AnimeVision

6 - Journey
End of term approaches, and Kaoru needs to hand in his thesis before the holidays begin. Problem is, he's having a hard time getting any peace and quiet at the house to get it done. He eventually points out to everyone that he needs some space to work on it, but even that doesn't seem to get him the free time he needs. If he doesn't get it done, he'll be spending his summer holidays in supplementary classes - but what are the odds of his housemates leaving him alone for long enough to work on it?

7 - Summer Resort
Summer holidays - and with his thesis out of the way, Kaoru has the chance to go away for a summer break with the rest of the gang - as long as they can survive Taeko's driving (according to the guys at the game centre, she's really good...). Once there, it's straight to the onsen for most of the gang, while Aoi and Kaoru try to get some quality time together. Easier said than done, especially when Mayu shows up...

8 - Fish and Water
Chika's back in school ahead of the new term - not for lessons, but for swim club practice. While Chika & Natsuki have no problems swimming, their friend Chizuru just about drowns everytime she gets in the pool. With a competition coming up & Chizuru somehow managing to get selected, some expert tuition is needed. Sadly, the only person available is Tina...

More focus on Chika & Mayu, and depressingly little of Aoi, who is reduced almost to a cameo role in these episodes - it's a big failing of ~Enishi~ that it seems to forget about its biggest asset, focussing instead on the rest of the harem. It makes no sense to me to ignore the star of the show in favour of the supporting stereotypes.

Not that I'm saying these episodes are bad - just that, more than ever, AYA seems to have lost sight of where it began and what the main story should be. Most of these episodes are quite enjoyable in their own right (Journey would be the weakest of the bunch, while the other three are good fun, in a typically mindless way), but I do wish there was more of Kaoru & Aoi together.

Kind of ironic, really, when during the first season I was complaining that the show really didn't seem to know if it was a touching romance or a harem comedy, For ~Enishi~, the writers seem to have decided which path to stick to - and I have to say I think they made the wrong choice.

Overall, this disc provides a good dose of comedy, but could be so much more.