It's almost ironic when a series manages to showcase one of its own weaknesses, but episode ten of Special A seems to do this quite admirably. Putting together a bunch of ultra-smart (and almost to a man very wealthy) students and give them special dispensation to do more or less what they like, and you're bound to have negative feelings towards them amongst the general school-going populace. This isn't just a problem faced within the series however - Step outside of that frame and, despite probably seeming like a good idea to its writers, it's also an issue which effects the anime itself. Although I'd hate to prejudice my feelings towards anything based around 'class' (which admittedly is largely an oh-so British disease), at times it has been hard to warm to Special A's characters thanks to their special status, both financially (Hikari aside) and within their school lives. If there's one thing that has both enabled and disabled the show at the same time, it's the special status given to the stars of the show.
While there was more to this episode than simply such 'us and them' thinking, it did have an overbearing influence over the entirety of proceedings, as I found myself really questioning how likeable some of the main characters (beyond Kei and Hikari, who to be fair both have their own charming qualities) were. These questions floating around in my head left me seriously unable to decide whether I supported the survival of the S.A. and their extravagences or not, which I get the feeling was probably not the script writers original intention.
Anyway, beyond my internal class wars and the like, this episode does serve to set up the relationship between Kei and Hikari in such a way that the pair can't possibly do anything but finally get together next time around surely? It's probably my curiosity about this alone that keeps me watching, otherwise I find myself feeling once more that I could take or leave this series, and its occasionally irritating bouts of 'poshness'.
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