Yuru Camp△ 3 – 05 – Yakiniku Aromatherapy

Nadeshiko has a little more solo time at the campsite, and uses it wisely. The firewood sold at the camp office is too big for Rin’s adorable stove, so Nadeshiko uses Rin’s trusty billhook to split the logs, which is a gentler and more precise process than hacking at them with a hatchet. She then makes some quick, easy, and scrumptious amazake cookies to go with her green tea.

After looking at some of the photos Ayano sent her and musing on how it’s funny seeing her older and newer best friends hanging out, Nadeshiko is doodling her dinner plan when she hears the familiar rattle of two low-displacement motorbike engines: Rin and Ayano have finally arrived and the trio has reunited at last. Mere moments after dismounting her bike, Ayano collapses, and leaves setting up her lightweight tent to the other two.

Once the tents are up, the preparation of their great beef feast can commence. Nadeshiko poaches the packaged Hamamatsu Hamburg steaks in water while Rin prepares her pressure cooker beef stew, a method suggested by her mom. The steaks are finished over the fire on sticks, and the meal is completed with omurice and onion sauce.

Inspired by the Dam Curry, Nadeshiko plates everything up into Hatanagi Dam Beef Stew Omelet-Hamburg Rice, with the added fluorish of a chili pepper representing the scary Hatanagi Ootsuribashi (bridge). Like the bridge, the pepper is spicy (i.e. scary) at first, but ends up being a rewarding experience, cutting through the meaty umami. She also makes a candle out of the excess steak fat, adding a warm light and beefy perfume to the feast.

When all the feasting is done and it’s time to turn in, Nadeshiko and Ayano have some quality time together, though it doesn’t last long as after 180 km of traveling, Ayano is absolutely gassed. Even so, Nadeshiko appreciates the time she has with her old friend, and turns in herself. Perhaps fortunately, there is no exploration of the, shall we say digestive aftermath of eating so much beef!

Post-credits, Ayano emerges from her caterpillar-like down sleeping bag to find Nadeshiko is already up. They sit together with hot amazake and watch the world slowly wake up with them, gradually growing brighter and brighter. I get that too, and I’ve been trying to get up earlier more often myself so I can experience this truly magical time. This was a lovely cozy way to cap the previous episodes of travel and adventure.

Yuru Camp△ 3 – 04 – The Grandriders

After a fun train ride munching on snacks with fellow travelers and watching the rare public merging of trains to go up the mountain, Nadeshiko follows the route to her campsite, but along the way is a scary dark tunnel.

The locals don’t do her any favors by sticking homemade ghosts in the tunnel to scare the Bejeesus out of her. Once she’s through and checks into the campsite, she checks out the Nagashima Dam, then hops back on the train to see the “egg” in her dam curry.

Rin and Ayano’s motorbike adventure continues with yet another suspension bridge (Ikawa Ohashi) then Ayano breaks her pledge to skip lunch. That said, it’s actually a very good idea for them to eat, since the road has been much tougher than they expected.

After an oden lunch they continue their ride, which takes them through seven tunnels to Lake Hatanagi. As they walk along a closed muddy road to reach the last bridge on the list, Ayano acknowledges that both of their grandpas rode bikes too.

The Lake Hatanaagi Ootsuribashi turns out to be the scariest bridge by far, what with its minimalist construction and tendency to creak with each step and sway in the wind. Rin and Ayano press on, doing what they set out to do, even though it only gets more terrifying the further out they get.

Between this ordeal and Nadeshiko’s haunted tunnel experience, things are decidedly less chill this week (at least relative to your typical Yuru Camp) but honestly that’s okay, because it makes the relief once those ordeals are done that much more sweet.

The “egg” of Nadeshiko’s dam curry is Okuoikojo Station, dramatically situated on an island in the middle of the lake—the yolk of the egg. While Nadeshiko’s smartphone is no match for the fancy real cameras of other visitors, she still whips it out to take a panorama, because this is the kind of place panorama mode was designed for.

Rin and Ayano again demonstrate excellent judgment by turning straight back to the bridge and going back the moment they spot a bear warning sign. We don’t need out Grandriders eaten, no sir! Instead they head to the hot springs to soak and warm up after so many hours in the saddle.

