Chio's School Road

Episode 4

If the delivery is good enough, you can get a strong comedy routine out of just two characters and a simple prop. When a failed attempt at realizing a lifelong dream leaves Chio holding a used cigarette, she and Manana decide to make the most of the situation. They hold an impromptu photo session in a deserted alley, striking the coolest poses they can think of while holding the precious piece of litter, but their newfound toy lands them in hot water once they get to school. Later in the episode, Chio and Manana run into Andou, who has given up his biker lifestyle and gotten a job delivering newspapers. Chio volunteers to help Andou out, but her motivation turns out to be nowhere near as noble as it seems. The episode ends with a reprise of the uncertain greeting dilemma from the beginning of the series, and Manana's solution proves to be even less effective than Chio's was.

The cigarette storyline gets off to a slow start, with Chio and Manana's initial banter falling a bit short of the show's usual standard. Thankfully, things start to pick up once Chio gets her hands on the precious piece of trash-turned-treasure. The photo shoot yields some amusingly silly images, and the scene in general captures the feeling of goofing around with a friend. It also builds up the characters' sense of being cool just enough to pull the rug out from under them once they get to school. There's a clever reversal of expectations here when their teacher actually gives the girls the benefit of the doubt, followed by some well-delivered comedy as Chio digs her own grave in a desperate attempt to look cool. The sequence as a whole reinforces the notion that Chio's School Road has a good grasp on the fundamentals of the genre, combining an entertaining setup with a rewarding payoff at the end.

Next we have the newspaper sequence, which has its moments despite feeling a little too drawn-out at times. The image of Andou with work clothes and a bicycle instead of his gang uniform and motorcycle is a fun change of pace, and it also speaks to how quickly the series has managed to work through his character arc. In the space of just a few episodes, he's gone from an intimidating obstacle to an object of pity. There's also humor to be found in the initial shock of the customers' violent wrath, along with the elaborate acrobatics that Chio and Manana pull off in order to avoid Andou's grumpy nemesis. While this sequence might have been even better if it had been condensed down a bit, it's still reasonably effective. Most importantly, it ends on a strong note with the revelation that all of Chio's efforts to help and encourage Andou have been an elaborate plot to win her chump-change bet with Manana. It's such a petty victory that it's easy to laugh at everyone involved.

The reprise of the greeting dilemma suffers from the exact opposite of the newspaper scene's problem: it's too short. Instead of spreading some good jokes across too much screen time, this final storyline ends up squeezing all of its material into too small a space. Again, the individual gags are pretty good: Manana's facial expression is wonderfully idiotic, and her plan goes off the rails in spectacular fashion. I just wish this bit had been given more room to escalate, as it feels like there's some wasted potential here. Judging by the rest of the episode, the show could've had a lot more fun with Chio being torn between reveling in Manana's failure and wanting to distance herself from the social disaster area. The two of them have developed into a strong comedy duo, with both characters being able to stab right at the heart of one another's weak points.

Aside from its uneven use of screen time, this is another impressive showing from Chio's School Road. I had some concerns that the series would start to wear out its paper-thin premise by now, but instead it seems like it's settling into a comfortable comedic groove. The chemistry between the main characters is starting to reach a point where the script can simply throw a new scenario at them and let the humor happen naturally. That's a good sign for the long term, as it means that the show can retain its momentum without resorting to disposable gimmicks. If Chio's School Road can refine its act a little further, it'll be in an encouraging position for the foreseeable future.

Rating: B+

Chio's School Road is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.