As Omni first noted, most of this episode consists of "Life is back to normal" and "Lisianthus suffers from low morale". The latter due to a combination of her best friend, Nerine, having her friends but also unknowingly reminding Sia about how her other self is being denied her happiness. The argument between Sia and Kikyou was brilliantly done - with the perspective switching across various reflective surfaces and seeing Sia’s shadow from different angles. Kikyou takes over the driving seat and begins her offensive to win Rin which I suspect is going to backfire badly. Am curious to see if the anime will follow the game solution to the Sia-Kikyou "problem".
This episode also shows Rin and Asa becoming closer, something which the others notice clearly as well. On to 46 Asa screencaps (500 x 375) and speculation with game-based spoilers:
Cheers to Shigure Asa sempai’s good health!
Rin - green tea.
Asa - orange juice.
Kareha - milk tea.
Mayumi - milk (Japanese believe that drinking milk will increase a girl’s bust size. LOL)
Kaede - green tea.
Nerine - apple juice.
Itsuki - coffee.
Sia - tomato juice.
Asa expresses surprise that Rin came to look her up at her class. Rin is a bit unhappy that Asa thinks it’s funny as he was really worried about her. Asa attempts to placate him by explaining that her mom was just cautious in keeping her home longer. They notice that everyone is starring at their very coupley behaviour and there’s terribly awkward fake laughter. Awww. Kaede isn’t thrilled either but quickly changes the subject to save them by asking if Asa is really ok because of the small lunch she is having (good appetite = good health).
Her nervous habit of touching her ribboned lock of hair is really so cute. 超かわいい!
SD-Asa-chan! オメガかわいいですよ！
If this is called "fat" then I’m doomed. T__T
I have no idea what Rin is embarrassed about - he’s seen her in a bikini and had her bare knockers against his back for a good while. But it’s another great demonstration of Asa’s boisterous "bokukko" nature. She is the most fun girl of the four that Rin can choose to go out with.
There are some marvellous scenes from the game (after they’re officially a couple) e.g. when Asa makes Rin feed her during lunch (all the girls shriek at how bold she is at inverting the stereotype) or when she feeds him cookies in the park mouth-to-mouth. Or when she forces him to stop addressing her as "sempai" - 先輩禁止!!! ^_^
Nerine’s cooking sensei approves. (Kaede also owes most of her training to Asa.)
" スキあり!" - Haven’t heard that phrase since Ranma 1/2!
Raised eyebrows from Mayumi and Itsuki.
Phonecall from Asa for Rin.
Skittish pose - I liiikeeeee.
Overall, in the Race for Rin, Asa in pole position with consolidation this episode. Sia-Kikyou going on the offensive. No movement by Nerine or Kaede.
While I (and others, like Mina) would very much like a Rin-Asa ending, it’s going to be a really close call - though we should have a fairly clear idea by Ep 18 (entitled "The One That Rin Loves").
For a while Sia had tremendous momentum in the Ep 8-10 arc but in the loss of her momentum, she also introduced the notion that whichever girl wins Rin’s heart should also be able to convince the other girls that she is the best partner for Rin (let’s call it Kudoes). This is probably the main thing that makes SHUFFLE! such an exceptional H-Game Turned Anime (HGTA) series for me. The girls are competitors but are also good friends who try to take each other’s feelings into account.
Currently ANN has reported episode titles up to 23 and I think it will be Kaede vs Asa in the final round. Stripey thinks that Kaede will edge out Asa as her backstory is quite undeveloped (except for a bit in Ep 5) but I think Kaede’s history can be revealed quite neatly in the context of Rin and Asa becoming even closer which is what happened in the game and the title of Ep 20 suggesting Rin’s "sin" with respect to Kaede’s mom’s death. There’s even a great and very emotional scene in the Asa thread when Kaede releases Rin from his promise to always be at her side and gives her blessing to Rin and Asa. My other main argument is that Asa has gotten many more Kudoes from the other girls than Kaede.
HGTA (and romance anime in general) are not particularly noted for strong endings so most bloggers are understandably cautious but I find cause for optimism in a strong ending for SHUFFLE! due to the multi-layered story telling so far i.e. using more than a one-girl-one-episode format and weaving each of the girls’ back histories into a single coherent narrative. Of course, if the whole thing goes tits up at the end, I’ll be one really unhappy camper. T__T
I’m slowly beginning to hope, too, against all former expectations (I had expected a Kaede-Asa showdown, but given little chances to Asa). My main reason - only knowing little bits of the story mostly thanks to you, Zyl - is that Kaede fails the “keepalive checks”. There are no little bits and indications that she is still in the race. So if all of a sudden things turn around COMPLETELY, it will feel a little bit forced, I suspect. Normally you sprinkle the “male lead is also interested in HER” bits over the place, but it doesn’t happen for Kaede.
Mentar, love your concept of “keepalive checks”! In addition, I think that Rin has unconsciously classified Kaede, together with Primula, as family. And not as wife-to-be or non-blood-related-sis-con. So her chances are not so good but…
Despite what I read as the series’ building up of Asa, what makes me slightly nervous for an Asa-Rin ending are that there are still 10? eps to go (Sia’s run fizzled out after 3 eps) and Stripey’s point that Kaede’s story is probably linked to the model ship that Rin has been building since ep 1 and appears during the opening/ending sponsors’ message. A possible turnaround for Kaede then could be based Rin and Kaede’s childhood friendship, shared tragedy and mutual obligation which is reinforced/triggered by some kind of event later.
Asa-chaaan… ;_;