Playing hard to get.
What They Say:
Episode #9: “Derailed Scandal”
Eruna and Otone double their efforts to recruit another club member, but will they be able to find someone before the deadline to form a club?
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
You know, the opening theme of Mikagura has been growing on me, just like Eruna is growing on her group of friends. Speaking of friends, the recruitment drive is on! Eruna and Otone start by photobombing the school’s version of Unsolved Mysteries. (Does that reference still play? No?) Actually it’s just the newspaper club’s broadcast, and Eruna has found ways to manipulate the crew with rumors in order to promote her club.
Devious? Absolutely. Clever? Definitely.
The drama club kids think she might be overdoing it with her script for a promo of her own. I can’t help but feel this show as a lot of word play which isn’t translating particularly well. There’s a great deal of drawn out banter between Eruna and the club which is probably supposed to be funny but falls flat. It’s been in other episodes as well, but without understanding Japanese I have no idea if that’s what’s going on. There’s a string of rhyming spewed from Shigure that does translate smoothly that is more obnoxious than funny though, so who knows.
Then Eruna learns from Bimii that she only has a short amount of time until the deadline for new clubs is up. Desperation almost leads to her asking her cousin, of all people, to join. Not only that, Otone’s recruitment methods are driving away potential members. Lonely Otone wants Eruna’s attention all for herself, of course. That jealousy is leading to her sabotaging their club chances!
Eruna thinks that is absolutely lovely. A cute girl jealous of her attention? Why, it’s Eruna’s dream come true! Otone realizes her mistake a bit late but the accidental find of a potential club room quickly reignites the desire to get their club on. First they’ll have to fight for the right to use it though, as the newspaper club has their eye on the space. Eruna faces off against the girl from the club, whose secret weapon is embarrassing factoids about her opponent. In this case a bunch of Eruna’s past interactions with Shigure. I like the different tactics the students use in their battles in this show. The embarrassment brings Eruna to her knees, but Otone is able to come to her aid.
And that third club member they need to be a real club? Well, Bimii’s surprise back up plan will have to do.
This week we have yet another new ending! Last week was Otone and pandas, this week it features Eruna and her friends battle abilities. I guess that’s one way to use up these vocaloid songs.
In Summary:
This week’s Mikagura surprised me by not taking the obvious solution to the problem of a third club member. Seisa is feeling just as left out as Otone, but she hasn’t stepped forward to join yet! It has to happen sooner or later, right? At least Eruna’s club is now formerly submitted, even if she doesn’t have a name for it yet. Otone is still a difficult girl to be friends with, but at least Eruna understands and if endlessly forgiving of others faults. She sure has enough of her own that others have looked past.
Episode Grade: B
Streamed by: FUNimation
Review Equipment: 27” iMac running OS 10.10.3, via Safari 8.0.4, FIOS 15/5 Mbps connection. Your milage may vary.