I haven’t been around for a while. I don’t make any promises. However, for that intervening time, I dropped Amagami SS because it was boring. I took a gamble at the first episode of the final arc.
You saw.
I can’t spell her name now, save Tsukasa-san. I was impressed. All of that quite common interaction and quaintness. Suddenly, bam — you’ve got a Class Representative in your face, choking you.
Impressively committed.
Since we were buffered for a week for some strange reason, I decided to put an intermission up last week. Tokyo Broadcasting ruined that, but let’s move on. Ai was back this week in less than full spirits because of her last math test. It seems that if she failed on it again, she would need to take remedial classes and not be able to attend swim practice. We also have a tiny revelation about what she thinks about Junichi.
The biggest surprise was the new OP for this week. It no longer features each girl in order of arc appearance. I found it strange. It also seemed to focus on the class president more than any other girl but that simply may have my imagination.
At the time of writing, nobody else had posted even the slightest review of the second episode of Ai’s arc. That seems strange of course because it’s been out for at least three days now. School seriously gets the best of everyone, doesn’t it?
As Junichi, Umehara, and Kaoru went to check out the rumored cute new library assistant, they come across Ai borrowing a math book for her removal exams. Seeing this, Junichi offers to teach Ai math. During one of those tutorial sessions at the library, Ai mentions her brother, who hasn’t been paying attention to her lately. Ai wants some advice from Junichi, him being a guy and bit childish and perhaps understanding of her brother. After a bit of misunderstanding concerning her, Sae and Miya the next day, which made him apologize to her in a perverted manner infront of Ai’s teammates, he advises her to spoil her little brother a bit, since her little brother only wants her attention. To thank him, Ai then offers to Junichi the toy she was supposed to give her brother as a present, with Junichi showing her how to use it, awing a few kids at the park. That night, after checking on her brother Ikuo, Ai thinks of Junichi before going to bed, and, seemingly falling for him, wishes it is morning already.
From Wikipedia’s Article on Amagami SS Episodes.
Slugs posted a summary! Hooray!
Looking over that summary, a professional wrote it. Let’s begin this episode though. Umehara invites Junichi and Kaoru to join him in the pursuit of the cute girl in the library. When Kaoru suggests that Junichi use his anti-straight-forward role to make everyone move away from the checkout desk, he gets slightly agitated at that thought and causes a commotion. Ai happens to be nearby checking out a library book and then she pulls them all aside because they’re drawing attention. Ai needs help in math because she failed a test recently and if she doesn’t pass the next one, she’ll have to stop swimming for remedial classes.
Then Junichi, the super hero, jumps in and offers his only strength: math.
There is a brief departure from the library for just a moment where the arc air time stealing Haruka comes to visit Hibiki in the pool. She comments on not seeing Ai.
Back in the library, Ai talks about her brother. She has those eyes that get me going. She says that her brother seems to ignore her but still wants her attention. At least this reveals a partial understanding of why she is so mysterious but there must be more. Oddly, she also explains to Junichi that he seems childish and like a kid. Which is why she thought he might be able to help her out.
The next day, Ai, Miya and Sae are having lunch. After Junichi asked Miya if she knew anything about Ai’s brother, she brought it up at the table. Sae comments on how she thinks they’re both lucky to have brothers because it would be fun. Recall the last arc where Junichi said to Sae, “You’re like a sister,” and Sae replies, “No, I don’t want that.” Her mentality about siblings has changed between the two arcs.
And then the comedy starts. Miya introduces Sae and of course shy, she pushes her self against the table during a sitting bow. This cuases Junichi to stare, causing Miya to launch into her meat-bun rant.
It was priceless. If you didn’t see it, you missed out.
Ai wasn’t extremely pleased with his comments about her and Miya’s size, so she quickly left. More things happen but not much of serious interest that isn’t already mentioned in the summary.
Ai is interesting. She’s addicted to the swim club. She has trouble in math. She thinks Junichi is a kid. These things don’t explain she looks so mysterious. Something else must be lurking behind her demeanor and I must know. The way she teased Junichi in the first episode is odd too. Would you do that to someone you met only a few hours earlier? Maybe, if you’re daring. Maybe, if you’re mysterious. However, she feels like she’s falling for Junichi at the end of the episode. That’s surely a sign of things to come, isn’t it?
