Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d stop back with Rentaro and the gang, and see how his sacred quest to acquire one hundred girlfriends is proceeding. Though this production has normally managed to combine preposterous farce with some unexpectedly thoughtful reflections on communication and healthy partnerships, I have to admit that it has been absolutely lunacy ever since our latest girlfriend Kusuri joined the picture. With her fondness for Rentaro only matched by her passion for mad science concoctions, Kusuri has propelled our polycule through one preposterous predicament after another, culminating in an episode-long Resident Evil parody courtesy of Kusuri’s kiss-mania serum.
Considering I’ve had multiple readers define this series in terms of its pre- and post-Kusuri tone, I’m guessing that things are only going to get more ridiculous from here on out. It seems likely the show will essentially shift into two primary modes: a somewhat more emotionally grounded style for the individual wooing episodes, and then the utter chaos of the last episode for the group escapades. Regardless, my main hope is 100 Girlfriends maintains its flourishes of genuine thoughtfulness regarding the crafting of an honest, mutually enriching bond. That’s the secret ingredient that actually makes this show special, so let’s see how Rentaro manages this balancing act as we get back to the action!
Episode 9
We open with mournful violin strings and a darkened room, wherein it appears that Hakari is having a tense conversation with her mother. Oh my god, we’re going there, aren’t we. Rentaro is going to have to date Hakari’s mother too
What a preposterous, whimsical approach to the inherent emotional disconnect of harem storytelling. Frequently such shows star a boy who just wanders around “fixing” various girls and then departing from their life, but in 100 Girlfriends, every arc’s heroine ends up joining the overall team. It’s certainly a novel approach – there are shows where girls are just picked up and then dropped (Clannad), shows where each romance is a different timeline (Yosuga no Sora), and shows where the protagonist is split into multiple characters to facilitate simultaneous adjacent romances (Amagami), but I’ve never seen one where every girl is just dated at once. I suppose the closest thing would be School Days, but that’s basically the polar opposite of 100 Girlfriends tonally
We jump from that ominous opening to the “Lovezono Flower Park,” where Rentaro and his five girlfriends are enjoying a leisurely date
A threat swiftly emerges in the form of the park’s “Bouquet Toss” event, which allows one lucky couple to get their photos taken in wedding attire. This is going to get bloody
“That wedding dress has been my dream since I was little.” The interesting thing about Hakari is that, because she was basically the first romantic partner introduced, she’s actually one of the least defined outside of her attraction to Rentaro. Her passion isn’t reading or science, but romance itself, and that puts her in a more fragile, less meaningfully defined spot with plenty of room to grow
Considering the opening scene, it seems likely enough that her own parents’ marriage was a failure, and thus she craves for herself the dream she never saw realized by her parents
We are introduced to the “Gorilla Syndicate,” a biker gang led by an imposing pigtailed woman. This show’s portrayal of “undesirable, lustful women” continues to be its most disappointing aspect, a series of cheap gags that fly directly in the face of its general emphasis on celebrating love and loving people for who they are
Hakari suggests fighting together now and then drawing lots for the pictures later, a commendably diplomatic tactic
The group agree that Shizuka should stand back lest she get trampled by the crowd. See, these laudable offhand accommodations are the show’s usual approach to personal differences
Oh my god, Shizuka just diligently hopping and waving their “Rentaro Family” banner is so adorable. She is one of this show’s most powerful weapons
And now we learn the vice-principal is the one tossing the bouquet. Unfortunately doubling down on the regrettable stuff this episode
Karane bravely defends Hakari from the Gorilla Syndicate, and assumes her final tsundere form as a fellow hooligan. Really hoping we get more distinct internal bonds like that between Karane and Hakari; if this “family” is to feel convincing and mutually supportive, it can’t just be a series of tethers connecting all the girls to Rentaro, it needs to be a web of affection and loyalty between all of them. And power dynamics aside, fostering such a web will only lead to more compelling, diverse drama in the end
