Good day of us, and welcome again to Fallacious Each Time. In the present day we return to the amorous battlefield of 100 Girlfriends, having crossed right into a courageous new world from which I can see no hope of return. I had actually thought Kusuri was going to outline the height of lunacy for this present, however “Rentaro rescues Hakari from her mom by agreeing to additionally date mentioned mom” has outdone her after which some. I’m sorry Rikito Nakamura, I used to be clearly unfamiliar along with your recreation.
With Hahari now adopted into the Pleased Rentaro Household, I think about this new threshold of madness will likely be subsumed into the group’s basic dynamic with preposterous effectivity. Luckily, there’s at all times the post-girlfriend cooldown episode to have fun what some particular new arrival brings to the workforce, so buckle your seatbelts, of us. Will Rentaro relationship each Hakari and her mom by some means illustrate this present’s basic emphasis on open communication and attending to your associate’s emotions? I actually can’t see how, however this manufacturing is nothing if not stunning, so let’s get again to the insanity and discover out!
Episode 12
Oh proper, we opened on Hahari declaring her intent to presumably bone Rentaro, given she’s the one precise grownup within the group. Regardless of its premise, 100 Girlfriends is usually fairly chaste so far as harems go – it’s gentle on nudity and attractive panning pictures of the women, and a lot of the sexual innuendo is simply performed for laughs. Maintaining the implication of real sexual intimacy distant helps preserve its tone as extra of a straight comedy, so I think about Hahari’s provocations will likely be swiftly defused in some preposterous tone-reasserting method
Yeah, we get a sequence that’s framed to appear like the 2 of them having intercourse, however is presumably simply Rentaro giving her a again therapeutic massage or one thing
It’s an odd stability this kind of harem makes an attempt to strike, the place sexual longing is omnipresent, however the relationships stay essentially chaste and unfulfilled. Precise intercourse introduces a component of actuality and consequence that these tales are deliberately avoiding; they’re fantasies of what having a relationship may be like, and thus they keep on with the nascent adolescent desires of holding arms and happening dates and perhaps sneaking a kiss
This perpetual stress of unfulfillment is after all additionally a giant a part of their dramatic gasoline – relationships unconsummated are relationships in flux, the place every new flourish of intimacy is a grand and terrifying journey. By breaking intimacy down into these fragments of alleged “progress,” the stress will be drawn out for for much longer, and extra “will they or gained’t they” episodic conceits will be employed
For these causes and extra, I are likely to make a psychological partition between harem tales and romance tales. Characters in harems don’t act like characters really falling in love, for clear dramatic structural causes
I’d forgotten Kusuri and Shizuka’s cute pajamas. Hahari is aware of her stuff
“No reducing in line, Mom!” Hakari has after all acclimated to this new actuality with scary effectivity
Because it seems, Hahari is simply dressing up Rentaro in ladies’ garments
“Mom! I’m so glad I used to be born your daughter!” Don’t you assume a little hesitation could be acceptable right here, Hakari?
