You’ll be asking yourself the same question while watching this episode. Nya optional.
THIS. EPISODE. Shockwaves from it have reverberated across the community over just how lulzy this episode is. And debate continues over just how intentional it is. But I think it’s too easy, too much of a cop-out, and belittling of the writing to ascribe to this episode to unintended effects of the writing. Simply put, there have been few episodes in all the anime that I’ve seen that have so constantly and effectively implemented a mix of hilarious, cute, hot, and crazy within a single episode without being a parody or comedy. Even with all of this going on, the episode somehow doesn’t lose sight of the fact that, however messed up and funny, this is a relationship between the two characters. It’s great entertainment all around. And what a second kiss for the couple as Junichi asks for more and Haruka plays around with him by making him sneak them somewhere private, then ups the ante to great results. To quote the often used form in Penn and Teller’s Bullshit it’s hot. But crazy! But hot. But crazy! But hot.
It’s springtime for Hitler and Germany! Err, wait, springtime for Junichi and Amagami! Also, it’s Haruka’s arc so “it may be destiny but Kaoru wants to GET THE CHANCE!“
I liked this seamless transition to the episode title, everything just kept going on around it.
Junichi’s practically begging this episode, like the puppy Haruka describes him as. But it works and he’s playing her game of getting them somewhere private without being seen. OPERATION START!
OPERATION WANKO WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS. C/O AND ASSET ‘HARUKA’ PROCEEDED QUICKLY AND SAFELY TO SITE ALPHA TO CONDUCT THEIR ACTIVITIES UNINTERRUPTED. HQ COMMENDS C/O ‘JUNICHI’ FOR HIS QUICK THINKING AND ABLE EXECUTION.
An undisclosed location somewhere in Japan.
Once they arrive at the pump house we have The Moment of the episode, the one that has spawned numerous excited blog posts and tweets. Haruka keeps the game going by insisting that Junichi kiss her somewhere other than on the lips or forehead, but that it has to be somewhere interesting or she’ll just go back. Putting even more pressure on she teases him about the time left for their lunch break. Junichi’s answer? Back of the knee, his rationale being that Haruka likes puppies so much and he will imitate them. Nay, he shall become the puppy and understand its point of view as he does so. It’s so awkward and funny but undeniably cute and pretty hot too when we see Haruka’s reaction. It’s also something that seems to be derived from Amagami’s predecessor KimiKiss, as I will address in the images for this portion. It goes on with both of them enjoying it, but Haruka keeps it from going farther when Junichi starts to move up her leg. The back of the knee kiss has earned its place in the history of anime romance, and it’s left quite the impression on Junichi as well. For the rest of the day he can’t stop thinking about doing it again.
She teases but underneath lacks confidence, Junichi acts submissive and begs but yet takes the initiative. They certainly do play off well against each other.
This is the dual nature of this episode: for as laugh out loud funny as this is, it also makes sense. The hilarious and the cute coexist side by side with Junichi’s choice, which is a pretty good one since it’s a fairly sensitive part of the body and fulfills Haruka’s requirement of being unconventional.
Just as Mao-neechan is the predecessor of Haruka in many ways (being the older girl, throwing in random English words, being worried about hurting the younger guy), the KimiKiss: Various Heroines manga was the prototype for the behind the knee kiss. She even says that Koichi looks like a puppy.
The reactions of both are also very, very similar. The context differs however, as in the KimiKiss manga Mao is letting Koichi practice kissing but won’t let him kiss her on the lips since they’re not yet in a relationship (though by the end of the chapter they are.)
You’re sweet Rihoko, but it’s going to take more than that to snap Junichi (and the audience) out of the buzz caused by what just occurred.
Don’t stop till you get enough.
Haruka is still unsure about letting herself depend on Junichi, of letting herself show her true, silly side to him, but luckily her keeper/wingman Hibiki is there to listen and advise. Her narrow, calculating eyes like that of her spiritual forbearer Oberstein, she recommends a course of action that will train Junichi like the dog he’s been acting like. At first it is slightly difficult for Haruka to swallow such Machiavellian words, but Hibiki rephrases it in terms she can understand: use a ‘meow’ next time she sees him. Which she interprets as pouncing on him in the hallway acting like Black Hanekawa from Bakemonogatari. Her speech patterns were just like her, da nya?
