I think this is the first episode thus far that hasn’t opened up with an eating scene that we would see later in the show. It was just a regular scene of Ryou. No sneak peek of the awkward eating. Amazing.
Ryou’s aunt calls her and says she won’t be able to be with her for New Year’s, but she doesn’t mind too much because she’s going to spend it with Kirin. So Ryou gets to work cleaning. Like, overly cleaning. She cleans…and cleans…and then decides what to cook. She goes to the store to buy ingredients for the soba, and runs into Shiina. She suggests she make oden and she buys the stuff for it. Shiina will be celebrating with her family, so she won’t join in.
Ryou goes home to cook everything and tells Kirin what she’s making. She can’t resist and “taste tests” too many times, and whatever. Meanwhile with Kirin, as usual she’s slacking a bit. Her mom reminds her to reserve a seat in the train because there are going to be so many people taking the train at this time of the year. At first Kirin says she’s got it handled, but in reality she never reserved a seat because she didn’t think there would be a lot of people because they live in the middle of nowhere. Wrong! And so she missed the train she was supposed to go on because it was full, so she waited for the next one and met up with Ryou really late, but just before midnight.
Well, they head home and eat. And of course it’s delicious. They talk and talk and then it’s New Years, hurray. Ryou’s aunt actually made it though, finishing all her work so she would be able to be with Ryou. Kirin acts all weird around Akira, and her resolution is to work on her fear around adults. They go to their first shrine visit of the year, and drink some amakaze or whatever it’s called. Akira stays and hangs out with some guys, so the girls head back. They talk again, hoping that they can keep up this, such as eating together and hanging out even when they’re grown. So that’s nice. Next morning, Kirin goes home, and that’s it.
I can’t say I liked the episode, and I can’t say I hated it either. It was just…average. I don’t know why I do this every week, probably because I’m a fucking idiot, but I always watch this show when I’m REALLY tired. So this show just makes me more tired, and I kinda want to cry. This show isn’t necessarily terrible, I’ve seen anime worse than this unfortunately. But it’s just that this show is too slice of life for me. But what really drives a slice of life show are the characters, and honestly I’m not invested in any of them except Tsuyuko, but she’s a minor character.
Ryou is just boring. Sorry, girl, but you are. She’s too sweet, too caring, too…motherly. She just feels artificial. Kirin doesn’t really add much either. Maybe some energy and cute, but really all she does is come over, eat, then go home. I do appreciate that she’s trying to change a little, such as cooking for Ryou and helping her. And Shiina, I mention her because she’s part of the main trio I guess…she’s okay? Though I can’t say anything about her without mentioning her maid. So, that’s a huge problem with this show. Good characters would make this show less boring, but sadly they’re lacking in personality with the characters.
I think the only thing I can say when liking this show is the TABERUUUUU TABERUUUUU at the very end of the episode, and the chibis dancing or moving around to the beat. It’s catchy and cute. Also, I can’t believe I never mentioned this before, but has anyone ever caught how weird Kirin’s footsteps sound like? Like…it makes a popping sound, like when you stick a plunger onto the floor and pull it off. I don’t know how else to describe it, but that little sound is so annoying to me and I don’t know why they did this? Did they think it was cute? I can’t take hearing her popping feet.
