Kaguya-sama: Love is War – The First Kiss That Never Ends – 02 – Scent of a Shinomiya

When Kaguya woke up from her nap in Ice Princess Mode, I thought she had somehow reverted to a Pre-In Love with President state, when she closed her heart to everyone. Miyuki, meanwhile, assumes Kaguya is in a weird-to-bad mood because of the kiss. Turns out we were both wrong!

This version of Ice Kaguya retains her feelings for Miyuki, but she has the same aloof, hostile demeanor as Pre-Love Ice Kaguya. As such, her words and actions continually baffle Miyuki, who had gotten used to a far softer and more vulnerable Kaguya.

When she brings up their kiss the other day, she downplays its importance, saying she’d kiss anyone if she was in the mood, then walking up to him and asking if he wants to kiss right there and then. She waits and waits, then opens her eyes to see he’s waiting, and whaps him with a harizen.

The narrator reminds us that Kaguya is the product of strict, Spartan Shinomiya upbringing, where she was taught to adopt whatever masks she needed to achieve the family credo: Rely on no one; instead, use them. Do not receive; take. Do not love. There is no instead.

When her phone dies, Miyuki walks her home, but despite her numerous attempts to point out how cold her hands are, Miyuki is still too confused by her behavior thus far he’s unsure of what to do. This in turn just makes Kaguya more disappointed.

She hails a cab, essentially tells him he had one job and he failed, and throws him the much-loathed “How Cute” before being driven off. Miyuki feels like an utter failure of a man and now believes Kaguya doesn’t want to date him. But in the taxi, we see that Kaguya is also feeling low, because she didn’t get what she wanted.

The next day, Kaguya is still wearing her hair down. She again demonstrates she’s not the Ice Kaguya of yore by teasing Yuu about another makeup application session, and listens approvingly to Chika’s Christmas party plans. When Miyuki asks Yuu if Kaguya is acting differently, he says no, because she isn’t…not towards him, at least.

Kaguya came to school with a mission: to conquer her man. To that end, she applies what must be extremely expensive perfume in the bathroom. Upon emerging she crosses paths with Miko, who tells her perfume isn’t allowed. That’s when Kaguya goes full Tigress Mode, all but gathering Miko in her jaws and having a playful little chew.

Kaguya sensually applies the perfume to Miko as well, telling her she’s sure to conquer the man she likes as well (obviously oblivious that the guy she likes is Yuu). She has complete control until 1.) Miko points out it kinda smells like old woman perfume, and 2.) Miyuki approaches Kaguya to speak to her.

Kaguya bolts without warning, and Miyuki chases her around the school. Clearly her heart is in great shape as her celebrity doctor indicated, because Kaguya is able to easily evade Miyuki with kick returner speed, deft acrobatics and a dash of parkour. I love how Ai opening a window is so perfectly timed to her mistress’ superhuman leap.

When Kaguya encounters a locked door, Miyuki approaches from behind her, and she’s cornered. She warns him to stay away, and at this point he’s sure she hates his guts, but simply wants to know why. Of course, the reason has nothing to do with hating him (she doesn’t) and everything to do with timing.

The narrator explains that her perfume takes 30 minutes to reach its optimal fragrance. However, thanks to the chase, she’s sweating profusely, and realizes it’s actually hit the much-sought-after “Heart Note”. She tells Miyuki her mood today has been a product of her wish to suppress  the “absurd side” of her that got “a bit carried away.”

She admits it’s that side that agreed to go abroad with him, and gave him that adult kiss. When she approaches him for another kiss, he protests that a kiss shouldn’t be so causal, and she kicks him. Miyuki then proceeds to assess all of the changes in her demeanor and personality, stating that he’s simply worried about her.

However, what makes Kaguya happiest is that he notices how amazing she smells since she’s wearing perfume, something he knows she never does. He then goes on to tell her he now realizes that her going on about how cold she was was her way of asking to hold hands, and when he didn’t, that’s what made her mad. Hearing him realize this many hours late, she runs off with her hands on her face.

