hontou ni sou omou?

Ah, I just love the way Asa-chan plays with her hair. She happens upon Rin, who has finished his summer homework and is drawing, at the canal and proceeds to interrogate him about whether he has chosen Kaede, Shia, Nerine or Primula. He denies all of it and says he justs want to enjoy school life with everyone. He notes that he’s heard that, after Takizawa, a lot of other guys have confessed to Asa-chan but she’s turned them all down. Asa-chan agrees and feels the same way, wanting to enjoy school life as it is now together with Rin. Later they run into Kareha in town who asks if they are on a date. Asa-chan denies it and says they met by coincidence at the riverbank. This sends Kareha into love junkie mode as she probably thinks that riverbanks are very romantic or something. Itsuki appears, ninja-like (see Asa-chan’s shock in the reflection of the glass wall), talking about the youthful hot-bloodedness. Rin and Asa-chan’s simultaneous denials was quite cute indeed.

Anyway this is a Primula episode. While she may look like Ruri Hoshino, she is actually more Rei Ayanami and needs her routine dip in LCL or risk breaking apart.

亜沙ちゃんのために!　愛愛亜沙ちゃん!　
Ai Ai Asa-chan!
Join the AAA today!

Interestingly, Asa-chan’s interrogation about Rin’s choice of girlfriend is similar to the early part of the game (16/6) - though Asa-chan seems much more aggressive in the anime compared to the game and no question about Primula as she hasn’t appeared yet - and this particular pathway of Rin’s answer (including the part about wanting to enjoy school life which he also expressed in ep 7) leads to him getting together with Asa. Not sure if this means Rin and Asa-chan will eventually get together - she’s still a dark horse candidate right now.

Primula’s importance to Nerine’s backstory is hinted at here. She certainly got quite a few lines and expressions in this episode and I enjoyed it. Foebeshii explains the Instrumentality Project to Rin - Primula is an artificial being created through the magic of both the Shinkai and Makai to research life itself and immortality but the strong magic in her can act up to the detriment of her body so she has to go back to the Makai and it’s not certain that she can return.

This was certainly more dramatic than in the game when Foebeshii explains Primula’s origins and nature to Rin on the day he brings her home and the return to the Makai for research/testing seemed routine and fuss-free.

Please discuss the game-based spoilers on my SHUFFLE! game posts instead. Thanks!