I continue to be amazed by the success—both by the story and the flawless implementation of fresh, unadulterated enjoyment—of season frontrunner Rinne no Lagrange, and if there’s a series that could match it perfectly by the following criteria, it would be Ano Natsu de Matteru hands down. Both have undoubtedly made a name for themselves in the short span since their debut, which only attests to their achievement.

That’s three points for Kuroda Yousuke for employing yet another perfectly-timed and captivating cliffhanger. As for a solution to the “fifth wheel” dilemma, I’m beginning to believe the only way for things to end peaceably is to end the series as a harem with two boys and three girls. Why not?

Simply walking away and acting like it never happened isn’t a terrible way of escaping that awkward moment when you find out that someone likes you. It may not be a permanent solution to the problem at hand, but it’s probably the best choice when your both living under the same roof.

Ano Natsu de Matteru played a perfect hand this week in following up a heated night of drinking and games with a mellow, yet nonetheless hilarious day cast in all the right places in terms of setting. By now I have myself convinced that my knack for choosing the ‘winners from the losers’ each season on the first try is not much of a “knack” at all—I’m wrong nearly every time!

Using her alien vocabulary and impressive sempai-maturity (… and class-act sob story), Ichika has managed to make the transition from seductress to house-sitter while Nagami is off on business. And there to make sure things remain uneventful and PG-rated is the jealous and accusatory Kanna-chan.