Episode 5 – Aharen-san wa Hakarenai Season 2

So far, the second season of Aharen-san has been going pretty much full-force on the comedy. And to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve been having a delightful time with Raido and Aharen back on my screen. All the same, we were due for an episode more primarily concerned with sincerity to balance out the goofiness of this show.

That being said, it was an interesting choice to reserve a beach episode for just such an occasion. On one hand, thematically, it fits. After all, the camping episode last season was the major turning point for Raido and Aharen’s budding relationship. So that a beach episode would give us such a heartfelt moment between the two, and also a brief moment where we see Hanako worrying about how she hasn’t changed (which feels like a prelude to shining more focus onto her and Ishikawa and their possible romance, but I guess we’ll see), feels correct. But of course, one can’t help but think of the wealth of missed opportunities for Raido’s imagination to run at some of its wildest. After all, it’s a beach on a not-so-deserted island. He could have—just to use a completely random example, of course—created an elaborate scenario spanning the monstrous length of 100+ hours involving Aharen being a golden witch, gruesomely killing off some rich patriarch’s family one by one.

In any case, beach episodes as a whole tend to err toward being more silly and lighthearted. So it’s mostly unexpected to single out its beach episode as its most earnest thus far. While I can’t help but wonder and yearn for what could’ve been, I’m not dissatisfied that the series switched things up this way. It’s fresh, it’s heartfelt, and it’s a good reminder that there’s more to Raido and Aharen than, say, their over-the-top-imaginations. And also, of course, that they’re an adorable couple and perfect for one another.

It’s rare for me to love anime couples as much as I do Aharen and Raido, but not unlike their teacher, obsessed with their esteem, I just can’t help but love them. And I think that has to do with how they often just feel like two best friends. Not only does it make their romance feel more believable, but also more substantial. This is to say nothing of how Raido has got to be one of the most supportive anime boyfriends of all time. And episodes like this, with moments like him and Aharen’s watching the sunrise together, are a good reminder that while this quality of his is usually played for laughs, it’s real—it’s not just a bit.

Aside from cute moments between Raido and Aharen demonstrating how perfect they are for one another, there were plenty of funny moments sprinkled around. My favorites, without a doubt, were Aharen’s siblings worrying about her being on the island and deciding this would be a great time to watch, of all movies, Midsommar. Side note: This is the first time I’ve seen Midsommar referenced in an anime, how neat! Secondly, our protagonists missing their ferry off the island—a moment of panic surges. What are they going to do? The camera then pans up, revealing that yet unbeknownst to the audience (and perhaps some of the protagonists themselves), there’s civilization—complete with a hotel and a convenience store—but a few meters away.

The only thing this episode was substantially marred by was a general slowness. I guess that makes sense, because again, the show was going for more sincerity in this episode. All in all, as usual, I’m still looking forward to watching more. We got that earlier-mentioned hint that maybe another romance could soon be upon us—that of Hanako and Ishikawa. It’d be interesting to see this show tackle another romance blossoming that isn’t between its central characters. More specifically, I’m curious how the show would go about it in general, and I’m curious if it’ll focus on Hanako and Ishikawa, or Raido and Aharen’s reactions and responses to the whole thing. Still, even taking Raido and Aharen out of the equation, the other characters in this show are super charming. We could be in for something equal parts funny and sweet.

Rating:

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai is currently streaming on Crunchyroll on Mondays.