Committed.
How about a big appluase for my new brainwashed zombie slave co-blogger, Needles! He was one of those surprises I mentioned last week.
Anyway, on with the news. Apparently Amagami SS is taking a break this week. According to the episode list, episode 13 was aired on September 24th and episode 14 will be aired on October 8th! That means they skipped October 1st.
Since I don’t have anything new to add, I thought I’d introduce you to my new favorite ED, Koi wa Mizu-iro by Yukana.
Due to some silly idealistic copyright system some country has, apparently constructive critiques and criticisms aren’t allowed. Stay classy, Tokyo Broadcasting. Stay classy.
The ending of Ai’s arc is fantastic. Those questions, what are you doing? and what are you looking at? are made up of win-sauce. The reference to poker face is interesting. I’ve commented heavily that I think Ai is mysterious. Right after saying poker face, they cut to Ai with her mouth periced and then she has the grin of mystery. After that, there is a cut to Ai in a field surrounded by trees in the wind on a partly cloudy day. Certainly her entire atmosphere is cloudy. The way she is colored in this scene though is mysterious. Her hair covers her eyes, and it’s darker than normal too. Her body is partly covered in shadows as well. Finally, she has her hands behind her back. Next Junichi is walking away on the city side walk while Ai stares after him, which seems normal until we see her shocked face. The rest isn’t as novel, a scene of her swimsuit and her in outer-space walking around. The ED ends with the final smile of Ai as she turns around.
Hopefully that can abate the Amagami addiction for four days. Good luck!
Mysteriously Committed.
Ai Nanasaki. She’s mysterious to me. She looks cold and broken. Her eyes in the OP aren’t dead, but they aren’t full of energy. They’re full of mystery. Or at least, that’s how I’m seeing Ai so far. The first scene though does something strange with Ai’s character that has been subtly built up so far (the mystery character), it displays her in snow as a bright and cute girl.
On my no summary scheme, here are some excellent summaries from elsewhere. THAT’s summary isn’t much of a summary. Random Curiosity’s summary is detailed though. Update: About ten minutes after I wrote this, Slugs published their summary. Lovely.
Bonus Summary: Junichi meets Ai one day in the park when he wants to use the bathroom. The he meets her the next day while in the lunch line unable to choose his dish. Ai’s about to take a practice swim when she hears the alleged black cat nyaaing outside. She finds Junichi snooping around the bottom of the steps – she accuses him of planning of being perverted again like at the park. She proceeds to tease him by asking if he wants to see under her skirt. She lifts it up revealing nothing more than her swimsuit – although Junichi nearly has a heart attack. The next day, Ai laughs at Junichi when she sees Miya’s red pen on his forehead. Since she’s short handed at the moment, she brings him to the grocery store to carry her household goods. She gives him some tickets and they win 500 yen. They spend it on some pancakes. They talk about some stuff and then the episode concludes with Ai smiling on the beach.
Let’s get this out of the way. Miya’s up to her clever remarks. The allusion to a black cat of course brings back major memories from not too long ago.
I’m sure Miya is silky smooth. Absolutely sure. Now, on with the show.
Essentially, I’m cutting out a bunch of relatively boring stuff. The first arc brought us the fetish late, and the second was almost instant. The third toned it down by delivering the fetish through third party fish. In the first half of the first episode of Ai’s arc, we find the initial hints of a fetish: swimsuits under school uniforms.
Junichi thinks it’s bad to look – that’s Junichi4 for you. Ai is really direct with perversion though. Haruka and Kaoru took their innuedno to new heights in the end game. Ai’s starting early.
Ai comments that it’s too bad it was just a swimsuit. And then she goes on to say, while Junichi is trying to hide his shame in thinking it was too bad that she won’t allow any groping. That’s almost admitting it’s okay to look!
Haruka of course, being close to Hibiki, shows up. I don’t really like Harkua anymore. Maybe I’ve been away too long?
The beach scene was nice. Here’s what we learned: Ai is in the swim club, enter a tournament soon, does after school community work, does all the house work for her working parents and is probably decent in school. Did I mention she was in the same class as Miya, again?
Ai is mysterious. Her eyes are alluring but all scary at the same time. I don’t know what spin Junichi will be putting in on this arc, where the first was roleplaying, the second was being there and the there was oh-sensi-you’re-the-best.