Their next stop is the campsite 34 kilometers away, where they’ll finally meet up with Nadeshiko. But during their bath, the two really seem to click, gently teasing each other for the faces they made on the bridge before expressing their heartfelt gratitude for being able to share this adventure. No doubt they’ll be going on more together.

Yuru Camp△ 3 – 03 – The Suspension is Healing Me!

Rin sets off on her trusty 50cc at 3:30 in the morning when it’s still dark. She notes that her parents are less wary of her going out on her own, probably because she’s more experienced now. But she also heeds her gramps’ words: “you have to be most careful when you’re used to it.”

Rin’s solo leg of the trip ends in Senzu, where she meets up with Ayano, who has twice the displacement but is still wrecked by the rough roads. After a rest and a drink, the two mount their steeds and begin their trip to meet up with Nadeshiko at the campsite, but they’re in no particular hurry. As should be expected of Yuru Camp, the journey just as rewarding as the destination.

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In this case, the journey involves a veritable phalanx of suspension bridges of every conceivable shape, size, and material, each of them crossing the river and offering gorgeous views of the surrounding forests. The first “bridge” Aya-chan spots is actually just power lines, but once they encounter the first one, they don’t stop until they’ve crossed just about every one in the area, for completion’s sake.

While Rin and Aya are on their bridge-crossing tour, Nadeshiko revels in her cozy solo journey, which involves different types of trains and sumptuous local foods. Today I learned about “dam curry”, and how it’s plated differs depending on the dam and environs being depicted with different foods.

Wild grilled pork skewers precede her hydroelectric lunch, and she finishes it with Kawane’s exquisitely bitter famous green tea soft serve. A grand feast of Hamburg steak, beef stew, and omurice awaits Nadeshiko, Rin, and Aya at their destination, but the three of them will get there when they get there. There’s plenty to explore and taste along the way.

Yuru Camp△ 3 – 02 – How the Sausage Gets Made

This week starts with Nadeshiko’s childhood friend Toki Ayano (Kurosawa Tomoyo) trying out “mini-camping”, riding her moped to a pretty spot to enjoy some hot cocoa. When her thermos doesn’t keep it hot and a more substantial stove costs too much, she buys a mini stove that makes the cocoa nice and piping hot. She’s in her own little serene paradise on the beach.

The Outclub camps in Ena’s yard, basking in Chikuwa’s cute (but not cheap) little camping setup. After Ena gives Chiaki a respectable haircut, everyone whips out sausages to cook on their DIY alcohol stoves, but Chiaki ups the difficulty level by trying to make sausage herself.

The process itself is easy, but the finished product’s flavor is impaired by lack of attention to detail: not only the pork, but the casings, stuffing gun, and mixing bowl must be well-chilled to ensure proper distribution of meat and fat. While sausage making may not be practical while camping, bringing already-made sausages works out just fine.

Nadeshiko and the Outclub plan to do a flower-viewing somewhere secluded, while Ayano suggests a trip with Rin and Nadeshiko to Ooigawa. Nadeshiko was feeling like it might be time for a solo trip, but in a way she’ll get one as it will take her longer to meet up with her moped-riding friends.

As should come as no surprise, this Yuru Camp was extremely cute and cozy. Ayano is trying to camp on a shoestring budget without getting burnt by poor quality, while the Outclub are always on the lookout for DIY camping solutions. Rin was all on her own these past two episodes, but looks like a warm reunion with Nadeshiko and Ayano is in the offing.

Yuru Camp△ 3 – 01 – You Can Always Go Again

Yuru Camp was a healing balm during Covid, but it’s no less welcome now that everything’s opened up. In a fun coincidence, I started watching this right after I got off the phone with a friend about planning a four-night camping trip in a part of the state where we’ll see a ton of stars if the skies are clear.

The episode is neatly split into two separate stories. First up is Rin, who is on a camping trip by herself to Lake Shojiko. Not only is it a splendid place to view Fujiyama, but there’s a much smaller mountain in front of it called Kodaki Fuji that looks like it’s being hugged by Fuji-san.

During her present-day trip, Rin reminisces about taking the train to Toei to spend the day with her grandfather. After visiting a dam, she expresses interest in his camping equipment, so he takes her to Tsugu Park for a little day camp.

She’s eager to see him make fire manually, and it isn’t until the present day when she decides to make the attempt herself that she realizes how difficult it is. But like her gramps, she doesn’t give up, and when she actually creates fire with her bare hands, well, it’s obviously hugely rewarding!

