Rentaro

MISS NADDY IS BEST GIRL! NO ARGUMENTS ALLOWED!

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 3 Review

Guys, there are a lot of waifus and husbandos out there, and I’m pretty sure that there are at least one or two who we would marry in a heartbeat if they were real. And I think I just found the one from 100 Girlfriends who would qualify for me. She is not only beautiful, but also loves and appreciates the best aspects of the land of the Stars and Stripes. Introducing our newest member of the Rentaro Family!

Miss Naddy is Perfect

It all starts on a typical day in school for the Rentaro Family. The language teacher for Rentaro’s class just hit the lottery and retired, so the position is now conveniently open for a new character. And as the gang’s wondering who they could be, we get this amazing punchline when they walk in and show what an actual character they are.

Say howdy to Miss Naddy, everyone! She is just so funny to me, mostly because of how AMERICAN she acts. As an American myself, I’ve grown up seeing the oddities of our country as something perfectly normal. So, getting to see how other countries view America can be pretty interesting. In this case, Naddy is an over-the-top parody of what some people probably think we’re like, constantly spouting the joys of freedom and of living life the way you want. Some people might see it as offensive, but I can tell that she was not made with any malice in mind.

Also, between her pretty face and cowgirl attire, I’m pretty much sold on her. And so is Rentaro, once they zing.

So, Naddy keeps Rentaro late so she can get closer to him, and if this weren’t a romcom, I would call child protective services. But any chance of that happening went out the window the second Hahari joined! But then comes the big twist that makes Naddy even better: Rentaro figures out that she’s not really American.

Miss Naddy is actually Japanese-born and bred. And her actual name is Nadeshiko Yamato. She just has everyone think her name’s Nadia.

Miss Naddy’s Parents Must DIE!!!

The irony is that her name is the reverse of the Japanese term for traditional beauties: demure, submissive, and devoted to their family. And Naddy is actively trying to be none of those, and for good reason, because she might have the saddest backstory out of everyone in the Rentaro family. She came from a super strict and traditional household and was forced by her abusive parents to be this personification of her name. And she HATED every minute of it. I don’t blame her, either! Seeing her mom lock her in the shed for not playing an instrument right is enough to make me go Super Saiyan. It was only thanks to her being exposed to American culture that she realized that she didn’t have to live like that. And as soon as she was old enough, she gave her mom the middle finger and left on her own. Good riddance.

All of this has left Naddy feeling very insecure about herself, as she’s worried she will be scorned for being a fraud. Thankfully, Rentaro is the ultimate CHAD, and he doesn’t hesitate to accept Naddy for who she wants to be. And neither do I. Like I said before, I think Naddy genuinely appreciates the best of America and tries to embody it, maybe even moreso than some Americans these days. As far as I’m concerned, she’s alright. Also, I love her cowgirl outfit!

Rentaro Family Fashion Show!

Speaking of outfits, Naddy’s introduction to the Family might as well be a fashion show, because after they get over the shock of having a teacher join (mostly Karane), Naddy encourages them all to embrace freedom. By which we mean she has them dress up  tbe way they would if they were free to be what they wanted. The result is something that reflects the girl’s personalities in all their glory.

RENTARO IS KING OF THE BOYFRIENDS!

Is it wrong that I’m surprised Hakari’s outfit doesn’t show more? And I’m happy to see that Hahari can still pull off the high schooler look, but I’m also concerned about how that will look to outsiders. Or DeviantArt.

This entire episode is just so much fun. If I had the power, I would give Miss Naddy full American citizenship for how much she appreciates this country. Also, my personal headcanon always had me imagining Miss Naddy’s dub voice as something like Applejack from My Little Pony. That’s right, I’m a Brony.

I Give “The Japanese Teacher Has Blonde Hair” a 5/5

Well, that went as well as I thought, Rentaro

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 2 Review

Gather round, folks, gather round! It is time for more 100 Girlfriends! And to say that this next girlfriend is controversial is probably underselling it. I still question how whatever Japan uses for standards and practices let this pass. And I will not lie, I do think the concept of Chiyo is cringe. But I’m just along for the ride, and I know better than to question Rentaro. It was still funny to see Chiyo meeting everyone, though.

Oh, boy.

So, Chiyo’s introduction to the Rentaro Family goes about as well as you’d expect: Karane’s straight man compels her to question how this was allowed, and Hahari says “thanks for the meal.” Good lord, thank god this is a comedy, or Hahari would be on some list of predators. But things go south when Chiyo’s OCD kicks in and she starts “tidying up” everything “wrong” with the Family. I’m just going to show it instead of describing it.

I think I almost lost it when Chiyo said Hahari and Iku’s existence was a problem.

Fortunately for everyone, Chiyo is quick to realize the chaos she has wrought and starts feeling bad about it. I’m gonna be honest: it was funny, but she was also trying to force her ideals on people that didn’t need nor want them. And when she starts crying, everyone is quick to comfort her, showing just how welcoming they all are. It’s honestly heartwarming to see how close they’ve become as a makeshift family. And yes, they are a bunch of weirdos.