The ED of this arc is excellent too. It’s very fitting. It showcases her swimming club obsession first and shows off her mysterious grin, her eyes darkened by her hair and a shocked scene and and odd space scene. Her mystery is timeless?
I look forward to more. (I’ve said she’s a mystery too many times now.)
Committed.
While I haven’t been blogging at all these past weeks since school started, I have been keeping up though always a few days late. Anyway, I saw Sae as a penguin tonight. I was shocked by the ending they chose for this arc’s conclusion. You died from an overdose of moé too, actually.
No summaries while not blogging anime – Random Curiosity has a lovely summary though. THAT has one now too, but it’s in lyrical poetic form.
There is no coverage of the actual events since I’m not blogging honestly again until the fall season starts. No worries there. But I am covering the cutest thing ever. Here’s penguin girl!
Sae as a penguin is impossibly cute. But then, we add the to fun!
We were given a bonus. Since there is no Miya arc and we needed a final glimpse of her before this arc ends, they gave us Kuro Neko Miya! Together, Sae and Miya clearly fill Junichi’s new fetish – cute animal costumes with moe girls inside. One might say that fish feet kissing scene was fetishy, but it’s not – it’s fishy.
That concludes my short post on the cutest thing ever.
Committed.
I’m late, I know. Amagami SS this week was wacky. The tone of this episode was set immediately to a different beat. The narrator first changed how to the episode worked. He introduced Junichi, making it feel like a completely different anime. Then, to take things even further, Junichi was subjected to an onslaught of ridicule and Junichi kindly asked the Narrator to stop, and of course, the Narrator completed the long tradition of breaking of the fourth wall in comedy.
Actually, you know what? I’m lazy. You saw the episode right? If you didn’t the pictures below will summarize it for you. If you really want a summary, try reading Slugs or THAT.
Junichi, once told that her sister fondles her lovely young friend, imagines a very steamy situation in an after school classroom. You know, I must be missing something. How does Miya know Sae? If Sae moved into this school for the fall semester, and that’s where we basically start the arc (ending on Winter/Christmas), how many days have already passed? I doubt she had been to the Tachibana household at that point, but Miya makes it seem like she knows her better than she should. Maybe all that touching has communicated more than we expected.
Right before Miya starts to act out having ponytails, Junichi was also doing it. There is no way any student in school would be caught dead doing that. No way.
Sae is a scaredy cat. That is to say, she is so timid that she can’t deal with a puppy. It’s kind of sad too, because she was just standing there, alone, behind a pole. And of course our hero Junichi rescues her. One of the interest things about this anime is how we see the relationships building by coincidence and one off incidents. The purse incident and of course this setup the entire arc. If Junichi hadn’t bumped into Haruka at the beginning, this probably wouldn’t have happened in the way it has.
Junichi x1 never got Haruka in his room. Junichi x2 managed to get Kaoru into his room in the fourth episode. And the incredible Junichi x3 got cute little Sae into his room on the first episode. It’s absolutely amazing. Although I think it has something to do with the fact he didn’t have to creep around Miya.
Further more, insisting on touching someone’s tummy for training is fun. Her face is a mix between shock and displeasure. And his face was ftw! So in anycase, score for Junichi x3! On the other hand, what will the kinky element be this time?
Isn’t the picture saying enough alone? Why was Junichi giving her a cup of hot coffee to begin with? Why even put something on the platter that could break. In fact, after the cup fell, in subsequent pans around the room, I didn’t see the cup. He probably rolled on it and addition to getting scaled with hot coffee, he has glass splinters. Someone failed, and it wasn’t Sae. And then – who would take their pants off with a girl they just met in their room? Really now? Maybe walking to the bathroom? Changing out in the hallway? Something? Anything. Please.
Essentially, anyone could’ve walked in and made the same mistake. Miya ends up saying this too, of course, but Miya wanted to see it.
At the end of long day of training, I the three of the playing their piggyback game was fun.It was funny, but it was serious too. It showed how Sae had already loosened up. At the beginning of the episode, she wouldn’t really even speak much. Now, she’s in engaging in close physical contact. Progress.
The ED for this arc contained a chibi Sae which was incredibly cute. I like Sae overall, and I like how we get to see her develop. The only thing I have an issue with is her voice: it doesn’t fit her. Her voice actor is Hiromi Konno, the same person who did Akria Kogami who I hated in Lucky Star. No one. It’s cute, but not that cute.
