Harem Anime

Until Next We Meet, 100 Girlfriends!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S2 Ep 12 Review

Last time on 100 Girlfriends Z, Karane Inda willingly gave up her tsundere-ness due to her own insecurities. But everyone quickly agreed that they preferred Karane the way she was and tried to restore her former self. When Kusuri’s reversing drug failed to solve the problem, it was up to Rentaro to come up with a way to restore the Karane everyone knows and loves. Will his solution make any sense, or will it parody one of the greatest shonen anime of all time? What sort of crazy hijinks will ensue on the season finale? And will we get a third season? All of those questions, except for that last one, get answered now!

Operation: Get Our Tsun On

If the above introduction sounded like the intro to an episode of Dragon Ball Z, then that was the point. The 100 Girlfriends has already garnered attention by its parody of DBZ earlier in the season. However, it’s not done; instead, it double dips in the finale with the Rentaro Family’s attempts to return Karane to normal. Instead of trying to explain it myself, lets just have the anime sum things up:

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

That’s right. They’re going to make a tsundere spirit bomb and throw it at Karane. And it is as hilarious as it sounds! But since 100 Girlfriends is a parody, they can do this sort of thing!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

In all seriousness, though, this episode does a good job of continuing the series’ deconstruction of the tsundere. While the last episode showed us how hard being a tsundere can be on one’s mental state, this episode shows us just how amazing Karane is. When Rentaro is holding the tsundere spirit bomb, he’s barely able to withstand the sheer power it radiates and starts saying the opposite of what he really means. The fact that Karane has to overcome this sort of thing every time she expresses her love for Rentaro is nothing short of superhuman. To put it simply, Karane isn’t just a tsundere; she’s the Queen of Tsunderes! And it is great to have her back halfway through the episode.

We Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love Rentaro

The remainder of the season finale can be best described as the anime just having fun with itself and breaking the fourth wall like never before. The fact that the show acknowledges its doing a chapter out of order so it can include Meme and Mimimi, who weren’t there in the manga, is hilarious. The series gives absolutely no f’s about what its doing; it just wants to have fun with its ridiculous premise.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

However, nothing can compare to the final moments of the episode as the anime recreates one of the greatest moments from the entire manga.

This is one of the greatest moments in the history of the harem and rom-com genres. If we had to make a comparison, this is harem equivalent to the legendary Seven-Page-Muda from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Some people openly criticized the anime for apparently skipping over this scene. However, having it wait to use until the finale was genius. And yes, this actually happened in the manga, cementing Rentaro as a CHAD among CHADS!! The ultimate boyfriend that every woman deserves!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Here’s Hoping We Get a Season Three

Sadly, this is where we must part ways with the 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. Unfortunately, there is no news as to whether or not the anime will be getting a third season. Which is sad, because that means we won’t get to see all the girlfriends that have yet to be revealed. Then again, if they tried to follow the series to the end, the anime industry might not have enough people to voice everyone.

If this is the end, though, I’d recommend going to read the manga. Because the girlfriends are going to get even crazier from here on out. Some of them you will absolutely adore, while others you will end up hating. However, that’s part of the fun for this series! And I, for one, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You.

I Give “100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You (89 to go)” a 4/5

Wait, Does Kissing Really Do That to People?

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Blogging, Crunchyroll, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 8 Review

Last time on The 100 Girlfriends, the Rentaro Family was facing its biggest crisis since the incident with Hahari! Rentaro’s tenth soulmate, the beautiful Mimimi Utsukushisugi, refuses to be part of any group with Nano in it due to a past transgression. Thus, the newcomer challenges Nano to a contest where the loser must leave the Family! How will Rentaro use his CHADtaro powers to resolve this conflict? What sort of antics will Mimimi bring to the Rentaro Family? And how saucy can this anime make the simple act of kissing?

That last question will make sense soon enough.

Mimimi’s Problem with Nano

So, after Mimimi threw down the gauntlet last time, this episode reveals the exact circumstances that led to her grudge against Nano. After winning a beauty paegant they were both in, Mimimi tried to be a good sport and extend a hand to Nano. In response, Nano rejected her, saying friendship was a waste of time. What made things worse was that Mimimi secretly entered Nano in the pageant all so the two of them could become friends, only to get spat on.

The first half of this episode is as much about Nano’s character development as it is about Mimimi joining the Family. Before she met Rentaro, love and friendship were utterly foreign to her. Her willingness to accept Mimimi’s challenge speaks volumes to her character development. Something that becomes more obvious over the course of their “beauty search” contest.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Instead of judging each other by what makes them beautiful, they point out everything they find beautiful in the rest of the family. This leads to some very fun moments where everything that makes the others attractive. However, it’s when they get to Rentaro himself that the real funny moment of the episode takes place.

