Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo suru

[Kraco]

https://i.imgur.com/2qIzg3j.jpg

"Wakana Gojou is a fifteen year old high-school boy who was socially traumatized in the past due to his passions. That incident left a mark on him that made him into a social recluse. Until one day he had an encounter with Kitagawa who is a sociable gyaru, who is the complete opposite of him. They soon share their passions with one another which leads to their odd relationship." -Baka-Manga



- -- - - - - -



I'm a fan of the manga, so I decided to have a look at the anime adaptation. The production values seemed average, which is actually a good thing because this might not be the most popular series of the season, as good as it is. So, I could say I'm positively surprised. The voice acting didn't clash with my mental image of the characters.

This is quite a nice story because it's so focused. Sure, it's also about Gojou's growth as a person and getting rid of his deep insecurities, but on the surface this is still a pretty easy-going cosplay themed high school series. The characters are good and their reactions interesting.

Originally I wasn't sure of watching the whole show, as I'm a manga reader, but I think I will, after all.

[Ryllharu]

I really liked the first episode. One of the better instant-hooks I've seen in a while.

There's some noticeable rotoscoping on some animation, but I will say that isn't a bad thing. It's unusual to see in anime, and while it does distract a little because you're just not used to seeing it often, at the same time it also makes the series more immersive and real.

Instantly liked both Wakana and Marin.

The first episode even had a consistent character development message to it.

Wakana was deeply hurt and even scarred to a degree with the elementary school girl told him he was fucking weird for liking Hina dolls, but he didn't deny what he loved (comedically, loving a little TOO much with blushing at the doll faces). But he definitely started to pay a lot of attention to Marin when she was telling her friends what a turn off it is to be insulted about your hobbies. The immediate relationship chart she drew about the characters in her favorite anime was a good gag, but also showed how deeply her similar passion went to the audience. Those two encounters merge into Wakana treating Marin the way he always wanted to be treated when she admitted her own passion hobby and how deep it goes. How much the potential for rejection was hurting her.

So Wakana carried through with a reciprocation that he had never gotten before.

This honestly could have been a one-shot with a perfectly executed arc.

But it is just the first episode.

That's a good first episode.

[neflight86]

Strong start. Yes, I also find his doll face a bit creepy, but he can be an otaku about something that niche, for sure. I like that his 'in' with the gal entourage is seemingly going to be the ability to sew and construct clothing that will no doubt get more wild as this goes on.

This is social anxiety I can get behind- not the crippling paralyzation fueled by a ridiculous imagination, or the mopey 'burn it all down' contempt for normies, but just moderate aversion to interactions and an introspection of how off putting someone else's passion can be when you don't share a strong bond with them. I like it.

[KrayZ33]

If I had one gripe it's MCs, almost sexual, love to the doll.

I mean, I kinda understand what they were going with that and the child-hood flashback and his childhood-girl/friend crying.
He basically loves and likes these dolls more than he likes interacting with others and he drifts away whenever he interacts with them. So the girl might've felt left out and thought he likes dolls more than her.

But I'd prefer it to not make it..... awkward like that (with the grin and all that).
The pervy shin-chan grin doesn't really fit the show/this episode in the first place imho.

Other than that, this was some nice eyecandy for me to enjoy and I hope it'll stay like that.

[Kraco]

Episode 2



- -- - - - -



A rather arduous process of taking measurements. I reckon I wouldn't be so patient with many other shows, but somehow it worked here splendidly. Too bad I can't anymore remember how I felt about it when reading the manga; was I as accepting back then as now, with knowing Gojou much better. Nevertheless, at least considering this is a work of fiction, it was pretty funny how he was so shaken.

The last scene with the grandpa was a nice punch line to the whole affair.

[David75]

I remember being even more self conscious at Gojou's age, so I felt inconfortable too.

So inseam got her to react when he didn't. A bit strange he didn't

[Kraco]

So inseam got her to react when he didn't. A bit strange he didn't

He didn't even realise he touched her crotch. Because he had finally reached the zen state of mind of professionalism.

[KrayZ33]

I remember being even more self conscious at Gojou's age, so I felt inconfortable too.

So inseam got her to react when he didn't. A bit strange he didn't

I think it is amazing what the approach and behaviour of the character can do how I see this situation being portrayed for myself.
When he measured that, I wasn't thinking "this is awkward" anymore either and thought that this was probably one of the "easier" things to measure.

Loved the granpa scene in the end.

[Ryllharu]

Thanks for the full set of measurements to determine her remarkable figure, anime episode!

I really admire the purity these two have going for their respective specific interest. They both respect each other's obsession even though they don't understand it at all. They're really reinforcing the idea that it is, "Totally okay to like what you like," and give the other the professionalism and respect they deserve for their intensity with it.

Marin stalking his family business down to expedite the measurements is good for a laugh, but in real life it would be a bit pushy.

[Kraco]

Marin stalking his family business down to expedite the measurements is good for a laugh, but in real life it would be a bit pushy.

She's technically a gyaru, so I guess it fits her personality. Though I also imagine she did judge Gojou as someone she can afford to push around a bit.

[shinta|hikari]

Okay, which of you guys are single? This is relevant to your comments on this thread.

