Three leagues, then the road ran, and turned into a puzzle. It joined with another and a larger road at right angles.

So reads "Roads of Destiny" by William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry, the American author famous for the Christmas classic, "The Gift of the Magi." In "Roads of Destiny," a wretched shepherd is vexed by fate to reach the same ultimate destination regardless of the choices he makes. Conversely, the gimmick behind Amagami SS is that it is a harem comedy with four-episode arcs and (I assume) four separate destinations—one for each girl. There are six girls in the OP, so presumably Amagami SS will run for two cours, although currently only 13 episodes are confirmed. On the one hand, this addresses one of the primary complaints about harem comedies in general—that Male Protagonist typically picks the "wrong" girl. On the other hand, the climaxes to these four-episode arcs come really fast.

Renting swimsuits sounds kinda gross.

If you watched the first arc, wherein Potato-kun inexplicably lands an older school idol for no clearly discernible reason (or at least not a reasonably plausible one), you may also be confounded by the bald implausibility of this most unlikely coupling, even if Junichi is the rebound guy for Haruka's dog. Well, confounded by that and the couple's complete lack of chemistry together.

Really, I think it's being charitable.

Then again, maybe not. Reactions to Amagami SS have been much more positive than I ever would have anticipated, especially among viewers that typically lambaste harem comedies on general principle. That mildly amusing, inoffensive fluff shows with moments of genuine charm such as Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~ can't catch a break while the back-of-the-knee kissing scene in Amagami SS garners such praise is probably indicative of something about the nature of anime fans and their views regarding relationships, but not anything I care to contemplate. Then again, I've joked in the past about a theoretical back-of-the-knee fetish gripping the scene to succeed the already niche armpit fetish, but now I'm starting to wonder if maybe it's real. That's my best-case-scenario explanation for the popularity of Amagami SS episode three at least.

You should see the uncensored version.

Despite personally lacking any predisposed compunctions toward viewing harem comedies negatively, I mostly disliked Amagami SS episode three in its entirety. I couldn't stand all the begging. Seriously, guy, even Urashima Keitaro wasn't so eager to sell out what dignity he had left. Then again, Urashima Keitaro didn't exactly get a lot of back-of-the-knee action either. I guess we'll never know if it's because he didn't beg enough or if it's because Narusegawa Naru wasn't the kind of girl who puts out on the first date. [Spoilers: Haruka puts out. And how.]

This worked a lot better than Yamada Eye.

So where are we now? From the looks of it, Potato-kun is going to take a different fork and parallel-universe his way into Sex Hair's (presumably) persistently unmade bed. Expect three more episodes of wining & dining (read: lots of begging) followed by episode-eight supining before Junichi moves on to trophy-fucklove the remaining four girls: the one with brown hair that doesn't think she's fat, the one with presumably crushingly strong swimmer thighs, the one that thinks she's fat, and the seemingly normal earnest one that's probably CRAZY-BROKEN inside. Maybe that hikikomori panic room planetarium of his is actually a portal to alternate dimensions. Potato-kun sure has his work cut out for him.

Take a cell phone picture and set it as your wallpaper, Junichi. Do it.

So what does this have to do with "Roads of Destiny"? I predict my biggest complaint about Amagami SS, assuming I make it to the end of its 13 or 24 or whatever episodes—ahead of my complaint about Junichi being such a loser, ahead of my complaint about Junichi not having any chemistry with Haruka (and potentially none of the other girls either), and ahead of my complaint about the show's rushed four-episode pace—will be my complaint that we'll suffer through the First Girl He Sees Clause six freaking times. I appreciate that Amagami SS is a galge adaptation and thus compelled to retain the same lead male throughout—preventing any Hatsukoi Limited narrative weaving, but for crying out loud. What the show ought to do is have Junichi ultimately end up with the same girl every single time, regardless of the path he takes or who he dates on his way there. School Days aside, there must be some anime law compelling monogamy or something, even if it's The Disappearance of Nice Boat variety of monogamy.

Sees, gropes, whatever.

Really, I'm just watching to see if the First Girl He Sees Clause will hold true when the girl in question is clearly intended to only be a secondary love interest. This isn't to say that a harem comedy protagonist has never chose someone other than the obviously intended match, but it is rare.

