Mikagura School Suite

Episode 6

Anyone watching Mikagura School Suite in the hope that it'll reveal a darker and more complex plot can safely abandon ship now. At this point in the season, it's pretty clear that the show's ambitions stop at being a fun and inconsequential diversion. That lack of direction ought to bother me, but it's tough to get mad at a series that consistently measures up to its own modest standards.

We learn a bit about art club president Kuzuryu this week, including his reason for coming to Mikagura Academy and his past relationship with Eruna's cousin. That's all fine and dandy, but the previous episode's ending still looms ominously in the background. It's hard not to wonder how Eruna's optimism will fare in the face of a powerful and mean-spirited opponent, but that question appears doomed to go unanswered. Drama club freshman Tonkyun manages to defeat the girl with the trumpet, so Eruna ends up battling him instead. I guess this show's villains are so inconsequential that they don't even merit a showdown with the main character.

Kuzuryu's character arc follows a familiar pattern: he's haunted by some past regrets, but Eruna's sunny personality inspires him to work his way out of his creative slump. We saw something similar from the drama club a few weeks ago, and the formula works about as well now as it did then. Kuzuryu's troubles feel like a good match for the president of an art club, and the story wraps up without any major missteps. Once again, however, the whole thing is too quick and simple to leave much of an impression. It's a competent little side story that showcases Eruna's ability to inspire other people, but that's all there is to it.

The remainder of the episode is dominated by a handful of battle scenes, though they aren't as spectacular as some of the show's earlier efforts. The special abilities aren't as creative, the choreography isn't as ambitious, and the characters' personalities aren't as evident in their fighting styles. For a show that's all about fun and spontaneity, these are some disappointingly normal action scenes. Tonkyun's weapon retains some sense of whimsy with its transformation from a stagehand's hammer to an actor's prop sword, but there's still more work than play happening here.

Even if it is getting simple and formulaic, there's something intangible about Mikagura School Suite that I can't help but like. It might be the show's good ear for comedic dialogue or the fact that its idea of fanservice leans more toward humor than outright sex appeal. Maybe I just appreciate how the characters seem to care more about enjoying their matches than winning them. It may be a lot of minor things working together, but the end result is good, disposable fun. Even when the story starts to wander or the ideas start to feel recycled, the series still offers enough guilt-free laughs to be worth the audience's time.

The purple-haired girl from the opening credits finally makes an appearance this week, and I expect it'll take Eruna around fifteen minutes to break through her aloof attitude. If Mikagura School Suite somehow decides to get serious in the latter half of this season, I'll be genuinely surprised and sorely disappointed. The longer it can remain the anime equivalent of cotton candy, the better.

Rating: B

Mikagura School Suite is currently streaming on Funimation.

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