[David75]

Not single. But at Gojou's age I was way too respectful of women...
So it really struck home.
To me Gojou found an incredible woman.
But feelings are not always in line at the right time when you meet the one for you

[neflight86]

Great fanservice episode and some fine animation cuts, but this has crossed into 'manic pixie dream girl' territory already. Not that rom-com anime is ever much different, but the gal freedom was kinda too much to suspend disbelief. Hard to believe she hasn't been taken advantage of by someone already if the key to her heart is simply to acknowledge her hobby of cosplaying as eroge heroines. I can't imagine takers in that market are very rare, and she kinda broadcasts this stuff over the classroom. They're still cute (as a couple), and agreed on the granpda scene at the end; funny stuff.

[Kraco]

Great fanservice episode and some fine animation cuts, but this has crossed into 'manic pixie dream girl' territory already. Not that rom-com anime is ever much different, but the gal freedom was kinda too much to suspend disbelief. Hard to believe she hasn't been taken advantage of by someone already if the key to her heart is simply to acknowledge her hobby of cosplaying as eroge heroines. I can't imagine takers in that market are very rare, and she kinda broadcasts this stuff over the classroom. They're still cute (as a couple), and agreed on the granpda scene at the end; funny stuff.

You forgot the other condition: being able to operate a sewing machine and make clothes. Lots of dudes like that in your parts?

[neflight86]

You forgot the other condition: being able to operate a sewing machine and make clothes. Lots of dudes like that in your parts?

No, but probably plenty of scummy guys who can lie about that long enough to take advantage and make her traumatized or at least guarded, is my supposition.

[David75]

Anime need to catch their audience very early.
We will probably learn later how she survived without being taken advantage of till now.

[Kraco]

Episode 3



- -- -- -


This is actually quite a good depiction of the interaction between two totally different people, an extrovert and an introvert, who still have something in common. For the sake of the story, it's also beneficial their strengths complement each other so well. It's their weaknesses that they can't deal with, though, but that's natural.

[David75]

They kept fanservice quite high, guess it keeps the audience coming


https://youtu.be/sRS8Otwbo7g

Nice cosplays, even if Shizuku-tan's wig feels a little light acording to Gojou.

[Ryllharu]

Cute little (not a) date.

But what I've definitely started to notice is that we don't really know a lot about Marin at this point. They've actually told us surprisingly little about her, her background, her home life, etc. We now know she has a job to try and bankroll this (what she doesn't spend on anime goods anyway shown in the OP).

Their relationship is like a non-toxic version of using each other (i.e. a healthy relationship, just starting oddly).

She's getting Wakana to accept himself, his interests, his skills, and how he interacts with others and not be so stuck on how others view him.

And Marin desperately needs his skills and expertise to fulfill her passion. She mentioned that she keeps making mistakes when she goes to stores, so it may very well be that Shizuku-tan isn't the only cosplay she's attempted to do so far. But she likes Shizuku so much more that this time her drive is just bursting out in every direction.

It was kind of touching the way he described how he reserves the word "beautiful" for things that strike his emotions deeply. I'm sure that won't come back eventually...

I just wish that by episode 3 we had gotten a little more insight into her side of this equation.

Cute video, but Marin can pull off Shizuku cosplay because she's a G-cup herself. I'm guessing the second costume, which we've seen in the OP, is an Esdeath analogue? The Esdeath who is weirdly as unpopular in Japan as she is popular in the West.

[Buffalobiian]

She mentioned that she keeps making mistakes when she goes to stores, so it may very well be that Shizuku-tan isn't the only cosplay she's attempted to do so far.

She says that she kept making mistakes on their current trip, not previous trips. She's referring to the cloth and wig scenes.

[neflight86]

I eye-rolled at the first portion of this ep; "Oh No! someone might start talking about us! Time to distance myself without communicating this simple and unfounded belief that I am going to inconvenience a social butterfly by existing!" I hate that trope because it usually spins being cowardly and only introspective as being considerate (McNiceGuy), and Gojou could really have used a telling off for treating his underwear friend like that.

A simple mercy that it was short lived and brushed aside in the same episode for some more hobby bonding. Less fanservice-y than last ep, this was a more balanced and interesting interaction, even if less carnal, and started to form some real chemistry. I liked it.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 4

----------

Wakana is an idiot for not talking to Marin about the deadline, considering how up front he was with her in the last episode about doing things properly. But at least he admitted he was wrong for not discussing anything with her out of fear of disappointing her.

Meanwhile, Marin was more worried about him because of the situation with his grandfather hurting himself. She should should have been more forward and direct if he needed some help. She did, but he obviously didn't look at his phone, and was passed out from exhaustion when she came in person.

It's cute how their relationship is progressing in a very natural, low-key, Horimiya kinda way.

I do like how they twisted around the "overwork super hard!" message Japan loves to convey with the memory of his grandfather being more about, "You push yourself beyond your limits because it is the thing you love more than anything else," for artisans and hobbyists specifically.

Also, the little mirrored event showing off the cool shit you like on your phone. Marin's favorite cosplayers and Wakana's favorite hina doll specialists.

[Kraco]

Considering Marin is Gojou's first friend after many years of friendlessness, it does make sense he absolutely doesn't want to let her down. Especially if it's something he, at least in his own mind, promised he would do.

[David75]

Marin is learning how involved Wakana can be. When he goes for something, he's not lukewarm, uninvolved or at 40%. He goes full throtle to the point of exhaustion, so he needs someone to manage his priorities and time.
Having someone like Wakana in your life is very strange, you feel uneasy around them... unless you can yourself go deep into the plus ultra passion.
My guess is that Marin has a near perfect tailormade Shizuku-tan cosplay, she now needs to shift her attitude to perfectly match the character and spark an SnS explosion.
Also, for the lovey stuff lovers, there's a lot to come. Or at least promises.