We trade the gorgeous scenery of Shojiko for school and the Outclub, where Nadeshiko, Aoi, and Chiaki make DIY alcohol stoves out of metal cans. It’s highly instructive and informative, while Toba-sensei also points out the dangers of such stoves, no doubt remembering a time she knocked one over when she was half in the bag.

I appreciated how the lighting suddenly got more dramatic and “camp-like” when Toba-sensei closed the curtains in the classroom so the girls could see the pretty blue flames burning from their little stoves. Ena then invites everyone to her house for a “day yard camp” to test out their stoves in a controlled environment, and also to show off the camping gear she bought for her adorable pup Chikuwa.

On the way there, Nadeshiko stops and snaps a photo of a budding branch glowing in the setting sun. Spring is about to spring, and she’s clearly pumped for it, just as I’m pumped for more beautiful Laid-Back Camp!

A Sign of Affection – 09 – Laid-Back Mini-Glamp

While still primarily a shoujo romance, this week’s Sign offered up a heaping helping of iyashikei goodness, and not just because most of it took place during a camping trip. From Rin and Yuki trying on outfits to the gang playing a word chain wishing game on the car ride, the warm, cozy vibes are infectious, and a salve for what is currently a gray, rainy Saturday (perfect weather to go see Dune: Part 2, which is definitely not iyashikei!)

Once their glamping tent is set up, Kyouya demonstrates his house husband bonafides by whipping up a delicious feast for everyone while Yuki leads the sign training. The only clouds on this otherwise bright sunny day are the fact that Rin keeps getting asked out by a guy at work she’s not interested in that way, while Yuki keeps checking her phone for word from Madoka about a job, which she sees as crucial in order to travel with Itsuomi.

The signing training doesn’t go on long, as the true goal of this trip is for these four to have fun together, but also for these two couples—one official, one potential—to split of and get some alone time together. Yuki wades into the river with Itsuomi, but her feet get cold fast, so he lifts her up and carries her back to shore. He asks if something’s troubling her, and when he learns it’s about a job, he apologizes if he only added to the pressure. Then he uses the signal they talked about to apply pressure from his lips to her cheek.

They seem poised to smooch a bit more, but are interrupted by Kyouya and Rin, who twisted her ankle. In their time together, she gets a call from the guy, and decides to be clear and direct to him she’s not interested, because she has feelings for someone else. Kyouya overhears some of the call, and admits to her the “childishly stupid” side of him didn’t like it. He decides to be clear too when asked, admitting that while he considers the whole dating game in general is a hassle, if it’s Rin, he’d make an exception.

It sucks for that confession to be followed up by Rin taking a bad step on a rock, twisting her ankle, but it’s okay if the trip is cut short, because it’s mission accomplished: Rin and Kyouya are now seeing eye-to-eye on what’s happening with them. They drop Yuki and Itsuomi off, and after having dinner at an izekaya, they head to his place, where he showers, she dons the girlfriend hoodie, and is brought to tears when she sees his thorough notes in the signing guide she made for him.

Yuki texts home that she’ll be staying at Rin’s, but it looks more like she’ll be spending the night at Itsuomi’s. That said, he tells her not to get nervous, as they’re simply spending time together. However further they get that night, or in general, is reliant on her comfort level. It’s thoughtful, respectful BF behavior, and I’m here for it.

Meanwhile, Oushi’s friend Izumi, who is clearly down bad for him, reports that she saw Yuki go into an Izakaya with a silver-haired guy who looked like her boyfriend. Not only that, the other guy was signing. Oushi looks up from his game like “But that’s MY thing!” He tries not to react, but Izumi can see right through him, telling him he should be more upfront with his feelings, because the way he is now is “painful for [her] to watch”.

Oushi at least seems to be quite aware of how pathetic and petulant he’s being. This week was a win for Rin and Kyouya, while Yuki Itsuomi are humming along nicely. It was inevitable we’d dive into Oushi’s history with Yuki, and it looks like that’s happening next week, along with Oushi-Itsuomi interaction in the present. Hopefully he’ll accept that he missed his chance with Yuki, that missing it was his fault, and he can start moving on with his life.

