Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d stop back in with Rentaro and the gang, as we explore the trials and triumphs of their increasingly unwieldy family. Last episode’s water park trip served as a natural celebration of how absurd this show has become, with one girlfriend after another suffering some disastrous complication on their group date. Karane was assailed by insecurities about her figure, Nano and Hakari ran into those inescapable letches that always hang around anime pools, and Shizuka was lost at sea entirely. By all accounts, it was a date that could easily have ended in disaster.

Of course, in the end, their pool trip served as an affirmation of their collective concern and growing mutual trust. Yes, there were the requisite swooning swimsuit pans, but the actual meat of the episode concerned things like Nano learning to trust in Rentaro’s affection, Karane taking pride in her body, and Shizuka expressing herself in her own voice, knowing that her prince would surely come. While 100 Girlfriends opened by leaning on the inherent absurdity of applying swooning romantic iconography to multiple simultaneous romances, it has by this point morphed into something far more strange and unwieldy, a towering testament to the fact that Love is Love, a force that brightens your life in whatever form you find it. Let’s see what nonsense we’re in for next!

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Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I thought we’d return to the trials of Rentaro and his soon-to-be hundred girlfriends, and see how the happiest harem in history is coming along. Having won over the diminutive Shizuka, tsundere Karane, and charmingly oversexed Hakari, Rentaro has clearly proven himself a lover beyond compare – so is it time now to adopt a fourth member of the flock, or are we off on some other bizarre adventure?

Regardless, our last episode served as a fine demonstration of one of the most important ways 100 Girlfriends distinguishes itself from other harems. First, as I’ve discussed previously, it’s crucial that Rentaro himself is profoundly likable – that he’s as much of a catch as any of his lovers, and thus actually, convincingly deserving of their love. But secondly, it’s also crucial that Rentaro’s girlfriends are also each other’s girlfriends, that they appreciate and care about each other as much as they love their darling boy.

If these girls were only bonded via their mutual love of Rentaro, he’d still have all the power here – and frankly, such a situation would profoundly limit the effectiveness of future drama, as many “everyone knows the hero, but barely know each other” stories have proven. For 100 Girlfriends to remain a charming ensemble drama, the girlfriends must be a part of each other’s lives as much as they are a part of Rentaro’s, and last episode’s getting-to-know-you shenanigans more than demonstrated Rikito Nakamura’s dedication to fostering such bonds. With Nakamura’s sage understanding of harem dynamics proven once more, let’s see what awaits for Rentaro and his merry maidens!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am pleased as punch to be returning to The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, a show whose first episode proved its clear and compelling candidacy for the “heartwarming harem” subgenre. Though harem anime don’t exactly have the most sterling reputation, the field’s superior entries are actually quite endearing, featuring varied casts of characters who are all having an excellent, intermittently horny time together. Romance doesn’t need to be serious or melodramatic; it can also be energetic and silly, and shows like 100 Girlfriends demonstrate the clear merits of such an approach.

Perhaps most crucially, 100 Girlfriends understands that for a harem to be compelling, the actual nexus of that harem must be as engaging or endearing as their potential paramours. And indeed, Rentaro has proven at least as cute as his first two girlfriends, charting a charming course between “bewildered everyman” and “perfect boyfriend.” Let’s see what madness awaits him next!

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