[neflight86]

Another simple miscommunication and assumption causing a whole lotta ruckus that winded up not mattering; anime drama 101.

I sorta roll my eyes now when characters in anime are hurt from kindness and overconsideration, as if there was no other way to inject tension or friction into this little bubble of a world without making someone a bonefide bad guy. Then, realizing Gojou was hurt by the most roundabout means possible, Kitagawa begins crying at just how wholesome it all is. Okay... that's enough you two. Lets get back on track to the next (non)obstacle of misunderstanding and 'being so nice it hurts' to surmount.

Animation's still good, and I'm still enjoying, to be clear.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 5

--------


Despite the immaculately animated boob jiggle, and lecherous camera angles...this is just so gosh darned pure.

The ED singer is a cosplay gravure idol, which is why the official video was like that. She did a Marin cosplay livestream today.

https://youtu.be/Pw4WpYIJmaM

[Kraco]

I don't believe Marin quite understood why Gojou was so happy when she started talking about the next project. She has no idea how lonely and isolated Gojou was, after all, due to his past trauma and his generally shy personality.

[KrayZ33]

MC was super smooth.

[David75]

With Akebi chan and that show, fans are happy.

[neflight86]

Better interactions this ep that didn't lean too heavily on Gojo's social anxiety. I also like that it didn't stray into cosplay culture worship- it was just normal cosplay folks posing and getting pictures taken. None of the extreme otaku pandering that can be really off-putting when shoehorned in to pander to an audience. Nobody else there seemed half as excited as Kitagawa which makes sense as her personality is a bit exaggerated to begin with. Small eye roll at the "50 favorite characters" reveal, but the show must go on, I suppose.

Much boob jiggle, indeed. I didn't know it was called a 'boob bag'. That's funny.

Good that there's room for improvement now that Gojo can incorporate wear-ability and concept of a wearer's metabolism into his outfits.


MC was super smooth.

Aye.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 6

------------



In response to an earlier false alarm, people have said you'd know it when Marin fell in love with Wakana, and they weren't kidding.

Full crush, gyaru style. I love it. Such a nice contrast to so many other gyaru-centric series where they are almost all but aromantic who only fall in love a good 70% of the way through a series. Marin is in deep, in a very expressive way, like villainess gyaru are in other series. So even the romance of this series has the energy, openness, and exuberance of what I'd want from a gyaru series instead of the normal demure romance anime. Very refreshing later on that Marin's forwardness knows absolutely no bounds on reputation or gender.

The data dump on her daily living is great too, and we even got a reason why Marin has G-cups. Overall, this episode was an absolute flurry of Marin character development.

Allegorical masterstroke on the paipan transition from pupil censorship to on through flashback to hina doll heads. That is flawless execution of visual comedy. Even if the subject matter was different, that is exactly why and how manga/anime is a medium in a class all on its own.

I'm always blown away by the vocal range that Tanezaki Atsumi has. Her character types frequently don't sound even remotely alike. There's the SlimeTensei/Magus Bride/Jojo tone, and Sajuna is the High School Fleet/Death Parade tone, and she has even more than that.

Love that Sajuna respected Marin for knowing her anime stuff instead of just being a model type, but the thing that really impressed Sajuna was that Marin thinks about the characters she can actually pull off properly instead of doing alteration fetish stuff that doesn't suit her build…because it would ruin the aesthetic and corrupt the character in her mind. They've fallen in love with each other as well. How sweet.

So the next anime they're doing is what Marin was writing all over the board in the first episode to explain to her friends. It's got a Esdeath character aesthetic on the older sister, but it is definitely making fun of Sailor Moon, Precure, and Clamp shit too. Amazing.

Anime of the Season, no contest.

[Kraco]

Episode 6


- --- -



Back when I was reading the chapters of this particular event in the manga, there was much debate about how likely or unlikely all of this is. Like would a school girl accept to take a bath at basically a stranger's house. It's indeed a good question. It does seem unlikely, but on the other hand, she was already going pretty far to try to acquire a costume from Gojou, all the way to stalking. It could be reasoned that if she let herself remain utterly wet, like a dog straight out of a river, she couldn't really negotiate with anyone. On the other hand, if she decided to go back home and return another day, would she really return? She wasn't a super social person like Marin.

At least Juju could immediately see that Gojou is a pushover she could threaten in nonsense ways to make her a costume. If threats are the best way to convince someone to cooperate with you is another question, but in the end she is still a kid and kids do unreasonable things, especially in the heat of the moment.

I liked Marin's reaction in noticing she's fallen in love with Gojou. It's quite novel in the kind of manga I read, let alone anime I watch.

[neflight86]

That got very anime, very fast. With the first contact arc out of the way, it was time to introduce girl number two with some fanservice. Still lively and the interactions are cute, so I can't ask for much more, but I guess I wasn't expecting the harem so soon. Or a harem at all.

[David75]

Forgetting the paipan scene that I felt useless, the episode was fun because of the new interactions that new character brings.
And Gojou building a harem was a given from the OP for example.
You can also say he has godly sewing and tailoring skills seen from the perspective of those cosplayer girls, no wonder he attracts them with that.
Also, his hina doll nerdiness is not far from a cosplayer's nerdiness. Though slightly different, they can agree on the level of dedication and passion they put into what they like.

[shinta|hikari]

Wrong thread Dave.

[David75]

It probably was wrong then... And someone helped and now you are wrong haha

[shinta|hikari]

Indeed I am! LOL.