CHADtaro humiliates himself for his Family

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Rentaro uses his CHADtaro powers to turn himself into the least attractive person they can possibly find. He shaves his eyebrows, hair, and puts on a humiliating costume all so they can’t get an edge, and call the entire contest a draw! That’s how far Rentaro is willing to go to keep his girlfriends happy!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Mimimi almost takes this moment as another loss, but again, this episode demonstrates Nano’s character development. She may not be able to make up for her past slight, but she makes it clear that she finally understands the value of love and friendship. Which is one of the great things about this series. The girl’s problems aren’t fixed overnight, but thanks to the supportive environment Rentaro gives them, they’re able to work on them together! And it’s enough to convince Mimimi to drop her grudge and officially join the Family.

Kissing Galore

In what is now a tradition for the series, the second half of the episode is centered on Mimimi integrating into the Rentaro Family through an activity. In this case, it’s helping each of the girls reach their most beautiful selves by partaking in activities that will aid them. In this case, kissing. Lots and lots and lots of kissing.

This entire half of the episode is primarily an excuse for the anime to skirt the line between SFW and full-on ecchi. Using a new lip balm to stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain, the girls each take turns kissing Rentaro. The moments that come out of this are, suitably, hilarious. Like this!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Or this!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

This one got crazy!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

And this one was a straight-up shoutout to Food Wars and its infamous Foodgasms.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

And look at how what happened afterwards!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

And with that, we now sit at ten girlfriends, with ninety more to go. And this season only has one girlfriend left to introduce, so there’s no telling what might happen! At least the girls will be able to remain beautiful, though!

I Give “The Beautiful and the Bold” a 4/5

Karaoke Cuteness Chaos

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 7 Review

It feels like only yesterday that Rentaro met his first two girlfriends. Now, he’s sitting at nine, with ninety-one girlfriends left to meet and win over! And the more girlfriends join the Rentaro Family, the more chaotic and sillier things will get. Case in point, this next episode has the Family go on another group date. Then, Rentaro finally hits double digits as his tenth girlfriend appears! And she happens to already have history with another girlfriend!

Who Doesn’t Love Karaoke?

The episode starts off making us think Rentaro’s about to meet his soulmate #10, but it’s a fakeout. In truth, the Rentaro Family’s out on a group karaoke date!

The entire date is a demonstration of one advantage that the anime has over the manga it’s adapting. In the manga, readers have to imagine what everyone sounds like when they’re singing. Because it’s an anime, the show lets us hear each girl belt out songs in all their glory. Even better, you can actually hear the OP and ED amongst the songs being played for a few moments. Considering how good they were, it’s a welcomed callback.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Shizuka’s Flooflness Made everyone Yamcha Pose

The real show, though, starts when Shizuka plucks up the courage to get up there and start singing. And thanks to another one of Kusuri’s drugs, her natural cuteness gets amplified to the point where it physically overwhelms the Family.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I don’t know what’s funnier: how each of the girls tries to tank this onslaught of cuteness, or how each of them does the famous Yamcha pose when they can’t take it anymore.

That’s one of the great things about The 100 Girlfriends. It regularly includes parodies of pop culture to the point where you could spend each episode trying to figure out reference. Special mention goes to Rentaro and Shizuka’s duet (first CHADtaro moment of the episode) leading to a recreation of the “girl falling from the sky” scene from Castle in the Sky.

NEW GIRLFRIEND APPROACHES

The second half of the episode starts with Rentaro heading to a high-class mall to scout out date spots. That’s when he crosses paths with this girl who’s boasting about how beautiful she is and…ZING!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Meet girlfriend #10, Mimimi Utsukushisugi, AKA the narcissistic beauty. She is an incredibly beautiful young woman capable of making heads turn as she walks by. Not only does she know this, but she revels in it. She considers herself the most beautiful woman in the world and will not accept anything less. And when she becomes smitten with Rentaro, she immediately gives him a makeover to conform to her beauty standards.

Normally, a character like Mimimi would be seen as toxic. Since this is The 100 Girlfriends, though, she deconstructs the narcissist. She actively puts in the work to being beautiful and maintaining it. She works hard to earn money, does daily maintenance on her face, and taught herself how to speak eloquently. She’s even capable of recognizing how one’s personality traits make them beautiful.

Case in point, when another couple jealously tries to ruin her outfit via spilled boba, Rentaro has his second CHADtaro moment of the episode. He willingly shields Mimimi with his body and ruining the new clothes he got.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

And then, when that guy almost slips on his own drink, he doesn’t hesitate to save him. Because, according to him, he was just trying to stand up for his own lady, something he can respect.

Thus, Rentaro gains his tenth girlfriend. His selflessness so moves Mimimi that she says he’s already beautiful as he is and begs him to go out with her. She even takes the news that she’s his tenth girlfriend as a compliment. So all seems right with the world…

…then Nano shows up, and Mimimi goes off.

Uh-oh.

As it turns out, despite calling herself the most beautiful, there was one black mark on her record. She and Nano competed in a beauty pageant in the past, and Nano won! Mimimi hasn’t forgotten this slight, and can’t tolerate joining any group with that has Nano! So she challenges her to a rematch, with the penalty being the loser will have to leave the Family. FOREVER!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

So, the episode ends on the biggest crisis the Rentaro Family has faced since the day they met Hahari! And Rentaro seems powerless to stop this coming duel! Remember, if any of his soulmates don’t date him, they’ll eventually die. This is serious business to him! How will he get out of this mess?