Which brings us to the second, far more WTF moment of hilarity from this episode when she asks Junichi to prepare a “stimulating” lunch for her. Since he’s at school and on short notice he only has shio ramen for her but decides to make the situation stimulating instead of the food…by roleplaying a kidnapping scenario. What? It’s so romantic you know, being tied up and fed by an uncaring captor simply to keep you alive. WHAT? *Sigh* I guess some people do have those fetishes. Junichi feeding Haruka just brings out more lulz, especially when some of the soup is left behind on her cheek. But the show is so fully conscious of how funny and cliche this looks that Junichi even comments on it himself. It really takes the humor and awkwardness of it to another level. Where most shows might just feature this blatant fanservice and expect the viewer to get all hot and bothered, or a comedy series would break right through the fourth wall like a bulldozer, there’s some oddly deft writing going on here that keeps it in bounds, something few show manage to do.
Hibiki wearing her Spike Spiegel pajamas while dispensing advice to her thrall, I mean, friend.
HELL YEAH MECHA! It’s definitely from the Gundam universe, but it’s hard to say what exactly it is. It seems like it could be either a One Year War variety of prototype Gundam like the RX-78-2 or Alex, or possibly a GM. If the shot went up just a little further I could tell if it was a Gundam or GM variety (the Gundams have a small blister in the upper shin area while GMs do not) and prove what a nerd I am.
As if there wasn’t enough seme/uke going on in this relationship.
Yuri backstory?
“Haruka… You fear to go into that mind. Junichi delved too greedily and too deep. You know what he awoke in the darkness of Haruka’s heart… fetish and issues”. – Saruman the Senpai.
The doujinshi writes itself!
You think they wouldn’t notice all this?
Nanasaki is struck by the loose morals of today’s youth while Hibiki just thinks to herself “keikaku doori!”
Final Thoughts: - What can I say? This episode was the best entertainment I’ve had in a long time. From start to finish I was either laughing, grinning, or laughing through a facepalm. And the show knew exactly what it was doing the whole time. It didn’t try to cover up the hilariously awkward or fetish-tastic parts with a super serious atmosphere nor did it break down into gag jokes around them either. Junichi, Haruka, and everyone who saw them all knew how weird everything was. And the episode was more entertaining for that.
- In being so deliberate about it the show also kind of kept it inside the bound of something that could conceivably happen in this relationship. Both characters are showing some really odd tendencies, so it’s not out of character for them to act so strangely. Honestly, who hasn’t had some very odd moments in romantic relationships, especially ones in high school when both people involved are inexperienced and/or confused? I’m not trying to say that this episode was Serious Business; it was ridiculous and rolling on the floor funny. But it would be a mistake to dismiss it as only ridiculous and funny.
- Haruka always struck me as very similar to Mao from KimiKiss, and the fact that the behind the knee kiss obviously evolved from the KimiKiss manga that I mentioned earlier seems to confirm the influence of the previous material on Amagami. While the anime KimiKiss: Pure Rouge was a more serious romance series by this point in its run, there’s definitely overlap. And in the Various Heroines manga there exists a perfect template for how Amagami is turning out. I’m actually surprised that I didn’t notice it earlier. Various Heroines does exactly what Amagami promises to do, having the male protagonist fall in love with each of the girls, resetting the premise after each volume. Each girl has her own volume to get together with Koichi in that series, and looking at it now it seems that Various Heroines was the prototype for Amagami.
38 Comments
This episode enough to stirred some wild imaginations inside me lol…lol, haruka is a great teaser indeed despite her yuri vibes…
Or because of her yuri vibes? Maybe she got some mental training imaging what she wants to do with Miya. Or some more, *ahem*, hands-on training with Hibiki :3
Haha no kissing on the lips because they are reserved for Miya!
Well, Divine just confirmed that the anime will reset every 4 episodes for each heroine. That means there is more to come O_O;
I am pretty sure Haruka will be quite forgotten by the end of this anime if they charge funny-OMG? moments. They have 5 more girl arcs after the next episode…
I suspected a reset between arcs. How else would they have Junichi fall for all six girls without a School Days ending? Glad to hear that it’s confirmed though.
This is indeed a strong, even unexpectedly strong beginning for this show. This episode is already the talk of the fan community, who knows what wonders are in store for us later?
I’ve been anticipating this post all day! I watched this episode this morning and replayed several scenes thinking “WTF JUST HAPPENED?!” People write Junichi off as a wimp but he has serious game! I am so impressed with him. He thinks quick on his feet, he’s creative, he’s bold, and he’s always one step ahead of Haruka while letting her believe she has the upper hand. He knows how to get what he wants; especially with that little stunt he pulled in the shed. He totally got away with trying to move up her leg by barking. The “woof woof” was the cherry on top for me! Love this kinky, roleplaying couple!