Ibuki is tsundere, but her tsun side is driven by misunderstandings.

Ayame is great because she is a formulaic tsundere with essentially no other redeeming qualities. She's so textbook it's startling.

Ayame, on the other hand, is Pure Tsundere. PURE.

Silly misunderstandings are lousy for the most part, but they are mildly amusing when the misunderstandings themselves are animated from the mistaken party's point of view. They make for nice diversions sort of as the Sayuri Legends segments in Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~ did.

Yumi and Sachiko.

Maria-sama ga Miteru is the story about Yumi, a freshman at an all-girl Catholic school who stands a little in awe of her upperclassmen. Through the course of the first season, seeds of self confidence are planted, although they don't germinate for some time.

Yumi and Sei.

Leading her to adulthood is Sei, a charismatic, ebullient senior who takes young Yumi under her wing—somewhat forcefully, I might add. One of the big constants during Marimite year one is Sei fucking with Yumi.

Yumi and Sei.

As a goof, during my most recent re-watching of the first season, I decided to screencap every instance of Sei fucking with Yumi. I think I've got hundreds now. Sei fucks with Yumi a lot.

Sei.

Most Marimite introductions probably focus on Yumi's relationship with Sachiko, the other putative main character, but the first season really belongs to Sei. In fact, the first season is more Sei's show than even Yumi's. Maria-sama ga Miteru is told from Yumi's point of view—she outright narrates part of every episode—but Sei is really the star of the first season, and the real reason to watch it. There will be more on this later.

---

< Evirus> Is there anyone more tsundere than Ayame from Asu no Yoichi?
< Evirus> Textbook Tsundere.
< c0rtana> she's more than textbook
< Evirus> Doctrinal Tsundere.
< rabidkimba> ur-tsundere

I really wasn't expecting an Ayu cameo.

I had moderate praise for the first half of Toradora! However, I also implied it wasn't as good as Honey and Clover. Others disagreed, again invoking Honey and Clover. After 21 episodes, I still believe Toradora! is the best series of the current season, but I maintain that it is still not nearly as good as Honey and Clover.

Minori is still the Best Girl, but I might just be saying that because
of Yui Horie. And because she throws right, bats left.

This is not meant as a slight against Toradora!, as it is still quite enjoyable. It rises above the conventions of its idiom and exceeds the assumptions and expectations I had for the series. I thought I knew what Toradora! was going to be about, and I thought I knew how the plot was going to play out, but thankfully J.C. Staff still has a few tricks up its sleeve, and keeps Toradora! from languishing in the morass of high school love comedies that plague anime. Nevertheless, although Toradora! is much better than I expected, it still suffers from a number of potentially damning flaws.

It's hard to deny Ami, though. Ami is awesome.

[Warning: Minor spoilers hereinafter for episode 21. Nothing you wouldn't have easily guessed by now, though.]

Back away from Ami.

First—and let's be honest here—Toradora! is still a harem comedy. It's not your typical harem comedy because Ryuuji isn't a spineless tool, but although decent male protagonists are rare, they are not unknown among harem comedy males. Kazuya from Hand Maid May comes to mind, and if you're willing to characterize School Rumble and Nadesico as harem comedies (look, not exclusively, but they still are), then Harima and Akito qualify as well. But the problem with harem comedies is that most of the romantic tension is defused. The question isn't if Male Protagonist will get together with someone, but when. Usually, with whom isn't even an issue, as the First Girl He Sees Clause proves quite reliable in this respect. At this point in Toradora!, Ryuuji has three viable love interests. The remaining drama in the show boils down to which girl he will pick, and what is to happen to the rejected. That the answer is not entirely obvious at this point (although smart money should heavily favor the worst girl) lends credit to Toradora!

Even Ami can't compare with Yamada, though. Poor girl.

Compare this with Honey and Clover. The earlier J.C. Staff production offers multiple story lines regarding unrequited love. In each case, there is no assurance the characters in question will find love and happiness. Quite the contrary, for the most part, their romances seem more doomed with each passing episode. It is this balance of hope and despair that drives Hachimitsu to Clover.