I like the loli senpai better than Marin just because of personal preferences, including the tsundere personality without being a bitch.

[Kraco]

I don't mind Juju either because she seems to have a lot of personality and sticks to her own ways. It's pretty nasty how she was blackmailing Gojou, but it happens. On the other hand she wasn't wrong to be offended either because she had been properly invited inside and told she can use the bath. Her rather arrogant personality could also be explained by how she's mega popular. That tends to make people too proud of themselves.

I guess I should know better after two decades of watching anime and reading manga, but I still always keep hoping new female characters appearing doesn't automatically mean a harem.

[shinta|hikari]

Maybe Juju will fall in love with Marin, so we get a love triangle instead of a harem.

[Kraco]

Maybe Juju will fall in love with Marin, so we get a love triangle instead of a harem.

Wouldn't that still be a harem? Just not Gojou's harem but Marin's.

[shinta|hikari]

Not if Gojou goes for Juju. I would.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 7

Featuring the biggest twist of the season...



----------

Marin's natural eye color.

Cute little stay home date. I do enjoy that this series continues to subvert my expectations in a low-key and natural way. It really is similar to a lot of the highly praised romance series (before they invariably sour on focusing too much on side characters).

Wakana's skills are developing naturally, though I was a bit surprised he did the majority of Marin's makeup and not just the parts she wasn't good at. But now that makes a lot more sense with the hina doll faces improving. He's aiming to meet the expectations of the recipient, and putting more care into it accordingly.

Marin isn't quite as disastrous a cook as cliché would predict, and she continues to have weird hangups, like the color contact thing while completely missing the fact that she was very prominently showing off everything below her neck.

Let me guess, the big-little sister is into lolis...

I do see a lot of complaints elsewhere about the translation of Marin's lines. No idea where those people are coming from, Marin's speech patterns are very corrupted like gyaru are supposed to. You can very obviously hear her butcher words this episode that any anime fan should be able to recognize.

[Kraco]

Marin isn't quite as disastrous a cook as cliché would predict,

Such an annoying cliche, so I'm happy it's absent. Too many manga treat cooking like it's rocket science. Gojou wasn't expecting Marin to be a bad cook, either, per se, he's just worried about the composition of her dishes.

[David75]

A little something found on Discord ;)

1955

[neflight86]

It didn't occur to me that she was not, in fact, albino- I'm so used to taking anime hair and eye color as a given. Good for Sono Bisque for addressing that in a fun, lighthearted way that remained grounded.

Dem studio fees,though. I'm glad that his practice with life size outfits benefitted his doll painting ability. Gramps is right. More perspective and experience will benefit your art. Until the end segment with giga-imouto, this almost made me forget it was going to be a harem or thereabouts.

I'd be a fool to miss how it serves the target audience and appeal of the show, but Marin really is a manic pixie dream girl. Outgoing, unjudgmental, passionate about otaku-adjacent hobbies, kind, aggressive about what she wants (but not too aggressive), spunky, attractive, sexually unguarded, and gyaru all in one. And she's in wuv. Say what you will about waifu culture, but at least those have a few different flavors. Even her one 'flaw', cooking, is hand waved as a cute little room-to-grow thing. This is hardly new in anime, and she is still a joy to watch, but, aside from not being an actual hina doll, she appears like she was written specifically for Gojou's benefit. Not complaining, just noticing due to how little they hide it here, and I hope it is cashed in at some point for a dramatic breakdown or something down the road... Who am I kidding- that's not gonna happen and this will continue being a sweet saccharine rom-com that pretty much everyone enjoys.

[David75]

I wonder if the season will bring sour girl back...

[Kraco]

Even her one 'flaw', cooking, is hand waved as a cute little room-to-grow thing. This is hardly new in anime, and she is still a joy to watch, but, aside from not being an actual hina doll, she appears like she was written specifically for Gojou's benefit. Not complaining, just noticing due to how little they hide it here, and I hope it is cashed in at some point for a dramatic breakdown or something down the road... Who am I kidding- that's not gonna happen and this will continue being a sweet saccharine rom-com that pretty much everyone enjoys.

Doesn't she have more flaws? Her first flaw was an utter lack of cloth making ability. She also can't really do her own make-up, despite being a gyaru. She showed distinct lack of vision in shopping for supplies, not being able to judge things Gojou immediately spotted despite Marin being the expert on her favourite games/series. Food is just one of her flaws. She's perfect for Gojou in the sense that she's really proactive, which is pretty much the only way they could become friends in the first place. It will probably be necessary, as well, for them to be more than friends at some point, should it happen. So, if she wasn't written specifically for Gojou at the very least that much, we wouldn't have a story to begin with.

[David75]

For some reason Marin could very well have a sad backstory arc. Or at least some context explaining her overthetop attitude, mood and style. It feels like she needs attention.

[Ryllharu]

I'd be a fool to miss how it serves the target audience and appeal of the show, but Marin really is a manic pixie dream girl. Outgoing, unjudgmental, passionate about otaku-adjacent hobbies, kind, aggressive about what she wants (but not too aggressive), spunky, attractive, sexually unguarded, and gyaru all in one. And she's in wuv. Say what you will about waifu culture, but at least those have a few different flavors.

