Lovely Complex Episode 6

Synopsis:
The previous episode ended during the sports festival. Koizumi admitted her feelings for Otani to herself, while dragging him to the drag-filled gym.

Koizumi-Otani a match made in... strike that

Episode 6, “A Maiden's Determination! Love-Love Confession Plan!!”[1], jumps to summer vacation. The Lovely Com crew visits the beach for a day of fun and games. Risa is also there for an Umibozu concert. Nobu admonishes her to keep her eye on the birdie, which is Otani. At this point, Risa hasn't told Nobu that she likes Otani yet. Nobu forces her to come clean, and Risa admits it.

Nobu confronts Risa

The crew minus Otani gathers at a blanket. Nobu asks them to give Risa time alone together with Otani. They readily agree. Risa freaks. Encouragement comes from all around for our tall heroine. Risa is embarrassed and tries to stop them. Otani's appearance puts a stop to the fuss. His zebra striped trunks and tied hair, makes one think that Seiko-chan (AKA the Trap) may not have been a bad match.

Encouragement from a Love-com Love-in

Risa and Otani to play in the ocean while the peanut gallery stares, chants Cthulu-style, and generally makes Risa self-conscious. This awkwardness builds, until she snaps at Otani who is oblivious as always. His horseplay and laughing face win out and she joins in a wave fight. Misfortune strikes when she steps on a shard of glass.

More encouragement from the peanut gallery

Chiharu gives Risa first aid back on land. Risa doesn’t want to hold them back from having fun, while she sits out. Nobu entreats Otani to keep her company. Nakao assists on the serendipity play over Risa's protests. Otani agrees. He wants to get a tan, which dovetails with Risa’s immobility.

Risa tells Otani that she'll be fine alone and that his scrawny body wouldn't improve with a tan anyway. The comment hits a nerve. He drags Nakao and Suzuki, away from their women, to the sea after threatening Risa with a lawsuit. Nobu scolds Risa for blowing the perfect setup.

A little later, Risa sits on a blanket, shrouded from the sun. Otani approaches from her blind side and pretends to hit on her. He bears drinks, though he teases her before giving her a can. He claims that he’s just messing with her in retaliation for the tanning barb. He even puts on her Deep One face.

Old Ones in Osaka

Risa stops the exchange and simply thanks him for the drink. Otani asks if she's just being quiet or if it's the wound. After she chooses choice B, Otani offers to go for some medicine. The offer is refused out of awkwardness. He takes her refusal in stride, while the rest of the crew watches the non-action in anticipation.

Risa tries to break the impasse by telling Otani that he's a good guy, then offers a hypothetical situation where she likes him. He's breaks into nervous laughter, which she joins. Otani flatly orders her not to gross him out. She's shocked.

Risa reacts to rejection.

Otani brusquely attempts to change the subject. Risa calls him a midget. Her casual insult rebounds with twice the force: "Don't get your hopes up about ever finding a boyfriend, Amazon." The harsh words reduce Risa to tears.

Nobu & Co. to the rescue

To him, this is a schoolyard trash talking match. To her, it's the cruelest rejection. Nobu leads the cavalry to the rescue. Otani doesn't understand why Risa is crying. Nobu yells that Risa is emotional, because she's in love. The cat is unintentionally out of the bag or so they think.

Otani immediately asks who the lucky guy is. They are shocked and awed by his density. Risa gets their sympathy, while Otani feels left out. Remember, everyone knew that Risa liked Otani for a while now, except for our hero with a Gundanium skull.

Words fail them.

Day gives way to dusk and the Umibozu concert. Otani asks about Risa about her foot. After hearing that it's OK, he turns the subject to her love life. She refuses to tell him who it is. He then concludes that she fell for a shorter man, which was why his Amazon insult hit home. Otani then surprises Risa by encouraging her to ignore the height difference and steam ahead.

However, he finishes his heart-felt talk by bugging her again for the name of who she likes. He doesn't like being left out of the loop. Risa replies "you'll know soon enough." She stops him in his tracks with a smile, then takes their picture with the camera that she brought for the concert. Risa masks the picture’s intent as a punishment for making her cry.

Risa takes his words to heart and resolves to steam ahead in romance.

