×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Flat
Episode 9

by Theron Martin,

How would you rate episode 9 of
Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Flat ?
Community score: 4.1

The title of this episode is the rather bland “Graduation with a Twist.” While that's accurate to what happens in the first half of the episode, as Utaha does graduate right before a big twist, it might be more fair to call this episode something like “An Inconvenient Truth”, (though that title is admittedly famously taken). This episode revolves around a majorly earth-shaking issue for Aki. As much passion as he has, he's not really cut out to be a producer right now.

Yes, he's an effective idea man and has plenty of drive and promotion. Yes, he has an eye for talent. However, he's not all that good at managing the talent in his thrall, which lies at the core of Blessing Software's struggles over the course of the series. Even though he's not romantically-inclined toward any one of his ladies over the others, he still had a bad tendency to let his feelings over the girls as friends get in the way, which is especially acute with Eriri since he's been close to her the longest. Both Megumi and Utaha have shown that they're aware of this over the past few episodes, and that it's not a matter of jealousy for them but professionalism. Aki has so greatly prioritized his platonic relationships that he hasn't been forceful on deadlines and performance, subconsciously relying too much on the girls' interest in him or the project to drive their involvement, and Eriri, even though powerfully loyal, is taking advantage of that weakness.

This all keenly comes into focus in the episode's second half, where Akane Kosaka, the founder of rouge en rouge who's gone on to a professional career, makes a pitch to Utaha and especially Eriri for key involvement in the relaunch of a major video game franchise. She's appeared multiple times in the past few episodes and showed particular interest in Eriri's final seven illustrations, so this turn is not at all surprising, but Akane makes it absolutely clear up front that she intends to push them hard. In her view, creators don't grow if they stay in too much of a comfort zone, and while she thinks Eriri has more potential than she's realized, she drives home that Eriri has only taken the first steps to fulfilling it by demonstrating that her artistic style can easily be duplicated. She also isn't the least bit sympathetic to the creative slump that Eriri is in, which may actually be what Eriri needs to commit to what she wants. The interesting kicker to this is that Akane makes Utaha the rider on Eriri's acceptance on the project. Also listen for some new cello-based musical themes through this part, which the series hasn't used previously.

This brings the story back to the first half of the episode, where Aki is showing the plan he pitched to Megumi last episode to Utaha for her approval. Although she approves, it also falls to her to tell Aki that she and Eriri are apparently accepting the game production opportunity. As much as they might want to work with Aki again for emotional reasons, Akane's offer also gives Utaha and Eriri a chance to work together again (something Utaha wants), and this is the kind of golden opportunity that can cement a creator's long-term career. Even considering how this will crush Aki, they would be fools not to seize the chance for a number of reasons.

One of the standard storytelling patterns for anime – even in episodic or comedic series – is to have some major crisis arise in the last three episodes that will carry the story toward at least a seasonal resolution, which for Saekano has brought us here. The common resolution is for the crisis to ultimately unite the protagonist and their allies with renewed purpose, but I'm not convinced that's the best approach here. Since the series has never shown any inclination to step away from being a somewhat more dramatic harem series at heart, I'm still fully expecting it to return to the status quo, one way or another. So surprise me, Saekano Flat! Impress me in these last two episodes that you're capable of expanding beyond your roots and slavish devotion to “meta” humor and rise to the demands of growth being placed on your characters.

Regardless, it's still pretty remarkable that the episode turned out this good despite Megumi being completely absent from the picture.

Rating: A-

Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Flat is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.


discuss this in the forum (42 posts) |
bookmark/share with: short url

back to Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Flat
Episode Review homepage / archives