Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we are in for some absolute nonsense, and that’s even by the already-nonsensical standards of 100 Girlfriends’ usual fare. Having infiltrated Hakari’s house in order to rescue her from her tyrannical mother, Rentaro was eventually brought face-to-face with the tyrant herself, the imperious Hahari Hanazono. Then, after being thoroughly moved by her tale of love and loss, Rentaro tearily gazed into Hahari’s eyes – and realized that yes, she too is one of his destined soulmates.

So, both one of his fellow high schoolers and that girl’s own mother are going to end up in the Rentaro family, apparently. Well, we knew we were in for absurdity right from the start, and I suppose it’s only a small step from founding the Rentaro Family to that clan consuming other families entirely, enveloping both mothers and daughters in Rentaro’s boundless love. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how this story was going to top the preposterousness of Kusuri’s whole deal, but they immediately found a way. God bless them, they found a way.

Anyway, enough marveling at how gloriously stupid this turn of fate is. Let’s admire the fallout!

Episode 11

We get the briefest possible flashback, really only existing so as to remind us of how monumental and ridiculous Hahari’s transformation has been

Meanwhile, Hakari weeps alone in her bedroom, blissfully unaware of how stupid her life is about to become

“What the hell did she just blurt out to her daughter’s boyfriend!?” I am very sorry, Karane

She’s certainly settled comfortably into her role as the one person willing to say “what are you, stupid” when this keeps happening

“That’s Hakari’s mother! Your girlfriend’s mother!” Yes, but how can such reasonable, frankly baseline counterpoints stand up against the power of true love?

Hahari immediately shows off some adorable superdeformed expressions. One of us, one of us!

“No idea what she’s on about.” Karane is so good

Hahari composes herself and reiterates her opposition to Rentaro’s love. Good, we couldn’t solve things that easily – after all, “Rentaro must overcome the nefarious challenges of Hakari’s filthy rich mother” is too rich a vein of drama to squander

And right on cue, the floor separates to allow a preposterous lie detector chair to rise up into the bedroom. You might think you want one of those, but introducing a bunch of secret rooms whose only purpose is to store retractable devices really undercuts your square footage

Karane gets the first questions in order to prove the machine’s trustworthiness, which of course just serves as a chance for Hahari to bully her

Granted, “let’s put the tsundere through a lie detector test” is also just a fundamentally great premise. Taking the assumed tropes of harem romances and retrofitting them to dramatic situations entirely beyond their original purpose is one of 100 Girlfriends’ most reliable tricks

Karane tries to get by with a simple “I love Rentaro” in response to the next question, but the lie detector refuses to relent until she includes all the “really”s of the title

“How dare this stupid machine mess with my dignity…” Karane, I hate to tell you this, but messing with your dignity is the cornerstone of your character

Rentaro then takes the stage, and the results are so predictable that even the production itself chooses to summarize them. Another strong gag – “proving the strength of your love” is a staple in romantic dramas, but Rentaro’s unwavering, wholehearted love for all of his girlfriends is basically the premise of this story, and so they turn what would be a dramatic climax into a self-aware anticlimax

“Oh no you don’t! Not after taking my dignity and eating up all this runtime!” I like how in this show, respecting the fourth wall is just sort of a collective agreement the characters make, one which tends to be forgotten when they get particularly angry or excited

But what’s this!? Hakari’s about to throw herself from her bedroom window!

Karane headlocks Hahari while Rentaro rushes to the rescue, taking the chance to avow both her undying love for Rentaro and also her love for Hakari

Extremely good split-second gag of the other three girls shouting for Hakari not to jump while still pretending to all be cats

The closeups throughout this sequence demonstrate 100 Girlfriends’ aesthetic priorities, with lots of those still but lovingly rendered depictions of the characters’ eyes and hair

“Even if we do escape, we’ll have to be on the run forever.” You’re right, clearly the more sensible option is for Rentaro to also date your mom

Rentaro literally talks Hakari off the ledge with his pledge to be with her forever, but then she slips anyway! He just barely grabs her hand! Damnit, why does Hakari have to be one of his largest girlfriends!?

This certainly provides a convenient affirmation of his feelings for Hahari, though. Hard to say Rentaro isn’t being sincere about his feelings just after he literally demonstrated his willingness to die for Hakari

Oh man, badass play by Rentaro! He actually kicks off the house as they’re falling, propelling both of them into the patio fountain. Thank god Hahari sprung for the ten-foot-deep fountain feature

My god, the little squeaking noise Shizuka makes when she jumps in after them. She really is scientifically calculated to be maximum adorable

And of course, Kusuri immediately retreats to rescue Shizuka herself, who has forgotten she can’t swim

Excellent expression work from both Karane and Hakari as Karane slaps her, incensed that the person she loves would value her own life so lightly. The production’s dedication to portraying individual strands of hair definitely amplifies the emotion here, with each of them looking more disheveled, and therefore more vulnerable, than if they were adhering to their default designs

And at last realizing Rentaro was always telling the truth, Hahari gives him her blessing

Oh my god, Rentaro’s gonna fall in love with Hahari because he’s so enchanted by her earnest love for her daughter, who he is also dating. I am losing my mind

And so, he of course promises to make both Hakari and Hahari happy

The rest of the crew can barely even act surprised at this point. But enough of that, time for a six-girlfriend sleepover!

“Idiots, carrying those funbags into combat… it’ll get them killed in action.” Karane, what are you even talking about anymore

She is swiftly vindicated by getting into a tummy battle with Rentaro. We all have our charm points

“My mother is a lover of all things adorable. If she finds someone adorable, she has to dress them up!” Eh, I’ve heard shakier justifications for costume montages

Oh my god, their ridiculous screaming noises as they admire the costumes. Hahari already proving a strong addition to the team

True to their word, we end on an absurdly horny ED that’s basically a love letter from Hahari herself

And Done

What is even happening anymore. Where is this story taking us. I thought I was prepared for the absurdities apparent in a story about one man and his hundred girlfriends, but I clearly underestimated Rikito Nakamura’s terrifying brain. “What if Rentaro was dating one girl and that girl’s mother simultaneously” is already an absurd thought, but Hahari herself is just so much, such an insane provocateur into new realms of horny harem madness. Having already vaulted past the threshold that was Kusuri’s influence on the narrative, we have arrived at yet another doorway into insanity, and pirouetted through without a second thought. God help us all.

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