Now, the second half of the episode is actually what surprised me, as it completely skips over what happens in the manga. In the manga, Chiyo’s introduction is followed (after an ad for keychains) by a chapter where, upon learning how kiss-happy the Rentaro family is, she bans them from kissing during school hours. And their plan to get her to loosen up almost turns her into a kissing zombie.

I will be blunt: I didn’t like that chapter. I thought it was repetitive considering how Chiyo had just learned to accept the Family’s oddities. I didnt like how they had the youngest member do that to them. It was just a forgettable chapter. Though, that makes the second half of the episode even stranger since it changes gears to Mimimi and Meme.

This Was Way Better

So, there’s this noisy photographer from the school paper who’s obsessed with getting a photo of Meme, and she mastered this Demon Slayer breathing technique to do it. Rentaro, naturally, is prepared to burn the newspaper club to the ground, saying this constitutes terrorism. And Hahari can’t stop her because she’s being blackmailed with proof of how much of a freak she is.

The entire second half is more or less the Family trying to help Meme protect her privacy, with predictable results. They have her dressed in a bunny girl outfit to train her evasiveness up, but really, it’s just so Hahari can enjoy the view. But in the end, they come up with an even stronger version of Meme’s substitution jutsu: they swap out Meme for Mimimi! And Mimimi is just so good at posing!

I like this. I like this very much. And if I’m correct with my math, then the next episode is going to introduce one of my personal favorites in the entire series! I can’t wait for more laughs next week!

I Give “Chiyo’s Family Coaching” a 3/5

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:

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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

Karane Lost her Tsundere?!?

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

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 11 Review

It’s sad to say it, but the second season of The 100 Girlfriends is almost at an end. We’ve met all the new girlfriends, ranging from the big eater to the super shy girl, as they’ve joined the Rentaro Family. However, the show would be remiss to end its sophomore outing without another big arc. Last season ended with the Family saving Hakari…and having her mother join the Family. However, this season is ending with a potentially greater crisis that could change Karane forever: she loses her tsundere-ness!

Karane’s Insecurities Boil Over

Karane Inda was one of the first two girlfriends and serves as the Rentaro Family’s resident tsundere. Whenever she gets flustered or embarrassed, she reacts in a defensive manner and goes, “It’s not like I *insert whatever she is being a tsundere about*!” In keeping with the series deconstructing waifu archetypes, she also serves as the Family’s straight man. She will not hesitate to call out everyone when their nonsense goes too far, and biting remarks are legendary. She is, frankly, the both the ultimate personification and antithesis of the tsundere, an archetype that I adore…but Karane herself hates.

One of the recurring themes surrounding Karane is how deeply insecure she is about herself. Whenever she gets flustered, she says the opposite of what she really feels, and she fears that this might drive Rentaro and the others away for good. And the more she falls in love with Rentaro, the harder it gets for her to express herself, and the worse her insecurities get. So much so that when Kusuri leaves a drug meant to un-tsundereify a person, she takes it. The result? Karane becomes…super nice and normal?!?!

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We Want our Karane Back

After getting over their initial shock (and Hakari enjoying Karane’s newfound honesty), everyone quickly agrees they hate this new, timid Karane—so much so that they want to get started on making a reversing drug right away. However, they’re even more shocked when Karane adamantly refuses to consider taking such a drug. She thinks that she, and everyone else, would be better off if she wasn’t a tsundere, showing just how little self-esteem she really has.

While 100 Girlfriends is first and foremost a comedy/parody, what makes it stand out is its willingness to deconstruct the pitfalls of different waifu archetypes. In this case, Karane is a strong example of how being a tsundere can potentially negatively impact one’s self-esteem. They have to try even harder than most people to express themselves properly. Even then, many protagonists have often been unable to pick up on a tsundere’s true feelings, which only makes things worse.

Thankfully, Rentaro is built different from most harem protagonists. He’s genre-savvy enough to understand that when Karane says she hates something, she usually means the opposite. More importantly, he finds her mixture of pride and shyness to be incredibly endearing, which I wholeheartedly agree with. So, using his CHADtaro powers to remind her that he fell in love with her despite her flaws, Rentaro convinces Karane to restore her normal self.

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There’s one problem: the drug doesn’t work.

This is Going to be Tougher than we Thought

In an interesting twist, the reversing drug doesn’t work. In order for it to take affect, the others need to subject Karane to enough external stimuli to provoke the proper response from her brain. In other words, they have to get her so flustered that she starts tsund-ing again. Sadly, all their efforts while staying at the Hanazono home manage to do is prove two things:

  1. Hakari’s body is incredibly sensitive to touch.
  2. Hahari gets so many nosebleeds, her staff has blood transfusion equipment on standby.
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This is going to be harder than the Family thought, but with one episode left in the season, they’re bound to help Karane return to her usual, lovable self. Without her, the Family won’t have its straight man, which could be disastrous with how they are.

I Give “Tsundere Lost” a 4.5/5