Month: March 2023

I Think Misuzu’s Finally Lost it!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , ,

Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 11 Review

It’s taken most of the season, but at last, we’re seeing some real progress with Tomo and Jun’s relationship. Now both are aware they have a crush on the other; it might not be long before they’re a full-fledged couple. So…why isn’t Misuzu happy about this? This is what she’s been working towards throughout the whole show. Maybe she’s jealous because she doesn’t want to share Tomo with anyone else?

Things could get interesting fast.

Tomo, Carol, and Misuzu Get Jobs

Most people will never forget their first job, although some keep trying to do so. In this case, Tomo starts hunting for a part-time job to pay for a birthday present for Jun. That’s when Misuzu’s number-one fan, Tanabe, says his Dad needs help at the family ramen shop while his Mom’s away. Tomo, Misuzu, and Carol all join in, and soon, all three girls are working at the shop.

Since this is an anime, and Tomo, Carol, and Misuzu are all cute girls, business starts booming at the ramen shop. Say what you want, but getting pretty people to work at a business is effective. In addition, seeing Tomo and Carol in maid outfits is worth buying a few bowls of ramen (Misuzu refused to wear that outfit, though!) Jun seems to think so.

It turns out that Jun’s a regular at that ramen shop, and when he sees Tomo in a maid uniform…he starts going there every day so he can see her. While this does fluster Tomo immensely, the two are happy, and they’re even happier when Tomo buys Jun a matching smartwatch for his birthday.

I Think We Broke Misuzu

It’s the second segment of the episode that’s the most interesting one, though, and it all has to do with Misuzu. When she tries to push Jun and Tomo further along by pushing Jun down some stairs into Tomo’s arms, it backfires. He lands on Carol instead, which feels like something that would happen to Yuuki Rito from To-Love-Ru.

After that mishap, Misuzu ends up falling into a depression. As in, when she falls down the stairs into Tanabe’s arms, she thanks him. It’s that bad, and it gets worse when she stays home pretending to be sick for several days. The reason is two-fold this time: firstly, she realizes that her telling Tomo that she should act more like a “normal” girl in middle school affected her more than she realized. It made her feel unworthy of Jun when the reality is anything but. Secondly…she realized that part of her doesn’t want Tomo to be with Jun. She’s jealous.

The series’ TV Tropes page suggests that this might be because Misuzu sees Tomo as more than just a friend, but there’s nothing concrete. Regardless, Misuzu’s guilt is very much real, even after Tomo convinces her to come back to school, only to find she’s been drafted to play the starring role in the class play of Cinderella. And the Prince is played by…Tomo.

That TV Tropes page also says that Tomo makes girls question their own orientation, and I’m starting to see why. Still, this could be a good opportunity.

Hurry Up and Make a Move, You Two!

There’s only two episodes left in the season of this show, and I don’t know if there’s going to be a second one. Given how the manga its adapting is about 950 chapters (all of them one page) and we’re in the 800s from what I’ve seen, the chance of them ending the series in that time is…nill. I’m hoping, though, that we get to the point where the two finally fess up and get together, and this play could be the perfect way to do so.

Think about it: if Tomo were to suddenly end up playing Cinderella because Misuzu bailed, then Jun could be the Prince. That’s perfect for romance! Then again, much of Tomo and Jun’s relationship seems unorthodox, so that might not work. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing how the next episode turns out. And I’m also hoping that Misuzu stops beating herself up like this. Another fun episode from my favorite anime from this season.

Oh, and don’t read the TV Tropes page if you want to avoid spoilers. Otherwise, go nuts. 

I Give “My First Part-Time Job” and “The Abandoned Cinderella” a 4/5 Each.

Jun Rolls a Nat 20 On Charming Tomo!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Crunchyroll , , , , ,

Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 10 Review

Soon, people. Soon, Tomo and Jun shall step outside the friend zone and become the couple they’re meant to be. And in this week’s episode, which goes back to focusing on Tomo and Jun, we not only see them grow closer, we also learn about how they almost drifted apart in middle school.

Tomo Almost Runs Herself into the Ground.

Interesting tidbit about the word ‘marathon,’ and the meaning behind it. During the Battle of Marathon in which the Greeks bested the invading Persian army, a lone soldier carried the news back to Athens. This soldier ran without rest the entire, 27-mile distance to tell the city of their victory. As soon as he did, though, the man died from exhaustion. 

Why am I mentioning all of this? Because Tomo does something very similiar, albeit not to the point of threatening her life. When their school’s annual marathon comes around, Tomo and Jun compete to see who can make it to the finish line first. Tomo being Tomo, she spent the whole day before training until she passed out in her bathroom. Thanks to that, she got a fever that made her collapse halfway through the race. Lucky for her, Jun carries her on his back to the nurse’s office; the whole way. 

As funny as it is to see how those two are more muscles than brains, it’s an undeniably sweet thing that Jun did. It makes them even closer than they already were, and it prompts Tomo to finally return Jun’s DS. So, why is this not as awesome as it should be?

The answer lies in the second segment, where we learn what happened when Jun, Tomo, and Misuzu entered middle school.

So Both Jun and Misuzu Had their Own Reasons for Dating!

If you’ll recall, it took seeing Tomo in a girl’s uniform when they started middle school for Jun to realize the obvious facts: Tomo is a girl. Mind. Blown.

Jun’s mind was so blown, the boy spent the next year struggling to comprehend this fact and not knowing how to act. It didn’t help that everyone thought they were already dating, making things even more awkward. So, Jun decides the best solution is to find another girl they both like to date. Awkwardness averted. 

As it so happens, Misuzu was looking for the same thing: a boy she could date while they hung out with Tomo. The stars aligned and, without even realizing it, the two were helping the other’s agenda. However, we all know how that turned out. 

