Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches

Episode 5

Yamada's an entertaining main character in general, but his goofy facial expressions are quickly becoming my favorite thing about him. Whether he's angry, confused, or exceedingly proud of a mundane accomplishment, his cartoonish expressions are great fun to watch. They're not quite up to the high standard set by My Love Story!!, but they help keep things entertaining whenever the story starts to bog down. Considering how much new information this episode dumps on the audience, we need all the small laughs we can get.

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches was in a big hurry to get the story going at the beginning of the season, and that sense of haste returns this week. The series finally spells out the rules behind the body-switch and charm powers, along with Yamada's ability to copy both of them from their original owners. The story behind Yamada's apparent lack of friends also comes to light thanks to a pair of flashbacks, and we learn that there are more students with special powers out there. As if all that wasn't enough, this episode also wraps up the conflict between Odagiri and the supernatural studies club. I'm all for showing narrative ambition, but that's an awful lot of material to cover in the course of half an hour.

The rushed pace doesn't do the story any favors, and there's little time for the significance of one moment to sink in before we're on to the next big thing. That's a shame, since some of these storylines could have been real winners if they'd been fleshed out a little more. Yamada's history with Ushio packs an emotional punch, but the hit never has a chance to land. Their backstory is reduced to a useful tidbit of information, and Ushio's attempt to pass it all off as water under the bridge is weak and unconvincing. The idea of Odagiri wanting to stay under the influence of her own power is also brimming with potential, but that door is slammed shut almost immediately. None of these story developments are bad ideas, but they aren't given the breathing room they need to really hit home.

The show may leave these plot arcs for dead, but their sacrifices might still be worthwhile. With Yamada's “copy” power now fully explained, there should be much less exposition to work through in future episodes. The search for other students with special powers makes for a much more interesting story than the politics of the student council, and it provides the series with a stronger backbone. For bonus points, it even helps explain the title of the show. If I'm going to be buried under an avalanche of new information, I'm glad it's the sort of info-dump that actually improves the story.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, there is one genuinely good scene in this episode. When Yamada refuses to help Odagiri in order to spite Ushio, Shiraishi comes right out and tells him that he's being a jerk. There's no subtlety or teary-eyed indecision here, she just slaps Yamada in the face and sets him straight. This genre has a bad habit of letting one perfect character solve everyone else's problems, so it's refreshing to see someone else take the lead and force Yamada to address his own shortcomings. Some understandably selfish actions help to humanize Yamada, and Shiraishi's ability to call him out adds an interesting dynamic to their relationship.

Viewed in isolation, this is not a particularly strong episode. There's simply too much going on at once for any individual scene to leave much of an impression. In the context of the series as a whole, however, these rapid-fire revelations could end up being very useful. With less to explain, future episodes will hopefully be free to focus on the human half of the equation.

Rating: B-

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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