Rentaro swiftly passes out from embarrassment, and thus Hahari clothes Nano because the prince to wake him with a kiss, incomes wild applause from the remainder of the household. Looks like Hahari is swiftly establishing herself because the costume queen, whereas additionally supporting the overall implication that it is a collectively loving polycule, not only a swathe of impartial traces all main solely to Rentaro. The bonds between Rentaro’s girlfriends are fairly possible this present’s best energy, the X-factor that makes it really feel extra like a attractive, absurdist slice of life than a typical harem
Oh my god, all their drooling faces as Nano leans in for the kiss. One other key ingredient of this present’s attraction: nobody right here is ashamed of embracing their sexuality. This can be a judgment-free attractive zone
Hakari and Hahari then instantly declare their intent to peep on Rentaro. You recognize, perhaps a bit of judgment isn’t such a foul factor
“Kusuri by no means seen dong earlier than!” KUSURI STOP IT, DON’T LISTEN TO THOSE TWO
It falls to Shizuka to aim to protect Rentaro’s dignity. Sadly, Shizuka could be very small, and is thus effortlessly rolled right into a blanket sushi roll
Terrific flailing smears as Kusuri is hung the other way up from an higher window. Her free pajamas naturally assist these goofy distortions of kind
And Shizuka stays trapped in her sushi roll. Nakamura appeared to determine early on that “Shizuka is tiny and imperiled” is a particularly good dynamic, and has thus constantly inflicted conditions like this on her, whether or not she’s floating away on the pool, hung from a hanger by her coat, or carried off by a sudden breeze
The genius animators behind this episode additionally perceive that “Shizuka flailing in a blanket roll” might be the strongest visible idea in human historical past, and thus rightfully dedicate loads of time to observing her flap round making an attempt to free herself, then in the end resolve to easily roll herself down the hallway
Whereas the cat terrifies our would-be snoops as they sneak via the attic for an aerial view, Shizuka confronts her subsequent problem: the grand staircase
Glorious gag as the women all preserve the identical lie as a way to deny their snooping, however Karane can’t assist however append the gag with an “it’s not like I used to be making an attempt to snoop” tsundere protest-too-much. In case you’re going to be hatching schemes like this, you want to preserve a lid on the workforce tsundere!
The proliferation of jokes like that can also be a major ingredient of 100 Girlfriends’ genius – taking these canned archetypal tropes out of their pure habitat, and seeing how they may be used and abused in numerous different capers. “Tsundere in a lie detector check” was one other stable instance
“Stop with the cliched romcom schtick, you two.” “No, if something, the remainder of us must be romcom-ing it up extra.” Nano speaks knowledge
And once more, them getting flustered at arms brushing in opposition to one another embodies the dance this present should carry out, sustaining that stress of first romantic expertise whilst their romantic experiences pile up
Hahari excuses herself to gentle incense for her old flame, and Rentaro joins her
Rentaro urges Hahari to share her burdens with him, and communicate of the ache that prompted her to separate herself from others after her first lover’s dying. Wonderful that this present manages to stability “the significance of speaking actually and interesting along with your associate’s anxieties” with “even when that associate is your different girlfriend’s mom”
“Hakari’s dad and I… who says you may’t love two folks without delay!?” An assurance that carries much more weight coming from Rentaro, of all folks. Intelligent in its stupidity, the 100 Girlfriends promise
“If my love for you ever stops feeling actual, please inform me. In return, I promise to do the identical for you.” On this means, 100 Girlfriends is definitely extra sensible to real, wholesome romance than most romcoms. Canned misunderstandings are a simple approach to provoke narrative drama, however they inherently suggest a profound fragility within the relationships in query, a complete lack of belief and open communication
Later that night time, Hakari finally admits to her prior anxieties, sneaking over to sleep in Rentaro’s arms. In fact, by morning she and Karane find yourself “by chance” making out on the subsequent cot over. They’re such good mates
Rentaro is then visited by the ghost of Hakari’s father, who gives his blessing to Rentaro’s simultaneous romancing of his lover and daughter
We finish on a suitably preposterous stinger, as Hahari’s love prompts her to purchase and take cost of the entire rattling faculty
And Achieved
My god. What a job, what a person, and what a pleasant assortment of insane girlfriends. Regardless of that includes maybe essentially the most ridiculous premise of any romcom I’ve skilled, 100 Girlfriends managed to ship a genuinely charming, heartfelt assortment of episodes, digging deeper into the basics of mutually enriching relationships than numerous exhibits with much more grounded premises. In fact, all these moments of endearing intimacy had been generously furnished with numerous wonderful gags, starting from intelligent manipulations of style conference to easy, hilarious bullshit like Kusuri’s potions and Shizuka floating away on the breeze. 100 Girlfriends understands that love must be enjoyable, and thru its god-given polyamorous mandate insists that the extra love you share, the extra love you obtain. I’m wanting ahead to the persevering with adventures of the ever-growing Rentaro Household!
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