That kind of makes my day, thank you for your enthusiasm!
Junichi started off shaky but I had faith in him from the first episode and he did not disappoint me. As you say he’s got some serious skill in this, but he’s not so over-the-top confident in things as to be unrealistic for his age and character. He’s definitely more of a brilliant improviser than a planner, more of a Suzaku than a Lelouch or a Yang Wenli than a Reinhard von Lohengramm if you will, and it’s great fun watching him stumble upon and seize each opportunity before him.
At the end of the day it is obvious Junichi and Haruka belong together. They are both grade A crazy.
Also the knee scene never looked romantic to me as it looked like Haruka was going to take a dump on his head.
Lol, awkward camera angle aside for that one bit it was romantic in that (following the theme) puppy love sort of pathetic but cute kind of way. More of an ‘awwww’ than a ‘HOT’ sort of vibe to it.
wow, Haruka FTW! <3
not even School Days would match this anime series!
Amagami has just demonstrated their willingness to go almost over-the-top without overdoing it, and with six arcs I’m hoping for something just as unconventional as School Days at some point. Or at least some sort of BAD END, even if it doesn’t involve a knife and decapitation, hehe.
I must have a completely different brand of humor than everyone else because I found this episode annoying from start to finish. Everything was just so stupid that I found it nigh impossible to enjoy the episode at all. It’s probably my annoyance at just how every character in the series is a total dunce. Usually I can handle stupid characters, but those in Amagami seem to transcend mere stupidity… I dunno.
I actually liked the first two episodes more. This on the other hand… Haha… No.
To each their own, I understand not everyone has the same tastes. But I would argue that Junichi has quite the mind inside his puppy dog head. Not of the long-term planning, keikaku doori sort, but he has a brilliant ability to recognize opportunities and act upon them. Coupled with his ability to summon up more confidence whenever he’s pushed to the edge of emo, this trait makes him a formidable male lead. Hibiki and Takahashi-sensei too are definitely very perceptive.
Even though I Am Disappoint that all possibility of Haruka x Miya has gone poof (or rather wan wan), this episode was an absolute blast and I agree with you that the writers had very deliberately planned this out and executed it with apl(b)omb. The build-up for each scene was just incredible and just when you thought they couldn’t top it, it became even more outrageous(ly cute and funny).
I can understand the relative lack of fuss arising from the ramen scene but Omo is absolutely right that it was way more hardcore – it uppu-ed the ante as it was In Public, a much kinkier premise and also much more interactive.
LET THERE BE DOUJINS.
Seriously, that ramen scene was on an entirely other level of weirdly creative and daring. After the first episode I was a little worried about how willing the show would be to do something different; it seemed to be playing it fairly conservatively. But with this episode they’ve shown a willingness to be different, and the writing competency to do it well.
“LET THERE BE DOUJINS.”
AMEN!
Kinky roleplay already??? I LIKE…
Amagami is going full speed right from the first arc it seems.
The gundam maybe is a reference to the the gundam scale model being in an exhibition. Check Sankaku.
I’m guessing that it was something of a reference to that 1:1 scale Gundam, but it just struck me as odd that they’d just throw that in there.
From the rather bland first 2 eps. I thought this was gonna be a slow arc, but boy was I wrong. I LOL’ed throughout the ep. at their nascent but innocently kinky relationship. The role-play angle was very well played and liked how Junichi stepped up to the plate (CLAP CLAP! I thought this guy was gonna be another wimp), Haruka lets herself enjoy their fun; and especially how, even if people where looking, they didn’t stop because they were happy in their own little world. Fetishy and cute.
The knee is a surprisingly sensitive area of the body (if you have a honey to try it with, have some fun!), thus Junichi gets points up for quickly finding such a place to kiss Haruka (on BOTH accounts).
The show has, with this episode, shown that it is willing to be both bold and daring, and I think it will succeed so long as it maintains this attitude. Junichi had a hint of determination from the beginning, and it makes for a great male lead now that he’s increased this resolve in every episode. He’s also a natural as far as finding things that Haruka will enjoy, even when he’s a bit surprised by how much she enjoys them as in the ramen scene.
RE the knee: oh indeed. That’s why I had to compliment him on his choice in the screencap.