The love is still in there, it’s just a matter of Miyuki and Kaguya synching up in terms of timing. They both seek advice from others: Miyuki talks with Maki, and Kaguya with Nagisa. For her part, Nagisa is amazed and delighted that Kaguya is dropping the “my friend” act and being open about loving the President, and even confessing to “feeling perverse” when around him.

Miyuki, meanwhile, isn’t ready to spill the beans and uses “my friend” when talking to Maki. But because Maki and Kaguya are from the same family, Maki can totally relate to the behavior Miyuki is describing. She can tell Miyuki’s “friend” is hiding her feelings behind all the assertiveness and hostility.

Once Maki has absorbed enough information, she eventually realizes that Miyuki is talking about Kaguya, and she runs off to Yuu, feeling betrayed. As for Nagisa, she indulges Kaguya by telling her the story of her first kiss, an unexpected one, in front of a convenience store while waiting for a green light to cross the street one summer night.

While Nagisa didn’t think it was that romantic, Kaguya smiles, saying it sounded like it was lovely. She’s had the extremely over-the-top romantic kiss atop the clock tower. But what she wants more than anything in the world is an “ordinary” kiss, like Nagisa’s first. She wants an ordinary romance.

The thing is, that’s probably what Miyuki wants too. Still under the tree where Maki left him, Miyuki finally gives in to fatigue (he hadn’t slept the night before) and nods off against the trunk. Kaguya happens to arrive there just as he’s about to fall onto his side, but she catches his head, lays it in her lap, and gently caresses his lip.

The narrator pipes up once more to describe Ice Kaguya’s true, seemingly contradictory nature: the manifestation of the wariness everyone has toward one another, and the cowardly heart of one who is in love. The narrator declares Kaguya the loser, as she’s no longer there when Miyuki wakes up.

We’re now halfway through the tale that began with an adult kiss that opened up a Pandora’s Box of emotions, insecurities, and doubts, but also new possibilities and desires. Sorting them all out was never going to be easy, but despite all the resultant turmoil and misinterpretations and delayed realizations, Kaguya and Miyki’s love for one another continues to endure; like a calm and patient ocean just below the seething waves.

TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You – 08 – Nostalgic in Nara

The big day (well, evening) has arrived: It’s time for Tsukasa to meet the parents! When they arrive in Nara, she notes that they’re near the Kasuga Grand Shrine, making the unusual comment that “even after a thousand years, it’s not like the mountains move that much.” I guess she was here back then, huh?

Anywho, Nasa’s parents, Kanoka and Enishi both claim to not be quite emotionally prepared for something as momentous as meeting their son’s new wife, but his dad proves he’s a bit odd when, right in the middle of official introductions he basically orders Nasa to take a bath. He wants to talk with Tsukasa alone for a sec. But about what?

In Nasa’s room where he only ever stayed when he helped his folks move, Tsukasa notes the lack of material possessions, mirroring his apartment, and Nasa proudly proclaims he’d be fine even if their apartment building burned down, because all of his irreplaceable possessions and data are either on him, in a safe deposit box, or on his person.

Nasa’s mom warns him that while the walls are “pretty soundproof”, he and Tsukasa probably shouldn’t “overdo it”…causing Nasa to realize he’ll be spending his first night sleeping on the same level as Tsukasa. He offers his arm for her to sleep on and learns how painful a position can be, and Tsukasa gives him a sweet goodnight kiss when prompted.

Tsukasa ends up waking up early, since Nasa was too excited to sleep much (also, Tsukasa curled up beside him during her nighttime acrobatics). That said, he’s only pretending to be asleep so he doesn’t disturb her while she’s changing, and a momentary glance at her proves “too stimulating”.

Watching the sun rise, Tsukasa notes how the smell of the wind “really takes her back”. When her father can’t think of what to talk about with her, she suggests he show her his office, where she’s able to read ancient Japanese love letter without any trouble.

