Hellomotto on June 13, 2010 · in B Gata H Kei

Summary:

For you [older] males out there: remember the hottest girl in your class? Remember her pretty face, those long eyelashes, those beautiful eyes? Remember how her figure was so hot that could it literally burn down the sun? To many, Yamada is the epitome of such a female. She’s cute. She’s got perfect measurements. She’s got style and enough sass to make the boys go loco. Hell, she’s even crazy about sex–much to the dismay of her rational friend Miharu Takeshita (who, by the way, is very well-endowed).

There’s just one teeny tiny problem, though…Yamada is (*gasp*) a virgin. (Cue the horror-themed music.) Alas, now she can never have a true boyfriend who will be satisfied! And so, in an effort to counter this, she does what any logical high schooler would do: she resolves to bang 100 dudes.

Just when she’s about to get down and dirty, along comes Takashi Kosuda. Only one word is needed to describe this young man: plain. The bishoujo Yamada, in their first encounter, notes his ordinary face and ordinary personality. But no matter; she’s just the type of man she’s been looking for–a semi-muscular virgin who’ll be her first. (Just how cute is that?)

And so, for as long as it takes in her high school career, Yamada will chase after Kosuda. The entire world–most notably, the classroom, library, and Kosuda’s house–will be her stage, where millions will witness Yamada’s ascent into womanhood. All the while, she’ll be begging Kosuda to cut off her maiden head (Shakespearian reference, anyone?).

Cue the hilarious shenanigans.

Reaction:

If anyone remembers the Spring 2010 preview, he or she will know that I completely dismissed B Gata H Kei to be a complete and utter whore-fest. (Excuse the vulgarity of the previous statement.) Let’s also not forget the other rather-busty girls that will soon partake in the anime. To say the least, I had enough of ecchi series; I didn’t want to waste my time on another show featuring 2-D scantly-dressed girls.

And then, in viewing just one episode, I realized that my approach on the series was entirely erroneous. Sure, it’s a comedy, and Yamada does show some skin consistently throughout the episode, but the very basic elements of an ecchi comedy were entirely absent. Gone were the busty babes flying all over the place. Gone was the harem aspect of the series. And, with each passing second, gone were my preview prejudices I had expressed almost three months earlier. Moreover, for the most part, we do not perceive the series from Kosuda’s point of view but rather Yamada’s. To say the least, this had been one of those times when my experience could fit the oh-so classic cliche: “Never judge a book by its cover.”

It’s safe to say, then, that B Gata H Kei cannot be categorized as “ecchi.” What can we classify B Gata H Kei as, anyways? It’s definitely got aspects of a romance: Yamada and Kosuda will inevitably become boyfriend and girlfriend. The direction of the series, even after one episode, reveals that Yamada will prevail in ensnaring Kosuda. Still, I found the romantic parts–that is, the scene in which the two walk in the rain sharing an umbrella–to be cute, albeit a bit cliche.

There’s also no question that B Gata H Kei fits under the comedy genre. In fact, it’s safe to say that creating humor is the director’s main goal of the series–and he certainly makes the series funny. Though some of the jokes are  recycled and feel like deja-vu, there are particular scenes that sent me into fits of laughter. I thought the library scene was done particularly well, and considering I rarely favor this type of humor, I believe the series does its job in the comedy department.

Although most typical anime series would characterize themselves solely as romantic comedies, B Gata H Kei manages to escape such a definition. Although romance and comedy remain an integral part of the series, they do not–and cannot–define the series alone. Yamada, whom we intimately follow in the series, does not view the world from an “E-Harmony” perspective, if you will. Rather, through her eyes, we see a world of opportunity and exploration. We see a girl who eagerly attempts to explore her sexuality yet cowers at the very sight of the outline of the male genitalia. We see a child ready to enter adulthood while still clinging on to her childlike naivete. B Gata H Kei is thus, in the most basic sense, the coming-of-age story of a high school girl.

And that is why, whenever we see Yamada desperately trying to seduce Kosuda in order to understand sex, we feel a sense of nostalgia. We have already experienced or are currently experiencing our metamorphosis from childhood to adulthood; and, similar to the longing of innocence I talked about in Hanamaru Kindergarten, each one of Yamada’s actions remind us of our personal experiences, no matter how sad, exciting, or embarrassing they may be.

I rest my case.

Note: Due to RL reasons/time constraints, I’ve dropped Yojo-han Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy) and started blogging B Gata H Kei. I’ll be posting about the series periodically. However, I’ll still be commenting on other blogs about the former series, and if you’d like to discuss the series, I’d be more than happy to do so.

EDIT: The courteous and courageous Zyl has offered to take up Yojo-han Shinwa Taikei. He’s awesome! Please do read his posts!