Ori has now started requesting Utage from her cleaning agency. Does she have the right to refuse this assignment? She should. It might put her job on the line, but any decent business would side with its employees. Besides, if someone called you up and specifically requested the underaged girl on the team, shouldn’t that raise an eyebrow or two? “Huh, I have a team full of capable of employees, but you want the high schooler? That’s odd…”
Of course, Ori isn’t going to do anything unspeakable to Utage. He’s just an asshole. He immediately demands to know if she’s dating Tamon, which then leads to her spewing delusional bullshit about how she couldn’t possibly date her oshi, because he’s destined to make every woman his girlfriends. I know it’s hyperbole, I know. But two things: 1) the real Tamon isn’t like that at all, and 2) what does he want? So far, this show doesn’t really function as a good romance, because Utage is in love with a persona. She supports Gloomyhara wholeheartedly, but again, she’s not in love with him. She’s in love with a fake. And I guess that’s true of all idol fans. And even though she gets the privilege to see the real Tamon, she tries to reject him for the fake. Fine, she’ll eventually learn to love the real Tamon just as much as the fake, but how long is it going to take for us to get there? I don’t think I’m invested enough for a 100+ episode “odyssey.”
Suddenly, Ori feels faint and falls onto Utage’s shoulder. After all, we need an excuse for Utage to stick around instead of storming away from this situation. This time, it’s the age-old “falling ill” excuse. Oh, I don’t say that because I think Ori is faking it. I’m saying that, because it’s such a cheap plot device. Dude looked completely normal when he opened the door. All of a sudden, he’s flushed crimson red and has beads of sweat all over his face. What a load of crap. But like it or not, we’re going to get to know him and probably find out that he’s not so bad after all. Like wow, there’s hidden depths to this asshole (pun intended).
And I guess what really frustrates me about this show is its need to add other boys to the equation. This is why I was apprehensive about the show from the start. It can’t just be Tamon even though the show is named after him. It’s going to be all the guys in F/ACE. Once we’re done with Ori, we’re going to move onto the other pretty boys and get to know each of them one-by-one. There’s going to be the smart one, the cute one, the badass one. It’s going to be a pseudo-harem whether you like it or not. But I want a romance. I don’t want to see the girl trying on different pants before ultimately buying the one she came for in the first place. Don’t do five shitty stories when you can focus on one and do it well.
Ah well, this show is what it is, so we see Utage return to Ori’s place the next day. This time, however, Tamon also shows up, because he’s so concerned and all. He and Utage even start cleaning the place together. Another problem with this show: I can’t stand wimpy dudes like Tamon. Not only does he let Ori berate him on a regular basis, now he’s doing unpaid work for the guy. It’s pathetic, and I’ve seen a lot of pathetic anime characters in my lifetime. The worst part is how Tamon defends Ori: “I think I sort of understand why Ouri-kun’s so irritated with me.” Ah, great, we’re going to condone an asshole’s bullying behavior just because he used to help Tamon out at the start. But that only happened because he didn’t see Tamon as a threat. Once Tamon “stole” the center role from Ori, the real him came out; he was never really nice in the first place. Anyway, Tamon wants to compete with Ori once the the latter has fully recovered. Of course, this determination alone makes Utage “ascend” somehow. After five episodes, I… just don’t like any of these characters. I really want to get this episode over with, but we’re only halfway through it. Ugh.
Ori eventually recovers, and we zoom past the third and fourth rounds of the competition. The center role is still up for grabs. Some dark horse will likely swoop in and steal the spot from both of them, because that’s what always happens. Besides, I don’t give a shit who wins. But Utage does. And because Tamon told her that he wants to compete against Ori at the asshole’s very best, she also tells Ori to do his best. Tamon overhears this and is now crestfallen. Oh no, the misunderstandings! Oh no, Tamon’s going to lose his biggest fan! This is so stupid. But hey, maybe now he’ll understand the bittersweet nature of love: being NTR’d by his rival.
The fifth and final round finally rolls around, aaaaaand it’s a singing competition that we don’t even get to hear. What a cop-out. We just get a montage of the members of F/ACE belting their hearts out while dramatic background music plays. Ultimately, Tamon and Ori didn’t go into the final round at their very best, so some other schmuck wins the center role. Ah, how predictable. Even so, a tearful Utage resolves to continue supporting her oshi, because that’s just what you do. They wouldn’t be your oshi if you just dropped them after a single misstep. Tamon was and probably still is afraid that he might lose Utage. That’s why he unconsciously grabbed onto her earlier, right? In a better show, he would communicate this to her, they would have a heart-to-heart, and perhaps we’d make some real progress towards a palatable romance. And there’s still time to do this, possibly at the start of next week’s episode. But I dunno if this will happen. I don’t have much faith in Tamon’s B-Side. It’s just not very romantic.
Stray thoughts & observations:
- Isn’t Ori’s head a little small for his body here?
- Oooh, how self-aware.
- Yep, lemme just mute this song. Should’ve had the five boys sing in the final round. Let me judge for myself who did well.