Reign of the Seven Spellblades – 10 – Triple Clash

The Sword Roses enjoy their first night of “camping” together by the fire in Katie’s workshop, unaware that three classmates are coming for them, each for their own reasons. Early the next morning Oliver is training Nanao in spellcraft with regular wands when the lesson is interrupted by a scream from Guy: Katie’s troll friend has arrived.

There’s nothing to fear; Marco is a good fellow, and any friends of Katie are friends to him. He even has a name: Marco. He also says Katie is always talking about Oliver, which embarrasses her. Vera, who is no longer their enemy, brought Marco to the workshop, accompanied by her severed demon hand, whom she’s given semi-consciousness. After she takes their leave, the Roses continue exploring with Marco backing them up.

This is when they’re confronted by Stacy Cornwallis and her attendant/knight, Fay Willock. She challenges Chela and another Rose to a tag-team duel. Chela and Nanao accept, but the battle expands when Joseph Albright shows up and agrees to join Stace’s team if he can fight the “samurai girl”. He calls Oliver a “nobody” and says he can be the Roses’ third fighter.

Albright leads everyone to a suitable battle ground in the second layer of the Labyrinth, which feels like outside takes the form of a magical forest. Nanao is excited to fight beside Chela for the first time, and Chela doesn’t disappoint, as Stacy doesn’t pose a huge threat.

While Fay is his initial opponent, Oliver hits him with a flash spell and fights Albright instead, leaving Fay to Nanao. The bottom line is that it pisses Oliver off that Albright insists on calling him a nobody; he’ll make him remember his name, even if it’s fake.

As he three fights progress we learn tidbits about Stace and Fay’s long history: she saved him from her father putting him out of his misery and took him in as a manservant. Because of this, he tells her she doesn’t need to hold back when it comes to ordering him around.

Stacy wants to beat Chela no matter what, so she conjures an artificial full moon, which is enough for Fay to transform into a werewolf. While this turns the tide of the battle, I have to say it feels an awful lot like cheating, especially the Team Sword Roses are keeping their troll on the sidelines.

Albright proves highly adept at anticipating and countering Oliver’s mostly-textbook tactics, but has no idea about the depth of Oliver’s talent and resourcefulness. He’s just a tank of a combat wizard, saved from instant defeat only because Oliver can’t show the true extent of his powers or reveal his Spellblade, lest he blow his cover.

Chela acknowledges Stacy as someone doing whatever it takes to win, but urges her to allow Fay to transform back. If he’s a student at Kimberly, it’s because he’s half-blood (full werewolves cannot attend), which means transforming puts him in a constant state of extreme pain.

This troubles Stacy, but Nanao tells Chela to curb her kindness in this instance. Both Fay and Stacy already knew what it would cost to be in the position they’re in, and were resolved to endure the pain. As such, it would be tremendously rude if they didn’t give their absolute all in this fight.

Chela admits Nanao is right, and withdraws her demand that Fay change back. She then assures Stacy and Fay that he won’t be in pain for long. I’m looking forward to seeing her take the kid gloves off!

Reign of the Seven Spellblades – 09 – A Second Heart, A Secret Base, and the Unforgettable Rose

After a detour to introduce Tullio Rossi, the focus returns to Pete’s new status as a Reversi. Oliver arrives home one night to find Pete in severe pain. He manages to correct his manaflow with a healing art, but warns Pete that he can’t keep his condition from the others forever.

He doesn’t, and tells everyone the next day, and unsurprisingly, everyone is not only fine, but incredibly supportive. I love these damn kids so much! Chela even demonstrates how women can use their wombs as a “second heart” to store vast quantities of mana. Pretty neat!

Whether Stacey Cornwallis makes use of her womb in this way in her duel with Pete, I don’t know, but one thing’s for certain: she has an axe to grind with Mister Reston. She didn’t like being shown up in her uncle Teddy’s class, and wants to beat him into submission.

And while she does dominate most of the match, Pete never gives up and keeps fighting to the end, almost scoring a hit when time runs out applying the training provided by Chela. Stacey resents her Chela siding with someone from a non-magical family, but even Tullio congratulates Pete for holding his own in the duel.

While hanging with her troll friend, Katie receives a scroll dropped from a crow familiar: to apologize for what she did to her, Vera Milligan is giving Katie her workshop on the first floor of the Labyrinth. Katie is super excited about the prospect of having a secret base, but Oliver and Michela are concerned.