From there, Tsukasa decides to spice up their historical sightseeing by taking photos of her cute husband; eventually, he suggests they take one together, which is surely a picture they’ll both treasure.

Tsukasa is unusually knowledgeable about Nara’s landmarks—almost as if she were around when some of them were first built—and wistfully observes how many thousands of ordinary people faded from history, while modern technology will allow people to be remembered virtually forever.

We eventually learn why Nasa’s dad made him take a bath: it was so he could properly thank Tsukasa for saving his son’s life. Nasa’s parents feel almost undeserving of a son as great as Nasa; he is their pride and joy, which is why his finding love could only give them happiness.

Tsukasa takes her father-in-law’s request that she look after Nasa very seriously. On the bus ride home, Tsukasa admits that while it was fun to visit his folks, she’s looking forward to returning to their little place together, where she feels most at ease.

Unfortunately, while they were gone, the entire apartment building…burned down! 

Even if they were going to hold off on moving, now they have to find a new place. But with his parents’ enthusiastic blessing of their marriage, that shouldn’t be a problem. As for whether Tsukasa is the human incarnation of Princess Kaguya, well…the evidence continues to mount and is getting harder to overlook!

Bunny Girl Senpai – 03 – Facing the Atmosphere

Sakuta doesn’t wake up at 6 in the morning, because he never slept in the first place, while Mai sleeps soundly. It starts a string of days Sakuta doesn’t sleep, because as he soon learns upon returning to school, everyone there has forgotten her except his sciency friend Futaba and himself—neither of whom got any sleep last night.

It isn’t murder by Freddy in his nightmares Sakuta fears, but the prospect of forgetting Mai. So he stays up, under the pretense of cramming for exams. The next day, Futaba has slept, and forgets Mai, all but making it official. The bags under his eyes grow larger and darker as he pops stims, chugs “Blue Bull”, but Mai picks up on what’s going on.

One night, during an ostensible study session, Mai slips sleeping pills in his drink, and then strokes his head as he slowly, gradually loses consciousness, tears forming in her eyes as she comes to terms with the fact he may not remember her when he wakes up.

That brings us to the opening moments of the first episode, when Sakuta finds the notebook painstakingly detailing his past self’s experiences with Mai. But when he inspects the book, all of the instances of Mai’s name appear blank, leading him to believe it’s a notebook full of wishful thinking.

While the notebook alone fails to jog his memory, it paves the first stone. He gets another when Futaba shows him the notes her past self wrote to herself, surmising that the collective effort of the school, and indeed the rest of the world, to utterly fail to confirm Mai’s existence, could possibly be overridden by a sufficiently powerful confirmation of her existence…i.e., a confession of love.

The final stimulus that brings the memories of Mai rushing back, like water from an unclogged faucet, is a question in the exam that deals with the characters for “security” and “guarantee”; he remembers Mai’s finger pointing them out, and from them on, he knows what he needs to do…and that is to make a complete and utter fool of himself, by running out into the schoolyard and screaming at the top of his lungs that he loves Sakurajima Mai.

He yells himself hoarse, but it has an effect: the other students begin to remember Mai. Then Mai herself appears to share in the humiliation, but also to slap Sakuta for breaking his promise never to forget her, which he definitely did, if only briefly.

If the school was a box and Mai the cat, Sakuta’s bold actions broke the logical stalemate, declaring once and for all that yes, Sakurajima Mai exists, and he loves her. The “atmosphere” of unconscious ignorance of the collective student body was overcome, and thus the “world regained” Mai. She insists Sakuta continue to tell her he loves her as often as possible so that she knows he’s sincere.

From the emotional lows of Mai willingly saying goodbye to the exhausted Sakuta to the highs of him remembering her again their reunion in the yard, this was a roller coaster of an episode; Bunny Girl Senpai’s best outing yet. Was his public outburst corny? You betcha…but that’s the point!