Taiga? She's a frickin' slob.

Technically, all harem comedies include tales of unrequited love as well, at least regarding the girls not chosen. But harem comedies lack the aforementioned despair component, as Male Protagonist could surely offer each of the girls his love were it not for Simple Contrivances and General Spinelessness. Perhaps more importantly, harem comedies also focus on the object of everyone's affection (i.e., the male lead), which changes the dynamic entirely unless the show also includes a primary love interest within the harem for Male Protagonist to actively and indefatigably pursue with incorruptible loyalty despite no assurance of potential dere-dere B.S. reciprocation.

Ryuuji isn't an ass clown, but he's still kind of a putz.

Make no mistake. Toradora! is told from Ryuuji's point of view. Because of this, Toradora! is ascendant during episodes and moments when he is obsessed with Minori. Likewise, the unrequited love stories of the other characters elevate the show as well. But after episode 21, I am hard pressed to imagine the series avoiding a sharp dive in quality unless it takes the courageous route by taking the story in unexpected directions. I'm hoping for this (presumably crueler) ending to Toradora! It is not a happy way to wrap up the series, but it is the respectable way to go, and it is a damn sight better than the ending episode 21 is apparently establishing. Quite frankly, though, I fear J.C. Staff does not have the sand for it. To do so, it will have to make a lot of "shippers" unhappy and disappoint a lot a viewers. It will make for a better show—too late to catch Honey and Clover, but perhaps sufficient to avoid stumbling before Shikabane Hime should Kuro finish unexpectedly strong. (It's Gainax. You can't count that possibility out. Maybe it'll end like Mahoromatic, but perhaps it will end like Top wo Nerae.)

Kirino Konosaka.

So there's a Da Capo III. Well, not exactly, but Gift ~eternal rainbow~ seems so much like Da Capo and D.C.S.S. ~Da Capo Second Season~ that it might as well be a third season. The character designs, setting, animation, and other basic elements are all very similiar.

For example:

• Male Protagonist has the same voice actor in both shows.
• Both Da Capo and Gift-ER feature non-blood-related sisters as the First Girl.
• Kotori hat, Kotori hat.
• Utamaru correlate in some little witch-hat-wearing bird thing (except the bird is much less friendly).

In all likelihood, Gift-ER probably sucks, too. I'll probably still watch it, though. Yes, I'll watch it so you don't have to. Plus it will fill the "lowbrow harem comedy" spot in my usual viewing line-up. Thank God that means I won't have to suffer past the first episode of Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love- to meet that need, because that show got annoying fast.

Okay, the Gift basics:

• It takes place in a town where magic is commonplace.
• There's a not-quite-ROYGBIV rainbow that perpetually hovers over the town for no apparent reason.
• Any couple in love can share their feelings to make a miracle happen. (No, that's really not a metaphor.)

The First Girl He Sees is an old childhood friend kohai. Hey, a two-for-one special. She's also the one with the Kotori hat.

Alas, she is not the REAL First Girl. The first episode of Gift actually opens with a flashback sequence where a much younger Male Protagonist bids farewell to Riko, some pink-haired girl.

Riko.

For those of you unfamiliar with the First Girl He Sees Principle, it basically dictates that in any harem comedy, the male lead will always end up with the very first girl he sees. This typically won't happen until the very end of the series, and the bulk of the show will be about the spineless guy vacillating among the myriad girls in the harem.

Naturally, the first First Girl, the one in the flashback, comes back from wherever the Hell she was to this magical town with the perpetual rainbow for wacky good times. Wacky good times like pulling your childhood friend into your bed first thing in the morning to give her a Dutch rub.

And how.

Oh yeah, this show also has witch hats.

Chisa pulls an Ayu on Haruhiko.

Comparisons to Da Capo are going to be unavoidable for the duration of Gift-ER's run, I suspect. So far the two shows are running fairly even. Gift ~eternal rainbow~ has the advantage of not having Nemu or Sakura in its cast, but it also doesn't have melodilicious OPs and EDs by CooRie.

Apologies to Kero-chan.

Oh, and for the Seifuku CHECK contingent, the school uniform features a mini corset along the top of the skirt.