Howdy of us, and welcome again to Flawed Each Time. At the moment we’re apparently persevering with our journey by a manufacturing of apparent targets and restricted means, as we discover the second episode of Please Put Them On, Takamine-san. The present’s premiere laid out its priorities fairly clearly: we’re in for a reasonably lewd ecchi with a facet of master-slave dynamics, as our protagonist Shirota is compelled to develop into the “closet” of faculty idol Takamine, supplying her with plentiful panties as ammunition for her stripping-powered time reversal skill.
Truthfully, that premise is strained and unusual sufficient to doubtlessly gasoline one thing fairly humorous, however the present has up to now demonstrated no real interest in leaning into the preposterousness of its central gadget, nor in reflecting on how perpetually reversing any potential “errors” in life may really be a self-defeating philosophy. Nonetheless, optimism is free, so I’m hoping episode two will provide one thing greater than “take a look at this half-naked lady.” Onward!
Episode 2
“Let Me Redo It Till I’m Happy.” Once more, the plain thematic course to take this premise is evident: Takamine studying that what we would think about “errors” or deviations from the “appropriate path” by life are literally important experiences, humbling us, serving to us develop, and infrequently main us in direction of surprising but finally fulfilling new instructions in life. In case you’re all the time evaluating your self to some theoretical scorecard of perfection, you’ll really feel remoted and unfulfilled; with the power to truly retry till you match that scorecard, you’ll be caught in limbo, ceaselessly rehearsing to carry out a model of your self that isn’t really genuine, and having to keep up that efficiency in all of your private interactions. It’s a fantastical variation on the final theme of coming to embrace your imperfections, and given that is an adolescent coming-of-age drama, that type of message appears good for the present’s supposed viewers. All that mentioned, we now have but to obtain any indication the present is considering interrogating its personal thematic implications
We start with an prolonged recap of the primary episode, which no less than affirms this manufacturing’s continued dedication to stretching its sources as thinly as doable. Lengthy recaps, financial institution footage, frequent pans over nonetheless photos, an inclination to keep away from faces in an effort to reduce the necessity for lip flaps, overreliance on premade CG backdrops – Takamine’s actually demonstrating the basics of animating on a funds
I do just like the playful use of strings and castanets as they make their settlement, lending the tone of a high-society dance to this panty pledge
Our lead Shirota is now having nightmares about being despatched to attractive jail, which appears fairly wise given the tried entrapment of yesterday, however which might additionally theoretically level in direction of his common repression relating to sexual issues – what Takamine describes as his “gentlemanly facet” might as simply be described as easy adolescent nervousness about embracing his sexual urges
In the meantime, Takamine is already sending him candid pictures. It’s clear she’s loudly into him, which he’ll undoubtedly interpret as her simply “teasing him” – a dynamic that has spurred will they-won’t they pairings and comedies of errors all through historical past
Our OP reveals a younger Shirota within the rain, petting a cat after which greeting somebody off-screen. Presumably that is the dear reminiscence he shared with Takamine that she subsequently erased
I like this colourful panty-adorned title card. Mainly in favor of something that has some foolish, self-aware enjoyable with the premise
The soundtrack basically is kind of good up to now. This jazzy interaction of keys and horns as he walks to highschool creates a pleasant upbeat, playful ambiance, as if the music is laughing at Shirota’s predicament
Takamine greets him outdoors and tells him to satisfy her within the scholar council room. The anticipated dynamic – her reveling in getting nearer, him freaking out about no matter horrors await
“Don’t be so stiff. We’re companions, proper?” It looks as if this preposterous system may really be one of the best ways Takamine might consider to get nearer to Shirota
Oh my god, this gradual pan again from Takamine is so ridiculous. They’re attempting to make use of pans to create a way of movement regardless of the whole lack of animation, however with this pan, her dynamic but nonetheless pose being held for thus lengthy solely emphasizes her paralysis
Clearly getting right into a little bit of an exhibitionism fantasy right here too, with Takamine demanding he re-panty her even mid-class
“Please cease joking round!” As anticipated, her provocations are interpreted as torture slightly than flirtation. Not solely is that this handy for prolonging the drama and facilitating sexually charged conditions, it additionally amplifies the audience-insert fantasy represented by Shirota: the most popular lady at school is head-over-heels for him as a result of he’s a “good man,” and he by no means has to pursue the connection in any means. To those that really feel anxious really approaching individuals they’re drawn to, a fantasy the place that’s pointless clearly affords some consolation. In distinction, if Shirota had been as assured in sexual issues as Takamine, he could be unrelatable to this present’s supposed viewers
“That is uncomfortable for me too, however I advised myself perhaps it’s okay if it’s you.” It’s a fragile tightrope act – the heroine should concurrently be chaste and sexually accessible, nonthreatening but attractive, with all of this vitality directed particularly in direction of the protagonist
This case additionally facilitates one other fantasy, one which’s frankly extra true of romance basically: “solely I do know your faults.” It’s a type of shortcut to the unvarnished intimacy one treasures with their companion
Takamine’s plan is already succeeding on one metric: it’s forcing Shirota to continually acknowledge her presence
Regardless of an ideal recital, she calls for a redo, saying “it might need been good, but it surely wasn’t the most effective.” An extremely self-defeating angle
The Financial institution Footage Butterfly arrives to avoid wasting us one other minute of recent animation
Oh hey, we really acquired a pleasant fantasy sequence as the category is transported by her second strive on the recitation. Stable shade design for this moonlit reverie
“She adjusted her timing to match the wind?” The individual she is trying to signify herself as is an inconceivable fantasy; it’s a jail, narrowing her plan of action in each doable circumstance. There’s doubtlessly some thematic meat to dig into there, relating to how our superb self-image could be a self-defeating albatross
“Why are you taking a look at me so triumphantly?” Takamine is getting one thing else out of this – the satisfaction of getting another person recognize how a lot work she’s doing, how good she is at sharpening her personal performances
Takamine conceives the fool-proof plan of getting Shirota fake to select up his eraser whereas he’s really placing her panties on. Actually, it looks as if these panty re-application schemes are much more prone to trigger hassle for the each of them, and she will’t really use her energy till the panties are again on, so… nope, once more, silly of me to contemplate the sensible implications of this premise extra deeply than its personal creator
Extra enjoyable musical cues as Shirota begins his panty march, with a sultry saxophone (the horniest of the devices) accompanying his musings. And oh my god, the attitude of this shot – Takamine’s legs have to be ten occasions her torso’s size
And naturally, Takamine’s getting the secondary advantage of instructing Shirota to be extra snug being intimate together with her
Impressed by Takamine’s “solely you” speech, Shirota resolves to placed on Takamine’s panties much more enthusiastically
“Why did you rise up and save me?” After class, Takamine as soon as once more urges Shirota to precise his precise emotions. That is fairly the tactic for getting a boy to confess he likes you
“There you go once more, making enjoyable of me.” Even probably the most direct of proposals have to be deflected, or else we simply don’t have a present
And Accomplished
Nicely, that positive was extra Takamine-san! It really seems like we’re focusing extra on the desire they-won’t they romance side than the ecchi stuff, as this episode was principally about clarifying the conversational dynamic and luxury ranges of our two leads. All of that was nonetheless fairly normal stuff, with the power of Takamine’s apparent infatuation solely being held again by the enormity of Shirota’s obliviousness. If the present needs to go in a romantic course, it’ll have to offer these two some precise chemistry, some motive to care about and revel in one another’s firm past their mere proximity to one another. Barring that, this episode earns the “your play positive had nice costuming” non-review of “I did just like the soundtrack!”
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