Doesn't she have more flaws? Her first flaw was an utter lack of cloth making ability. She also can't really do her own make-up, despite being a gyaru. She showed distinct lack of vision in shopping for supplies, not being able to judge things Gojou immediately spotted despite Marin being the expert on her favourite games/series. Food is just one of her flaws.
...
So, if she wasn't written specifically for Gojou at the very least that much, we wouldn't have a story to begin with.
I would argue she is in fact, not a Manic Pixie Dream Girl despite being called out as one on TVTropes: the place where actual literary and film analysis goes to die. This trope in particular has been rejected by the person who coined it because it is so often misused to describe personality types and not the stock character.

There's three key points to the stock character archetype: Eccentricity (check), static in the narrative (false), and no goals of their own (false) or a one-off goal that serves the development of the male lead. Manic Pixie Dream Girls exist for the character development of the male lead character. They serve as a purpose, not a person. They're a plot device. You can replace them with a pet, a baby, a McGuffin, a natural disaster, or a windfall and the story doesn't change at all. They are one-dimensional characters who don't exist without the male lead, and often disappear as soon as the male lead's character development or redemption is complete.

Marin exists as a person without Wakana. She tried to do it herself, but failed. She's interested in anime and trying to get her friends interested in the current parody-Precure long before the two leads directly cross paths. The central plot device here is HER GOAL, and Wakana is benefiting from the interaction. He is not using Marin to fulfill his own dreams, it is mutual aid. Even within the plot construct, she interacts with the world outside of Wakana (Juju knew that Marin followed her on social media). Marin isn't instantly enraptured with Wakana either. Theirs is a business relationship that develops into deep infatuation on hers, the opposite of the usual trope, and still stands as nervous anxiety on his side.

Marin is a false one, possibly even a deconstruction of one. She's introduced in exactly the type of situation the stock characters do (literally flung through the air for absolutely no explainable reason), but almost immediately diverges. The series begins by intentionally showing us none of Marin's thoughts, and she does appear as a MPDG in all the expected ways. That trajectory stalls when she realized she had led him to almost kill himself meeting a deadline she never expected him to meet, crushed when she wears the outfit for that first time, and then completely implodes the moment Wakana unintentionally confesses to her. The narrative has switched to now use them both as co-leads.

Marin has depth that we're only starting to learn about now, and not the ones that follow the anime clichés. The show very deliberately switches to her perspective when Wakana and his grandfather are talking shop about the Shizuku-tan outfit and it tunes out all of the dialogue between them. Contrast everything since then to the measuring scene, the shopping, the strolls outside, any of the appearances at school and so on.

And all of this is hinted at in the OP. It's still one of my favorite parts where she's too engaged watching the parody-Precure in the morning doing her makeup, then frantically trying to straighten her hair with tears in her eyes. The at-home visit cements this also, Marin the gyaru is as much of a construct as any cosplay.

[neflight86]

Doesn't she have more flaws? Her first flaw was an utter lack of cloth making ability. She also can't really do her own make-up, despite being a gyaru. She showed distinct lack of vision in shopping for supplies, not being able to judge things Gojou immediately spotted despite Marin being the expert on her favourite games/series. Food is just one of her flaws.

Oops. I conveniently forgot about all of those flaws, and considering their necessity to her life's obsession, they are severe. I retract my statement. I guess the lovey dovey Marin screen time these last two episodes bleached out all of their prior interactions when I was thinking about her infinitely desirable qualities.


I would argue she is in fact, not a Manic Pixie Dream Girl

...

Marin the gyaru is as much of a construct as any cosplay.

Interesting, well put, and a good read. I sold her short and she is more compelling in a wider view lens than I viewed her through. I think what threw me was old the Roger Ebert description of such a "movie creature" as “a girl who is completely available, absolutely desirable and really likes you.” I always emphasized the concept as simply a manufactured appeal that would not or could not exist through naturalistic happenstance- a wish fulfillment not too dissimilar to any other power fantasy that anime is full of, given the target audience. But as you said, there's more to it than that, and to dismiss any attractive character being more interested than I would expect in a boring seeming other comes off as... incel? What have I become!?!?!?

That she's not (a pixie) is probably the reason I'm still enjoying this.

[Kraco]

I guess the lovey dovey Marin screen time these last two episodes bleached out all of their prior interactions when I was thinking about her infinitely desirable qualities.

I always feel like her wuv scenes were kind of half forced due to her personality being so extra forward on purpose, being gyaru and all that, not holding back and being honest with herself. I wouldn't say being in love with love like some middle schooler, but she's really making herself fall in love with Gojou. Just like she's in love with her favourite characters. Juju might be a stock tsundere character, but she's still holding herself back more realistically (from my cultural point of view).

Whether Marin is a dream girl or not is up to personal preferences. Gojou actually needed to win her over with his sewing skills and dedication. There are about a million harem series out there where the (seemingly loser) MC needs to do absolutely nothing to get a new girl every other chapter. In fact such an MC might be trying his best to push the girls away but they still keep appearing and multiplying. Gojou here, however, is actually tall and handsome, has something worthwhile (even professionally) he's focusing on, which alone is an attractive feature already. He can make brand new high quality clothes from scratch, which is a relatively high level skill. He can also cook well. If he wasn't so shy and insecure, he absolutely wouldn't need a dream girl to appear out of nowhere. In the end, however, this is not based on a shoujo/josei manga (it's seinen), so the main dude can't be a love master. That's just how it goes.

[shinta|hikari]

Wait, is Gojou handsome?

If he is, no matter how antisocial or weird he is, he'd have girls approaching him at school. I think he is just average looking.