Find out in the next review, which will hopefully be up soon. Also, it should be noted that I had to look up the reference that Nano made at the end. A rare instance where I didn’t get the reference.

I Give “Karaoke Crisis” a 4.5/5

Megumin Took a Page from Darkness for 100 Girlfriends Audition

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 5 Review

Masochism is a noun describing the act of deriving pleasure from one’s pain. And in the anime world, no masochist is more famous than Darkness from KonoSuba. Darkness will throw herself in front of enemy attacks to experience pain. She regularly (and openly) fantasizes about painful and humiliating scenarios she can go through. She might be the ultimate masochist, but 100 Girlfriends may have just given us someone who rivals her interest. And for extra irony, this new girl is voiced by the seiyuu of Darkness’ party member, Megumin!

Also, good on the anime for updating the OP to now include Mei Meido.

Megumin Joins the Family!

As Rentaro is walking near the entrance to his high school, he sees a girl in a baseball uniform asking other girls to join the baseball team. But then, the two’s eyes meet and…zing!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Meet girlfriend #9 Iku Sutou, a tomboy and only member of the girl’s baseball team. She loves the sport and is determined to be the best at it. She’s so determined, in fact, that she will practice until every part of her body is screaming at her to stop. And she likes it! She’s a colossal masochist!

Most of the girlfriends have quirks that viewers and readers will consider funny, but Iku might be among the funniest. Rentaro sees her have hearts in her eyes while dealing with the pain of swinging the bat 10,000. And when she finds out Rentaro already has a girlfriend(s), she’s heartbroken…and loves it!

The funniest part about Iku isn’t even something found in the manga; it comes from anime. Her seiyuu is Rie Takahashi, AKA the seiyuu of Megumin from KonoSuba. This was a brilliant casting choice, and it cannot have been a coincidence. Someone must have realized how hilarious it would be to have a character that takes after Darkness’ looks and personality but has Megumin’s voice. She’s easily the funniest character to join the cast since Hahari’s reveal as one of Rentaro’s soulmates, and the same goes for her love confession. He pretends to reject her confession because he knows she’ll love it.

Doing that is so painful it makes Rentaro vomit blood. Peak comedy, and girlfriend #9 is now secured.

Masochism+Determination=COMPLETE DISASTER

Iku’s masochism might be used for laughs, but her determination is very genuine. With all her teammates training in America, the girl’s baseball team is in danger of being shut down. Hence why she’s spent every day asking girls to join the team for an upcoming practice game so it can stay open. Once the Rentaro Family accepts her, though, they all agree to help. Partly because they’ve been trying to burn off the calories from the eating contest but mostly so they can exercise with Rentaro.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

As expected, the girl’s practice is full of jokes and visual gags centered around how their quirks affect their practice. They’re all pretty funny, ranging from Kurumi trying to eat the ball (it reminded her of a candy,) Nano throwing the ball like a pitching machine, and Kusuri copying Zoro’s three-sword-style with bats. If you like the jokes about each girl, you’ll like the training. However, things do take a serious turn when Iku stays up practicing all night, only to collapse from exhaustion!

Like every girl, Iku deconstructs an archetype found in fiction. In this case, her determination to do better, combined with her masochism, feed into this loop that could quickly become self-destructive. She is what would happen if Goku or Vegeta trained themselves past their limits but never gave themselves the time to rest. It’s not something one should always do, and it moves the Rentaro Family enough to stay overnight to look after her.

This is gonna be fun

Black comedy points for the reason they found it being Hahari overhearing Iku underneath the bed in the nurse’s office. The anime even shows her doing this!

Iku might be one of the best girlfriends to join the Rentaro Family thus far. Her determination is endearing, she gets extra points for being a tomboy (#tomboysupremacy), and her quirks, combined with her seiyuu, are hilarious. Welcome to the family, Iku, and good luck at the game.

I Give “Most Athletes are Masochists” a 5/5

The maids must be crazy

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 4 Review

Of all the waifu archetypes in anime, one of the oldest and most respected is that of the maid. The cute outfits, the respectful behavior, the willingness to serve their masters loyally. Many a male anime fan has dreamed of having a cute maid as their girlfriend! However, there’s the expectations, and then there’s the reality of what that’s like. And as Rentaro finds out when he starts a relationship with the Hanazono’s maid, Mei Meido, being a perfect maid does not immediately correlate to being a girlfriend.

Also, I would like to amend my review for the season premiere. It turns out that the first half of the episode wasn’t anime-original. It was a chapter that I had forgotten about.

Mei has some serious issues!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

So, having gotten Hahari’s blessing to date Rentaro, Mei shows up at his house so that they can have their first real date. As said before, many young guys would kill for the chance to date a pretty maid girl like Mei. However, Rentaro soon discovers that Mei…has some issues.