Katie knows the Labyrinth is a dangerous place, but she has a dream of becoming a top researcher who can protect and support demi-humans. This is no lark; she’s serious about this, and one by one, everyone agrees to help her out, even Oliver…as long as they’re extra careful down there.

The group heads down to explore the Labyrinth together, and they come across butt-stabbing traps, strange creatures, a gourmet club that barbecues and eats said creatures, and a student who moonlights as an RPG-style food shop proprietor.

After buying some food for a little barbecue of their own, Katie finds the symbol on the wall indicating the concealed entrance, and opens it to reveal their new secret base, which she’s told is one of the better workshops on the first floor. The potential of the well-appointed space gets everyone excited.

They make a fire and cook their dinner in their new base, and it feels like camping, Chela in particular is extremely moved and emotional about how much fun she’s had and is having with her five new friends. So much so that she wants to give their group a name.

Nanao makes the first suggestion by having everyone cross their blades together in a circle. Called a “sword rose” where she’s from, it is a very powerful visual symbol of what a group of friends can achieve to hold on to the present, as warriors cannot think too much about the future.

Having made a new sword rose with her friends, Nanao nominates “Sword Roses” as the name of their coterie, which gets unanimous approval. It’s extremely adorable and endearing, so much so that I’m a little miffed that  the vibes are soured a bit after the end credits, when Stacey voices her intention to attack the Roses. That said, if this is a prelude to a Michela-focused storyline, I’m all for it.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – 04 – Perfect Attendants

Akira and Kencho have a pretty sweet setup on their Shinjuku rooftop, gathering everything needed for stay-at-home camping, an item on Akira’s list. The episode begins with a harrowing FPS shooter picking off zombies, but it’s just Akira playing video games.

Since his list is well short of 100 (only 33), he decides to add one of his own bucket list items: becoming a stand-up comedian. He also wonders if Akira is being realistic with the “wine and dine a flight attendant”—maybe score a date with a woman first!

After the two look down at the available women in the area—all of them zombies and one of them quite flatulent—Akira sticks to a more readily achievable item: playing video games on a super-big-screen 8K TV. They head out on the motorcycle—the perfect vehicle for transporting giant TVs.

When the path to the Ikebukuro electronics store is blocked by wreckage on one side and another runaway zombie Truck-kun, this one a tanker, stars to bear down on them from the other, Akira remembers how Shizuku saved him from the konbini Truck-kun and decides to go for the gusto.

Revving his motorcycle, he races towards the oncoming tanker, using another upturned car as a ramp to leap over it, then escaping the resulting conflagration by motoring down into an underground mall. Unfortunately, they’re immediately in danger again, as a horde of zombies dwells in the mall.

They manage to race to a store and lower the shutter before the zombie mob can get to them, and before they know it someone is shining a flashlight on them: more survivors! Specifically, an older salaryman who is scared out of his mind (constantly muttering “It’s all over”) and three women.

When Akira and Kencho assure them they’re not infected, one of the women (Reika, voiced by Hikasa Yoko) breaks out the booze, while the other two (Maki and Yukari) gather snacks. Just like that, Akira and Tencho have stumbled into a post-apocalyptic…mixer?

But here’s the real kicker: Reika mentions that they had just got into Tokyo from LAX—the three of them are flight attendants, which means Akira’s item of “wining and dining” can technically apply. That said, Reika is a lush, and the other two don’t seem to be having much fun.

Akira, so inexperienced in things not related to his exploitative job, manages to ask Yukari if she has a boyfriend, which…not the best time dude! However, when he sees how well Kencho is getting along with Maki, Akira decides to try raising everyone’s spirits…by chugging a bottle of tequila.

I love how Reika, so surly up to this point, gets a kick out of this and joins in. Before long, everyone’s trashed, Akira is passed out, and Kencho is naked and doing his stand-up routine.

Akira eventually comes to and has to run for the bathroom to pray to the porcelain god. To his shock, Yukari, the victim of his boyfriend question, comes to check on him, and even pats his back while he boots so he’s more comfortable. Meanwhile, it’s revealed the salaryman in glasses is infected, and he turns just when Reika is alone with him, drunk out of her mind.

