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Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
Episode 2

by Theron Martin,

After episode 1 there was still some question about whether its presentation or the much raunchier episode 0 would set the style and tone for the show. Episode 2 definitively clarifies that most of the series will be like episode 1, with perhaps some flavoring from episode 0.

And by “flavoring” I don't mean fan service, either; in fact, beyond a very brief shot of a random girl in a bikini, episode 2 has none. I am instead referring to the metafictional nature of episode 0, which pops up quite strongly here in the prologue and to a milder extent throughout the rest of the episode. After the opener, that most clearly shows in the recurring irony that some of its basic story elements are playing out exactly like a typical harem game/series even though Aki steadfastly denies it couldn't possibly be that way because they are real-life people, not harem characters. As he has a lengthy diner conversation with Megumi Kato, he has trouble buying that he, as a hard-core otaku, is actually one of his school's three biggest celebrities, or that Eriri and Utaha are the school's “greatest beauties” (a phrasing he insists only exists in harem titles) and that he has the romantic interest of both of them, especially given that he (supposedly) cares nothing for 3D girls, and he seems blind to the fact that both of them showing up at the diner to join him and Megumi only reinforces that impression – especially when Eriri and Utaha have a spirited game of kicky-foot underneath the table while the conversation continues on. The irony perhaps dawns on Aki a bit when he later invites Megumi over to his house, in a scenario that's straight from harem tales, and she reacts completely non-plussed about the situation because “it's Kato.” (The implication here is, of course, that Kato's supposed lack of interest in 3D girls makes it safe.)

The other point pushed in what is, overall, an extremely talky episode is how specifically and deliberately bland Megumi is as a character. She mentions herself how she doesn't stick out, a claim that Aki has a tough time reconciling because she is quite cute and certainly lit a fire under him and yet really does seem to fade into the background. Last year's Engaged to the Unidentified made common sport of how Hakuya could easily go unnoticed despite his height, but here director Kanta Kamei promotes that more subtly, such as by rarely actually showing Megumi's face or having seiyuu Kiyono Yasuno (Koneko in Hamatora, Tina in Wake Up, Girls!) speak in such a monotone that her voice can easily fade into the background as a pleasant droning sound. That there really is nothing which stands out about Megumi frustrates Aki, to the point that he shows her dating sim games to show her what a heroine should really be like and vows to mold her into such a heroine. (Hence where the title of the series comes from.) In other words, he's less interested in who she is now than what he wants her to be, although the writing also makes it painfully clear that Aki doesn't really know what he wants himself – either for his game or, presumably by extension, his own actual romantic interests.

If all of this sounds awfully philosophical for a harem series, well, it is. This is not typical ordinary harem mischief – not even close. The vast majority of the episode really does come down to Aki talking to Megumi, and when none of the girls cut Aki any slack, it's not because he is being a pervert but because his vision is not up to the task of supporting his dreams. In fact, I have to wonder if Kamei and writer Maruto! are trying to make a salient point that that too many fans and prospective creators claim that they know what they want without actually being able to articulate what they want/want to do. In that respect Aki becomes the embodiment of the truly clueless otaku, but it also gives him a little different flavor than your typical male harem lead. He has passion but immature ideas on how to channel it, and not in the lascivious sense, either.

As interesting as this can be, Aki does come across heavy enough at times to make him a little irritating, and what humor there is in the episode is more understated. (There's a running gag the background of the diner scenes about a waitress who cannot get another customer's order right, but in retrospect, I have to wonder if the timing of that wasn't meant symbolically as a reflection of how Aki wasn't getting his game endeavor started off right.) The talky nature of the episode also hedges on being burdensome after a while. The artwork is still good, although quirks like the red eye lining on female characters and occasions when the outlining on characters shifts to a color other than black still pop up.

If you are looking for sexy harem antics then you are apparently going to have to look elsewhere. If more involved ruminations on harem games/series interest you, though, then this may be the way to go.

Rating: B

Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.


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