Otaku Elf

Episode 6

This isn't the funniest episode of Otaku Elf yet, nor is it exceptionally weighed down with cutesy moments. It is, however, immensely and appreciatively informative of that central connection between Elda and Koito. The duo of stories displayed in this week's entry can almost seem simplified compared to some of the other characteristic meet-and-greets we've gone through, but they stand out in being thematically connected. Both bring back and reflect on an idea we haven't dug into too deeply since the very beginning of this series: Elda's fear of being left alone.

Sure, it starts out spotlighting that subject in a suitably jokey manner, as Elda finds that Koito was carrying a non-Takamimi talisman and assumes she's being "unfaithful". But even after the misunderstanding of Koito needing some good luck specifically for studying is resolved, we grasp how much Elda's need for companionship persists. It's an attitude we'd benignly glimpsed all through the show so far, Elda anxiously waiting for Koito to come back like a lonely puppy left at home all day. That comparison can persist as we see Elda's attempts to socialize with Koito while she's studying, like a bored pet desperate for enrichment while you're just trying to focus and get some work done.

Studying is rough no matter the era, it is intoned, and that goes with or without a shut-in elf to look after. Koito's struggles to stay focused on the task at hand are dryly relatable, falling into the trap of scrolling through social media just because you opened your phone to check a text message, or trying to tidy up instead of actually getting the work done. How many times do you think I get distracted myself, trying to compose these reviews? It unfolds into a situation where we can understand how Koito might think it is an effective strategy to commiserate with Elda as a component of studying history, even if the nominal deity's anecdotes mostly keep reminding her about all the hardships she's been through. Of course, that kind of humor also makes the point of highlighting just how long and sharp Elda's memory of the centuries really is.

That's been a key detail all throughout those funny little edutainment excursions seen in Otaku Elf so far, and more than ever before, it's paid off in the second half of this episode. This snippet centers on another ritual, with Elda and Koito needing to greet Mount Fuji in the morning from up in the Tokyo Skytree, in spite of Elda's fear of heights (same, girl). On its own, the setting and mood of this piece stand apart from the silly stylings that usually define Otaku Elf's ground-level antics. It's similar in concept to the trip taken in the third episode, but there the duo was still being seen and/or regarded by the people of the area. In this case, Elda and Koito travel serenely through the Sky Tower in the early morning, basking in its various backgrounds in the different lighting of that time of day, and the various hues of its interiors. It communicates the odd, quiet stillness of being the only ones in this sort of public location normally known for being bustling with people.

It's that degree of intimacy that Otaku Elf is able to turn into and expand on the ideas lightly touched on in the first half of this episode. It was briefly referenced last week, but Elda's bittersweet relationship with the mortality of those she lives beloved by was really only brought up in a more serious manner back at the very beginning of this series. Now, we hear her allegorically relate to the tale of Princess Kaguya and her lover who would rather shirk immortality than face an eternity without her. The heartbreaking smile that Elda describes this with to Koito is all the explanation the Miko needs to understand her feelings, but as they walk through this simple ritual and its unavoidable signifying of the passage of time, what can they do?

As it always has, Otaku Elf rounds back to the value of time spent with one another above all else. The traditions, religious or not, that these characters abide by are still constructs, after all. So if Elda opting to bring Koito along with her into an area supposedly reserved only for her deity-ness isn't strictly kosher, well, it's still the right decision in terms of allowing the pair just a few more extra minutes they can recall as their total time together. If Elda must strongly remember every moment of her long life so far, she might as well fill them with more warm, happy points than longing, lonely ones. The framing of their mutual prayers, alongside the lovely piece of music that plays here, perfectly encapsulates that warmth.

We knew pretty much from the beginning that Otaku Elf had more to its character work than simple sketch comedy antics. And it's kept that up in corners of its storytelling, yet it's nice to have an episode occasionally that really leans into humanizing (and elf-inizing?) its main duo even more. Placed right in the middle of the series as this one is, it's almost enough to get me as an audience member choked up about the time spent with the show itself. We've only got maybe six or seven episodes left in this season with these adorable dorks, so maybe it's good to know that regardless of whether we're watching them eat snacks together or bicker over video game time, it should all feel like time well spent.

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Otaku Elf is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

Chris is keeping busy keeping up with the new anime season and is excited to have you along. You can also find him writing about other stuff over on his blog, as well as spamming fanart retweets on his Twitter, for however much longer that lasts.