10 Second Anime - Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru Zoku - Episode 1



Translated - My Teenage RomCom is SNAFU TOO! (lit. As expected, my teenage love comedy is all mixed up) The second season of the light novel anime adaptation. Hachiman continues plying his cynical solutions to his classmates' teenage problems while oblivious to his own love triangle involving cool beauty Yukino and normal cute girl Yui.

First Thoughts.

I don't need first thoughts. This is a well established comedy about a main character who affects a cynical aloof attitude based on his experiences in middle school just caring too damn much, but still actually cares too damn much and defuses the usual high school drama by making himself the target for animus. He doesn't fool the two girls who end up caring for him though, or even the most popular guy in his year.

It's still all here. The running commentary, the crazy characters, the mad blushing, and all the tension and awkwardness you would expect during those high school years. The only issue of concern was that the animation companies changed from the first season to this one, but since RomCom SNAFU is dialog heavy, what mattered was how the reactions and comedy beats would be handled. After watching the first episode, I have no worries.

 

Also, let me say on a personal note, I need to cover some talky funny stuff this season. I've been blogging heavy dramatic action oriented stuff for the last three seasons, which means it takes a lot of editing and hard decisions to boil stuff down to 10 seconds, so RomCom SNAFU is pretty relaxing for me. I'm looking forward to all the meaningful glances and Hachiman's internal monologue.

 

Heh.

The running joke of Hachiman's last name is still going. I liked how they made sure any new viewers saw his name was Hikigaya instead of Hikitani.

 

We got about two minutes of recap from the last two episodes of the first season, and then bam! We're right back into the story. I had to remember what the big deal was from two years ago. Hachiman saw that the Cultural Festival president wasn't actually pulling her weight and was dumping her responsibilities on Yukino the genius beauty, and Hachiman decided on a course of action which made himself the bad reason the flighty girl quit while giving Yukino real authority to get all the work done and put on a successful school function. It all sounds so trivial, but these are high school kids whose range and depth of what they consider important is a very small sphere encompassing their school life and the friends they've made there. Hey, now you're all caught up too.

 

We don't even have a chance to get a feel for normal high school life before we're already whisked away to the class trip to Kyoto. Yeesh, simmer down.

 

I still don't know how hoody wearing shallow guy Tobe developed a crush on the megane fujoshi Hina, but that's the Service Club's first assignment this season - facilitate a successful confession of feelings. That's a tall order when the fujoshi is more interested in Hachiman getting closer to the dudes in orbit around their class prince Hayato so she can fulfill her yaoi fantasies.

Who's in charge of this Service Club anyway? Yui and Yukino made sure to ask permission from Hachiman to take on this lost cause confession. Girls like that romance, after all.

 

How does Hina not even see what's going on between Hachiman and Totsuka?

That's a man, man! It's a trap! I love this running joke! Hachiman even contributes with his inner monologue of wanting to "protect that smile" or "protect that sleeping face." I also like how vague Totsuka's feelings for Hachiman are, whether it's actual romantic attraction, or if he's just a shy boy not used to having a best friend but yearning for one.

 

Even though Hachiman and Yukino are in different classes, they still end up spending time together during the school trip. I'm expecting to see a bunch of red string of fate imagery pretty soon.

 

Poor Yui. She's being totally obvious about her feelings, but Hachiman is only perceptive about others, not himself nor the feelings directed toward himself. That was made clear in how Yukino wanted to make sure they entered their hotel separately after their late night adventure with Ms. Shizuka so as not to start rumors. Oh boy, I want to see some rumors started!