[Kraco]

I always assumed he must be since he didn't even look much different in Marin's wuv vision. Normally when you see a scene from such a love-love pink-coloured perspective, the man is turned into looking like a prince or at least more like a shoujo manga male MC. But of course it's hard to say since characters in anime all tend to look good, unless they specifically must look worse, like a two-bit villain. So, maybe he's meant to be average looking. He's tall, though.

[shinta|hikari]

That's why I assumed he was average looking. A tall guy with a good build AND a handsome face WILL attract attention, in anime or IRL.

[Ryllharu]

Not if they never talk to anyone else out of fear of rejection like he did.

Literally zero friends in middle school, and part of the go-home club.

[shinta|hikari]

Girls will still at least try to talk to him, not ignore him completely.

The aloof bad boy is a trope for a reason.

To add, no one has ever commented on Gojo's looks. It stands to reason that his looks are average and therefore not worth mentioning.

[KrayZ33]

He doesn't do any sports and is at home all the time that also doesn't seem to care about buying clothes for himself. How "good" can he be looking.

A healthy diet only gets you that far.

He is a tall, nice dude. Certainly nothing special.

[DarthEnderX]

I lol every time she calls him ", my dude."

[neflight86]

They really cranked up the emotive animation and cuteness this episode. Especially during the beach scene. It was fun to watch and had a good chemistry. Episodes (scenes) like this elevate an entire series.

[Kraco]

Episode 9


- - - - - -- -




Behold the unbelievable B holder.

I feel like the nonlinear timeline worked better in this anime adaptation than in the original manga. Or maybe it was just because I knew it before. Nevertheless, even though Shinju isn't exactly the kind of character I prefer, even if it's partially because I keep forgetting how young she is, just like Gojou did, this episode was quite good. I was heartwarming to see how excited Juju was to see her little sister cosplaying for the first time, with such high quality to boot. Juju's own first cosplay was nothing to write blog posts about, but now that she's such a high profile cosplayer, I reckon she couldn't help but be bothered by a low quality cosplay.

[Ryllharu]

By Her Holiness Hayase Nagatoro's will, they've entered the flirt-teasing-backfire phase of their relationship…

I'm impressed that Gojo learned to make an overbust corset for Marin's costume, and has upgraded his skills from straight cloth Japanese clothes to goth lolita and now actual tailoring. He's really thorough in upgrading his trade craft. There's professional youtube seamstresses who fuck up making corsets the first time.

I also like the experienced cosplayer (tape, makeup shades) vs zero hesitation dedication cosplayer (reminder that she shaved her eyebrows off totally) dynamic between Marin and Juju. It's like they're trading skill tips and secrets with each other, and while Marin is obviously the less experienced, they both sort of make the other jealous in a healthy way.

Shinju and Wakana really are alike in so many ways. It's endearing how perfectly they get along.

[Kraco]

Episode 10


- - - - - -



The shirt selection of that fashionable store was seriously such that I'd only wear them at a BBQ party.

It really does look like all the cosplayer girls are falling for Gojou. Even the tsundere Juju can't help but confess aloud she had fun in his company, their first meeting notwithstanding. But then again, he's a dude with high cloth making skills, even higher dedication to the craft, and an exceedingly understanding attitude and respect for other people's hobbies, so it's natural they would appreciate him.

[Ryllharu]

An all-around heart-warming episode.

Not really much more to say about it, other than Marin is getting less intelligible every episode.

[KrayZ33]

It's actually amazing how they keep drawing the gal in the most beautiful way in every single episode.

And it's weird that a show can somehow be about 2 people doing stuff they like and remain normal, while still be entertaining to watch.
It just works without all the unnecessary drama around it when a girl hangs out with a boy.

The usual super timid-guy-trope aside of course.

[David75]

He's not timid, he's protecting Marin from himself :-)

[KrayZ33]

Episode 11:



nice. hot.

[Kraco]

It was a love hotel, so at least that much had to happen. It was pretty good progress as well for their relationship, although Gojou obviously will still not even dream of asking Marin to become his girlfriend.

[shinta|hikari]

Does Gojo even like Marin in a romantic sense? Sure he is sexually attracted to her, but he doesn't seem to harbor any feelings beyond close friendship.

[Kraco]

Does Gojo even like Marin in a romantic sense? Sure he is sexually attracted to her, but he doesn't seem to harbor any feelings beyond close friendship.

Would he need to put it into words? We already know he considers her beautiful and attractive (which is a big deal for him, due to personal reasons), he admires her personality, energy, and social skills, he fully shares her respect for other people's varied hobbies and interests, he has a whole lot of fun just being in her company and doing mundane stuf with her, and, like you said, he's sexually attracted to her. He has more going on for a love than great many characters in myriad series. If he doesn't seem to be clearly in love with her, I'd say it's because he's really shy and wouldn't dare to dream of making a girlfriend out of the popular class beauty, as he considers himself almost an outcast or at the very least an invisible loner.

[shinta|hikari]

I mean, he also blushes and feels sexual attraction to the imouto character, or even Juju. Actual romantic interest requires realization of your own feelings, or if not, hints of it being specifically romantic attraction, like jealousy and what not. He doesn't even know he has or express such interest in her and behaves pretty much the same as with the other girls.

[Ryllharu]

He didn't think he "was worthy" of being her friend until she set him straight, what makes you think he is in any mental position to believe that she loves him?

The signs of genuine affection (i.e. beyond lust) he has for Marin have been there, like the quiet beach moments, watching anime on the couch together, and so on. But every time he has a lust-filled desire, like the end of this episode, he doubts himself again and it resets.

It is gonna be Marin's struggle to convince him of his own worthiness before he'll admit to allowing himself to love her back.