She initially thinks he’s trying to get with her when he jumps on her, but she is very soon disabused of that notion. Kencho and Maki, having hooked up in the mattress store (as you do), hear a faint scream, and while Kencho is curious about what’s up, Maki wants to go another round.

Unfortunately, when Kencho and Maki check back on Reika, she leaps on Maki like a lioness on a gazelle and rips her throat out. When Reika then turns on Kencho, he has no choice but to use lethal force, which fucks with him even though Reika had become a zombie.

While this carnage is happening, Akira is feeling better, and Yukari talks to him about how it’s her third year too, and the job is not the glamorous thing she dreamed of. Akira can only speak from experience, but he believes his production job was a “borrowed” dream, not one that came from his heart.

If Yukari truly dreamt of being a flight attendant, she shouldn’t let something like the odd irate passenger ruin that dream. In the middle of having this very pleasant, gentle chat about their lives, the salaryman pounces on her, and bites her in the neck.

Akira punches the zombie down the stairs, but the damage is done. Nevertheless, in the minutes Yukari is still Yukari, she gives Akira a hug and tells her she remembers now why rubbing his back felt so nostalgic. On her first flight as a kid, she was extremely airsick, but a flight attendant helped her feel better by rubbing her back.

From that point on, Yukari wanted to be like that cool lady. And so she’s confident it is her real dream: she’s a flight attendant. Peoples’ lives are in her hands on a daily basis, and that’s how she wants Akira to remember her as she pushes him out of the way and tells him to run while the salaryman prepares to jump her again.

Akira runs, and is, as you’d expect, incredibly messed up by having to do so, and having to say goodbye to someone as gentle and sweet and courageous as Yukari so damn soon. But in this new world where death is always around the corner, one can’t let oneself become consumed by despair.

Akira reunites with Kencho, who is now being chased by Maki and tells them they need to get out of there. But they won’t be leaving without a giant 8K TV, which he happened to pluck in the meantime. The fact that Kencho did this for him launches Akira into a bout of cry-laughter.

After the absurd image of the two carrying the very tall, wide, and thin TV on the motorcycle, the two best buds are back on their rooftop campsite before sunset. When Akira dies again in his video game, now writ large thanks to the 8K, he pauses and thinks of Yukari’s words to him, and decides to add another item to his list: Remember my childhood dream.

TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You – S2 11 – The Light That Never Fades

Tsukasa, Nasa, and their assembled friends are treated to a sumptuous BBQ that spares no expense. But Tokiko confesses there’s something she wants the happy couple to indulge her in as payment. Turns out this is a surprise wedding reception! 

With technical help from Nakiri, Kaname produced a video using totally unrelated photos of Tsukasa and Nasa to tell the story of how they met and got married. When asked to take the stage and give a speech, an initially nervous Nasa rises to the occasion, as expected.

After his speech, Kaname has a wedding cake rolled out, and fits Tsukasa with a veil, a single item that instantly makes her look like a bride. After cutting and eating the cake, Nasa gives everyone a tour of the night sky, demonstrating his encyclopedic knowledge of stars and constellations.

Knowing that this might be a bit dry for some (like Aya) Tsukasa breaks out the fireworks. Chitose is the only one who doesn’t take the bait, but Kaname still ensures Tsukasa and Nasa get some alone time. Before that, however, Tokiko takes Nasa aside.

In casually asking him about how married life is, she also apologizes for being the one who asked Tsukasa to wait two years before reuniting with him. That said, the fact he waited for her proved to Tokiko that Nasa was indeed the person to make Tsukasa’s longstanding wish come true.

With that, Nasa wanders to the waterside, where Tsukasa is resplendent in the light of the full moon positioned directly above Fuji-san. Tokiko told Nasa to ask Tsukasa about what she thinks about why people get married, so he does, and Tsukasa doesn’t disappoint.

She may be incredibly long-lived, but in that time she knows that everyone (else) eventually dies, no matter how rich or famous or accomplished they become in life. She’s seen it over and over again.

That said, she believes people get married because unlike their lives, their love is something eternal and enduring. So it is with Tsukasa and Nasa. She may well outlive Nasa, but their marriage transcends mortal bonds. It’s a light that will never fade.

With that sweet, beautiful, romantic sentiment expressed, the two retire to the special secluded glamping tent Kaname had prepared for them. In this tent is a gigantic king-size bed, and under the circumstances, Nasa wants to fool around with his wife. It’s only natural; the night felt like the reception to their wedding for which they never had a public ceremony.

