Tasokare Hotel

Episode 9

As I expected, Tasokare Hotel doesn't quite justify the existence of this two-parter storyline. It's too little butter spread across too much toast. However, this week's half has more going on. It ends in a better place than last week's so I'm inclined to be kinder to it. For example, Neko doesn't solve Atori's saxophone yips by doing anything interesting. She grovels until he gives up. Their interactions are cute, though, and their final scene shows that they've grown a little bit closer thanks to the concert. That's not much character development, but it's enough to satisfy.

Most importantly, this episode clarifies how much the music and sound design have been carrying Tasokare Hotel. The anime's modest production values visibly struggle when it comes time to anime Kaneko's concert. It's like watching a decades-old jalopy begin to shake itself apart as it approaches highway speeds. The song itself, however, is fantastic! It nails the smokey jazz lounge vibe, aided by the melancholy lyrics and Atori's smooth sax accompaniment. Given that the OP and ED are also both bops, I have to laud the adaptation's ability to pull in songwriting talent. Additionally, I like the recurring foley of Kaneko's facade shattering like ceramic. It's effective and mildly creepy foreshadowing that helps drive home the climax of Kaneko's arc.

Conversely, I don't think Briefcase Guy adds anything meaningful here. His story is thin, its connection to Kaneko is even thinner, and the payoff is sorely lacking. I guess the narrative wants to use him as an example of someone touched by Kaneko's song since that ultimately jumpstarts his memory. However, there's no thematic or emotional connection between his death and his girlfriend's love of idols. He happens to die before he can tell her that he gained enough emotional intelligence to be supportive of his partner's hobbies. That's not exactly what I'd call scintillating drama. Moreover, the anime moves past it so quickly that it feels even more disposable. Makeup Girl serves the same purpose and is better intertwined with Kaneko's story.

The biggest missed opportunity here is not making Kaneko explicitly lesbian. While I'm a staunch supporter of subtext as a legitimate avenue for exploring queer narratives, the examples I defend typically have no shortage of other strong qualities that support those readings. Tasokare Hotel doesn't have a lot going for it, neither aesthetically nor textually. If they wanted to justify a double-length story, then they easily could have done so by digging deep into Kaneko's psyche as a depressed closet case. With Neko's help, she would then be able to come to terms with her infatuation with Yuria before moving on to the afterlife. The end. I'm not saying that would have been perfect, but it would have given the audience something tangible to chew on.

Case in point, the episode is at its most compelling when Kaneko honestly reflects on her memories with Yuria. When her tear-stricken face breaks through her mask, the audience finally gets a window into how their strained relationship would have exacerbated all other stressors of the entertainment industry. And that strain would have been better grounded if Kaneko got to talk about the struggle of being closeted, or if she was given the platform to process how they couldn't sustain their relationship and the idol group at the same time. I'm sure that this is the intent. Yuria's name is spelled with 百合, Kaneko looks dreamily at a collection of photos of them holding hands and says, “I still love her.” The wistful lyrics to “Daydreaming” were also clearly written for Yuria. With a little less meandering and a little more focus on being a lesbian in the limelight, I think Tasokare Hotel could have made Kaneko's story its best yet. As-is, it's merely okay and surface-level.

The other missed opportunity is that I don't walk away from this arc with a better idea of what makes Neko tick. She remains a rambunctious little cipher. I'll grant that this could be deliberate. After setting up our expectations with Atori's and Ruri's episodes, Tasokare Hotel might be intentionally subverting them for a grander purpose. Perhaps Masaki was correct last week, and his upcoming scheme will be the thing that gets beneath Neko's skin. I'm still open to that possibility, but it's up to Tasokare Hotel to follow through.

Rating:

Steve is on Bluesky now. He can check out of social media any time, but he can never leave. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.