We got the very happy news today – a leak anyway – that Bokuyaba Season 3 has been greenlit. That was pretty inevitable but still great to hear. That this series always makes me think of that one is interesting (as is the fact that they have a huge fanbase crossover), given how different they are. Bokuyaba is pretty much peerless, mind you – it is to teen romcom what Baby Steps is to teen sports manga. But Seihantai is enjoyable on a different level. Bokuyaba is like a brilliant docudrama about the making of sausage, and Seihantai is Oktoberfest.
Fortunately there’s plenty of room in the world for both types of series. Bokuyaba is a virtual singularity and You and I Are Polar Opposites doesn’t have that feather in its cap. But as an execution of a traditional feel-good romantic comedy, it’s pretty close to perfect so far. When a romcom has both the main couple and the orbiting satellites firing on all cylinders, it’s in great shape. But Seihantai also has a sneaky great production behind it. I love all the little details like Suzuki-san’s fadeout when Tani-kun showed up at the konbini, Satou-san’s shrug and shared Mona Lisa smile with Tani, the way his bike tires spin, the cat statue outside the station (a Hachiko gag for sure). Looking at the work they’ve done the past few years Lapin Track is starting to look like a studio very much on the rise.
A pattern seems to be developing where the A-part focuses on the school and supporting cast, and the B-part is a relationship chapter. As both are clicking that works for me, and we get a fun little intro about the upcoming end-of-term exams. Miyu must be a pretty good student if the baka brigade wants to copy off her, but Yuusuke is obviously in another (figurative) class. He proves to be a pretty good tutor as well during the library session, and then gets invited along for bibimbap after. Incidentally that whole “Pipimpap” exchange was an incredibly truthy teenage thing.
Then it’s on to the brand new convenience store opening in neighborhood, and the way Miyu gets excited about it is again a totally authentic adolescent moment. Mom asks her to buy toilet paper (mortifying), Oni-san cigarettes (she refuses). It’s opening (coupon) night, and most of the gang shows up. That proves especially mortifying for Taira-kun, who pretty much exists to be mortified anyway. Miyu has gone out in full frump attire, and is mortified (this is adolescence) when Yuusuke shows up on his bike. She vaporizes, the flees, but he soon catches up. It all works out though, as she explains that plating is as important as the way the dish tastes and he opines that she tastes good enough to him that he doesn’t really care.
The relationship part is all about that execution of familiar tropes thing. I don’t think we’ve ever had a summer festival in Bokuyaba (even it did fireworks) but that just highlights the difference in approach – a series like this one not checking boxes of this familiarity seems almost unthinkable. Miyu agonizes over all the usual stuff, starting with whether to go to the packed fireworks festival or the much calmer local festival – and wisely chooses the latter. Then whether she should wear a yukata, and how she’ll look in it. When Yuusuke tells her “beautiful” that’s a knockout blow – she’s still at that age where the best she can usually hope for is “cute”.
The little moments that bind a couple together – like the shared love of the smell after a rain (it’s called “petrichor” by the way) – are a big part of this story. When I call this series Oktoberfest it’s not really an exaggeration. It’s much more about enjoyment than overcoming obstacles. There’s no false drama at the festival – nobody gets lost and a sandal strap doesn’t even break (aware of that danger Miyu wisely wore rubber shoes). It’s just the pair of them having a good time and slowly inching their relationship forward. An amorous couple smooching on a bench is a reminder for Miyu of the yawning chasm that lies ahead, but even that’s not a major source of stress at this point. What’s the rush?
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