Himōto! Umaru-chan R

Episode 10

It was bound to happen sooner or later, and the fact that it took almost the whole season to get to the point is a minor miracle in and of itself, but Himōto! Umaru-chan R finally delivered an episode that just didn't click with me. That isn't to say it was outright bad or devoid of redeeming qualities, but it failed to resonate with me in the same way that even this season's weakest episodes have up to this point. Rather than feel especially angry or embittered at this episode, I'm hesitant to say I felt much of anything at all, and therein lies the problem.

We begin with Sylphyn and UMR out on a friend date, in what may be the single flimsiest sketch of the season in terms of laughs-or-smiles-per-minute. What starts off as an afternoon out at the arcade ends with the two hanging out at Sylphyn's place, and most of the scene revolves around Sylphyn ignorantly suggesting that the two of them play the Pocky game, where would-be-lovers eat a Pocky stick at both ends until they kiss. It's a gag that might be funny once, but for some reason it becomes the centerpiece of the entire vignette, and it just doesn't work when stretched so thin. It's also the first time in a long while where Sylphyn's ignorance as a foreigner has been played as the butt of the joke, and while the show is as gentle and kind about it as can be, it's still the least interesting kind of humor to fuel an otherwise weightless scene.

Sylphyn and Umaru get a much better story later in the episode, where the two go to an arcade/park that Sylphyn visited with her brother as a child. It's much cuter and more entertaining than the previous sketch, though the ultimate message ends up feeling muddled when Sylphyn reminisces about her time there with Alex. The way she has Umaru take her out paddling makes it seem like she views the girl almost as much like a sibling as a friend, but some earlier lines of dialogue draw some romantic implications that Sylphyn could have towards either UMR or her brother, and I don't think those were intentional. That's more of a result of the show simply not spending enough time on Sylphyn and Alex's relationship than anything else, but the scene still feels off in a way that's difficult to describe.

There's also another bit with Hikari this week that's easily the least necessary scene of the bunch, and not just because I continue to fail to see the point of Hikari as a character. The real issue is that the scene highlights how Himouto! Umaru-chan keeps rehashing the same points with Hikari over and over again; she's obsessed with Taihei, Umaru doesn't like her that much, but the two girls are slowly warming to one another. It's an arc that could have been over and done with after just an episode or two, but here we are three weeks after Hikari was introduced, and she's still added nothing of import to the show. The sooner she gets something more interesting to do, the better.

The episode ends on both its longest and strongest vignette, where a girls' study session has Ebina reminiscing over her first day in class, where she met the girls who are now her best friends. It's a cute couple of scenes that once again do an excellent job of highlighting just how far these girls have come since banding together. Kirie is much less standoffish, Sylphyn has toned down her freakish competitive streak, and Umaru has simply allowed herself to have friends and live more outside of her trash-monster den. Ebina also realizes she's grown when she finally passes her tests, feeling confident in the knowledge that she's determined to keep up in school to stay close to her friends.

Heartwarming moments like these help redeem otherwise forgettable episodes like this one. Most of this week's Himōto! Umaru-chan R felt like the show was spinning its wheels, but it still takes just enough time to remind its audience that 90% of this show's cast are lovable dorks who you can't help but root for. Even if it means sitting through less than stellar material every once in a while, I'm more than happy to keep cheering Umaru and her pals on towards the season's finish line.

Rating: C+

Himōto! Umaru-chan R is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.

James is an English teacher who has loved anime his entire life, and he spends way too much time on Twitter and his blog.