Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we\u2019re dropping back in on 100 Girlfriends at a moment of crisis, with Hakari having been cruelly stolen from her beloved Rentaro and his four other girlfriends. Upon learning that Hakari had taken up with a five-timing Lothario who was clearly up to no good, her mother stole her away from school altogether, and now plans to abscond with her daughter to god knows where. It\u2019s thus up to Rentaro and his four committed compatriots to infiltrate Hakari\u2019s mansion, confront Hakari\u2019s mother, and convince her that Rentaro is actually a pretty nice guy.<\/span><\/p>\n Admittedly, the nature of Rentaro\u2019s relationships would likely have any parent side-eyeing the situation, but that\u2019s simply because they don\u2019t understand how fulfilling a bond with Rentaro and roughly thirty to fifty other women can be. 100 Girlfriends\u2019 essential insight is that for this story to work, the <\/span>audience<\/span><\/i> has to also be sort of in love with Rentaro, and he\u2019s certainly worked his charms on me at least. With nothing but a spirit of pure mutual love in their hearts, let\u2019s join the team as they set off to rescue Hakari!<\/span><\/p>\n Episode 10<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cThe members of the Rentaro Family all vowed to bring Hakari back.\u201d Welp, apparently we\u2019re sticking with that for the team name<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTheir love, and the strength of their bonds, shall now be tested.\u201d The narrator is clearly saying this with an edge of sarcasm, but it\u2019s nonetheless funny to consider how well this show actually <\/span>has<\/span><\/i> built up the bonds between its characters, even in the context of this ridiculous premise. 100 Girlfriends must in part attribute its success to the weakness of its competition \u2013 so many romance dramas, and particularly romcom or harem shows, basically assume chemistry and mutual love without ever demonstrating or fostering it. In contrast, Rentaro and his various girlfriends are constantly discussing mutual interests, gauging mutual comfort levels, and compromising for the sake of the people they love. 100 Girlfriends shines because it actually takes romance more seriously than many more traditional anime romances<\/span><\/p>\n And of course, that\u2019s accompanied by persistent excellent sight gags like poor Shizuka hanging helplessly from the mansion\u2019s fence. Hang in there, Shizuka<\/span><\/p>\n The gag is compounded by her still being stuck there as we cut to the other girls assessing the yard, only for Rentaro to eventually turn back and grab her<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve still got that little boy in you, huh?\u201d Karane riffs on Rentaro for taking this spy mission setup so seriously. We get constant little flourishes like this demonstrating their overall mutual comfort level, the ease with which they bicker and make jokes<\/span><\/p>\n The crew are swiftly defeated by a fluffy house cat<\/span><\/p>\n Lovely smears as they all dash into a bush at a guard\u2019s approach<\/span><\/p>\n Oh my god, this Long Cat Nano stretched to hide behind the tree trunk. Nano\u2019s deadpan humor has become one of the ensemble\u2019s greatest comedic weapons<\/span><\/p>\n She demonstrates even more of her talents by flicking pebbles through the cat door in order to unlock the patio door. Impressive!<\/span><\/p>\n Nano actually splits her nail performing this trick, which Rentaro notices immediately. Profound attentiveness and concern, two of Rentaro\u2019s most admirable qualities. He\u2019ll often realize when one of his girlfriends is hurting even before they do<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI owe Hakari a favor\u2026 no, I <\/span>want<\/span><\/i> to help her.\u201d And then a beat demonstrating the particular bond between Nano and Hakari, as well as how Hakari\u2019s philosophy has actually changed Nano. From considering their relationship in a transactional sense, Hakari has helped Nano come to see these relationships as expressions of her true feelings, with no sense of \u201cfavors owed,\u201d simply a desire to help the people she cares about<\/span><\/p>\n Next up is Shizuka, as she finds herself crouching before a scary guard dog. Her immediate thoughts of \u201cof course I shouldn\u2019t come, I\u2019d only be useless,\u201d are swiftly challenged by her recollection of Rentaro himself admitting he wasn\u2019t sure how far they could go. A key lesson she\u2019s learned from Rentaro: even if she thinks she\u2019s weak and helpless, she can only discover or push beyond her limitations by actually challenging them, rather than just accepting she\u2019ll fail. They\u2019re playing these beats as directly as possible, but this is indeed one of the key facets of convincing romantic writing: demonstrating not just how much one character likes another, but how that object of affection actually makes them feel stronger, more complete, or more valued as a person<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDogs have a natural instinct to protect weak animals such as infants.