Mei is so devoted to her life as Hahari’s maid that she has no interests outside of serving her mistress. When he asks her what she likes, all she can answer with are himself and lady Hahari. Then she tries to drive to both their residences, despite just leaving his!

It gets worse. While she does endear herself with a pre-made lunch, her maid mentality is so thoroughly ingrained into her that Mei needs someone to give her a command. If she had fallen in love with someone with fewer scruples, she could be asked to do things that some might seem indecent. The anime even lampshades how fortunate it is that Rentaro’s love far outweighs his lust. Its pretty clear, though, that, like many of the other girlfriends, Mei has her own, deep-seated issues. And while the anime tries to make light of it with a joke in the stinger, the accompanying flashback makes it clear that Mei’s problems should be taken seriously.

Spoiler alert: Mei’s deadbeat, debt-ridden parents abandoned her in the cold. If Hahari hadn’t found her in time, she would’ve died. Thankfully, not only did Hahari find her, she even offered to adopt her as her daughter. In other words, her non-existent self-esteem led Mei to become slavishly loyal to Hahari.

CHADtaro powers, ACTIVATE!

This looks like a job for…CHADtaro! In this case, he gives Mei thus command to not be of any use to him whatsoever, only to then point out how thats impossible. Why? Because her very existence is helpful to him!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The logic and execution behind it seems crazy, but you can understand what Rentaro is going for. He’s trying to build up Mei’s self-esteem by showing her that she doesn’t need to do anything for him to make him happy. Just existing is enough for him because he’s a CHAD among CHADS. It doesn’t fully snap her out of this way of thinking, but none of the other girlfriends have fully gotten rid of their issues. Nor do they need to, because Rentaro accepts them, faults and all.

And with that, girlfriend #8 has been secured. On to the celebration.

Squirt Gun Fight!

It should be a recognizable formula by one: once Rentaro secures a girlfriend, the Rentaro Family will spend half an episode or a whole episode attempting to integrate the newcomer through comedic hijinks. In this case, Hahari has them all dress up as maids and have a water gun shootout. The winner gets a hug and kiss from Butler Rentaro!

The fight itself is funny due to how seriously (or not) the girls take it. The anime really leans into each girlfriends unique quirks to demonstrate how they win or lose. And, since this is a rom-com harem, each girl gets a gratuitous money shot of them soaked in their maid outfits. Unfortunately, Mei’s loyalty to Hahari leads to none of the girls winning…wait, that’s not unfortunate. They all get a kiss from the best boyfriend in harem anime…and a money shot of Butler Rentaro.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

One might think that having the series down to a formula would get boring, but what matters more is the execution. And with how many girlfriends with different personalities will be joining the Family, this isn’t going to get old anytime soon.

Though, admitedly, some of Hahari’s motivations can get grating if they’re not used in moderation. The fact that Hahari saved Mei mainly because she was cute is not something we needed to know!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

By the way, they updated the ED since they don’t need to hide Mei anymore! Secret route UNLOCKED!!!

I Give “Super Soaked Maid Party” a 4/5

Guess Who the next Girlfriend is? The Answer might Surprise you!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll, Dubs & Subs , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 3 Review

Maternal. Refined. Poise. All of these adjectives could be used to describe Hahari Hanazono. At least, they were, until she met Rentaro and the floodgates were opened. Now she’s the absolute goofiest member of Rentaro’s growing family, much to Hakari’s dismay. But maybe all Hakari needs to do is walk a mile in her mother’s shoes (with Rentaro) to understand why Hahari’s now acting like she is. All of this, plus the next girlfriend awaits on 100 Girlfriends!

Rugrats was a good cartoon!

One day in their usual hangout, Hahari’s back at her childish antics again. This time, she convinced Kusuri to make a drug that would turn everyone into babies, all so she can dress them up in baby clothes and pretend she’s their mommy. However, Hakari finally reaches her breaking point with her mother’s behavior and calls her out on how embarrassing it is as her daughter. Unfortunately, the fallout gets delayed because, thanks to Kusuri’s messing up, everyone but Rentaro and Hakari gets turned into babies. Tiny, adorable babies.

With a minimum of an hour before they can take the reversing drug, Hakari and Rentaro have to take care of the babified girls. It’s like one of those tv episodes where students have to raise an egg or flower sack as a pretend kid, but with actual stakes. It’s cute at first, until Hakari learns something: parenting is hard. The babies crawl everywhere, Karane and Kurumi keep trying to feed off of Hakari, and the only the two can get them to stop is by Rentaro injuring himself.

Despite all this, though, Hahari still consoles her daughter like the mother she is.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Tell your mom you love them!

The whole experience is an eye-opener for Hakari as to how hard raising kids can be. Hahari had the good fortune of being wealthy enough to be a single mother, but becoming one at age 13 would be stressful for anyone. Herein lies the reason for why Hahari acts so silly: because she neber got to enjoy her teens and grow up quickly, she’s trying to make up for lost time. Thus, surrounded by the Rentaro Family that loves her for all her faults, she lets herself cut loose. It’s not ideal, but Hakari learns to accept that part of her mother…to an extent.

