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EP. REVIEW: Pseudo Harem


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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 13764
PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2024 6:08 pm Reply with quote
This is probably the most pure romcom of all time what with it just 100% being a boy and a girl flirting with each other from start to finish. The best part being they're also theater nerds.

I've seen some critique that Saori Hayami was miscast for Rin because she doesn't make the persona's sound distinct enough but I feel like she's accurately portraying a skilled teen actress head over heels in love who is just coming up with acting persona's on the fly to be able to appeal to/talk to her crush. She's not trying to portray Rin as an Aoi Yuki type.

And Nobuhiko Okamoto is a perfect earnest goofball as Eiji.

The animation really isn't much to write home about but this doesn't need Roshidere production values.
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 5182
PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2024 7:44 pm Reply with quote
I want to like the premise of this show but I feel like the MCs would work better if they had other characters to bounce off of. But right now it's just these two and the joke gets too repetitious after awhile and it's just strange to not see any other recurring characters for a show that largely takes place at a school setting.
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Thesarum
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Joined: 25 Mar 2022
Posts: 518
PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2024 6:18 pm Reply with quote
Jury is out so far on the slightly odd narrative structure of lots of little individual sketches... I don't hate it, but I think it does make it feel very disposable.

Eiji and Rin are adorable together though. Their silliness and awkwardness feels realistic. Rin is simultaneously confident and shy in the way stage people sometimes are, and Eiji is a good natured goof. They both seem clear enough on the rules of their game, and are most comfortable indulging in it a little longer. There's safety in its plausible deniability.

MFrontier wrote:
I've seen some critique that Saori Hayami was miscast for Rin because she doesn't make the persona's sound distinct enough but I feel like she's accurately portraying a skilled teen actress head over heels in love who is just coming up with acting persona's on the fly to be able to appeal to/talk to her crush


Agree. I think she's doing a fine job. I don't think we want really over-acted personas, or ones that sound like completely different people. It's important, I think, that they all sound like they're Rin-with-a-twist.
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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 13764
PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:20 pm Reply with quote
Every episode we seem to unlock new Rin persona's, deepen her relationship with Eiji, and double down on how absolutely cute Rin is as a dork head over heels in love with her Senpai.

There are a lot of down bad girls this season.
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
I want to like the premise of this show but I feel like the MCs would work better if they had other characters to bounce off of. But right now it's just these two and the joke gets too repetitious after awhile and it's just strange to not see any other recurring characters for a show that largely takes place at a school setting.

We met Rin's gal pal Megu and there's the other drama club members (though they don't appear as often).
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Thesarum
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Joined: 25 Mar 2022
Posts: 518
PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 4:59 pm Reply with quote
This show is almost, almost, unbearably cute and saccharine. Almost.

It's still a very light and somewhat throw-away series of sketches, but I feel like we got a little more depth this week? Just a sliver. And maybe there's nothing wrong with that. I'm certainly still enjoying Rin and Eiji's powerful couple energy and watching them just goof around.
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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 13764
PostPosted: Sat Aug 03, 2024 11:30 pm Reply with quote
I didn't think this show could get any cuter until they added Rin's sister and showed her slowly internalizing her sisters' antics to turn into a flirting monster herself with NONE of the embarrassment.

Mandatory pool episode in a romcom! Complete with Rin cleavage in a bikini. And festival for yukata fanservice.

It's nice to see that their relationship is slowly progressing now that they're on a first name basis.
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Thesarum
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Joined: 25 Mar 2022
Posts: 518
PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2024 5:03 pm Reply with quote
They're fully, properly, going out now. Right? Confession or no, this is undeniably "going on dates" despite the presence of a little sister.

Rin hiding from the rest of the group at the festival was pretty cute (she probably takes some sort of award for "down baddest girl in modern anime history") and despite his protestations Eiji didn't really put any effort into finding them.

It's all surface level cuteness, but Senpai is an Otokonoko bringing enough angsty raw emotions for two shows, so I need some of that in my season.
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TheReticent



Joined: 24 May 2024
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Mon Aug 05, 2024 12:08 pm Reply with quote
As much as I am enjoying the show, I am a little let down that it's mostly abandoned the 'harem of one' premise. I'm a fan of the harem rom coms (no, I'm not sorry for that), and this could have been a fun one there.

Still a good show, though, and I'm sticking around for it.
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MartinWisse



Joined: 22 May 2022
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 6:16 am Reply with quote
Highlight of this series each episode is still Rin being gleefulyl happy whenever she gets complemented by her crush or something cute happens to them.
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Akumanosu



Joined: 12 Aug 2024
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 10:43 am Reply with quote
I had an issue with this episode... For all of you anime only fans, the staff changed a few things in the show... In the second half of the episode they made some changed in the story compared to the manga.

For one, they scrapped the pages 3-4 of ch 64.
Then scrapped the parents permission bit from ch 65
And worst of all... changed the whole scene of ch 66 - 67...
The Changes:
(Removed them sleeping in the bed, moved it to them sleeping in the lobby)
(Removed the cute confession Rin makes, and instead makes it an inner dialog)

A few manga fans were not happen with them changing the ending...


Last edited by Akumanosu on Mon Aug 12, 2024 10:45 am; edited 1 time in total
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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 13764
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 10:44 am Reply with quote
It's great to see there's been actual progression between the two to the point where Rin basically gives the game away and it seems like we're set for a proper confession (even if they are already dating basically). And it's absolutely wholesome and adorable.
TheReticent wrote:
As much as I am enjoying the show, I am a little let down that it's mostly abandoned the 'harem of one' premise. I'm a fan of the harem rom coms (no, I'm not sorry for that), and this could have been a fun one there.

Still a good show, though, and I'm sticking around for it.

I think it works from a character/relationship progression standpoint because it shows Rin growing more comfortable as herself around Eiji and Eiji enjoying spending time with her as herself without always needing to have her "act."

Though they did speedrun through most of the Harem during the Kyoto date.
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Thesarum
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Joined: 25 Mar 2022
Posts: 518
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 2:26 pm Reply with quote
Pretty sure this show has given me type 1, 2 and 3 diabetes. It remains pure candyfloss, but that sweetness sure is addictive. Every week I watch with an idiot grin plastered to my face.

That's basically a full on (but then retracted) marriage proposal there isn't it? Rin skipping several steps perhaps, and I think Eiji is fully aware but graciously allows the retraction (and promise of a do-over) to pass without comment. Him finding a way to break the awkwardness with one of their skits is super sweet too. He might project lazy class clown, but behind that is a sweet and considerate kid. He's a keeper.
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njprogfan
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Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 1221
Location: A River Named Toms
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2024 7:38 am Reply with quote
They got me good with that ending. I thought FOR SURE it was the last episode and scrambled to find out if it was true. Kudos to the team on this series, what started out as a typical romance series that was a bit quirky has turned out to be one of the best and most surprisingly well crafted anime this season. Yeah, the budget is not high, the animation not the most fluid, but man oh man, it's never boring - It's just plain solid! So glad there's more to come and can not wait to see where it's going also.
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Aerdra



Joined: 02 Feb 2022
Posts: 427
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2024 8:30 am Reply with quote
I also wondered whether this episode was the season finale; it certainly matches season finales in quality. I don't know where the story would go from here, since the main characters won't be able to spend as much time together anymore.
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FishLion



Joined: 24 Jan 2024
Posts: 226
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2024 9:27 am Reply with quote
Finally got time to watch it and man do I love it front to back. It ends up being very centered on Rin and I love when characters aren't afraid to get really goofy and excited about their feelings and as much as that was a neat pseudo ending I am still excited to see what they do next!
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