\u201d Nano explains Shizuka\u2019s defeat of this animal in the most brutal possible terms<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cStop suggesting animal cruelty against Hakari\u2019s pets!\u201d Bless Nano<\/span><\/p>\n Kusuri passes Shizuka a sleeping drug for the dog, which she of course chugs herself. About on par for our littlest warrior<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow many times have you tripped the infrared sensor here already?\u201d Yeah, you really can\u2019t have a cat and also an infrared security grid. Even if they know where they\u2019re not supposed to walk, they\u2019ll do it intentionally just to prove they can<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cKusuri brought infrared vision eye drops!\u201d She really does have the power to have all powers, which would be annoying if any of these conflicts were load-bearing, but that\u2019s simply not where 100 Girlfriends places its priorities. All of the important conflicts that require genuine work to solve here are emotional, so Kusuri is free to pull out whatever obstacle-solving magic juice some external conflict requires<\/span><\/p>\n Nano notes that the address she was originally posting that medicine to was for the dream research team she was hoping to join<\/span><\/p>\n Kusuri replies that in spite of her faults and tantrums, Hakari accepted her completely. She has found a place where she belongs right here at home. This is turning out to be a crucial episode for this original core group, again emphasizing how they are not just all attached to Rentaro, but also deeply loyal to each other<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA rich person\u2019s house\u2019s infrared sensors\u2026\u201d Excellent payoff to the running gag of Karane marveling at all of Hakari\u2019s impressive accommodations<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you aren\u2019t perfectly matched and in sync, the chances of success\u2026\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re fine then. It\u2019s me and Karane, after all.\u201d Rentaro doesn\u2019t even do it intentionally, he just believes in these bonds with all his heart, and feels no awkwardness or shame in admitting as such. Another lesson for healthy relationships in that: don\u2019t just assume your partner knows you trust them and believe in their abilities, actually say so, and don\u2019t act like it\u2019s some sign of \u201cweakness\u201d to admit you care<\/span><\/p>\n Rentaro and Karane go on ahead, having been gracefully separated from the group by this infrared challenge. A smart choice, returning us to the three characters who started this whole bizarre scenario, while also emphasizing that trust demands believing in others when you can\u2019t help them personally<\/span><\/p>\n After all that, they immediately trip the alarm set on Hakari\u2019s bedroom door<\/span><\/p>\n Hakari\u2019s mother\u2019s name is Hahari Hanazono, which is basically just \u201cMommy Hanazono\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was 13 and in my second year of middle school when I gave birth to Hakari.\u201d Yep, as expected, Hahari\u2019s perspective stems from her own premature romance<\/span><\/p>\n She says she had Hakari as a keepsake of her doomed lover, something she now realizes is reflective of their familial recklessness when it comes to romance<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t ever want Hakari to experience this heart-wrenching regret.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, Rentaro is just overwhelmed with sympathy for Hahari\u2019s story. That\u2019s our boy<\/span><\/p>\n Ahaha, and of course they used that infrared trick to delay the moment when Rentaro and Hahari actually make eye contact, so now we get the sudden True Love Connection<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRentaro-chan, please go out with me!\u201d God damnit<\/span><\/p>\n And Done<\/b><\/p>\n Well team, we\u2019ve done it. After some key contributions courtesy of Nano\u2019s efficiency, Kusuri\u2019s concoctions, Karane\u2019s strength, and Shizuka\u2019s helplessness, it turns out the final push came from the power that was inside Rentaro all along: his profound, inescapable romantic magnetism. I very much appreciated this episode\u2019s consistent emphasis on the distinct, numerous bonds that have come to connect Rentaro and his various girlfriends, which made it all the funnier when things ultimately resolved in the most preposterously 100 Girlfriends-appropriate way possible. Be warned, all who would challenge Rentaro and his many lovers, for you might just fall in love with him too.<\/span><\/p>\n This\u00a0article\u00a0was\u00a0mad<\/a><\/em>e possible by reader support<\/a>. Thank you all for\u00a0all that you do.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/July12112419.jpg?resize=584%2C329&ssl=1\")
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<\/p>\nLike this:<\/h3>\n