Seiren

Episode 5

I've come to accept at this point that Seiren is probably not going to be a conventionally “good” show. Its writing, while certainly weird, lacks either the narrative momentum or nuance of voice that are generally associated with quality dramas. Its visual execution is altogether lackluster. Its narratives are simultaneously conventional and shapeless. It's more or less just a vehicle for cute girls.

That said, Seiren still has every possibility of being a reasonably entertaining show, largely on the back of one thing - its reliably strange dialogue.

We began a new heroine arc this week, focused on the relationship between our old friend Shoichi and new girl Toru Miyamae. This version of Shoichi is less preoccupied with studies than deer - videogame deer, that is. Shoichi and his friends are addicted to the hot new game Love Deer this time, and as it turns out, Toru just so happens to be a hardcore deer lover herself.

Much of my own enjoyment of this episode came from the charmingly over-the-top nature of Toru's character. Her actual personality seems fairly mundane, but her combination of attributes felt like the show was just ticking every box it could apply to “perfect gamer girlfriend.” Toru is awesome at all kinds of games, but desperate for an accommodating partner to play with her. Toru isn't just a lover of games, she's also an honors student and super athletic and an amateur model. In her time off from playing videogames, Toru enjoys singing tokusatsu and anime songs at karaoke.

There certainly are people who embody all of these qualities, but seeing them all jammed together into a show that's already more or less a harem made it difficult to take her character seriously. So far, Toru's only flaw is being somewhat over-competitive, which seems tied to the dissolution of a friend group in her past, and will likely provide at least some of the drama for the coming episodes.

Seiren doubled down on its unlikely heroine with some of the most wonderfully bizarre dialogue the show has offered yet. Nearly every line related to Shoichi and Toru playing Love Deer came across like an insane non-sequitur, from the basics like “do you want my pure deer hoof?” to questionable phrasings like “all the girls were creeped out by you petting your deer in class.” I don't want to deny Seiren credit here - it seems clear the show understands its own quirkiness, and leaned into it admirably this time. Seeing Shoichi and Toru bond over her making his deer a pair of night vision goggles was an experience few anime can offer.

The episode's final sequence was equally funny, straddling the line between intentional comedy and light self-parody. Toru's “dark past” with competitive gaming was brought to light when the two were challenged by a pair of grade schoolers, leading to a high tension game of GusGal (basically a Gundam fighting game). Watching the grade schoolers shout about special techniques and sudden betrayals was entertaining enough, but seeing Toru get flustered by Shoichi praising her headshots was even better. The romance between these two nerds may not necessarily feel believable, but it's at the very least amusing.

Overall, this episode saw Seiren leaning into its “strengths” in a way that also somewhat sabotaged its effectiveness as a traditional romance. If you're here for believable, engaging character drama, this was not a winner. If you're here for lines like “if Toru was my sister, I bet we wouldn't fight over the bathroom in the morning,” it might be worth sticking around.

Overall: B

Seiren is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.