Sajuna has no chance, because she very prominently has zero experience with men of any kind. Wakana spent the last...however many years isolating himself. It's going to take some time for Marin to pry him back open.

[KrayZ33]

In every other show we would have accepted him as madly im love.
Why do we start questioning it this time around?

It's pretty obvious to me that he loves her.
Being sexually attracted towards each other is also part of it.

Whether he realizes it himself is another question of course. After all, anime-characters have to be dumb. Otherwise a story like this one wouldn't work.

[shinta|hikari]

Because with the introduction of the other girls who like him, this has become a harem show, and in most harem shows, the MC doesn't really fall in love with a specific girl until the end, or he gets together with all the girls. There are outliers like Monogatari and Bunny-senpai, though, but both of those established a couple very early on.

[Ryllharu]

What.

In no way is this show a harem, just like the claims that Marin is a Manic-Pixie Dream Girl.

They've set it up very clearly from the start to be the main single pairing. Sajuna has no chance. Her blushing interest in Wakana is set up and used as a gag. Shinju and Wakana have a weird admiration for each other in terms of technical skills, but also not romantic interest in any form, despite Wakana being a boob guy. The only mutual romantic interest is between Wakana and Marin.

It lacks the other mainstay of the harem genre, the male lead being a self-insert for the audience. Wakana might have social anxiety about his hobby that is prevalent in the anime community, but his skilled artisan talents are rather unsupportive of audience insert. They make it relatable by framing it in the guise of how into their hobbies everyone in the cast is.

Most critically, the girls all have lives outside of the view of the protagonist, as discussed in the post where I went off on this not being a Manic-Pixie Dream Girl series. The only girl with low self-esteem is Shinju, which they've somewhat resolved, and Marin very specifically (and quite peculiarly) self-conscious about how she'd look in half-pigtails. None of them are strictly archetypes, in fact, the series goes out of its way to subvert that expectation each time. The girls have goals, and Wakana furthers those goals, but they don't express romantic gratitude because of it.
- Sajuna wanted to cosplay the characters she loves, and what she actually got out of it was a closer relationship with her own sister in their mutual hobbies.
- Ditto for Shinju.
- Marin's romantic trigger was pulled after a significant amount of personal back and forth (i.e. developing a relationship) where she learned about his preferred and limited use of the word "beautiful" and he called her it invertedly in his sleep. Their interactions get all the nuance and depth.

Wakana's entire window in all this is Marin, solely and completely. He would have never met Sajuna, and then by extension Shinju, without Marin driving the entire interactions.

Will the series stall out, pause on their relationship like Monogatari and Bunny-senpai to recode itself as a harem series? I don't know. But it sure isn't one now. That's like saying Horimiya or Kimi no Todoke are harem series.

[shinta|hikari]

I'll bet 5 bucks this is going the harem route, just because.

[Kraco]

I'll still keep believing this won't end up as a harem, even if it has a bunch of female characters and a single male MC. Of course you can never trust a manga/anime and especially the intended target audience of Japanese otaku. If this became a stale harem show, it would certainly hurt all the effort it invested into depicting cosplaying as a hobby. Of course the romance plot would be destroyed. It would seem counterproductive to drop everything making the show unique, just to make it the random harem show number 25639659, but like I said, you can never trust the Japanese entertainment industry in this particular matter. On the other hand, not every single successful story in Japan has been a harem one, so the otaku aren't totally obsessed with harem.

[neflight86]

One thing/trope this show has employed perhaps more than any other in my memory, is the "so caught up in the passion of our hobby that I/we forget just how compromising a position we are putting ourselves in". For both of the leads. I understand it serves a purpose to get these two mounted on a bed, and the scene was well directed, animated, and appropriately awkward/cute, but come on. Gojo was super conscious of how inappropriate and lewd this could be, but still, like a switch, forgot his inhibitions... At least Marin was already an airhead when it comes to cosplay, but she was so unguarded that it suggests she has never had any significant contact with a member of the opposite sex. Maybe she hasn't, but I thought she was supposed to be mega popular?

Okay, enough griping. This was a good episode and they main couple is still cute.

'Harem' is a difficult term to define (in anime, anyway). Yes, pretty much all of the female leads are 'interested' in Gojo, but only one of them are framed as having even the slightest chance of being with him. I think that ultimately makes the difference in a harem versus a pseudo harem, which is what I think we have here.

[KrayZ33]

END

--------------------------------------------------


Well.

That was a sweet ending.
Not sure if I want more though.

The animation was great and I could probably watch that kind of thing forever but I wonder how a second season would even entertain me.

Their hobbies aren't really something I can get behind as an interesting plot point.
Unless they go "professional".

[Kraco]

Yeah, this felt like it was meant to be an end of a season episode, or the end of the whole anime. In a certain sense the most crucial points of the series have already been made. The manga is ongoing, and I'm looking forward to every chapter (it's not even that far ahead), but I'd say after this point, more or less, the author will face a whole lot bigger challenge in keeping the story interesting. The main characters are firmly established and the novelty of the core setting has worn off. One fundamental factor of increased difficulty is that the story didn't set any bigger goal(s) far into the future, so the long road to such a point is not present. That's what keeps many sports or other competition heavy series going.

This was best series of the season for me. But then again, I was only watching three series.

[DarthEnderX]

So...these series basically always end season 1 at the fireworks festival, huh?

Like, I'm relatively new to this genre, and I think I've seen this exact episode done, like, 5 times already.