A wedding night is classically the time when a wedding gets consummated, but with all his book smarts and cleverness, Nasa laments that there’s no surefire manual or guide for inviting one’s wife to the bed. So instead, like countless other couples before them, they’ll simply have to bashfully figure it out on the fly.

TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You – S2 10 – A Matter of Trust

While napping on the tatami, Nasa remembers the night he met Tsukasa. He remains glad he was able to so quickly agree to her offer to go out with him if they got married. If Tsukasa is some kind of immortal goddess, you could say he formed a contract with her that night, though as far as he knows she’s just a normal human girl.

Despite her insistence that they can gaze at the stars from atop a skyscraper in the city, Nasa accepts Tokiko’s offer of a camping trip, and the whole gang decides to join them. Nasa remarks that it’s almost like the wedding reception they never had. Also, Tsukasa may be a ninja.

The calming, intimate environment puts Nasa in the mood, but Tsukasa is worried about being seen—justifiably so, as Tokiko suddenly appears in their apparently secluded spot. She encourages the couple to do what married couples do when their alone, and is reproached by Tsukasa in an aggressive manner that again suggests talking to someone younger than her.

When lil’ Kyuuma gets lost (though it’s later revealed she actually just went to the bathroom), everyone fans out to look for her, and Nasa ends up lost himself. When falls asleep on a comfy flat rock, and again remembers the first night he met Tsukasa.

When she wakes him up and he brings up that night, she comments him for having answered her unusual request so quickly and decisively. It meant he truly trusted her, and enabled her to trust him. He explains that he was able to answer so quickly because he was overjoyed that she turned his way. That’s all it took.

These last two episodes have been slowly peeling back the layers of the onion that is Yuzaki Tsukasa. We’ll see if the show delves all the way down to the core of who and what she is, or hold fast with the partial answers we have and trust us to accept that some mysteries are best left preserved.

TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You – S2 09 – Red Ginger Piled High

Tsukasa’s mysterious (and long) past is always something out there on the margins, adding depth and mystique to what is otherwise an  exemplary slice-of-life rom-com. But sometimes that mystery is brought to the foreground, like this week’s stinger, in which Tokiko is just a little girl wandering what looks like the aftermath of boming during WWII.

A pretty lady offers her some ohagi. That lady looks just like Tsukasa. Take that for what you will, because I almost got thematic whiplash from the following segment, in which Nasa helps Tsukasa with little tehnology issues. I like how he makes it clear she’s amazing, and he finds the rare instances where something does fluster her justifiably endearing.

In the next segment (this episode is a bit of a grab bag) we check in on Yanagi-sensei, who is preparing to marry Taniguchi-sensei. Tsukasa and Nasa aren’t surprised, since they happened to see the happy couple messing around in the park. But Yanagi has a dilemma, and it involves, of all things, red ginger on her beef bowls.

When Taniguchi piled red ginger sky-high on his bowl, it threw Yanagi off, but he did it so that there would be no secrets in their relationship. He also wanted her to avoid his fate (apparently it’s not that good, but you can’t help but do it every time after doing it once) and remain “normal”, but when she had a solo bowl she piled on the red ginger, and now she’s one of them.

So basically Yanagi is panicking because the Yanagi Taniguchi fell for and asked to marry wasn’t the Yanagi she is now, who piles her red ginger high. Nasa at least tries to engage with Yanagi’s “problem”, but Tsukasa tries a lot less. She rightfully clocks this as the nonsense it is. If this is the most she has to worry about, she and Taniguchi are going to be very happy together.

Next up, FAT NASA! All those delicious home-cooked meals from Tsukasa, combined with working long hours on his laptop and not exercising a lot has left Nasa in awful (for him) shape. Even more frustrating, Tsukasa has the same diet but remains slim and fit.

The detail-oriented Nasa puts a laser-focus on getting back into shape fast, going on a diet and running ten kilometers a day. But he has very little stamina, at least early on, enabling Tsukasa to easily overtake him. He can’t even do a chin-up at the park.

Nasa tells Tsukasa he wants to be strong enough to protect her, but she reminds him that she saved him that night, and is perfectly capable of not only protecting herself, but her darling as well. She steals his line, but he accepts it, as he’s in no fit shape to dispute it!

