What They Say:
Weird rumors are going around about Harutora and Natsume, and they are made worse when Harutora and Natsume go shopping together on their day off.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Bringing the core group of characters together in a clearer way during the previous episode was definitely fun overall and it brought Natsume into a place where she can almost start having friends. Of course, things didn’t go too well for Harutora when you get down to it since the end result was that Natsume is moving into the dorm with him and that’s just going to lead to more problems along the way. While it was a kind of fluffy episode overall with a burst of action, it worked nicely to actually make me like the new characters from the academy more and showed what kind of person Harutora is, which is hugely important since it’s easier to understand why people are drawn to him and why he’s so accessible in general.
The main complication going on here and with this episode is the way that Natsume is being perceived now that she’s moved into the boys dorm and dresses like a boy. That she can keep her secret isn’t a big deal, but since there’s so many awkward moments with Harutora, that has the girls that see them coming up with all sorts of romances between the two and being all squee-worthy about it. Which is adorable since they just love a good little bit of drama like this and both Harutora and Natsume are just caught up in it no matter what since they spend so much time together. And that’s fueled a lot by this episode since the two of them are taking advantage of a day off to get some shopping done – which should definitely include Natsume getting some more boys clothes since she only has her uniform and some sweats. So having them out and about is fun, even if it does go for the easy yet complicated love hotel district moment.
Having the pair pursued by a few students who are living vicariously through their believed and perceived relationship that exists in this new gender-free world is definitely fun to watch since they’re so into it. And having Harutora and Natsume trapped inside a love hotel for awhile, having some fun conversations about things since Kon is a part of it as well, makes for a number of cute and fluffy moments, even if they really don’t mean much in the end. It simply helps to reinforce some fun in the show, which is still needed after that harsh first arc. The fun is what dominates here and it does work well, though it attempts to bring in a little hint of what’s to come towards the end with Dark and Ominous People talking about Important Things in an oblique manner. It’s easy to just ignore it overall since it’s meant to tease and do little else until they formally get on the stage.
In Summary:
Going with another episode that’s mostly light and fun, it’s a bit daring in a way rather than just getting right on with the next arc straight away. It can easily feel like a whole lot of nothing and casual fans can tune out and not come back. But I did like the silliness of a lot of it here and the continuing bonds that are being forged, especially between Harutora and Natsume with a good dash of Kon. The way that the Natsume and Harutora relationship is portrayed here is a lot of fun and it’s handled a lot better than some other shows would. But at this stage, I’m definitely ready for the show to start getting serious again and hope that it can introduce that material better as the next couple of episodes get on.
Grade: B
Streamed By: FUNimation
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