The second half of the episode skips past a chapter focused on Kusuri playing with a toy penguin named after Rentaro, sadly. However, it’s a good segue into the Family’s next misadventure involving Meido.

And Girlfriend #8 is…

Meido, age 19, Hahari’s personal maid who’s always smiling for the sake of her mistress. She’s best described as being like a dog, in that she’s so loyal to Hahari, it unnerves Hahari sometimes. She even says that she will take cyanide if Hahari asked her! Yet, underneath her smile and closed eyelids, Hahari claims she has beautiful eyes. She’s kept her face in professional maid mode for so long, though, she might qualify as blind.

The Rentaro Family resorts to their various antics to try and get Meido to open her eyes, with predictable results. All their various attempts to scare, make her laugh, or startle her end in failure or just more hijinks! The most they manage to do is Nano making Shizuka cry and Kusuri and Kurumi having to comfort Hahari.

Once again, though, it’s Rentaro who manages to come in clutch.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Now we have a maid girlfriend

THAT’S RIGHT! Meido is girlfriend #8, here to fulfill everyone’s fantasies of dating a cute maid! And, as per the norm by now, she’s got her own issues that she needs to deal with before they can seal the deal. In this case, Meido’s loyalty to Hahari is so great that she refuses to act on her feelings until Hahari orders her to.

This could be Rentaro’s toughest battle yet. How will he get through to the super-loyal Meido? For that matter, why is Meido so loyal to Hahari in the first place? Expect to learn the answers to both in the next episode. However, as far as this episode goes, it was yet another barrel of laughs for this writer. Ever since Hahari came to accept Rentaro and his harem ways, her goofy antics have been the source of a great deal of the series comedy. Considering how she had to suppress her own desires for 16 years for her daughter’s sake, though, it’s understandable. You’d be surprised how many adults wish they could cut loose like Hahari does. Also, seeing the baby versions of the Family get into trouble while the “parents” struggled feels like watching an episode of the classic Rugrats.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I Give “What Does the Maid See?” a 4/5

They Cut off Part of the Manga for the Eating Contest

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll, Dubs & Subs , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 2 Review

Last time on the legend of CHADtaro, our hero managed to secure his seventh girlfriend, Kurumi Haraga, the girl with an appetite to rival that of a Saiyan. But despite choosing to date Rentaro, the little Kirby will not associate with the rest of the Rentaro family. Thus, CHADtaro decided to enter them all into an eating contest to help them bond. Can the Family’s stomachs survive the turmoil to come? Find out now on The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You!

An Eating Contest?

As stated above, in order to break the ice between Kurumi and the rest of his girlfriends, Rentaro has them all enter an eating contest, with a special gelato being the grand prize. However, things are easier said than done, as Kurumi rather coldly believes the other girls will only hold her back. To make matters worse, their main competition happens to be a competitive eater…who cheats. They disguise themselves as a giant man to hide the fact that they use a vacuum and food collector to store everything they “eat.” It’s something so ridiculous that even the anime calls itself out on the sheer ridiculousness of it!

Being that this is a food competition, most of the episode’s humor stems from the competitor’s efforts to keep from exploding from eating so much, with each girlfriend going to absurd lengths to win!

Shizuka? She chews boba like she’s a cute little chipmunk?

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Nano forces herself onto a ledge so that the fear will somehow make her able to eat her last piece of food!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Hakari and Hahari power through the potential weight gain by remembering the fat will go to the places that matter.

Hilariously, Karane and Kusuri’s part gets cut off to save time.

The Rentaro Family wins (duh)

In the end, the final round predictably comes down to Rentaro and Kurumi’s efforts. Unfortunately, not even Kurumi’s stomach can handle all the food she’s eaten, and she begins to give out. At least, until the Rentaro family pulls through. With the help of their collective stamina, they’re able to bring the cheater to his knees! And then Rentaro just comes in and secures the final win using the power of love and whatnot!

And afterwards, Kurumi and Rentaro celebrate by having their first kiss. And with that, girlfriend #7 has been secured for the Rentaro Family.

So, how was this little outing? Hilarious, but that’s the case for almost everything in this wacky harem anime. If anything, it would be more surprising if it wasn’t silly and over-the-top. However, it may be because of the sheer amount of food being consumed, but this episode wasn’t quite as fun as the previous one. Then again, you can’t expect every episode to be a winner.

Unless you’re Rentaro. Then they’re all winners.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I Give “The Beginning and the End! Food Fight Festival!”

100 Girlfriends is BACK!!!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Premiere Review

Everyone, the GOAT harem anime where no one loses has returned! After what felt like an eternity, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You has returned to grace our screens once more!

It should come as no secret by now, but I am a big fan of 100 Girlfriends. Of all the harem anime that I’ve seen over the years, it’s one of the funniest and most wholesome in the entire genre. More importantly, it’s about a protagonist who’s got an actual personality, but who is proactive in how he treats his girlfriends. Rentaro is the gold standard that every boyfriend should aspire to be, and I love seeing him and his growing family enjoying their lives together.

