Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d drop back in on the drama of 100 Girlfriends, and see how Rentaro’s faring with his rapidly expanding collection of girlfriends. Our last adventure saw the reticent Nano joining the crew, who in spite of her professed preference for “efficiency” was unable to deny our boy’s earnest, compassionate affection. And thus our polycule gained its latest addition, furnishing the shy Shizuka, tempestuous Karane, and eternally horny Hakari.

As with the addition of Shizuka, Nano’s arrival necessitates another cooldown adventure, as the expanded group work to discover their new collective social dynamic. This is not simply a way to space out the addition of supplementary girlfriends, nor a method of “dragging out” the story – these intermediate escapades actually embody the heart of 100 Girlfriends, which is fundamentally dedicated to ensuring partners don’t feel simply like prizes to be won and then forgotten about, but new arrivals to an active and collectively loving community. It is as important that Nano feels just as comfortable with Shizuka, Karane, and Hakari as she does with Rentaro, and I’m guessing this poolside nonsense will affirm exactly that. Let’s get to it!

Episode 6

“Everyone’s Favorite: The Swimsuit Episode.” 100 Girlfriends hits a nice balance of celebrating harem tropes while quietly elevating them, finding some genuine human poignancy in frequently superficial, indulgent standards

As we begin, Karane stands assessing potential swimsuits. Those saggy socks are an excellent design signature, definitely one of the best innovations of gyaru fashion

“Besides, I’m not the type for wearing these cutesy swimsuits.” This scene offers a welcome exploration of Karane’s anxieties, absent the defensive posturing she usually assumes. I’m hoping we’ll be getting more of this as the show continues – more asides featuring one or several of the girls without Rentaro, expanding on their more nuanced characterization and emphasizing how they have lives and feelings apart from our boy

“Again, this cutesy stuff will never look good on me!” Preposterously, it also seems like 100 Girlfriends is going to dig into one of the richest veins of romantic drama that even traditional one-on-one anime romances never get to: the continuing anxieties and active communication work that attend any ongoing relationship. Romance isn’t simply solved forever once you admit your feelings; that’s actually where the work of coming to more fully understand and support each other begins

I suppose that’s one of the benefits of this show’s structure – as time goes on, it will become more and more about the work of active relationship maintenance, rather than simply the initial courtship

“Maybe Rentaro will think it’s nice.” We thus have a clear hurdle to overcome: Karane reaching a happier self-image through the emotional support of Rentaro and the others

The other girls all have personality-appropriate swimsuits: Hakari frilly, Nano sleek, and Shizuka with the classic school swimsuit

Still feeling insecure, Karane hides beneath a big shapeless dress

“We should do this when we’re all up for it.” In spite of her often greedy pursuit of Rentaro, Hakari is quick to suggest they call it off if Karane can’t participate

I feel like this will become a problem once we start stacking thirty or forty girlfriends. Even just getting my D&D group together is a scheduling nightmare

“We aren’t close enough for me to worry about you yet.” Nano of course tells it like it is

Excellent expressions as Shizuka spins around in her floaty. They clearly understand they’ve got a gem in this adorable fluffy idiot

Meanwhile, Hakari breasting boobly prompts Nano to just plant Rentaro’s hand on her breast. I suppose that is the most efficient rendition of this courtship ritual

While Nano and Hakari nearly kill Rentaro with their boob theatrics, Shizuka floats helplessly downstream. It is your duty to protect the smallest members of the herd, girls!

Yeah, I’m sorry Shizuka, but it’s already clear that bullying you is one of this show’s most effective sources of humor. This cut of her helplessly kicking her feet while her floaty continues to spin in circles, entirely indifferent to her efforts, is simply the essence of comedy

She washes up as a castaway on an isolated island of the whirlpool. The life of a Shizuka is trying indeed

Meanwhile, Nano and Hakari are at least quasi-bonding over their shared inability to give Rentaro proper mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It’d be a nice moment if Rentaro weren’t, you know, dying

“This intellectual pursuit, my thirst for jugs, is my very purpose in life!” Trust 100 Girlfriends to give an extended yet utterly ludicrous backstory to those default “dudes who hit on the heroine at the pool” who show up in every harem or romance

Frankly I think we could do without these predatory characters (I actually just watched Call of the Night offer a significantly more positive interpretation of the trope), but it’s still nice to see Nano gouge their eyes out

Nano gallantly offers to occupy their attention, but her sacrifice is based on a misunderstanding: she believes that because she is the newest girlfriend, she is also the least loved. Rentaro would never do that!

Knowing this, Hakari stands up for Nano in turn, and declares that neither of them want to hang out with these interlopers. Yeah, this is the sort of stuff I was hoping for – with Rentaro incapacitated, the girls are learning to communicate and trust in each other, just like how Karane encouraged Shizuka to embrace her true feelings

“If they’re both your girlfriends, then kiss them! Surely you have no problem with that, right!?” Oh dude, you have no idea what you’ve invited

Each kiss receives an ornate slow pan celebrating this show’s delicate approach to portraying each strand of hair. I’ve noted it before, but I continue to be impressed by how effectively this adaptation mirrors the strengths of its source material; its aesthetic strength is largely divided between these lavish still frames and its goofy super-deformed faces, neither of which are particularly taxing in terms of active animation. Anime adaptation is largely a game of compromises based on your studio resources, and 100 Girlfriends has hit an excellent balance where its limited fluid animation rarely undercuts the impact of its romance or humor

“This is no time to be dead!” Get your shit together, Rentaro

“Going for the eyes is amazing.” Rentaro keeps finding new things to appreciate about these girls

Alongside leading Rentaro to Nano and Hakari, Karane is also the first to wonder what happened to Shizuka. She’s apparently settling into the role of resident girlfriend-minder

Shizuka is rewarded for actually using her voice with a princess carry by Rentaro. Welp, that’s three out of four girlfriends kissed, time to help Karane with her body image issues

Gallant as ever, Rentaro frames his concern for Karane as him also wanting to take a break from the festivities. Rather than drawing attention to her discomfort, he simply declares that he’d rather spend some time beside the pool as well

Truly incredible noise by Miyu Tomita as Rentaro removes Karane’s poncho

Oh my god. Rentaro reassures Karane about her chest by saying “I can only get so close to you,” since boobs get in the way of such a tight embrace with Nano or Hakari. How does he do it

And Done

Excellent work, Rentaro and company! I was happy to see this episode affirming my expectations, by offering a variety of little personal moments tethering Nano and the other girls together as genuine friends and confidants, not just fellow lovers of Rentaro specifically. However, I certainly didn’t predict Karane’s body image issues, which actually proved the episode’s strongest dramatic material. But that too was in keeping with 100 Girlfriends’ uncommon nuance of relational drama; for romantic relationships are not just statements of intent, they are active practices, a continuous process of helping your loved ones become more happily, authentically themselves, and thereby reaffirming how much you love and enrich each other’s lives. While many harems let previously “conquered” members languish in a sort of happy romance stasis, 100 Girlfriends of all shows is determined to illustrate how you cannot simply assume your active partner’s happiness – you must work to protect it alongside them, and thus ensure your mutual love continues to flourish.

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