I’m waiting for the Ai arc. Everyone else takes backseat for me. Also, Producers was a great movie. Watched it for the first time last month and it was very funny. Though at the end it kind of got annoying.
Ayatsuji Tsukasa is my favorite so far, though I like Kaoru and Rihoko from what I’ve seen of them too. I’m pretty certain that they’ll do something interesting with each story though, as this arc is demonstrating.
I’ve known the song Springtime for Hitler since I was a little kid since my dad had seen the musical version, heh, we have a fairly similar sense of humor. The movie was a lot of fun, though I’d agree with you that near the end it dragged a little bit.
I think you’ve written the single best review of the episode I’ve read so far, because you were able to see it in proper context. Kudos
Thanks. It’s interesting to watch as this episode seems to split the fandom into roughly three parts. I’m in with the group that loves how it was executed. Then there’s a fairly large group that is enjoying it just for the laughs and WTF aspect of it. And then there’s a group, about the size of the first group, that’s had an extreme backlash against it and say that it’s pandering and the characters have nothing to them.
Every season has one show that does this. Last time it was Angel Beats. But I think that any show that provokes such a response is at least a fairly good show or else so many people wouldn’t care about it. I disliked a lot of how Angel Beats went, but even so I can’t deny that it had a lot to it to make me care about it, I just didn’t like the way it was implemented.
Well, I guess Amagami is not only famous for its character designs but for its DECENT storyline as well…
Decent, and also quite indecent amirite?
That aside, even though it contains a lot of influence from KimiKiss: Pure Rouge I’m not betting on it approaching that level of excellence in a romance story. Who knows, it could surprise me, but it feels more like it’s going to be a really fun ride than a serious business romance story like KimiKiss or True Tears.
Either way is good, and either way is bad, right?
Junichi and Haruka really are a perfect match. She wants to be teased (papmered), and he surprisingly knows how to do that.
The comparison to Various Heroines is I think very fitting. It also means that he may have several — or all — good ends.
Also, he may endupmarryingoneofthemoutofhighschool-haven’tIcomplainedaboutthatonebefore.I just realized, It’s going to be really hard to ship in this show when you know each girl’s going to get her spotlight and equal treatment.It’s possible that one or more arcs will be as serious as the two more romance focused series that I mentioned, but if they’re anything like this one then it’s going to be more of a fun ride than anything else. And as that great quote in the image you posted says, I’ll be looking forward to it, hehe.
Shipping is indeed difficult, so my proposal is to latch onto your favorite ship and at the end of the show the combat will begin as to which ship was the best and truest to the characters. WE’LL MAKE THIS WORK!!!
FUFUUFUUUFUUUUUU CANT STAND JUNICHI /ragequit
Well if you don’t like him in this arc then I would suggest at least watching the first episode of the second arc to see if he changes. My guess is that he’s going to react differently and draw different conclusions from being stood up prior to each arc, giving him a somewhat different personality each arc. Because after all, how would the same exact guy be a match for each of the six different girls?
That, I would indeed doubt. I’ll just see for now.. Second arc airs on 30/07/2010?
I love especially how people who have called Haruka bitchy and manipulative are eating their words now.
It is good times, and it’s always immensely satisfying to see people who make knee-jerk reactions shown up.
Thanks Amagami… I now have a knee pit fetish.
Life imitating art?
Good end or Bad end? I’m so excited I just can’t hide it! and…
Will AIC animate Love Plus? If they’re going to animate it then I’M SOOO IN!!!
because they have animated Konami made games such as Tokimemo and Okushishishishishishshi…
Is it possible?
I know Ive said this for the other two episodes, but its so nice to see a show moving along at a crisp pace, developing the characters, giving them some personality quirks etc. So good. Now, do we feel like this arc ends after the next episode? I think someone did the math saying it was about 4 eps a girl or else it wouldnt work out, but I cant remember. Giving that it might end next episode, I think there are some hints, its clearly winter time there due to the wearing of coats, so we might be in for a christmas date scene.
Also quick thought, any chance the show has nothing but bad ends until the end? Think of it this way, we are I thinking heading towards the end of this arc, which makes sense if it is a Christmas date, what if Junichi gets stood up for each one until the last one? It kind of makes the show feel like a time warp. Just throwing that out there, I am not familiar with the game and therefore cant accurately say what is up, but so far great show, enjoying it, one of the few things Im looking forward too every week. Keep up the good blogging.
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