So, despite it not being my intention, I’m going to be reviewing every episode of this new season as we watch and laugh at all the hilarity. And the show comes out of the gate swinging like it’s Karane’s killer left hook.

Freaky Friday or Your Name?

After the new OP (which is one of the series best parts), rather than jump into the story of the manga, the series decides to come up with an original story for the first half of the premiere. And it doesn’t hesitate to resume its fourth-wall-breaking by having the girlfriends acknowledge that it’s been a year since the last episode. So, to shake things up, Hakari had Kusuri develop a drug to alter their personalities…only for it to somehow make them switch bodies. It’s a scenario straight out of Your Name, and not only does the anime acknowledge this, it even recreates it one of its famous montages.

If that wasn’t funny enough, what makes it funnier is the fact that they try to avoid getting sued for name-dropping it. As well as Rentaro trying to figure out who’s in what body based on their mannerisms.

I think what makes it even better is that they didn’t switch seiyuu’s for this like other anime would. They got to act out of character as much as they wanted, and I can’t wait to hear this in dub.

In any event, it’s up to Rentaro to figure out how to get them back in their bodies, and this is one of those moments where the show just chooses to ignore realism in the name of comedy. In this case, the girlfriends each have to kiss Rentaro, making them feel so ecstatic that their souls leave their bodies. I cannot make this up!

Girlfriend #7 Comes to Feast!

Once that’s done, though, the anime gets back to following the plot of the manga. That means that it’s time for Rentaro to get his seventh soulmate. And the winner is…

Meet Kurumi Haraga, a third-year middle schooler and the big eater girlfriend. She and Rentaro meet when she sneaks into high school cafeteria to get some lunch. And, as with all the other girls, Kurumi has her own issues that serve to make her unique amongst the growing Rentaro Family. In this case, her big eater tendencies are not by choice. She suffers from an abnormally high metabolism, meaning she burns through calories like crazy, so she has to eat a lot to keep going. Worse, whenever someone mentions a specific food, she’ll start craving it and will remain grumpy until she has it. In other words, combine the eating habits of a Saiyan with the eating disorder that Big Mom from One Piece has, but without destructive tendencies.

Because of her unique issue, Kurumi has a hard time opening up to people, as she will lash out at others when she’s hungry. And since she’s hungry all the time, she has no friends. Thus, despite bonding over lunch with Rentaro after they meet, she lashes out at him the next day when she can’t get the food she wants.

Thankfully, Rentaro, being the CHAD he is, manages to soothe her hunger pains…and win her heart.

Did I mention I like her design? The headphones and hoodie are a cool combo.

Prepare for Lots of Foodservice Next Episode

The episode ends with Rentaro introducing Kurumi to the Family, only for Kurumi to say she’s not interested in being friends with them. So, to break the ice, Rentaro has them all sign up for an eating contest with a special gelato as the prize, setting us up for the next episode!

This entire episode, from start to finish, was an absolute blast. I love 100 Girlfriends for how unhinged it can be with its premise, and it’s the comedic moments in this episode that provide a good example of why. It doesn’t care about being hated; it’s only interested in having a good time. I’m really glad it’s back…and I love the ED just as much as the OP.

I Give “Her Name” a 5/5

Yes, 100 Girlfriends Just Went There

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Anime REvisited, Blogging , , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink’s Recap of Season 1 of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, Pt 3

Last time on 100 Girlfriends, Rentaro continued to meet more soulmates and grow his family of lovers. First, there was Nano Eiai, the kuudere who values logic and efficiency only to discover the value of bonds and emotions. Then, there was Kusuri Yakuzen, the genius chemistry girl who looks young most of the time, but was actually this beautiful 18-year old! Just as the Rentaro Family was enjoying their growing bonds, Hakari asked Rentaro to break up with her. Having learned her daughter was dating a five-timer, her mother decided to forcibly separate the two. Not wanting this to happen, the Rentaro family mounts a daring rescue mission straight out of Mission Impossible, complete with similar music and everything!

Mission: Girlfriend Impossible

As the group arrives at the Hanazono family mansion, they work together to overcome the security and make it inside. Shizuka offers herself up as bait to distract the guard dog, quoting Gandalf in the process. Thankfully, her natural smolness means the dog refuses to harm her, licking her instead. Next, they must get past a hallway with infrared sensors, prompting Kusuri to use a drug that lets someone see in infrared (and only infrared). She was going to use it to apply for a big pharma company, but this was more important. With Rentaro and Karane working together Tom Cruise style, they get past the sensors with minimal issues!

Sadly, as soon as they reach Hakari  they get caught by her mother’s security guards. After that, they are forced to meet face-to-face with Hahari Hanazono, Hakari’s mother at 29 years old.

