Kanon 11 - Wai for Mai~

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Kanon 2006-11
Harem x 4

YUUICHI START!


Also, Sayuri.

Next!

The one major flaw of Kanon, to me, is how the girls are shuffled in and out of Yuuichi's Number One Harem Member slot. Makoto's arc took up the majority of the last 8 episodes, and definitely near the end it had major tear-jerker power.

And so it's done, and we call in our next candidate, Mai Kawasumi. I've got absolutely nothing bad to say about Mai, but sometimes I wonder how Yuuichi moves on so fast from one girl to the next without pausing for downtime or at least a 'meanwhile' episode a la the Mayumi/Nadeshiko episode in Shuffle!. Then again, we have no time to spare in Kanon. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

And neither do I, with the arrival of More Import Japanese Stuff for Crazy White Otaku Man (i.e. Initial D Special Stage. also, Haruhi and Shuffle!Memo is burning a hole in my compy) so jump. Now. How high? Don't give me that idiocy. Just click the link, as long as you've completed the Kanon series; with the start of a new arc we've got new spoilers for the entire thing. Or at least Mai. Wai for Mai~ (catchphrase'd/10)


With the start of Mai's arc it's time to bring up the second secret of the intro credits, which is loli Mai running through the wheat field. It's arguably the most, or second-most spoilerish of the scenes for the main heroines, running against: Episode 23 Nayuki, Makoto at Monomi Hill, Shiori who can't draw, and Ayu everywhere. It's not really spoilerish, but those who are clever and don't mistake her for Nayuki will remember the 'wheat field' quip in Episode 1. Or just notice that Mai's happy, which is really weird and entirely awesome.


The Ayu dream sequence makes its grand return, this time with shots of the sky. It's the same text about "always waiting," "dreams stopped ending," and "not able to do anything." Although, I wonder; it's been shown that Yuuichi and Ayu both see the flashback sequences, but do either of them see the Ayu-voiced scenes we see so frequently? The third quote definitely could apply to Yuuichi as well...


Nayuki makes her best effort to jump to the front of the harem queue, asking Yuuichi if he remembers the past - probably the snowbunny scene - now (since he remembered Foxy Makoto). The answer is, as, always, a negative. Isn't it sad, Sacchin Nayu?


Shiori shows up in her token school courtyard scene, and Yuuichi jokes about his being sick for the last few days (read: ditching and running off with Makoto). Unfortunately, he doesn't know that Shiori has no cold for him to catch from her, and if he did catch her disease, it would suck exponentially more.


Shiori also refuses Yuuichi's request to go home and rest, because there's 'nothing to do at home'. Close to the mark, but it's more because she dreads going home and coming home to yep, Kaori, who still hasn't accepted her (a bright move in itself). Yuuichi also has a suprisingly prophetic quote in saying that Shiori isn't getting better because she's not going home. It's true that she has some emotional wounds to heal there as well as the physical ones (from the disease and whatnot).


Also, ice cream. You hear that? It's Shiori's cuteometer going through the roof. Vanilla ice cream in the cold FTW. I know I've eaten it. Somehow I don't see it gaining as much popularity as, say, taiyaki, though...oh well. A normal food for a "normal" girl. (well, relatively)


We get some Nayuki scene reusing - but also some funny scenes as well. Yuuichi makes a poor harem move in asking Nayuki how to improve (and/or prettify) his 'acquaintance' (Mai). Rule #1: The harem members must remain independent of each other if possible, and if not, there must be a peaceful relationship established. We do NOT want boxcutters within the harem. This is not a soap-opera. There is not enough Yuuichi to go around. Don't try it.


Yuuichi goes shopping with Nayuki, and for once, does not ditch her on the sight of Ayu. Yuuichi asks her if she has any dresses for Mai - you did it again, you fool - and unsuprisingly, she doesn't. Does she have any other clothes? Highly doubtful. Why? Because she's dead an alien in a coma. Maybe. What was she wearing when hospitalized?


Also, Nayuki (who begs to be called Nayu. Nayu and Ayu~ Not bad after all, one can improve the other.) mentions how she's heard about Ayu from Akiko. It's left unrevealed, however, how much Akiko revealed to her daughter. It's certain that she knows everything, but I assume for the sake of Nayuki's sanity, she didn't mention the whole dead/in a coma twist that kinda messes things up a bit. If she was rooting for a Nayuki ending though, perhaps she would make sure to tell her daughter not to consider Ayu competition though! (in the end though, I guess she was.)


Piro's back! 3, 2, 1, cue kawaii Neko Nayuki with great expressions. (there's a thought...) Yuuichi has excellent reaction time in this shot, although he might have wanted to aim lower/higher with his arm. Wink wink, nudge nudge.


Ayu calls home to find out that nobody's there. Suddenly, she realizes that her parents are on vacation, a completely plausible excuse and not suspicious at all. Of course. Where is her father, anyway? Or does the phone not get through for another reason...


It's time again for the Mai scene at night and Yuuichi, this time, tries his best to get some booty plot exposition. If he knew Mai's story perhaps he wouldn't be so curious to, uh, know her story. But he will. Sucker.

By the way, Mai's fighting by herself because Yuuichi left her in the loli days. Smooth. (but also because she doesn't want to burden anyone else, of course)


Silly Yuuichi, the demons aren't after Mai, they're after you (although they beat the crap out of everybody else along the way). And Trix are for kids.


Mai continues to prod Yuuichi for info on his harem. She mentions Makoto in this scene but seems to also be turning toward Yuuichi's next troubled girl, Ayu. Clearly Mai specializes in the supernatural. That, or Shiori isn't quite loli enough to be calmed by Mai.


Nayuki ponders the school Ayu goes to. Ayu? School? What? Wrong. This is a pretty obvious one - in the next few episodes, even first time viewers should get suspicious.


Yuuichi mentions how it's a 'miracle' they got to school 10 minutes early thanks to Nayuki's awesome running skills (and Yuuichi's power of keeping up), and Kaori butts in with a mood-killer. She should know why miracles don't happen so easily - none have kicked in for Shiori, yet. But the catalyst is soon to arrive...


Additionally, the Misaka plot is advanced when Kaori is shown quite obviously noticing Yuuichi quite obviously noting Shiori. It's a Misaka sandwich.


Sleepy Nayuki pops out of nowhere, and Yuuichi quietly (although he could be a jet plane and Nayuki still wouldn't wake up) leaves the classroom for Mai and Sayuri lunch scene, part deux. He learns of Sayuri's TUXEDO GET! and DRESS GET!, contemplates of Sayuri's rich and Vaguely Important background (technically, in both senses of the word), and manipulates Mai in a cute manner again.

The night school scene caps off the episode again, with Yuuichi's infamous "pooh bear/rocky raccoon" speech and, Yoshinoya Beef Bowls, and uh, more demons. Oddly enough there is nothing close to a cliffhanger to end on, although the next episode preview is awesome enough of an ending, with the ball scene and Mai's great out-of-context line, "I want to stay by your side, Yuuichi."

What is it about the quiet girls, anyway?

-CCY