Monday 1 December 2008

Kannagi - Episode 9

It's about time Tsugumi got some decent screen time in Kannagi, and to a reasonably large degree this episode is all hers, with Nagi taking a back seat for the entirety of this particular instalment.

Of course, the entire state of affairs that transpires during this episode is all because of Nagi, and in particular her very public row with Daitetsu last time around, an argument which has become the source of scurrilous rumours amongst the art club. Is Jin really a homosexual? Of course, we know differently, but that doesn't stop Tsugumi shouting it out in the middle of a school corridor, and before she knows it Jin's sexual preferences are the talk of the town.


The only way back from this is for someone (female, of course) to date Jin - At least, that's the way Zange sees it, and of course she puts her name forward as the ideal candidate, adding that Tsugumi could probably likewise do the same if she so wished. To be honest, this episode almost seems to tire of this particular storyline half-way through the episode, and instead veers away to exploring Tsugumi and Jin's childhood (with Nagi and Zange delighting in getting to see baby photos and the like of Jin) and their relationship with another based upon that, with only a brief revisit to the "dating" scenario to close off the episode. Perhaps the most interesting point of note is that at no point does Nagi step forward to express either jealously or interest in taking part in the "Jin dating" project, letting it continue while watching from the sidelines - A bit of an unexpected turn if you ask me, considering her reactions to certain things in previous episodes.

Anyway, aside from the amusing but perhaps slightly predictable gay jokes (including Tsugumi taking quite an interest in some of Akira's magazines...), there were some hilarious moments in this episode, and ironically most of the best lines were entirely throwaway ones. Personally, I was curled up with laughter at the "Authour Man" anime on TV ("ANTI-ALIAS!"), and Akira's despair at Jin's supposed ability to attract all and sundry at the end of the episode ("You can't set up the flags like that!") also gave me a big laugh. Coupled with the overall fun and entertaining tone of this episode, this made for another good episode of Kannagi, even if the star of the show kept largely quiet beyond taking an overly enthusiastic interest in Jin's genitals. Yes, it was maybe all a little immature as anime goes, but it was still funny enough to be highly enjoyable, keeping Kannagi up there on mygood anime list for this season.

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