Finally, Nasa prepares some cold noodles for dinner (something I’ve gotta try sometime this summer), and Tokiko appears at their table. She goads them into going on a camping trip with her, then leaves a gift behind. Throughout their interactions Tsukasa treats the elderly woman more like a kid sister than anything else.

Of course, that happens to be true. Despite her youthful looks, Tsukasa is older than Tokiko, while the gift is ohagi, the same thing she offered Tokiko when she was at her lowest point. So yes, Tsukasa is extremely long-lived, possibly ageless, and may even be a immortal supernatural being. But she’s also an amazing and cute-as-hell wife! She can be both!

The Ancient Magus’ Bride – S2 08 – Mage-Snack Camp

Chise insisted that Elias not accompany her on her camping trip, because she wants to learn how to take care of herself. Elias proposes a compromise. He makes a smaller, dog-sized duplicate of himself that isn’t very strong. Chise shares her tent with Lucy, and while fetching water from the lake, meets an each-uisge, a white water horse that drowns anyone who tries to ride it. She makes sure to warn Lucy not to get on any horses she sees.

While Chise really wanted a more independent trip, she’s still comforted by the presence of both Ruth and Lil’ Elias, which quiets the voices she’s not sure are neighbors or those of her classmates. But there’s something out there lurking in the sea.

The next morning, Chise makes a Philomela sighting, but she scurries away after exchanging good mornings. Lucy doesn’t understand why Chise is bothering with Mela; Chise sees a bit of herself in her. Lucy, however, hates all sorcerers, which makes sense if they killed her family.

The last night of the trip comes before Chise knows it. Lucy says she has to study as soon as they’re back at the College. She says she has important things to do, “unlike” Chise, but Chise says there are things she needs to do too, only she’s not certain if she’ll ever be finished. Giving Lucy a taste of her own medicine, rather that say what those things are, Chise simply says goodnight.

Later that night after going to the bathroom, the pages of a magical book turn, and Lucy ends up passing out on her way back to the tent. Chise wakes up to a sudden magical disturbance and locates Lucy, who has been completely drained of magical power. Chise is a veritable font of magic, so simply holding Lucy helps her recharge, but she and Elias have bigger fish to fry: a nuckelavee, a giant centaur-like amphibious monster.

Ruth returns with the boys when Chise and Elias are running away from the nuckelavee, and while Zoe’s head snakes temporarily stop the monster, he soon passes out, and it’s on the move again. Lil’ Elias calmly reminds Chise that he’s in a form that can’t defeat something like this, so it’s up to Chise. That said, he can offer her advice and information on their opponent, who cannot touch fresh water.

Chise has Elias summon the each-uisge, and she and Rian hop on its back. This serves as an enticing lure for the nuckelavee, which gives chase all the way to the freshwater lake. The each-uisge dunks Chise and Rian, then kicks the nuckelavee in too.

It starts to disintegrate, as the fresh water is poisonous, but not before it’s able to grab Chise. It almost kills her, but in a gorgeous sequence, the dragon that dwells in her blackened arm awakens with one purpose: to destroy the “horror” before them.

The arm essentially has a mind of its own, and it confidently slashes the nuckelavee to bits. Chise swims to shore, where Rian is holding the each-uisge from attacking her with a magical axe. Chise isn’t about to let the water horse eat her, but she snips off her ponytail for it to each, and that appeases it enough for it to return to the depths of the lake.

On their way back, Chise isn’t just sporting a new-look with her hair, but her face. Only Rian recognizes the face, because he’s seen it many times before…in his mirror. It’s the face of someone who didn’t know what to do when things took a turn, and they certainly did take a turn suddenly here!

Chise was saved thanks to Elias’ knowledge of monsters, Rian’s brave stand, and most importantly that blackened dragon arm of hers, which certainly did know what to do. But this camping trip demonstrated that even when she’s not looking for trouble, trouble finds her, and she wasn’t in control when it mattered most.

The thing is, Chise shouldn’t be so hard on herself. That dragon arm isn’t going anywhere, for one. Even if Elias isn’t a a true groom, he’s still committed to being her lifelong companion. And she continues to bond with her new friends at College. The times when she’s ever going to be totally alone, able to rely only on herself, are vanishingly small.