Kuragehime - Episode 2

With a first episode that covered everything that needed to be conveyed to set up its story of Tsukimi, her house mates and her randomly encountered "princess", Kuragehime looks all set to start having fun with its premise as we enter its second instalment.

Indeed, this episode wastes no time in making of the most of Tsukimi finding herself with a cross-dressing man in her room - a care-free and free spirited one no less, who pays no attention to Tsukimi's panic as he makes himself at home while his host frantically tries to hide him from everyone else in the building.

Despite some close shaves, it seems as though Tsukimi has escaped with her reputation and place in the house's "Sisterhood" intact, and normality returns as the group plans and shops for their weekly hot pot.  Such an illusion of normality is quickly shattered however, as our cross-dressing friend pops by to say hello and help herself to said hot pot.  Needless to say, this doesn't go down well at all around the "unique" residents of the house and their rampant aversion to such fashionable types, and things only go from bad to worse once a casual query as to whether they are all nerds comes into the (incredibly one-sided) conversation.  It's this throwaway comment that eventually leads to our guest being effectively kicked out of the house, leading Tsukimi to learn a little more about this strange guy (most of it incredibly surprising), while our cross-dresser himself manages to find his way at least partly back into Tsukimi's friends affections courtesy of some prime meat for a new, improved hotpot.

After enjoying the first episode of Kuragehime I had high hopes for this next instalment, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.  Sure, the initial comedy of Tsukimi trying to hide someone in her room has been done a billion times before but it was still played out really well here, and the rest of the episode kept things running perfectly with plenty of humour without forgetting to play on various undercurrents that will run through the series with a focus firmly on Kurashita and Koibuchi and the unspoken similarities that bond them together, even if neither of them has realised yet.  It's still too early to trumpet it too loudly, but Kuragehime is definitely looking like one of the winners of the autumn so far.