In hindsight, it’s sweet but hilarious to learn that Jun and Misuzu dated because they didn’t want to lose Tomo in their lives. As it turns out, though, the problems they thought they had are all in their heads. Once they talk things out with Tomo, their friendship’s stronger than ever.

What Will You Do, Jun?

…is what I would like to say. However, after what happened at the marathon, Jun feels like his friendship with Tomo’s shakier than ever. This time, it’s because of the simple fact that he’s falling for her. If he doesn’t want to lose the best thing that ever happened to her, he needs to figure things out, and soon.

I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but I love this show and the romance. It’s so sweet to see two best friends who want to take the next step but struggle to do so. I’m rooting for them, though. This is one of the best romcoms I’ve seen in years!

I Give “How the Contest Ends” and “To Stay Best Friends…” a 4.5/5 Each

Never, Ever Make Carol Sad Again. EVER!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , , , , ,

Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 9 Review

Okay, I knew that there was something about Carol that made me feel uneasy. On the one hand, she’s like this living cinnamon bun that makes people smile. On the other hand, it’s implied she’s way smarter than she lets on. She managed to troll Misuzu, after all! However, this week’s Carol-centric offers a greater look behind her smiling face than we’ve gotten thus far. And I have to say, it’s a pleasant change of pace. 

B-Couple Drama Ensues

Carol Olston and Kousouke Misaki are what shippers refer to as the b-couple of the anime. They’re the pair that also garner attention, but not as much as the main couple. In this case, Tomo and Jun. They also make for an odd pairing due to Carol’s seemingly ditzy nature and Kousuke always fretting over her, but to each their own. 

The plot of the episode kicks off when Kousuke enrolls in Mr. Aizawa’s dojo to get stronger for Carol’s sake. Given how he has to compete with Jun and Tomo, though, that’s a tall order. However, when he mentions this to Carol and explains how he wants to catch up to Tomo, she misunderstands this as thinking he likes her. Uh-oh.

Not only does this lead Carol to act colder towards Tomo, but she tries to make Kousuke jealous by flirting with Jun. He wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable, though. I know enough about relationships to know that this tactic can blow up in people’s faces.

Then, Misuzu…she messes up.

Maybe Misuzu Shouldn’t Play Matchmaker Anymore

Carol goes to Misuzu to ask if she knows what Kousuke thinks of her. Rather than tell her the truth, Misuzu does something that potentially crosses the line. To encourage both of them to open up more, Misuzu lies to Carol, making it seem like Kousuke doesn’t romantically like her. Her goal’s to get her to cry so Kousuke can stop putting her on this pedestal, which is fine. However, this plan backfires when Carol takes it even worse than expected. She stops smiling! CAROL NEVER STOPS SMILING! THAT’S A RED FLAG.

Ultimately, Misuzu’s plan does end up working: Kousuke chases after Carol, sees her in tears, and finally works up the nerve to tell her how he feels. It’s a happy ending for everyone, with Carol pranking Misuzu as payback. However, things came very close to ending off far worse.

Misuzu came dangerously close to emotionally scarring Carol. Had that happened, and if Kousuke hadn’t learned about it soon enough, Carol’s mindset could’ve changed for the worse. Thus, Misuzu dodged a big bullet.

The question is, though, should Misuzu keep trying to make Jun and Tomo get together? Her meddling could make things worse and ruin everything for everyone.

Questionable decision aside, I liked this episode for adding more depth to Carol. She’s not as one-note as some fans might think. However, I want the show to get back to Tomo and Jun, because it’s starting to get good with them.

I Give “The Angel’s True Face” a 3/5

A Founder’s Thoughts with D.J. Lewis: D&A’s Status

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Blog Updates, Blogging, Filler Posts

Hey guys, how’ve ya been? So, where do I go with this…? 

Its been quite a while since my last post; which was just a ‘check-in’ post to let you know how we’ve been doing this past month, or so. We’ve been managing to keep up with posting articles thanks to our contributors, as well as upload new videos on our youtube channel. With that said, there are some things that we’ll be bringing to your attention in regards to where we as D&A, will go from here.

D.J. Lewis’ Involvement with D&A

Normally you’d see me on youtube with A. Goldman talking about our favorite shows, most loved/hated anime characters, and even have voice actor guests on our podcast. Lately however, I’ve been taking more of a ‘backseat’ role due to a major shift in circumstances that really demand a LOT of my attention. I know a lot of you have been wondering if or even when I may decide to come back, but I don’t have a definitive answer as to when or if that may happen. Thanks to our blogging contributors, it has really taken a lot of the stress of posting reviews and articles on a weekly basis. So for now, I’m taking on an administrative role than an executive one.

D&A’s Future with Convention Appearances

I know many of you have been hoping that we would make an appearance at anime conventions; at the very least, the ones you plan on attending. While we’ve been on the scene since 2016, our convention tenure has fallen off a bit thanks to the pandemic. (Though that’s pretty much with everyone.) As much as we want to see you guys in person at a con, we don’t have a definitive answer as to when we’ll return.

Finally…

D&A to me is more than just an anime blog, or even a youtube channel; it represents a journey into what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. Never in my wildest dreams would we have gotten the chance to meet our childhood hero Steve Blum had we not founded D&A; or even meet other awesome voice actors like Crispin Freeman, Monica Rial, Tia Ballard, Joshua Seth, Josh Martin, and so many others. While our external activity may have flatlined at the moment, I don’t have any regrets in making D&A into what it is today; thanks to A. Goldman. While I don’t know where my level of interest for D&A will be in the near future, I can’t complain about how far we’ve gotten in the span of seven years. I cherish all of the moments and memories that I’ve had because of starting the blog, and perhaps…maybe, I’ll have future moments as well.

Until next time, stay nerdy!