Hahari’s age is important because it doesn’t just make her an example of the absurdly youthful mother. Hakari is 16 years old, meaning that Hahari had her daughter at the tender age of 13, which in and of itself is terrifying. The reason why is just as tragic, though. When she was 13 and fell in love with Hakari’s father (who was the same age), he was dying from a terminal illness. She was so desperate to have something to remember him by that she used her family’s wealth to artifically inseminate herself with his DNA. Tragically, he died before Hakari was born, leaving Hahari to raise her daughter alone. Which she could do since she was super rich. But she could never replace her deceased lover, and she knew how much Hakari was like her, so she didn’t want her daughter to fall in love with someone who would take advantage of her.

To put it simply, Hahari is being a good parent and trying to look out for her daughter’s well-being. Rentaro is reduced to tears, washing out the eyedrops and letting him see again. And the second he and Hahari’s eyes meet…ZING!

Girlfriend #6-The Absurdly Youthful Mother

Yes, the sixth of Rentaro’s soulmates is the mother of another one of his soulmates. And by this point, it becomes obvious that 100 Girlfriends is different from other harem anime. It’s not afraid to do things that others would find controversial, like pairing up the underage protagonist with an actual mother. As for Hahari, how does she respond to this new feeling?

She was blinded again by love. It takes Karane’s straight-man routine to bring the two to their senses, at which point Hahari still refuses to let Rentaro date her daughter. To prove his sincerity, she forces him to take a lie detector test, even using Karane as a guinea pig to prove its validity. After Karane embarrasses herself at the others expense, Rentaro passes the test so easily that the anime decides to abridge it. However, things grow dire when word reaches them that Hakari is threatening to throw herself out the window!

Karane restrains Hahari so Rentaro can make it in time, and he manages to convince her that ending her life not going to solve anything, only create more misery. Unfortunately, Hakari winds up slipping and falling out anyway. But thanks to Rentaro diving after her and using his CHADtaro powers, he protects her from the impact and manages to land them both in a fountain below, saving their lives.

Seeing him save her daughters life, Hahari is now convinced that Rentaro’s feelings for her daughter are real. Thus, she gives him her blessing to date Hakari. Rentaro, in turn, sees how good of a mom that Hahari is, and vows to make them both happy.  Which means that Hahari now joins the Rentaro Family as girlfriend #6, much to Hakari’s utter exasperation. She now has to share her boyfriend with her own mother! A literal mommy-daughter double whopper!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

And to make it even crazier, the episode she starts dating Rentaro has a special ending dedicated entirely to her and how much she loves Rentaro-Chan! Complete and utter chaos!

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Well, this is Happening Now

Hahari wastes no time in joining in on the family’s antics, allowing them to stay the night so they can bond. And she proves to be as perverted as her daughter is, as she uses the night to try and get closer to her new boyfriend. She dresses up all the girls in pajamas and costumes she has, and then makes Rentaro dress like a girl for her own enjoyment! He winds up fainting from embarassment, and has to be woken up by Nano dressed as a prince like a reverse Sleeping Beauty!

Then, Hahari and Hakari convince all the girls to try and peep on Rentaro while he’s bathing, with Shizuka being the only one who refuses. Both their attempts fail miserably, though, but because she was trying to stop it, Shizuka winds up being the only one who sees by complete accident.

Her lack of emotional maturity aside, though, Hahari is shown to have been deeply scarred by the loss of her first love. It gets to the point where Rentaro has to reassure her it’s not wrong for her to find happiness with someone else, which leads to their first kiss. Get used to it; this is how things will be.

Oh, and Rentaro meets the ghost of Hakari’s father, who’s been watching over the two girls all this time. Having seen how Rentaro has saved them both, Hakari’s father thanks him before finally moving on to the afterlife.

The day after the ordeal, everyone leaves the Hanazono mansion to head to school, with life returning to normal…is what you’d think would happen. Not wanting to be apart from Rentaro, Hahari used her money to buy their entire school, becoming its new chairwoman. All of this just so she can see Rentaro more!!

And with that, we reach the end of the first season of the peak of harem anime, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. It’s uncertain whether or not we will cover the next season on here. However, if you haven’t watched this anime yet, I recommend you do. Even if you think that harem anime are trash, the great thing about this series is that it knows it’s trash and embraces it. Every girl in this series is going to be best girl, and you can’t help but admire how absurdly dedicated he is to making his girlfriends happy. If the world had more people willing to do that much for their lovers, there would be no such thing as incels anymore.

And yes, I like this anime. It’s funny.

100 Reasons Why I’m Obssessed with CHADtaro

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Anime REvisited, Blogging , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink’s Recap of Season 1 of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, Pt 1

It’s a new year, and with that, comes new anime and returning anime with new seasons. And one of the anime that I’m most eager to see return also happens to be the pinnacle of the often-maligned harem genre. The reason why it’s the pinnacle is because it goes out of its way to avoid many of the pitfalls of that genre while also fleshing out the girls involved so that they are not cookie-cutter, one-note individuals. I’m talking about The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You.

