The Tatami Galaxy - Episode 7

After growing used to really very different stories from episode to episode, this seventh instalment of The Tatami Galaxy shakes things up somewhat by going down what I can only describe as a slightly more Endless Eight route. Without the pointlessness, I hasten to add.

Thus, just like last episode we join our protagonist hiding away in a bathroom and with three women to choose from, and once again those three women are Keiko, Kaori and Hanuki. This time around however Akashi does make an appearance, albeit only a brief one which sets the wheels of the story in motion but has no direct bearing on anything beyond that.


This time around, the episode focuses on Kaori's story, as we witness Watashi being solicited by Jougasaki to look after this life-sized and beautiful love doll, first at Jougasaki's own place before circumstances cause Kaori to "move in" with the protagonist. Once again, Watashi's growing interest in Kaori coincides with pen-pal Keiko wanting to meet and Hanuki seemingly destined for bad things, but rather than shunning all three females this time our "hero" elopes with Kaori... well, at least as far as a bridge before Jougasaki catches up with him and the whole thing is ruined for Watashi once again. Perhaps he should have plumped for meeting Keiko after all? Time to wind back the clock once more...

Despite taking the risk of virtually giving us the same story and mostly the same circumstances from a different angle, this was still a pretty entertaining episode of The Tatami Galaxy - Yes, it wasn't laugh out loud about from a couple of moments here and there, but it somehow worked on a level that I can't quite explain in words; it's the kind of series that works on a broader level than simply amusing on an episode by episode basis, and I can't help but feel there are some big pay-offs coming up towards the end of the series for anyone who has been paying attention all the way through.

It's also oddly fascinating to see items from different episodes tying together in so many ways, while also trying to figure out what the "happy ending" our protagonist seeks is really going to be - Thus far, our happiest ending has arrived when Watashi is left alone and without the love he desires, but is Akashi actually his destiny as I suggested last time around? I'm beginning to doubt my own prediction here, and I suppose that unpredictability is just one of the reasons I can't tear myself away from The Tatami Galaxy while it's doing its fast-talking, self-referential thing.