Proof 9 – “Science-types Fell in Love, So They Tried Preparing for a Campus Festival”
Hmm.
Science Fell in Love ❤️ spent half an episode on how far in the past Kotonoha’s struggle with “normalcy” went. We’ve previously seen how her grandpa wants her to inherit his judo dojo. But we didn’t know that Kotonoha’s refusal came from her mother’s influence. To be sure, her father reinforced traditional feminine roles and traits in her, and Kotonoha’s mother played the outsized role. By the time Kotonoha entered school, she had seen that her schoolmates also enforced the rules of gender types. Girls drilled into Kotonoha the value of group dynamics, sacrificing individuality to join the crowd. Girls also emphasize bonding over networks and relationships, so “reading the room” is a valuable skill to remain in a clique.
Worse, we saw how bullying differs across genders. The girls bullied other girls by casting out individuals from their circles, while the boys physically intimidated them. The best scene in Kotonoha’s memories was when she saw boys picking on a tomboy girl for choosing a blue backpack. Her parents prevented Kotonoha from facing a similar moment. But the audience knows that she could have destroyed any stupid boy who picked on her. Science Fell in Love ❤️ tackles the complicated issue of valuing individuality over conformity. Ironically, if Kotonoha wants to fit in with the Ikeda Lab members, she’ll need to fly her freak flag. The anime laid down the emotional foundation for her breakthrough here.
In the winter anime season, anime fans joined the Marin Kitagawa Supremacy for her devotion to anime, manga, and game characters. She expressed her love for those characters through cosplay. Now, Science Fell in Love ❤️ gives another nod to cosplay, but there’s a distinction. Ayame’s sexy costumes for Shinya’s pictures are more like the sex fetish of roleplaying than cosplay. Foxy Lingerie has a “Sexy Halloween Costumes” category, where they label everything sexy nun, sexy sailor, sexy doctor, etc. Ayame will do anything for her man, but she won’t cosplay specific anime characters. Will she insist Shinya wear a “Hunky Halloween Costume?” The intersection of fanservice with comedy will be gold. I strongly hope to see Ena cosplay the Aika-chan character to make Kosuke die and go to eroge heaven.
One more thing – I see the possibility of Yamamoto coming back to the campus festival and screwing with Kotonoha’s fragile emotional state. The manga artist knows she can’t mess with Kosuke because Ena is watching her. But, as she did on Okinawa in last season’s Science Fell in Love, she can provoke dramatic scenes from the other members of the Ikeda Lab. Manga readers, please don’t spoil us anime-only fans!
Heh.
Picking up from last week’s argument between Shinya and Kotonoha and “being normal,” Science Fell in Love ❤️ shows us the aftermath. Kotonoha put on her fake girly face for Ayame. The older student doesn’t like that, and she feels awkward now.
Shikijou asks Kotonoha for another date. Good luck, my guy! Kotonoha needs to process why she became so angry at Shinya. Uh oh. Science Fell in Love ❤️ showed us an extended flashback of Kotonoha, the judo tomboy. The young girl wanted a blue randoseru backpack, but her parents quickly steered her to a red one. Especially Kotonoha’s mother. Girl groups at school enforce conformity through emotional tactics. Boys make fun of “weird” tomboys. Kotonoha needed to lie to her mother about what happened to Takahashi-sensei. Spending time with the weirdoes of the Ikeda Lab should have allowed Kotonoha to show her personality. But she can’t let go of her social programming yet. Shinya put a crack in it, though!
Oho. Date time for Kotonoha and Shikijou. When Kotonoha asked why he asked her out, he said it was love at first sight! Swoon! Uh oh. Shikijou’s quest to become a “normal, average person” as an adult will affect Kotonoha’s fragile emotional state. Science Fell in Love ❤️ sets up a dramatic shouting and crying scene for the final few episodes. If I put on my physics hat, I will tell you that Impulse has the same units of Momentum, but it is not Momentum. Impulse is the integral of Force over Time. Kotonoha’s second chart on fast and slow punches is correct. When will Kotonoha hit a punching bag in front of Shikijou? Time will tell.
Science Fell in Love ❤️ makes a hard transition to its version of the high school cultural festival. American universities have a similar tradition called Open House. It’s usually on the weekend of Homecoming. The clubs and academic departments make presentations to alumni and visitors to show the fun side of what happens at school. What will the math geeks of Ikeda’s lab present to visitors at the Mutsumi Festival? Ayame wants to frolic with Shinya in public. That sounds like wishful thinking if we consider Shinya’s personality. Ayame still worries about the awkwardness between Shinya and Kotonoha.
Brainstorm ideas for the festival. Give us all the sexy absurdity, Science Fell in Love ❤️! Predictably, Kosuke wants an Aika-chan museum. It looks like Ena in cosplay. Hahaha! Shinya knows he’s an “ikemen” (イケメン, handsome man)! Men can’t wear red to attract women, but that color works well for women. Shinya takes a long time to explain he wants to show Ayame in sexy costumes. Crossing permission boundaries, Shinya! Shinya’s scale of Ayame’s attractiveness goes up to thirteen instead of the published ten. Ayame feels conflict. Absolutely embarrassed but ecstatic at Shinya’s compliments. Kotonoha wants Ayame in a flight attendant costume!
The Ikeda Lab will turn the festival into a costume party. Bring on the sexy cosplay, Science Fell in Love ❤️! Ena made Ayame realize she could dress Shinya in outfits too! The festival presentation will be on the topic of romance itself. Shinya’s Lovey-Dovey Island concept will need reworking. He indeed likes Ayame in a nurse outfit the best. Shinya notices Kotonoha is still in conflict. He called Chris to do something for him. Intrigue!
Next time, what will replace Lovey-Dovey Island?
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