This second season did have a bunch of strange plot decisions, I give it that: I mean, at this point the main character of this show has pretty much changed into Hazuki. A germophobe. Because of that, the microbes have completely changed their role in the series due to the lack of interaction between them. Right now, this is a series that has a character who happens to be able to see them, and they’ve become narrators and commentators.
Now, is that a bad thing? I wouldn’t say that that automatically is the case: the series just needs to provide something to make up for this change of focus. And it has done so with its lectures and slice of life, both of which are excellent. This episode showed new stuff about old alcohol brewers and their businesses, which was quite interesting to watch.
The slice of life in this series also is the kind of slice of life I really like: it doesn’t focus on the daily grind, but on the small details, like the characters sitting down to eat some kind of new snack, or hanging out at a bar. They’ve provided lots of interesting conversation in the process. My only complaint is Haruka. I know arranged marriages are still a big thing in Japan, but this is a cliché that has gotten to the point of being a dead horse that’s too often used to introduce tension when the creators lack inspiration. If you wanted some drama around Haruka, you could just as easily have given her some money troubles that would prevent her from carrying her studies further.
Rating: (Great)
Haruka’s arranged marriage was part of the live-action series, too. I assume some variation of it exists in the manga.
Here, it seems to be a reason to pick up the whole crew and move them to France, land of cheeses, wines, and other exotic forms of fermentation and bacterial action. Perhaps Japanese fermentation products have been pretty much explored?
As I remember it, Haruka’s deal is that she won’t go along with her corporate family’s marriage-and-consolidation plan till she finishes her thesis, therefore she’s trying to make her thesis last forever. I think it’s also fits with her S&M outfits – besides having a dominating streak, she’s trying to scare people away from her & make a private space for herself –
France, land of great wine AND great cheeses!