miteiru dake ja dame
Categories: anime, digest of episodes, meido, spoilers
Tagged: da capo
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Gimmie a mulligan from before concerning Da Capo Second Season. I never really enjoyed the original, but it had that certain quality to it. Like a train wreck. I know it’s bad; I know I shouldn’t be gawking; but I just can’t stop looking. “No, no! She’s your sister!” And… yet… well, like watching a train wreck, miteiru dake ja dame. Now that the new season has arrived, maybe I should give it more of a chance. Is it that train wreck quality that keeps me going? Or is it the promise of nekomimi meido? Or because I need something to watch besides TSR? To find out, I kept a semi-running diary of Da Capo SS for the six episodes that I’ve seen thus far.
Episode 1
00:48.
Nemu is reading a letter to her brother. Looks like we might have a normal harem shounen comedy after all. By the way, is it some sort of anime law that tropical islands have to be some sort of crescent moon shape? If not, it should be… considering that this island looks like the island from RePure, Full Metal Panic (Meridia), and D.N. Angel.
3:29.
Well, banana girl is back, and I — surprisingly — don’t have anything inappropriate to say about this.
19:20.
Looks like they are revolving the plot around Kotori as the main love interest. Not a bad choice… if this were Mahoraba, Kotori would be the Kozue equivalent. Of course, gratuitous bath scenes only help her cause. (And is it a compliant when the conservative girl calls a guy, “safe”?) Still, they should have revolved the plot around Yoriko anyway unless she’s trapped under a rock or something.
Episode 2
2:42.
She must be trapped under a rock since Yoriko is no where to be found in the OP/ED or credits. We are introduced to the new girl, Aisha, who just randomly appeared at Asakura’s house, and she promptly joins Kotori for another bath scene. Mmm… maybe Da Capo SS won’t be that bad after all…
9:15.
Because Asakura is a typical doormat type (as described in my harem primer), he skips class and helps Aisha find her friend by walking aimlessly around the island. On the way, everyone accuses him of being a pedophile… um, isn’t Aisha supposed to be college-aged? With Kotori’s help, they eventually find out that Aisha is looking for Asakura’s grandmother who was a great magician, and Aisha wants to be one too. So, obviously, Aisha moves in with Asakura, and, I hope, comedy ensues.
Episode 3
3:47.
Ok, Aisha dons the meido outfit and starts being incompetent ASAP. I have given up my last shred of hope that Yoriko somehow returns. So they get rid of one incompetent meido and move one in that doesn’t have nekomimi or at least nekoshippo? Worst. Downgrade. Ever.
11:22.
Aisha explains that she wants to learn magic from Asakura, whose only magical ability is repelling nekomimi meido.
18:12.
Mako gets wind that Aisha is living with Asakura, and despite Kotori’s assurances that he’s too “safe” (i.e. unrealistic), Mako insists that Aisha lives with her and her sister. Aisha starts wrecking havoc at Mako’s house, and, well, they need to take a break from the mayham and take a bath. Not that I’m complaining, but three episodes, three bath scenes… haven’t seen a run like this since Grenadier. Eventually, Mako gives up and returns Aisha to Asakura.
Episode 4
14:48.
The first half of this episode was extremely boring. Aisha goes to school thinking it is Hogwart’s, and she causes minor havoc with her magic. I finally woke up when Asakura starts looking for Aisha and, ta-da, in shounen harem form, he peaks into the girls locker room.
14:50.
Destroyed.
17:05
Asakura finally finds Aisha, but they also run into his class who catches her calling him, “Master.” Where’s Yoshitaka?!? Though, I don’t see what’s so bad about this… it’s not like Asakura is going to invent some device in the future that’s going to prevent women from aging past twelve.
23:08
The credits have been showing an older guy (I’m guessing it is Asakura) flipping through a photo album with all the characters and at the end a woman joins him. I’m secretly hoping it’s Belldandy now.
Episode 5
7:27.
Aisha is disappointed that the school isn’t very magical, and that she hasn’t learned anything from Asakura yet. Fear not! After watching some anime, she decides that the best way to learn is to secretly observe Asakura.
11:39.
Let’s just say some frontal male nudity occured. Excuse me, I have some eyes to poke out.
(I’m beginning the miss the bath scenes now.)
14:53.
Another common harem comedy device where tripping and falling will result in a precarious position. Careful, the Melody of Oblivion might be watching. Aisha and Asakura are trapped in a trash compactor, and, finally, she realizes — as the garbage starts crushing them to death — that Asakura is a muggle. Also, note that Kotori went the extra mile in racing around sewers to save them despite the fact she’s turned into a bit player now with Aisha becoming the main story focus.
The girls decide to stop by Mako’s place to take a bath… then the show producers decide to roll credits. I feel cheated.
Episode 6
3:36.
A mysterious man left a note in Miharu’s shoe locker, and everyone guesses that it’s a love letter. I’m guessing that it is something dumb like there’s a sale on bananas at the supermarket.
9:48.
Wait? Love letter? From the school doctor? This series doesn’t seem to know what exactly it wants to be… it started as a To Heart clone with Kotori in the role of “Akari with a lobotomy” and then it turned into Harry Potter with Aisha… and now?
12:47.
“Onii-chan!”
It’s only episode 6 out of a planned 26, and she’s back. Everything in episode 1 suggested that she’s gone… and now… she’s back. Did the writers plan on having her back so soon? Or did they run out of ideas? Nonetheless, it’s going to be a train wreck, and, well, miteiru dake ja dame.
14:30.
Nemu returns from nursing school to become a trainee. Miharu’s “love letter” is actually a letter from Nemu telling her that she’s coming back… everyone seems to be glad she’s back except for: Asakura, who I hope is at least conflicted about what happened with Nemu in the original series; Kotori, who gets shoved aside (literally too, might I add) by Asakura and Nemu now; and, Aisha, who is the innocent bystander. Of course, I’m looking forward to Nemu discovering where Aisha lives.
20:12.
They just had a lover’s quarrel over the fact that Nemu only sent a letter to Miharu. They hug, make up, and go back home holding hands. They’re still brother and sister last time I checked.
20:39.
Bad end for Kotori. Only there’s like 20 more episodes to go.
21:19.
There we go. Aisha, Nemu. Nemu, Aisha. Heaven or hell. Let’s rock!
Destroyed.
Normally, I wouldn’t follow a series like Da Capo SS, and that’s not just the “where the heck is the nekomimi meido?” part of me speaking. The series has prodded along slowly, and it has MPD about where it wants to go. Slice-of-life with Kotori? Harem with Aisha? Or back to square one with Nemu? It does have that it-might-be-so-bad-it’s-good quality to it… and because of that, I just can’t stop watching.
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