I’m RJ Writing Ink, and welcome to my hilarious recapping of the first season of 100 Girlfriends to get you primed for the upcoming season. There will be major spoilers ahead, so either keep reading or go watch it on Crunchyroll.

Why Can’t Rentaro Get a Girlfriend? Because a god Messed Up

Rentaro Aijo is a boy who only wants to find love and get a girlfriend, and he’s spent his entire life bettering himself towards that goal. Unfortunately, despite being the ideal that every boyfriend should strive for, the poor boy keeps getting rejected. It’s gotten to the point that by the time he leaves junior high, his rejection streak has hit 100! Out of options, Rentaro goes to a local shrine to pray for love. Miraculously, he gets some divine intervention in the form of the shrine’s Love God. Said deity explains that he’s not destined to meet his soulmate in high school. He’s destined to meet 100 soulmates! He will know who they are because when they eyes meet, they’ll get that zing of love.

Rentaro then threatens to burn the shrine down if the Love God is lying (No cap)

Girlfriends 1 & 2: the Love Freak and Tsundere

Sure enough, on Rentaro’s first day of high school, he literally walks into his first two soulmates, Hakari Hanazono and Karane Inda. This is also when the story starts demonstrating how each girl serves as a deconstruction of their archetype. In this case, Hakari acts sweet and cute, but she’s really a girl whose very aggressive in her affections and willing to take things to the next level. In contrast, Karane is a tsundere, but that’s because she’s very shy and insecure about her feelings. That doesn’t stop her from acting as the straight woman to Hakari and the other characters craziness, though.

By the end of the day, the two girls wind up confessing their love for Rentaro and beg him to go out with one of them. At a loss, Rentaro goes back to the Love God for advice, only to learn something horrible. Getting a soulmate uses up all of a person’s luck, and if they reject them, that person will die. And the reason why Rentaro has 100 soulmates is because the Love God was distracted with his paperwork the day he was born watching a Miyazaki film. In other words, the Love God has put the lives of 100 people in danger!

Rightly horrified, Rentaro doesn’t know what to do. At first, he considers dating the two and any future soulmates behind their backs…but he punches himself for even considering that. In the first of many examples of why he’s CHADtaro, Rentaro understands how scary it is to confess your love to someone and fade reflection. Rather than let them experience that and face death, he makes the only move available to him: he will date them all.

Rentaro Aijo manages to prove himself a step above almost all other harem protagonists. He will not only date all 100 women, but will love them equally and make them all happy! And to prove his sincerity, he gives Hakari and Karane two pink four-leafed clovers that are said to make a love confession succeed. The two girls are so in love with him, they wind up agreeing to this insane proposal.

And with that, girlfriends one and two are secured. The next step is deciding who will get to kiss him first.

The Perfect First Kiss

Since the two are his first girlfriends, Rentaro has yet to receive his first kiss. At first, the girls try to fight each other over the right to claim his lips first, but being the savvy man he is, Rentaro figures out what’s happening. Thus, he comes up with this convoluted scheme involving blindfolds and earbuds to make sure no one knows who kissed him first. It doesn’t go so well, and when the two start fighting again, he gets so upset he runs through the hallway to attract the inhuman vice-principal and recieve her unholy kiss of death. Thankfully, the girls threaten to get her fired, saving the day. After that, they just agree to kiss each other at once, and all is right with the world.

Girlfriend 3-The Mute Bookworm

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

But then, they head to the library, and Rentaro gets another zing, heralding the arrival of the next soulmate. Meet Shizuka Yoshimoto, the shy, quiet, and sweet cinnamon bun girl who loves books. However, her quietness not by choice. She has a hard time speaking, so she communicates using phrases from her books. All that does is weird people out, including her own mother, making her even more isolated and insecure than she already is. So what does Rentaro do to help her? He commits his next action as CHADtaro: he takes her favorite book, transcribes it all onto a text-to-speech app by hand, and then has her download the app onto her phone, allowing her to finally speak with others! Once she confesses her love, Rentaro happily accepts.

And with that, girlfriend #3 has been secured.

The Harem Grows

After Rentaro introduces Shizuka to his other two girlfriends, their reactions are mixed. Hakari’s overjoyed to see how much love Rentaro has for all of them and thinks Shizuka is the cutest thing in the world. Karane gets mad at first but rolls with it because she loves Rentaro so much. The problem is that Shizuka remains uncomfortable around the other girls, so to break the ice, he has them all play old maid with the winner getting to tickle the loser.

Rentaro proceeds to win the first three rounds and tickles each girl, with comedic results. When Shizuka wins, though, she holds back, greatly irritating Karane. When Rentaro senses things are going wrong, he steps out, allowing the three girls to speak honestly. Karane tells Shizuka off for holding back her true feelings, and Shizuka tells them how insecure she feels to each of them for their beauty and confidence. The three talk their feelings out, and when Rentaro re-enters, Shizuka gains enough confidence to ask him for her first kiss.

Peace is restored!

And this is where we will end part one, as this is too long for us to cover in a single post. Part two will continue things as we head to girlfriends numbers 4 and 5.