Handa-kun

Episode 8

Is it just me, or does a vacation with the Handa Force seem like no vacation at all? Despite some misgivings about his ability to fit in, Handa goes on the school trip to Kyoto. He's placed in a tour group with the guys from the Handa Force, but for once it's not his classmates who cause Handa trouble. His biggest problem is Ichimiya, the most popular student at a rival school. The smooth-talking Ichimiya is Handa's polar opposite, and his followers inevitably end up clashing with the Handa Force throughout the trip. Just when it looks like an all-out brawl is inevitable, Handa manages to help the two groups forge a truce without ever truly understanding what's going on around him.

Setting up the Shiro High kids as an evil mirror image of the Handa Force is a clever idea, as it gives the series a chance to really bring out everyone's personalities. So it's a little disappointing that this episode spends most of its time trying to figure out what to do with these new characters. Each one of Ichimiya's followers is essentially a carbon copy of someone from the Handa Force, and most of them end up being too similar to really play up the humor of fighting against a twisted version of one's self. There are some amusing moments, like Tsutsui bonding with his opposite over the pitfalls of buying a wooden sword as a souvenir, but the Shiro High kids as a group feel underdeveloped and underutilized.

There are a couple of notable exceptions who go a long way toward saving the episode. Unlike most of his minions, Ichimiya is nicely calibrated to act as a twisted reflection of Handa. He's smooth, he's charismatic, and he's acutely aware of how much everyone adores him. That last quality is arguably the most important, as it sets up some fun conversations where Ichimiya assumes that the ever-oblivious Handa is as invested in the rivalry as he is. Handa genuinely has no idea what's going on, but his confusion always manages to sound like cagey wisdom to Ichimiya's ears. There are also some good exchanges between Kondo and his “average Joe” rival, which lead up to a great moment at the end of the episode where Kondo unleashes a new and terrifying side of his personality.

Still, this episode's best material tends to come from the handful of scenes featuring just Handa and his classmates. The change of scenery opens up new opportunities for Handa to completely misread obvious social cues, and his inner monologue on the train is a lot of fun. Even some of the less elaborate jokes, like Handa being placed in a separate room to keep him safe from his female admirers, are more than worth their screen time. It's kind of a shame that the showdown with Shiro High takes up so much of this episode, as it feels like there was plenty of unused comedic potential within Handa's own class.

While this episode is amusing from time to time, it doesn't reach the heights of humor that I was hoping it would. Aizawa and Nikaido never find any significant comedic chemistry with their Shiro High rivals, and the rest of the gang don't hit it off well enough to pick up the slack. As Handa-kun coasts amiably through another week, I can't help but feel as if the series missed an opportunity.

Rating: B-

Handa-kun is currently streaming on Funimation.

Paul Jensen is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow more of his anime-related ramblings on Twitter.