[Kraco]

So...these series basically always end season 1 at the fireworks festival, huh?

Like, I'm relatively new to this genre, and I think I've seen this exact episode done, like, 5 times already.

It worked splendidly here, and has worked well probably in other series (not that I could name any immediately but I've got the same feeling about it as you), so why not? Regardless of it being the last episode or not, that seeing their love interest in a yukata for the first time scene is such a trope that it's almost a miracle if a youthful romance manga/anime in a contemporary setting doesn't have it.

[Ryllharu]

So...these series basically always end season 1 at the fireworks festival, huh?

Like, I'm relatively new to this genre, and I think I've seen this exact episode done, like, 5 times already.
Yes. It is the biggest romance or light romance or comedy romance cliché in Japanese media.

I'm going to disagree with Kraco and say that it does not work all that well here, the scene with the phone call is far superior to the fireworks festival. In fact, the fireworks scenes, like a few other romance series the past few years, could have been cut entirely and there would be zero difference to this episode. I've outright skimmed through a few in lesser series because nothing unique ever happens at them.

Wakana being attracted to nape of neck isn't a surprise because of his established love for hina dolls. Marin being a glutton has been done as a gag a few times, and Wakana not going out before was really only set up this very episode, but is a repeat of the better-done beach date. The only sub-trope they missed was her getting lost and them...omg, holding hands. At least Marin ruined the moment in-character with the stained tongue.

But falling asleep on the phone together is something at least a little novel. I think I've seen anime only do that once before. Also only using things set up this episode (scary movies) that would have better suited Juju considering we haven't seen Marin being afraid of really anything before, but it at least feels like a very gyaru thing to do. I was kind of expecting him to mumble back another sub-conscious confession, but preferred that it was just a heartfelt one from Marin instead.

The phone call was the right way to end the season. Conclusive enough until the manga gets more material and they can launch another season years later like Chihayafuru does.

[Kraco]

Wakana not going out before was really only set up this very episode,

No, that was a foregone conclusion. The dude hasn't got parents or friends to go out with. He has low self-esteem, especially considering relationships with other people. He hasn't even got any normal downtown clothes, nor any sense of fashion. Maybe you could say those traditional Japanese working clothes from 200 years ago are a fashion statement, but I could bet a box of luxury ice cream that it's not. He just doesn't know what else to wear, nor care, because he never used to go anywhere. So, Gojou never going out was established from the beginning. He escaped into the world of Hina dolls and ignored everything else.

[KrayZ33]

Wakana not going out together with anyone to anywhere was established pretty much every other episode.

[Ryllharu]

I meant specifically to festivals, which is the context of the comment that romance series always have one.

People do go solo to those things just for the food.

But they established in only this episode that he has never seen fireworks up close, even when he was younger and with his grandfather.

[DarthEnderX]

In fact, the fireworks scenes, like a few other romance series the past few years, could have been cut entirely and there would be zero difference to this episode..But the blue tongue scene!

Yeah, but no, I totally agree. It's actually a super anticlimactic way to end a season.

Love Is War was, like, the only slightly interesting one, because there was something actually happening during it.

[KrayZ33]

I can watch those "fireworks scenes" another 1000 times.

Although this one wasn't particularly good.
There was no romatic setup and Marin kinda ruined it anway, lol.

The balcony scene in "A Silent Voice" was pretty amazing for example.
For different reasons obviously but still.

There is something about the colours in the dark sky that makes scenes like those twice as good.

[Kraco]

I really liked the scene where Gojou first was staring at Marin, enamored, then they were both just gazing at each other like only two people in love could. How Marin "ruined" the moment was the icing of the cake because it was so much in character, like Ryll said. It was a very clear scene of Gojou looking at Marin as the girl he has fallen for.

[DarthEnderX]

Lol, topical:
https://i.redd.it/n43zr512y1x81.png

[KrayZ33]

I know it's been a while since it happened, but I just rewatched it all back to back and it's always amazing how much better anime is when you can ignore the weekly format, especially since this show had quite a few scenes that picked up directly where the last episode finished, which is in my opinion rather rare for slice-of-life/rom-com shows.

In September, a second part for this show was announced. I'm hyped, the animation was above and beyond for the most part.
Great show to rewatch.

Unlike last time I watched it, I feel like I want more.

[neflight86]

Binging is popular for a reason.

The only advantage we can glean from watching shows weekly is that we can participate in discussion and speculation meaningfully and have time to do so. Notice how the last part of Jojo had essentially no discussion over a 30+ episode series, even though it was mostly released within this year. With a focus on a small portion of the whole at regular intervals, we can naturally focus on that and have unified discussion rather than general thoughts on a series in its entirety. We have to get more granular.

Funny enough, discussions here and elsewhere are the only reason I watch anime as it airs at all. I want to be somewhat participatory in the zeitgeist of 'newness' when an episode drops and measure everyone's reaction against my own; it's a lot of fun. After a series is out, the chance for any sort to of deep dive drop drastically.

Back on topic, I also can't wait for S2.

[DarthEnderX]

I know it's been a while since it happened, but I just rewatched it all back to back and it's always amazing how much better anime is when you can ignore the weekly formatTry telling that to the Jojo fans...

[Buffalobiian]

I agree that binging is a better anime-watching experience, but forgoes the discussion aspect of it.

In general I've found that when I binge a short anime, I tend to forget that I've seen it later on in life (particularly if it's short). It's a different story for say binging longer anime (eg Naruto, HxH), but 12 episode series.. yeah I forget I even watched them sometimes.