Sunday 20 April 2014

The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behaviour! - Episode 3

They've been living in the same apartment complex for a while now, but Usa still doesn't seem to be having any success at getting closer to Ritsu.

In fact, if anything the distance between them only seems to be growing - a thought which proves to be all the more painfully realised once Usa splashes out his savings on a new bike.  With room for someone to ride on the back, Usa is quick to offer Ritsu the chance to have a lift to school; however, Kawai's response is to shoot him down even more rapidly, much to his distress.  As it happens, Ritsu's intentions weren't exactly to be so merciless in their destruction of Usa's feelings, leaving her feeling the need to apologise, bringing new hope into Usa's heart.


For the rest of the episode it's more overt romantic troubles that dominate - first, Mayumi is contacted by her ex-boyfriend seeking to reconcile their relationship, which she seems all set to fall for until she actually meets him and remembers what an inconsiderate idiot he is.  On the flip side of that coin, Sayaka's manipulation of men almost comes back to bite her, only for her to deflect that bite onto a hapless Usa until Ritsu (of all people) steps in to save the day by literally throwing the book at his assailant.

It continues to be flawed, with characters that can test my patience quite regularly (Mayumi, I'm looking at you), yet there are still enough good jokes, laughs and moments within each episode of The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behaviour to keep me coming back for more.  Admittedly, this is largely thanks to Usa and Ritsu, and in particular the inscrutable personality of the latter, but the cast as a whole interact well enough to produce a fair number of entertaining moments.  It certainly isn't the most consistent comedy you'll find, but it's well presented and produced to make full use of the material at hand, ensuring that it's worthy of at least some praise.

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