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Wagnaria!!3
Episode 5

by Paul Jensen,

How would you rate episode 5 of
Wagnaria!!3 ?
Community score: 4.3

Since no one in the restaurant would ever be crazy enough to say it, I will: thank goodness for Yamada. As the show's central non-couples fuss and worry over their non-relationships, she remains a blissfully incompetent pain in the neck. Her ability to show up and demand attention in any situation means that Wagnaria!!3 can never fully paint itself into a corner. As long as Yamada never starts caring about her job, there will always be a way to break the ice with a joke.

Takanashi and Inami have an awful lot to think about in the wake of last episode's emotional upheaval, and it's a safe bet that neither of them will sort through those feelings in a productive way. Takanashi goes on a cleaning rampage through his house, much to the annoyance of his sisters. Inami decides to skip work and have Yamada cover her shifts, much to the annoyance of everyone in the restaurant. Takanashi's sisters eventually step in to resolve the situation, which would be a much better idea if any of them had a clear idea of what was going on. In the midst of all the drama, Yamada deals with some heartbreak of her own: she resolves to break up with her favorite food after spilling it on her uniform, but just can't bear to live without it.

Bringing the full Takanashi family into the mix helps add some variety to the show's comedic formula. The four sisters act as the relief pitchers of the series, stepping in from time to time to help keep the restaurant crew's antics from growing too predictable. They provide some entertaining banter, but their biggest contribution to this episode is accidentally setting up a delightfully awkward meeting between Souta and Inami. The image of Inami arriving with a paper bag on her head and boxing gloves on her hands is funny on its own, but what really sells the scene is the way she hangs on to the props throughout the rest of the conversation. The situation is humorously uncomfortable by its very nature, and having Inami stuck with an armful of useless stuff the entire time helps push things even further.

Considering how much Wagnaria!!3 hints at the likelihood of Takanashi and Inami reaching some kind of understanding, it's surprising that they make as little progress as they do this time. Their relationship has always relied on extreme density on both sides to put the brakes on any romantic moments, but the writing at the end of this episode really stretches the limits of believability. I'm fine with stringing this plot along for the remainder of the season, but you can't put that much information out in the open and still have the characters go home without saying anything. It's a weak non-ending that sours the strong comedy that precedes it.

The reason this episode works in spite of all the narrative hand-waving can be summed up in one word: Yamada. The subplot of her breakup with natto is delightfully stupid and extremely useful in the way it plays against the more serious plight of Inami and Takanashi. By going through the same motions with her favorite food that others would do with another person, Yamada points out that this is all rather silly and not worth taking seriously. She somehow manages to provide comedy relief within a dedicated comedy, a feat made all the more impressive by its improvement of the episode.

As frustrating as it is to see this storyline end in a puff of smoke, the process of reaching that anticlimax is a great deal of fun. Wagnaria!!3 exists primarily to make its audience laugh, and the occasional dramatic misstep can be forgiven so long as it continues to provide laughter. A day will come, however, when the show will have no choice but to let its character dynamics evolve further.

Rating: B

Wagnaria!!3 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Viewster.

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


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