Linda.

Back on the relationship side, Kouko is making a strong pitch for herself by promoting her domestic abilities. Except she has none to speak of. But the gesture was still more or less successful if you ask me. There’s always time to learn to cook properly, and I don’t think Golden Time will pull the “eternal bad cook” sort of thing. Plus, if we take Kouko’s words at face value, it’s more a problem of performing under pressure than of her culinary skills. So maybe she should be taking classes in stress management instead of cooking? I’m not sure if that’s what will help her condition, but I’m sure it’s something along those lines. Linda also comes up again briefly, but at this point the show seems to be taking her “route” rather half-heartedly by reusing a flashback. Sure, I think we’re seeing some new things in this same flashback, but I don’t believe in continually using the past to develop her character. That may be the nature of the story, but as the new ED says, the present is much more important. What are Linda’s true feelings now?

 Extra Yakisoba

Show ▼

Golden Time really teases us with what Linda might have said in the past. But to be honest it’s pretty much been doing that same trick for a while now. So it’s getting kind of old to me. What needs to happen instead is for the show to focus more on the Linda of the present. As it stands, Kouko is making so much progress with Banri in present day that it’s becoming less and less likely that Linda will be able to interject herself rudely between them, if she even sees fit (and I think she should, as there would be next to no other reason for her to be in the story). So any attempts at romantic drama are going to feel pretty contrived eventually if Kouko and Banri become any more OTP than they already are. And they already are very well cemented as OTP.

A nice return for Golden Time. A fun episode, getting their first festival under their belts, and Kouko didn’t even look too robotic… after they got her in the right frame of mind. But the annoying Ghost Banri is back, and now it seems like he might actually have the power to curse Banri and Kouko. And that goes way beyond “I want to be with Linda.” Give up, it’s not your body any more. And Banri is his own person. So just let it go, and pass on to that great beyond.