Carol Olston

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

How Did Tomo and Jun Meet? Best Friend’s First Meeting!

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

Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep. 7 Review

You know what I love seeing in TV shows? Extended flashbacks. They can reveal so much about a character’s backstory, what made them into the person we know, and provide greater context to how characters act. In this case, we get an entire segment dedicated to learning how Jun and Tomo first met. And we also get a beach episode.

The Day Jun Met Tomo

The first segment takes place almost exclusively in flashback form, with Jun remembering the day he met his best friend Tomo. It was literally the day after he and his family moved from Tokyo that she wound up in his backyard…and then broke his copyright-friendly DS or 3DS. He punched her in response, her parents begged for forgiveness, and just like that, they became friends.

The entire first segment’s a fun way to show how Jun first met Tomo and Misuzu, and helps to establish much of the group dynamics they have as teenagers. The funniest part is the fact that Misuzu was, and always has been, a massive troll when it comes to Jun. That smirk of hers might rival Anya Forger’s when it comes to meme-worthiness.

More importantly, this segment also proves my point about why Jun keeps Tomo in the friendzone despite her throwing out a ton of signals.

The short version: after Tomo got Jun’s DS back from some bullies, Jun hated how weak he was. So he told her she could keep it until he got stronger than her, started training with her dad, and the rest is history. However, it’s been ten years, and Jun still doesn’t think he’s surpassed Tomo. It’s the hallmark of putting someone on a pedestal, and it’s what’s keeping him from seeing Tomo as the romantic partner that she wants!

As a side note, the fact that kid Jun’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding whenever Tomo did something cute makes it obvious. Our boy Jun is in denial about liking her!

Too bad for him, Tomo and Misuzu have other plans.

The Beach Episode is the Perfect Way to Make Jun Notice Tomo

The beach episode, a staple to many romcom/slice-of-life anime. The perfect opportunity to provide some fan-service…or get your crush to notice how great you look in a swimsuit.

In an effort to force Jun to acknowledge Tomo’s gender once and for, Tomo, Misuzu, and Carol drag him to the beach for a day of fun and relaxation. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to be. Jun takes one look at Tomo in a bikini, realizes how amazing she looks, and now he can barely think straight. It also doesn’t help that Tomo, following Suzu and Carol’s advice, refuses to let him out of her sight. The results are super effective. By the end of their beach day, Jun’s a mess.

This entire segment confirms that Jun does see Tomo as a girl, but is in denial over it and the feelings he clearly has for her. Not only does he freak out over her figure in a swimsuit, but when some creep hits on her, he pulls up on them and scares them off. Granted, Tomo could’ve broken the guy’s spine, and he does the same thing for Carol, but it’s the thought that counts.

The takeaway from this review is that this was yet another fun episode of my favorite romcom of the Winter 2023 season. And the best part is that Tomo’s finally starting to wear Jun down. We might see him caving into his feeling before the end of the season! Either that, or we’ll get a second one. 

I Give “Junichiro’s Promise” and “When Tomo Puts On a Swimsuit…” a 4.5/5 each.