Futsuu no Joshikousei ga [Locodol] Yatte Mita – 02

Ganbatte, Nanyako!

Prior to the season, I wasn’t really planning to write about Locodol. But I really liked the first episode, and with the second episode I’m seeing things that really interest me. So here’s another post, and maybe more to come (I am thinking of alternating weeks with Rail Wars! also).

Nanyako says Hi

No sympathy from Mom, that’s for sure

The glamorous life of a local idol: reporting in beekeeper suits to promote a local exterminator. And no chance of retakes, unless you mess up the part you get paid for, the sponsor. So Yukari gives “Nanyako” some helpful advice: Be careful because if your panties end up on screen, it’ll be treated as a happy accident. And you don’t get any slack even having worked, especially from your grocery store cashier mom. Nanako’s getting a tough lesson in the school of hard knocks. But to what purpose? Is anything she’s doing making any difference? It’s an interesting question to bring up. She’s not doing it for the money (or at least later she’s not, after she finds out how much they’re getting paid).

Making a difference for some people

So is the effort worth it? Nanako wants to do her best, but she doesn’t really have a reason besides just because she’s doing it. Does anyone appreciate it? Is she helping the community? Does doing a report for the scary Japanese sweets maker make anyone happier? It sure doesn’t seem like it, but in the end, it does make a difference, because he appreciates it enough to send them a bunch of his sweets and put their picture up. If that’s the reaction they’re going to get, then they’re definitely making a difference.

Nobody’s Perfect

Nana-chan just comes right out and asks

Not even Yukarin. The first episode and a half of the show really focused on Nanako’s fish out of water story, being a normal girl thrown into being a presenter through accident of being convenient for her uncle. And she’s always next to Yukari, who seems so perfect at the job and always confident and professional, at least compared to Nanako. But as we find out this episode, it’s not all easy for Yukari. We see that even though she’s a local TV personality, she’s not really ‘popular’, as you’d usually use the term for high school girls. Every time she’s on camera she’s alone: when she walks to school and Nanako bumps into her, when Nanako goes to her class to talk to her. And we even have someone who’s apparently her cousin asking Nanako to take care of Yukari. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Even Yukari is out of her depth at times

Well, maybe it’s a cliché, but Yukari doesn’t have experience in everything, as we see when Nanako asks for advice and visits Yukari’s home. Despite Nanako’s assessment of her earlier as composed, Yukari’s just unsure of what to do with having a friend over, so she makes some cliched rich girl mistakes: overly nervous about what her guest wants, learning to bake, buying a bunch of movies, wearing different clothes, even reading yuri manga in case Nanako is into girls. And in a nice reversal, Nanako realizes how nervous and out of sorts Yukari is, and relaxes the situation, putting her goals for coming over to visit aside and just being a friend for Yukari. And it really works to bring Yukari more to the same level as Nanako, or maybe bring Nanako up to Yukari’s level, providing a situation where Nanako is the comfortable and knowledgeable one.

Yukari’s not very good at hiding her pr0n

I really did like the way they evened up the show, even though the work burden is mostly on Yukari. Nanako really does want to do her best, and seems to be getting better, she just needs to get past her nervousness. I don’t know how realistic this show is about small towns in rural-ish Japan, but it seems to work well enough for me. I hope it continues with this same kind of feel.

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!