Well…that’s a new one

Eh, I’ll keep blogging it. Sure it’s generic shoujo, but I like generic shoujo just as much as I like generic harem, and unlike Clannad or Shana, it’s not being blogged by the entire anime blogger community. The second episode, like the first, and most likely the rest of the series, was pretty standard in terms of how shoujo unfolds, but for some reason it still manages to keep me entertained. But I suppose I should stop questioning why I like it and just sit back and enjoy, huh?

Episode Rating: 8/10

Aoi comes to pick up Sana so they can walk to school together, almost falling over when she greets him. As the two walk, Sana thinks about how little Aoi has changed in terms of personality, and consequently how much she’s changed in…certain other areas. When he snaps back to reality he ends up being lectured by Aoi not to space out when he’s walking, as it could prove dangerous, to illustrate her point, she demonstrates what happens when one isn’t paying attention and walks into a pole.

As they get closer to school, Sana and Aoi are joined by Shuu and Shuri. Aoi notices Nanaka in the distance and cheerfully yells “Good morning” to her, she replies but when she sees Sana, becomes her cold self again and passes by without a word.

During class, Sana continues to wonder why Nanaka is being so cold to him, a bit too much to explain with what happened the day before.

When lunch time rolls around, Shuu and Shuri show Sana the reality of the lunchtime struggle around the bread stand, a literal free for all for pan. The results of battle clearly show the difference in experience with Shuu and Shuri showing their l33t skills, grabbing some great loot like curry bread, croquette buns, and melon pan, while Sana’s haul shows how much of a noob he is, only managing to get crab bread and a choco coronet.

Back in class, it’s time to select the class reps, meaning the usual class goes dead silent and everyone averts their eyes praying not to get picked (I pretended to be asleep during times like this, quite effective). Nanaka ends up being picked because of her experience as class rep last year. And though Shuu is recommended for the male rep, he weasels out of it by nominating Sana instead, when Shuri seconds the recommendation and the sensei realizes it might be a good opportunity to blend into the class, she throws it up to a class vote which ends up being unanimous.

Not knowing where the meeting for the class reps will take place, Sana follows Nanaka and asks her to show him the way, instead of agreeing, she tells him to follow her if he wants. The two end up at the library, where Sana meets Aoi, who has apparently been volunteering as the librarian for 3 years, and learns that Nanaka usually reads at the library to kill time until the meetings. Some time pases and Aoi wonders why Sana is still in the library when Nanaka looks like she’s already left. Sana curses Nanaka for leaving without saying anything when she knows he doesn’t have any idea where to go, suddenly he’s approached by Hoshino Asami, another second year class rep who offers to show him the way. She’s surprised to hear that Sana is a second year transfer student, originally thinking that he was a freshman since he didn’t know his way around, and offers to help him with anything from now on.

Sana gets to the meeting and scolds Nanaka for leaving him at the library even though she knew he’d get lost, but Nanaka maintains that she never promised to show him the way, adding (with a touch of jealousy) that he eventually found someone else to show him the way anyways.

The next day, Sana is spared from the lunchtime FFA at the bread stand when Aoi ends up making an extra bento and giving it to him, offering the same service from now on. The topic of lunchtime conversation shifts quickly to Nanaka and how she hasn’t warmed up to Sana yet, despite Shuri’s plan to bring them together by nominating him for class rep. In the middle of conversation, Aoi drops a sausage and when Sana tries to catch it midair with his chopsticks, he misses and ends up pinching Aoi’s breasts instead…creative, I’ll give it that.

Back in the classroom, Nanaka is approached by Hoshino to pass on some printouts from last year about the responsibilities of a class rep to Sana. On her way out she ends up bumping into Sana, telling him that she gave the printouts to Nanaka and to grab them from her. He approaches Nanaka cautiously, only to have her silently pass over the notes and go on to comment on how well he’s getting along with Hoshino as Sana tries desperately to explain the misunderstanding.

Music period is up next and instead of introductions, the sensei plays a piece of music, sending a questionnaire around to see what the students think of it. The song is a violin piece, which instantly brings up Sana’s memories of his farewell party, the Nanaka he knew from his childhood and the half finished song she wrote him for that day.

That day after school, Sana realizes he left his pencil case in the music room and goes to grab it, meanwhile, the music teacher asks Nanaka if she can pick up the questionnaires from that afternoon which she left in the room. After grabbing his pencil case, Sana wanders over to the piano and starts playing the piano arrangement of the violin song that Nanaka wrote him 5 years ago, Nanaka hears it from the other room and is shocked.

Hoshino applauds Sana’s playing, having walked in after she heard someone playing, and asks the name of the song. Sana explains that the song doesn’t have a name yet and that he only knows half of it because it was written to him by a friend many years ago before he left the town. He goes on to tell her that no matter how many years pass and how many songs he forgets to play on the piano due to lack of practice, this one always stays with him, an important part of him.

This proves to melt Nanaka’s heart a little, as the next morning as she shuffles quickly by Sana, she lets out a faint, but audible: “Good morning”.

Thoughts

Wow, long summary is freaking looooooooooooooooong. I have a habit of covering episodes summaries scene by scene, which ends up being quite lengthy for Myself; Yourself. I’ll have to find a way to cut those down a little.

Some great character development in this episode. We see the ice queen Nanaka beginning to warm up to Sana a bit, but not until after a few solid days of the cold shoulder of course. She hasn’t really said or done much, but I’ve taken a liking to Nanaka already. She clearly doesn’t like being like this with Sana, it’s painfully obvious that she wants to go back to how things were and that she’s not exactly ecstatic about Sana’s new friendship with Hoshino. It also seems like there’s something more than her crappy reunion with Sana that’s causing all this, something that Shuu and Shuri know but aren’t ready to tell Sana about just yet, which should be interesting to watch play out.

For now, Nanaka is my favourite, however, I have fallen for ice queens and lived to regret the decision *cough*Suzuka*cough*. Hopefully Sana doesn’t fall to the same extreme.

A lot of Aoi development as well, surprisingly. I didn’t think she’d get much screen time, but she’s gotten the most so far. I usually don’t like the airheaded doormat characters, but Aoi pulls it off in such an awkwardly cute and innocent manner that I find myself liking her. I still hear Chiyo every time she opens her mouth though, which is not fitting at all. Much like I keep hearing Nanoha when Shuri talks.

We also get a new character introduced to the cast, one that’s not part of the original four childhood friends. Hoshino doesn’t look to have much romantic interest in Sana right now, but I don’t count on that lasting very long. Love triangles are stereotypical, but if done well, quite entertaining to watch. Hopefully she puts up a fight against the already agitated Nanaka. One thing that I don’t want to see happen, but is probably very likely, is Hoshino developing a crush on Sana, making Nanaka realize how much she likes him, only to have Hoshino gracefully bow out and hand Sana back to Nanaka. It’s been played out hundreds of times before and it’s boring as hell, all out catfights are much more interesting.

There also seems to be a deeper issue being hinted at. Sana’s mom makes frequent calls to him to see how he’s doing, constantly worrying about things like how he’s eating and if he’s going to school properly. Looks like Nanaka isn’t the only one who went through some life changing events in these past 5 years.

So despite me having used “generic” or variations thereof, a good 10-15 times while describing Myself; Yourself so far, it has a lot of potential storyline hints that could make it anything but. It would be nice to see them materialize and for the series to become more than just typical shoujo. But for now I’m entirely content with the decent shoujo it’s shaping up to be. After a summer of hot blooded GL, anxiety inducing School Days and hack and slash Claymore, this season’s laid back harem/drama filled content is proving to be quite refreshing so far.

~ Shirukii ~