In order to “bring her back”, he had to step out of the flow and do something no one else did. A stern talking-to from the faculty is well worth it, because Mai will be getting one right beside him. So far BGS is smart, clever, mature, and engaging romantic comedy done right.

Shokugeki no Souma 2 – 05

Souma made a big, bold bet, one that Nikumi, for one, is none too pleased about, because unlike us she can’t be sure that he’ll win, which means someone she deeply respects will be throwing their life of cooking away if he loses.

The wager also attracts the attention of a young, eager Totsuki junior high student who spends way more time with journalism than cooking. After relentlessly courting Souma for an exclusive, Souma uses him as his taste tester.

The dish for the Shokugeki is the same thing Souma served Mimasaka in his dorm when the challenge was made: beef stew. And unlike (or more likely, like) many Mimasaka’s previous 99 victims, he’s trying to switch things up by being very transparent about what he’s doing.

Souma knows he’s not going to win by being secretive; Mimasaka will find out or predict what he’s up to. Nor can he win by emulating his opponent’s specialty: Mimasaka doesn’t have one. Instead, Souma is treating this like the ultimate creative battle…against himself.

After her loss to Hayama, Arato is too ashamed to stay by Erina’s side, and takes a leave of absense. Mind you, she makes this decision before Erina had a chance to talk about the match with her (during which time she’d likely have told her she was proud of her effort and wanted her to remain by her side).

On the bright side, when Erina needs the next volume in a shoujo manga she’s reading, the absence of Arato means Souma has something to compensate her for in exchange for her tasting duties (since someone at the dorm has the complete set).

Erina has her largest role in an episode this season, and she shines. By not making things easy for Souma, she (intentionally or not) contributes greatly to setting Souma on the proper path, being immediately dismissive of his pathetic diner stew (and its white miso secret ingredient) without elaborating why.

While Mimasaka relives the last 28 episodes as Souma, starting back at the diner with Souma’s hometown friends, Nikumi, like Erina, lends Souma a subtle hint for how to proceed in the form of a meat care package, warning him she won’t let him lose and give up being a chef as she runs away flustered.

The final four days leading up to the match pass by in montage form, with Souma ditching the journalist (no longer useful at this stage in his dish development) and Megumi and Nikumi periodically looking in to see how he’s progressing.

The day of the match Souma must win arrives, judged by five Totsuki alumni (including Dojima, Mizuhara and Hinako), who along with Kikuchi, Tsunozaki, and Erina, imagine how difficult it will be for Souma to break out of the diner mentality of dishes tasting best on the third bite (gourmet dishes must taste good on the first).

Erina expects a crushing defeat for Souma, meaning the end of his stinking up her academy once and for all, right up until she notices what he’s up to down in the arena. Instead of the usual cuts of beef, he goes with high-gelatin oxtail seasoned with cloves to deepen the white miso, and a veggie matignon to add sweetness near the end.

Souma has always been a sponge for culinary knowledge, even if it isn’t being directly taught to him by those he absorbs it from. But he caught on to what Erina was hinting at, as well as the meat that Nikumi gave him, and crafted a game plan for evolving his diner’s signature dish into something one would be proud to serve in the kind of elite gourmet restaurants the judges run.

Conspicuous in his lack of screen timeat the start of the match is Mimasaka; because Souma bet everything on this match, he’s the center of attention, but once he and the crowd notice the opponent, they see that he’s mimicked him in every regard. There is simply no way to surprise Mimasaka; he’s always going to be one step ahead. Oxtail, cloves, matignon – he’s got all that…plus his signature twists that usually corner and decimate his opponents.

Souma will have to weather those twists—some possibly drawn from his own culinary history, some of Mimasaka’s own imagining—keep his cool, and simply out-cook his clone. How will he prevail where 99 chefs fell? Will he put it all on that first bite, or manage to flip the script in a way even Mimasaka could not predict?