Oh no, Shizuka’s been blown into the sky! Yeah, she’s the best
Shizuka makes the catch, and is safely cushioned from the fall through the power of boobs
Unsurprisingly, Hakari has actually marked the winning lot, but plans to allow someone else to draw first in order to allay any suspicion. So presumably whoever draws first will just win it outright
Nope, she actually wins anyway! I figured this would be the point where we put on some pressure in order to force her to explain the dream driving her, but apparently the other shoe isn’t dropping just quite yet
“Ah, I see. Someone else should take the photo. That way she and Rentaro-kun can look back on it as a fond memory.” So presumably her mother has forbidden her from dating, and thus she’s now seeing this whole situation as a lost cause. This is a very charitable perspective from her, all the more so because she clearly cares so much about these tangible signifiers of romance. I’m quite happy to be getting this exploration of Hakari’s personality, and really hope we continue to get check-in episodes like this to flesh out the existing girlfriends
Kusuri apologizes for being selfish, and states she’d be happy to see Rentaro and Hakari get a picture together. Just what I was hoping for – the girls establishing independent bonds of trust and companionship between each other, becoming as important to each other as Rentaro is to all of them
It’s funny, this is a complaint I often level at shonen narratives, wherein the main crew often have relationships with the lead character but not each other. One reason for One Piece’s success is that the Straw Hats all feel like genuine friends, not just fellow appendages of Luffy
And inspired by Kusuri’s example, Hakari suggests they all take the picture together
Nano seems to have adopted Shizuka, as the two keep getting paired in group settings
“It’s always been my dream to wear this dress and take this photo with the one I love.” Presumably Hakari believes this is the closest she’ll ever get to a happy marriage
And now the other shoe drops, as Hakari requests that Rentaro break up with her
“I should talk to her, and figure out the reason.” The introduction of dramatic new conflict like this returns us to our conversational fundamentals, and Rentaro’s certainty that communication will undoubtedly bridge the gap between their perspectives. Just what I like to see, and a comforting affirmation of intent after the lunacy of the last two episodes. I generally prefer farce as a garnish for human drama, not as the main course
“Hey, Kusuri’s not the only one who pees.” Granted, Kusuri is indeed very good in manageable portions
Kusuri and the others’ continuing conversation fades into background banter as Rentaro frets, an elegant way of preserving corner-panel gags without slowing down the active drama
Hakari lives in a mansion patrolled by guards
She informs him her mother found out about their situation, and is planning to have her transfer schools entirely
“I can get rid of a teenage rat like you anytime I wish.” Man, adding this lady is certainly going to stir up the group dynamic
“I’ll never let some five-timing maggot who’ll only bring you sorrow have you.” Admittedly, this whole situation probably doesn’t look great to any of the relevant parents
“No brains or brawn. No money or power, either. You’re just a kid. What do you know about making someone happy?” Rentaro beating himself up over this is also a welcome change, emphasizing how even though his natural instincts are actually quite mature in terms of emotionally supporting others, he’s still too young to have full confidence in those instincts, or the power to always act on them
And so he gathers his forces, announcing his plan to elope with Hakari. Of course, all the other girls demand to join in on the plan
And Done
Thus the gang sets forth on a brave rescue operation! Well, a couple gags aside, this was pretty much exactly the episode I was hoping for – a tonal reset after the preposterous Kusuri shenanigans, recentering the show on fundamental questions of what it means to be a supportive partner, and ensuring the various members of the Rentaro family actually feel like they all care about each other. Diving deeper into Hakari’s fears and Rentaro’s insecurities added some welcome texture to both of them, while allowing the rest of the gang to demonstrate their dedication and love for each other. 100 Girlfriends is an unlikely mixture of earnest emotional drama and total nonsense, but episodes like this demonstrate just how compelling that pairing can be. Onward to save Hakari!
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