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Digital
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Written by maehara
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Friday, 23 January 2009 00:00 |
 As if Rin's little harem isn't big enough already, he's about to find another girl waiting to join the happy band. Problem is, with the girls all coming with their own groups of stalkers, Rin's finding the whole experience just a little daunting - and the only escape seems to be between Asa's legs...
Rin's finally getting into some sort of routine with his new neighbours - it's just a pity he's on the receiving end of the jealousy of every other guy in the school. He also has to deal with the SSS and RRR now as well, as the local stalkers latch on to the new girls. While Kaede, Sia and Nerine are all happy enough to care for the wounds he gets as a result, there's such a thing as too much loving. When the stress gets too much for him, Rin heads out into the rain for some much-needed peace and quiet. While visiting a game center, he meets a young demon girl, Primula - she knows who he is and isn't at all keen on letting him go now that she's found him, but the girls' parents don't seem to happy to see her...
Oh, the benefits of having seen a series before. This episode of Shuffle is quite clever - for the first-time viewer, you get the antics of the girls and their stalkers, and the introduction of Primula (a shameless Ruri Hoshino knock-off if ever there was one); but there are so many hints and nods to future events hidden in here that you could almost make a drinking game of it. Spotting those hints is difficult unless you've seen the series before, of course, but the lesson is: don't just go by the harem surface of the show, there's a lot more happening underneath here than you would think. It's one of the reasons I love the show so much.
Anyway. On top of the boys of Kitto Kitto Kaede-chan, poor Rin now has to deal with the attentions of Suku Suki Sia-chan and Ran Ran Rine-chan, as the new girls each get their fanclubs. Add in the blatant jealousy of pretty much every boy in school (what do you expect if the three cutest girls in the place can't be separated from you?), and suddenly school is a very dangerous place to be. As for escaping between Asa's legs... well, check the screenshot for yourself. Asa may be listed as a tomboy, but she's also a Grade A flirt, and after quite deliberately giving Rin an eyeful she calmly asks him if he'd been peeking up her skirt. Cheek. If there was one character I could always do with seeing more of, it's Asa.
Probably the most significant event in this episode, though, is the arrival of Primula, and you can tell quite quickly that there's something not quite right about her. Nerine and her father, who already know her, are both surprised and seemingly worried by her presence; Asa's mother also seems to recognise her, or at least what she is (that's one of those hints I was talking about, just to get you started). So the mystery is, who exactly is she, and why the attachment to Rin if it's only based on Nerine's words about him? Keep an eye on this storyline...
Shuffle! is still finding its feet, though, so this episode isn't as good as what's coming. Trust me on this. At the moment, the series is still a fun little harem diversion with a little fanservice thrown in for good measure - enjoyable, but not yet essential viewing. Well worth a look, though, and good 'research' for the very good episodes to come.
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