Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou – 08
Mayumi can lounge around in an old bustier all she wants…
We’re moving into the homestretch for all the spring anime, and that means that we should start seeing the shape of how these shows are going to finish.
Work is Not a Refuge
It’s rough when your co-workers have competing made up backstories
Usually for people who live with weirdos, work is a bit of a respite from the eccentric personalities you live with. But when you work somewhere that values that eccentricity… like an Apprentice Period Cafe… you don’t really get a break from that craziness. It’s telling that Kawaisou becomes the refuge for Usa, even as difficult as it’s been for him to live with the crazies there. With two co-workers who have battling backstories, and even make up dual backstories for Usa. It’s hard to decide which of the two other guys are weirder: the guy who completely roleplays as a student from a small mountain village, or the guy who sees spirits following everyone (bringing up bad memories of Hayashi from middle school).
In Then Out
Makeover Time!
It can really suck when you find out that someone doesn’t want you around. Mayumi finding out that her kouhai at work was planning a mixer without her makes her feel vindictive towards people having a successful social life, so Usa is doomed when everyone learns of his invite to a friend’s karaoke mixer. But when he’s disinvited from the mixer because that same Hayashi who used to follow him around says she won’t go if he does, Mayumi’s mood lightens considerably. That’s pretty rough for Usa, but the chance for Mayumi and Sayaka to extract the real Hayashi from the cute girl with her “High School Debut” was great for us.
That they show up is bad enough, but it’s worse the way they act.
Things are rubbed in even more when the people who went to the mixer come to Usa’s cafe because Hayashi wanted to. Awkward… It doesn’t help that the people she’s with are total dicks, treating all of the staff like crap and, despite Tagami’s assurance that he’ll try to get them out of there fast, much more interested in harassing the waiters, including Usa. And while Hayashi and Tagami don’t really like it, they also don’t step up to stop them, with Hayashi even throwing Usa under the bus rather than admit her own chuuni past.
Ritsu saves Usa
But of course the other Kawaisou residents are going to help him, when they arrive to visit and see him being put down. First Ritsu, in similar period costume, makes everyone else pay attention to Usa by requesting his presence personally, and then Sayaka and Mayumi knock them all down, with Sayaka even knocking down Hayashi with some spare fake eyelashes and her super-innocent act. But Usa’s just floored by Ritsu stepping up to help him out, even given her own hatred of the spotlight. She even tries to cheer him up further by recommending a funny book, but he’s already happy from before, and finally admits to himself that he is in love with her.
Two happy people… for a minute
So he finally did admit that, that he’s not just liking her because she’s his ‘type’, or because she’s ‘lonely’ and he’s trying to be a friend. I think that’s probably an important step, and it seems to be one that Ritsu herself is making also. I think the trajectory of the show heading into the last few episodes is a good one, although I don’t know if Usa will be able to actually confess to her before the end of the series, or if they’ll just try to keep it going for the possibility of future series. Of course I’d like to see a confession, but one has to be realistic. It was also fun to see a little breaking of the fourth wall with Mayumi taking the spotlight for a dig at Usa right at the close, and saying that we get her instead of a good note for the end of the episode. I don’t know about anyone else, but I still like Mayumi’s character.
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 like Mayumi as a spoiler, with Sayaka as opponent and tag partner. She works best like that.
I can understand wanting to bury the past, but “throwing Usa under the bus” that’s not past, that’s present, that’s who you are, more than any chuuni interest can indict. I like how they underlined that with the drama, and didn’t preach it to heavy.
Ah, Ritsu, stop stealing my heart. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking her period dress was much more impressive.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think the natural enemies part of Mayumi and Sayaka is what makes their teamups work so well. They both understand the other so completely that they can perfectly complement each other’s attacks when it comes to that. They’re a lot like what I imagine friendly rival sisters are like.
Thinking about it, I think the thing is that Hayashi didn’t trust Usa enough to not out her past, not that Usa would have done that, but Hayashi was too afraid of the possibility. And from what he says to Mayumi, he never would have, because while he makes internal retorts, they rarely get out, and Hayashi really wasn’t a bad person, just an annoying one. It was completely her misjudgment and she ended up punished for it.
I think that Ritsu’s costume was supposed to be more impressive, because I think it was more of a special occasion kind of thing, especially with the makeup.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
It must be really weird when a classmate makes a debut at some point in his life and you haven’t changed at all. I’ve never experienced it since I hardly ever met anyone from previous schools (and I changed schools a lot over my life). But I sure get this uneasy feeling whenever I’m about to meet someone I haven’t met for a long time.
I just can’t believe what Ritsu did. Her character is so great right now. I get so overjoyed whenever I feel like she changed thanks to Usa.
I like Mayumi’s character, but not as much as Ritsu. But I sure wouldn’t like someone like Mayumi around. Sometimes I get this feeling that both Mayumi and Sayaka are there to make things go the wrong way, they are like two enormous wells of trollness and since they can’t troll Ritsu because she’s Ritsu and she is the mighty goddess of Kawaisou, ruling over all renting fees, they will spend it all on Usa. I’m still happy the way it is, though. This way I can focus my love to the main pair ;3
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m well past the age of anyone remaking themselves that much, or even really caring much what the other people who were in school with me want to do with their lives. I think everyone can relate to that person that suddenly changed the music they listen to, or the way they talk, or the scene they’re in to try to jump groups.
It would be tough for me to be around someone like Mayumi, even though I like her as a character, because I’d want her to make better choices and improve her life. That’s what she could do, because she’s a good person, really, who has just missed out on figuring out and actualizing what she wants.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
I don’t like how she acts like “I’m not happy? Sorry, but you won’t be as well.” I would have to make her happy somehow to be happy myself (that sounded weird, somehow…)
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, Mayumi’s ability to make other people be unhappy is entirely dependent on the other people allowing her to make them unhappy. For instance, if Usa and Ritsu were more of a couple, and Ritsu trusted Usa more that whatever Mayumi said was her typical exaggeration, it wouldn’t have nearly the effect. And in general, I think Mayumi is happy to see both of them happy, she just gets really jealous of it.