Setting aside the rose-colored nostalgia, it\u2019s not like the first season of Aharen-san<\/em> was free of some clunkers for me. It just feels that way, because it\u2019s the good stuff you remember. And with this series the good stuff was really, really good. Still, I\u2019m a big frustrated with the first three episodes (well, two of them) of this season. I hate to see any time wasted on the series\u2019 \u201cB\u201d game, most especially because it\u2019s adapting like 50% more material than S1 did.<\/p>\n Still, at least it\u2019s a B game and not a D game. And we did get a couple of top-tier chapters here, starting with an extremely silly one which basically consisted of Raidou splitting his pants<\/a> and the chain of events that sets off. Namely, Reina freaking out and Matsuboshi unknowingly rattling off a series of butt puns (I don\u2019t envy the translator this week). Reina does everything in her power to cover for him (literally), made especially challenging because it\u2019s the week of the undoukai. But here\u2019s my question \u2013 why was that old dude putting a surfboard on his car? But because this is Aharen-san wa Hakarenai<\/em>, naturally no one asks that question.<\/p>\n Of course, all this would have been simple if Reina had simply told Matsuboshi what happened. But then we wouldn\u2019t have been treated to his convincing himself that his bod had leveled up<\/a> in her esteem through his chivalry. Or that she was determined to spank him for overreaching himself, and submitting wilfully to his punishment. In the end Raidou and Reina both manage to get out in front of the problem<\/a>, but somehow that just makes things worse\u2026<\/p>\n The best chapter this week was the sports festival itself, which focused on the dreaded relay race \u2013 the true final boss of sports day. Ishikawa-kun is set to be the anchor for Class B, and Ooshiro-san and Riku are both fast runners. But Reina is stressing hard because she\u2019s not very fast (unsurprisingly), despite everyone\u2019s efforts to reassure her. So Raidou takes it on himself to coach her, from keeping those toes up to straightening her back to how to complete an underhanded baton pass<\/a>. It\u2019s worth noting that the underhand pass is still praised as the fastest in Japan, but rarely used in other countries.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no sense of irony to this \u2013 it\u2019s just abjectly sweet the way these two care for each other. Matsuboshi \u2013 because he is who he is \u2013 dedicates himself wholly to leveling Reina up (and he\u2019s a damn good coach), and she\u2019s inestimably grateful<\/a> (top \u201caware\u201d moment of the season<\/a> so far). But Ishikawa hurts himself in club, and Raidou-kun has to take over as the anchor. I thought for a sec he\u2019d turn out to be awful, which would have been darkly hilarious \u2013 but no, he\u2019s predictably heroic<\/a>. I would ask, though \u2013 if you were doing a cavalry event, would you have Raidou be the rider and not the horse?<\/p>\n Lastly we get another too-long sidebar with Tamanaha-san. She\u2019s just not that interesting or funny compared to the two leads and the best side characters, and I don\u2019t really know why she\u2019s getting so much focus. This third act is somewhat salvaged by one of those best side characters \u2013 Ren-kun \u2013 showing up. Riku becomes the latest to mistake him for Reina, and he\u2019s certainly every bit as adorable. But his personality is much more assertive, as Riku observes. The bit where he gives her advice<\/a> is pretty funny (and it\u2019s spot-on). If we\u2019re going the side character route, I\u2019d prefer it sticks to siblings as much as possible.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
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