Something was nagging at me with Makeine and I couldn’t quite place it. Then it hit me – Chika looks like a character out of a Miyazaki film. Chika and only Chika – I don’t think any of Imigi Muru’s other (wonderful) character designs strike me that way. But with Komari even her mannerisms do. She’s something of a cartoon character in a cartoon, in a sense – the “which of these is not like the others” among the main girls. And I think her arc (is it over or not?) appropriately reflects that.

I continue to be impressed with this show generally. The writing here is just good, plain and simple. Sensitive and funny and more often surprising than you realize. Komari’s whole arc has been low-key (when the shoe fits) and it concludes (?) in a similar manner. School festivals are a fun canvas for a good anime and Makeine makes good use of this one. Humor is more or less in the driver’s seat here, and the romance side is more wistful than anything. This arc is less about Komari’s crush and more about growing up generally, both herself and Nukumizu-kun. And aren’t they a good pair, too.

Chika trying to compliment Nuk-kun and him batting than all back was very in-character for both of them. He can deflect credit all he wants, Kazuhiko is the one who put this all together. His adaptability and sense of calm makes him uniquely suited to this sort of role – he’s the one who channeled the talent and good ideas into the end product. And it’s a pretty impressive one too (I imagine 117 guests is quite solid for a culture club) – even the seitoukai prez (who exudes danger from every pore) is impressed enough to say that the Lit Club has earned back enough credit so that their next screw-up will be only a “temporary dissolution” (three strikes and you’re out).

It doesn’t seem like the story is seriously teasing it, but it can’t be denied – Nuk-kun and Chika are good together. They’re people who feel most at ease in their own company – as introverts do – and each of them exerts less strain on the other than anyone else. Kazuhiko is a higher-functioning introvert socially than Chika, that’s obvious – and helping her has allowed him to become stronger that way. But they’re both still who they are. They understand that about each other, and don’t push too hard. Hell, Nuk-kun even worries they seem too much like a couple and suggests she call him “Oni-chan”. I know “it” isn’t going to happen with this two but damn – it sure does make sense in a lot of ways.

It says something about the quality of this show than Anna and Lemon can be almost totally absent and it doesn’t lose a step. In truth Nukumizu is the only truly essential character – the one who binds it all together. Mind you both bachelorettes got excellent cameos. With Lemon it was her “Track Mask” challenge with her old middle school teammate (changing the rules mid-stream was kinda dirty). With Anna it was stopping by the exhibit to give the incoming executive branch a chance to enjoy the festival. And 100% brownie points to Anna for insisting they actually do that rather than just go to the club room and chill like the introverts they are. That was very sharp of her (and she’s quite insightful by nature).

That frames the Chika-Kazu vibe as well as anything. Being with each other is the closest they can get to being alone without being alone – and for an introvert, that’s high praise. But Chika still has her feelings for Shintarou, and Koto – feeling some guilt for having used Komari’s feelings as a stalking horse for her own assault on Castle Tamaki – engineers some alone time for them so Chika can get a sense of closure. Nuk-kun is such a good boy he’s compelled to offer support even to Koto (that Pocky-cigarette sight gag was chef’s kiss), who won. But he’s only marking time until the Prez leaves, so he can take his place at Komari’s side and give her a shoulder to lean (or cry) on. Stop him before he helps again.

So yeah, I’ve come to really respect and admire Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! and it doesn’t matter what the source material is – it’s the exception that proves the rule. But what I’d like to see from it that I think I likely won’t (because of what sort of series it is, in every sense) is for Kazuhiko to have the same chance the three main heroines (and even Chihaya to an extent had) – to confront himself and have a crisis about what he really wants out of life. Right now he’s focused on being what everyone else needs him to be, but it would be great to see him get the chance to focus on what he wants to be for himself.