School Rumble 2nd Sem 06

Despite the school play being dressed in light-hearted frivolous fluff, I found it to be a dark parody of the cruel cosmic prank that School-Rumble-Providence has been playing on Eri. Does not the SR deities know granting false hope is the worst sin anyone can commit to a shoujo in love? While SR Providence is having a real good laugh on how severe the Eri/Harima conundrum has regressed into, a beautiful shoujo no kokoro pines in vain and hopes in despair. My heart go out to Eri as she is deceived by destiny to yield her heart to one who does not intended to reciprocate.

If Eri is the running gag of the cosmos, than Yakumo is the favoured child of SR gods. Unlike the misrepresented circumtances that often led to contrived Eri/Harima interaction, fate has granted Yakumo/Harima an uncluttered channel of communication through the manga-drawing platform. This platform grants an excuse for regular meet-ups (opportunities) and faciliates the exchange of ideas (communication); 2 key aspects in any relationship building. Compare this solid avenue of relational growth against the haphazard/often misleading run-ins that plague the Eri/Harima moments and you know how far Imouto-san is ahead of Sawachika senpai in this race.

I love how the school play portrays Eri/Yakumo's positions in this relationship equation so well. Prince Eri, favoured by men, comes up against the gods' chosen, evil-mage Yakumo and despite Eri's beauty/intelligence/skill, she is unable to overcome Yakumo. Our dashing prince ultimately concedes defeat after seeing how SR sovereignty has blessed Yakumo/Harima with intimate rituals that Eri can never hope to partake in. With that, our very handsome Eri strides off stage, head held high, but self-esteem in tatters.

Could the school play also be a prophecy of sorts? That Yakumo would eventually 'win out' only to have the SR gods deny her imminent victory via a final betrayal by anointing Takano (or whoever she's personifying) to be Harima's partner? Does that also mean we are not going to get Mikoto/Eri yuri? Man, I need to start petitioning Studio Comet.

Ah well, whether prophecy or parody, I know I will be entertained. Rooting for underdog Eri...

Go go ojou!!

School Rumble 2nd Sem 05

While Harima has been unwittingly making inroads into Eri's heart thinking he's scoring with Tenma (onigri/ponytail incidents), Karasuma/Tenma's been drawing closer all these time. Although I had rather despised Tenma, her sobbing form at the stairs after the cake fiasco invoked much sympathy. I remember well the shattering pain of being 'shamed' in front of your crush from very many moons ago. And I thought it was soooo sweet of Karasuma to acknowledge her efforts and mend her wounded shoujo no kokoro.

As the eps go by, I find myself rooting more and more for Karasuma/Tenma. Not because I want to free Harima for Eri or even Yakumo but really because there is a sound basis for Tenma's attraction to Karasuma. Karasuma may seem like an oddball but really he was shown himself to be much more than he reveals. The simple truth;

Despite his dud appearance, the numerous brief flashes of secret skills attest to his manliness. Certainly he's more capable of caring for airhead Tenma than the clueless Harima. (Really, I can't imagine Tenma/Harima involved in child-rearing. We either get mass-murderers or world class comedians) I'm not sure if Karasuma is even mildly attracted to Tenma but at least I'm sure Harima's infatuation with Tenma is misplaced. His imaginings of Tenma always portray her to be gentle and womanly which are not exactly Tenma's real strengths. I'm so looking to that day when Harima realises this so that we can focus on the Eri-Harima-Yakumo conundrum.

School Rumble 2nd Sem 04

When a series pays attention to seemingly secondary or peripheral relationships, you can almost be sure they will have balanced, solid characters. I love the sweet lil Eri-Takano encounter this ep. It really brought out the sensitive/insightful Eri and her lame-O script to egg Takano's submission was so tender. It's interesting to note that Eri understands Takano to be quite the practical joker. In light of this, can we reasonably distill any romantic aspirations from her singling out of Hanai for cruel jokes? I haven't seen enough to comment but personally it'd great if Crusader's right since that would further heighten the drama with Hanai already entangled with Yakumo, Yuuki and Mikoto (yes, I'm not giving up my support for them.. Go Level D Miko chin!!)

Part of the reason why I'm still not giving up is due to the other sweet moment in this ep. Mikoto's challenge to Hanai to find love first was so heartwarming as their concern for each other really shone through. I thought it'd be thoroughly ironical if both are made loser (or winners depends on how you see it) the day THEY get together (if ever). Boy, I love such paradoxes. In fact, the cliched response after throwing such a challenge would be to follow-up with a half-jested dare that should both be single at 30, they'd have to take each other. Well, I was a little disappointed it didn't happened. (Yeah, I'm still into such old-school romantic crap at this time/age )

Hanai's a great guy. Dependable, fierce integrity/loyalty and exults that deep sense of security that women sooo want in men. Although some of his outstanding qualities do buckle a little in Yakumo's presence, he's still overall a man one would want his daughter to be dating. I wonder if I'd have to change my tune when the Yakumo stalking begins.

