Hyakkano – 12 (Fin) – Nothing Like the Real Thing

Turns out Hahari did not invite Rentarou to her bedroom to “deflower” him, though the opening shots and sounds they make together certainly lend that impression. When the other girls enter, they find that she simply wanted to dress him up like a gyaru, which causes a “hurricane of hngh” in the others, who profess their undying gratitude to Hahari for her good works.

Rentarou is so embarrassed that he passes out, but Hahari knows just the trick to wake up a sleeping beauty: a dashing Prince Charming, i.e. Nano in drag. This results in “Droolception,” starting with Hahari and working its way down the line of girls. When Rentarou steps out in a huff to take his bath, Hahari and Hakari prepare to peep on him, and it doesn’t take much for Karane to join them.

Nano and Kusuri are also game; only Shizuka is against such an indecent activity. Nano wraps her up in a sheet like a burrito, but thanks to her determination (and gravity) she actually manages to roll into the bath and (inadvertently) see Rentarou’s little Rentarou first. This is after Kusuri’s first attempt to peep only scared the bejeesus out of Rentarou, but at first mistakes the soaked Shizuka for Sadako.

While everyone is playing cards together, Hahari suddenly reacts as if she remembered something, and excuses herself without explanation. Rentarou goes after her, and learns she went to light incense and pray at the shrine of her first love.

Because she never stopped loving him, she’s struggling with loving Rentarou, but as someone who loves all six of his girlfriends the same, he hugs her and tells her it’s just as okay for her to love two men. They then share their first kiss. It’s a lovely and surprisingly moving scene, helped in no small part by Sumippe’s excellent vocal performance.

That night while everyone’s asleep, Karane initially fumes when Hakari curls up next to Rentarou. But when she tearfully expresses how scared and miserable she was at the prospect of never being with him again (which was this very same night!) and Rentarou comforts her with a kiss and a promise he’ll never leave her, Karane decides to let her have this night.

Later on, Karane and Hakari end up making out in their sleep, each imagining the other as Rentarou. I loved Rentarou’s wholesome reaction to how close the two are.

When Rentarou heads to the bathroom he encounters the ghost of Hakari’s dad in the hall. While he’s ready to take Rentarou to task, he notes that the boy isn’t scared of him. Rentarou explains that from what he knows about Hakari and Hahari, he must have been a kind, warm, and loving guy, so there’s no need to fear him.

Rentarou and Hakari’s father end up shaking hands and vowing to watch over Hakari and Hahari, but Rentarou does such a good job convincing him that they’ll be alright without him, he actually passes on to the afterlife. Rentarou wakes up in the morning on the floor of the hall.

With that, everyone parts ways to get in uniform and head to school—turns out it was a school night!—but there’s one more surprise: Hahari bought the school so she could head up the school board and thus stay close to Rentarou. Rentarou had already hiked to Hahari’s mansion for his lunch break, so he has to hustle back to school.

As he does, he passes by several girls who I’m sure will be his next soulmates once they lock eyes. As he reaches the rooftop to find Shizuka, Hahari, Hakari, Karane, Nano, and Kusuri waiting to eat lunch with him, I couldn’t help but feel excited about what’s to come. A second season has been confirmed, so that rooftop, along with any future mansion sleepovers, are about to get a lot more crowded!

Author: sesameacrylic

Zane Kalish is a staff writer for RABUJOI.