Time will only tell how this arc develops, but so far, so good.
Committed.
Comparing with Haruka’s arc, Kaoru’s arc felt different. It was laid back, it was casual, it was probably meant to happen. It wasn’t as if Junichi went out of his way to get Kaoru (until later), but that’s the idea. This episode was touching, to say the least. It was as awkward as Haruka’s confession at the end of her arc.
A few days later, after searching Kaoru despairingly, Junichi’s friend and also Keiko make a plan to get hum to see Kaoru in the nurse’s office while she is in her work uniform. Of course, walking into the office expecting to get a bandage and walkout, Junichi was stunned. Of course, Kaoru didn’t make anything of it. Later in the day, they meet on the roof and Junichi asks if she has plans for Christmas. She says, Yes! and he is immediately depressed. But of course, Kaoru is joking, she has made plans for their date, together. Miya pokes fun at him later in the day for not doing anything with anyone on Christmas.
During the date, Junichi reminisces back to two years ago because Kaoru is a bit late. She takes him to the Port Tower. They walk on the port boardwalk for a while talking about the past and how they used to do this when they were younger and in middle school. Finally, it’s getting close to sunset and she takes Junichi up. He announces that he is afraid of heights, but to help him get over it, she takes his hands and holds them over a glass floor. It starts to snow and they confess to each other.
Finally, because Kaoru missed her bus and Junichi is too cheap to get her a taxi, he offers her to stay over at his house. She agrees and they get there. Junichi instructs Kaoru to take her shoes with her into his room when she gets there. She had never been in his room before and was exploring. She notices the Star Room that Junichi built for his alone time. Miya suddenly knocks on the door asking why he’s home – and also admitting she knows what’s going on – but really doesn’t. Kaoru ducked into the Star Room to hide, but eventually she gets sleepy and wants to sleep together with Junichi on his bed. So they do, and it’s awkward for him. She surprises him while pretending to be asleep wrestling with him until she’s on top. She starts to kiss him but falls asleep sitting on top of him.
The next school day, we see the two interacting closely. And that’s the end!
Nothing from early on, there was just nothing going on and worth while.
So Miya is up to her tricks again. She says this like she wants her Nii-nii to stay home with her and attend her party. Or perhaps she is in fact having a party because there is no way to afford anything else. It isn’t realistic to say though that everything is double in price; it’s just another day.
Haruka is looking excellent in her Santa outfit. Hibiki though is the voice of reason for Haruka. Otherwise, she would have gone with the Santa bikini.
This was an amazing scene. The lead up, the low intensity confessions of Junichi and Kaoru were aligned perfectly for a kiss on the peak of the Port Tower with snow framing it. The idea of, “Looking at snow fall from above. That’s pretty different, don’t you think?” That’s original and clever. She couldn’t have planned it better. I’ll remember that scene forever, certainly.
Miya came into Junichi’s room abruptly. I don’t know what she was talking about, maybe having Christmas with his friend from class as a cover. I don’t know. Anyway, she’s clever. She thought she heard talking from Junichi’s room, so she said she knew what was going on and he shouldn’t bother to hide it. Well, she didn’t really know. I do wonder though how she would’ve reacted to it though if she had seen Kaoru sitting there on the bed with him.
Junichi’s star room, his home away from home, his place to be alone created after his first stand up two years ago still survives. Kaoru obviously has caused him to stop using it because he’s felt good about himself. It’s better than when he was starting with Haruka, because after the initial rejection, he crying.
I didn’t have a good one for this picture. It was interesting how she faked her sleeping so that she could wrestle him around a bit. She managed to get on top, well, she’s the fighter after all. But she didn’t make much of a move. That’s good I think, otherwise it would’ve damaged the legitimacy of what they were feeling if they took it too far too fast.
And you know? It ended there. The was no ten year flash forward. I wanted one. In Haruka’s arc, it made sense to show that they were still kinky after ten years. It’s too bad, but it was different.
That’s the end of an excellent arc! The next arc is the red-head, Sae. I like how she looks, innocent, laid back, shy and so on. The problem is her voice. I cannot stand it! I seriously can’t! But we’ll see how it turns out.
Committed.