School Rumble 2nd Sem 02-03

Man, there's more drama in these 2 eps than all of Mai Otome! Disregarding the ludicrous premise, the many 'poignant' moments were extremely well executed within their standalone contexts. I especially enjoyed Mikoto's 'death' as Harima cruelly executed her right before Hanai. Even Tenma and Karasuma's face-off was touching (if not slightly over the top) Other dramatic encounters of note include Yuuki vs Hanai/Mikoto and Madoka vs Shigeo. If only Studio Comet would animate "Battle Royale ~ School Rumble edition", I have faith it would surpass even the great Mai HiME.

Yes, I can dream can't I?

This arc had me rooting all the more for Hanai and Mikoto. I've expressed my support for them since season 1 but I must be part of a very small minority as the consensus seemed to be that Hanai/Mikoto have little chemistry. (Apparently, Asou seems to currently be the hottest candidate for Mikoto.) Personally, Mikoto and Hanai have something which I have not seen possessed by any other couple in School rumble; a longstanding, deep and caring friendship which I believe is the strongest foundation for any love love relationship. The trust that Mikoto has in Hanai (believing that Hanai will come to save), the care Hanai exhibits for Mikoto (the heart-rending howl when Harima off-ed Mikoto), their impeccable partnership (how they flawlessly took out Yuuki and the Band faction) and the embarressment both felt when Harima played a prank on them at the end of the ep; tell me they have sooo much potential to be good together. A sum greater than its parts indeed.

Of course no matter how compatible couples are, it's meaningless when their hearts don't belong to each other. Again, I can only hope Mikoto/Hanai realise how good they are for each other.

School Rumble 2nd Sem 01

Yakumo and Eri; what more justifications do governments need to legalise bigamy? How many more fanboys need to spill their blood from agonising over Eri/Yakumo before humanity realises that there are choices in this world that even the divine cannot impose their sovereignty upon.

Indeed, this ep reminded me once again how much I LOVE Yakumo and Eri. I had finished season 1 with a very slight leaning towards Eri only to have the balance restored with this 2nd Sem debut. Yakumo was utterly mesmerising. Her bashful blushes, sisterly meekness and quiet crush on Harima helped crystalise her gentle nadeshiko soul so that mere mortal like us may get a glimpse of heaven.

Unfortunately, I really can't say the same for her sister. Everytime Tenma and Karasuma appear onscreen, I would wish Karasuma's alien tale at the end of season 1 was true. Then they can elope to the farthest rock in the universe and spawn their young, away from sentient beings in case their stupidity is infectious. (In fact, it might already be too late seeing how there are those who appear to employ Tenma's patented kamekichi thought process to justify atrocious crimes against humanity.)

This ep also re-ignited my wish to be a high-schooler in Japan. Just look at ALL the beautiful girls people in 2-C?!? Plus, you get participate in shadowy councils monitoring err class welfare and providing AV information from behind the scenes. Of course such altruism has their detractors and the occasional persecution is inevitable.

Sigh... well, until someone makes me a Japanese high-schooler, I'd just have to be contended with immension in School Rumble.

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School Rumble 2nd Term Ep 14

I've not been enjoying School Rumble Nigakki for a while but this episode was nice and Harima succeeds in doing two very considerate (and non-backfiring) things for Tenma. Later Ep 15 mainly features Harima x Yakumo tension while Ep 16 concentrates on Harima x Eri fashion and the latter, for me, just wins hands down (but I'm not blogging them). Instead, let's head back to MikoAri fun.

School Rumble 2 Ep 8

Well, not really Miko-chin x Satsuki but more of two love rivals in the making (over Asou).

School Rumble 2nd Term 6

Just when I was complaining about the dire need for more yuri humour in School Rumble, here's an episode with four aspects of insinuation that made my reptilian brain muchly happy. I've been a fan of the MikoEri pairing but it's rather one-sided.

School Rumble 2nd Term 4

Well, that was an interesting take on the normally tomboyish Mikochin. Also nice to see some character development for Akira especially her love of practical jokes. I still have Salva Nos playing in my head whenever she appears though. The star of this episode for me, though, was Eri strutting her tsundere stuff.

School Rumble OVA Ep 2

Some great LOL moments in this second installment of the OVA. Again, lovely Harima-Eri interaction in Tenma's presence. Eri is normally a very bright and observant person but given her feelings about Harima and Tenma not even appearing on her competition radar (which had already zapped Mikoto and Yakumo), I suppose it's understandable that she didn't link Harima's changes in behaviour to the only variable that was controlling it.