Otani begins to get scared

It’s another day. Otani and Nakao play a basketball game in the gym, while Risa chats with Nobu on the sidelines. Otani has been bugging Nobu for the identity of Risa’s love. Nobu scolds Risa that she should make her move during the summer break, before any love rivals appear. Risa freaks, again. She’s told that she must be direct and tell him directly. Symbolically, Otani tosses in a clean shot.

After the games, Nobu continues pressing the direct strategy onto a doubtful Risa. Nobu even pulls out the shojo flower power in demonstration. Risa is extremely nervous even by the idea of getting him alone. Nobu’s coaching is a combination of instruction, bad cop, and fire breathing. Risa relents and begins to record Nobu’s recommended confession. However, Otani and Nakao show up at that moment.

Risa screams in surprise. Otani is annoyed, because Risa is being secretive again. Nobu tries to get her to confess. She draws away Nakao, leaving All Hashin-Kyojin alone. The stage is set. Despite her stage fright, Risa bravely follows Nobu’s game plan and begins her confession.

Rafflesia arnoldii AKA corpse flowers

Otani is nearly moved to bowel movements by her grotesque performance. Risa goes into offensive mode. Nobu stops her with a flying knee to the right kidney.

Coach Nobu’s flying knee

Otani recovers from her frightening performance and tells her that he has something to say. They head to their usual hang-out at the Ikebe diner. He repeats his question: who does she like? Considering that he just countered her confession, she has some justification to be upset. He complains that he’s only one left out the secret. In her mind, she slams down her palm before boldly declaring that Otani is the one. In reality, she grabs her head in frustration, while Otani tries to get her attention.

Risa hits her limit break and gets ready to declare it. Otani, who’s been calling her for a while, jumps up to demand the name. Spooked by his demeanor, she falls back on Nobu’s game plan, which turns into poorly muttered mumble-jumble.

Love confession round 2: No hits below the belt, keep it clean.

Risa’s self-consciousness gets the best of her again. She fails. Otani tells her that he’s honestly concerned and wants to help her. As proof of their closeness, he reminds her that they are All Hanshin-Kyojin, which was the extact wrong thing to remind her of. As she’s clutching her head in despair, he asks her if she likes him that much. She answers yes. His questions continue. She confesses that he’s an idiot, but a good guy. He’s shorter than her, but sweet.

Otani realizes that she might be coming to basketball practice to see him. Risa thinks that Otani has finally realized that he’s the one. Mr. Gundanium does not disappoint, well, he doesn’t disappoint us viewers. He guesses that Risa’s sweet a freshman and feels quite proud of his powers of deduction. Risa takes another critical hit. She tells Otani to drop it, and that she’s on the verge of tears. Otani backs off.

The setting skips to Risa’s room, where the three girls are having a low key celebration of Risa’s birthday. Chiharu cheers up Risa by giving her a pink bunny faucet for her bath. Otani calls her up; he learned about Risa’s b-day through Nobu. Otani asks if she’s free. The girls tell her to go. He invites her to the top of a building and asks her to wear the same kimono from the summer festival (see Episode 2).

A dolled-up Risa comes to the windy rooftop. Otani gives her an autographed Umibozu CD along with the collector’s badge, but his main gift is watching the fireworks show together.

Romantic fireworks display.

He wants to cheer her up with the invite, since she’s been so touchy lately. Moved by his concern, she confesses her feelings to him. Otani doesn’t show any reaction. Risa is left waiting for an answer as the episodes ends.

The gauntlet is thrown.

Commentary:
At this point, the series enters into the classical shojo mode, where the the heroine overcomes her fear of rejection. Confession leaves nothing to doubt, it leaves the confessor vulnerable. This also begins Risa's laborious struggle for Otani's attention.

I'll keep the commentary light for this episode and have a sum up at the end of the arc.

[1] Fansubbed by Kiss Sub.

Hip-Hop Irony

On an earlier post, I commented that women enjoying yaoi is like suburban white youths rolling down the street blasting hard core hip-hop out of their stereos. After reading Thomas Sowell's "Black Rednecks & White Liberals", there is a richer irony in that perception. According to Sowell's research, there could be nothing more white than the mentality espoused by the worst of gangster rap. The glorification of touchy honor and ready violence, coupled with the apathy to education and work, traces its roots to the boonies of Britain and was transmitted to black Americans during their enslavement.

Sowell writes about difficult subjects without the difficult language. I highly recommend his book; there's plenty to learn regardless of the side of the aisle that you sit on.