A Strange "100 Kanojo" Reread - Chapter 077

Last time on the reread: https://www.reddit.com/r/100Kanojo/comments/1op0w8o/a_strange_100_kanojo_reread_chapter_076/

Didn't we have an entire arc about it; eh Yaku almost got it right at least.

Chp. 077: Rentarou's Family's Onsen Date

So let's just have the opening panel of this chapter introduce a distant relative of Iku she has no idea about and we have no idea about and wouldn't have without introducing them. Um...why do we need to know they're related to Iku? How distant is this "Serious Group" to the Sutou family; is this leading to something that we will get with her down the line?

Anyway, the family got an Onsen invitation; which is one thing I'm surprised they haven't done up to now.

And Naddy gets started on the sudsy fun...

Why do my favorites have to fall first?

Ooops, now the soap is just...sweeping everyone away...

That is until the water starts doing it instead!

Thank goodness for Yama...no the soap's still expanding.

Worst resort ever, we're never coming back...once we get the girls out of here first.

And there's Kusuri trapped by a jet stream, maybe if she...let me guess, the Negation Drug is in the other swimsuit.

Oh and here's Iku, I guess she could be of some...

Yeah she would...

No seriously...

Um...Kusuri's free, can you...Iku...

(sighs) Yeah, just let her stay there.

Now to Nano and...

Oh it's just Shizuka in a giant jacuzzi, she'll be fine.

Fine she'll save her and...

Oh yeah, this is a tall jacuzzi and...Nano's...heights...

I mean Shizuka is safe so I think...

I guess the extra weight wouldn't hurt.

I think they'll...and they're sinking to the bottom, that's nice.

Hakari's turn and...

Hey she found Karane, that was qui...

Hey, dreams can come true here!

Um, Hakari...you do realize that you can tell it's her even without the obvious enhancement.

Sure this isn't funded by some Yakuzens alongside the Sutou?

And Karane...um...

Look, it's more "temporary" unless there's some sort of medicinal waters in this thing. Don't get used to it.

And Hakari actually slaps her! Huh, she really is forcing her to face reality.

And now Hakari's the anti-breast person!? Only when she's beaten is she even like this.

"We need to face reality; besides we had that whole 'un-tsundere' arc, do we need to do one where you're not flat!?"

Well SOMEONE is sick of being third place to her mother and some girl with a minimizing bra!

And there she goes. It was fun having boobs while it lasted.

So now for Mimimi and Meme stuck in a shower.

Yeesh, not sure this is the type of pain she wants to go through for beauty.

Meme looks so prone to all that's happening that she's confused.

Aww...she wants to help a friend.

She wants Mimimi...to kiss her. Just...kiss her...in the neck but still...

And Mimimi just thinks it's about being beautiful.

Well she did it, and Meme...

That saves Meme, but what about Mimimi?

OK it's easier to pull her out when she's on her own.

I guess it's a strong moment for Meme to show she has grown...or really is lewder than you think.

So now a cold bath with...Mei's stuck and Hahari's nearby.

Um...can you open your eyelids usually?

I guess some things even a maid can't stand like the brutal cold.

And Hahari...wait, wasn't it a joke before?

I guess she does care about Mei more than just a punchline.

Mei really is Hahari's other daughter.

And I guess...we're just getting everyone back together after all the weirdness.

Wait...where's Rentarou?

Yeah, let's not bore us with the details of what happened to those three.

(I guess he had to have something to do off-screen.)

I'd say "small girls" but one's 89 years old so it's two girls and an old woman.

OK, I'd declare this date a disaster...but let's give it one more try with this last bath.

At least they can all fit in...

And finally, respite.

Wait no, this is the deadliest one. Guess that ends the manga; been nice knowing you all, I knew 16 would be too many.

Review ("newtimer version"): Um...are they dead? I mean the chapter ends with their souls ascending and usually someone like Mei comes to rescue but she's part of this too...so yeah, all that and they're dead. So...why is there a next time caption?

Serious Version (My Current Thoughts): >!Pay no heed to my "naive version" here; I know it's sort of explained in the post-volume stuff what really happened and they're not dead...but they really do feel like it with this ending.!<

!But ignoring the final panel, this and a chapter coming up feel like two sides of the same coin: two chapters where all the girls get separated from Rentarou, we get partners of the girls as they go off on their own, then they all reunite to bliss...or to die as this chapter ends. (j/k) The amazing thing is...there's mostly a balance of who gets depicted in both these chapters; practically everyone who doesn't get a story here will in the next one...except two who get stories in both (Kusuri I get with what happens and the technicality that we get "that" side to Kusuri next time this happens...but for some reason they use Iku twice, this time with Kusuri and next time to give a partner to Yamame?) The somewhat amazing thing about this is...this feels like the prologue/prelude of the "two girls, no Rentarou" chapters we start getting a lot much later on; it isn't as big and prominent as it eventually gets, but it does feel like the seed of the idea starts here. And it makes sense: they're a family now and they can have moments and do things without Rentarou just watching over them at all times; we sort of also got it with the Chiyo/Naddy chapter and even the Mimimi/Meme one some time ago, but even they had some Rentarou interaction amid a story that didn't really involve him. It is a nice change of pace all things considered.!<

!As for what we get, a lot of the stories do feel like they compliment the characters and most work...the key being "most". The main focus here are on established partnerships and all of them ultimately playing off what we have with them: Hahari and Mei's dynamic as master and servant...or mother and daughter; Mimimi and Meme and their issues of brightness and darkness and continuing to build Meme's confidence, Shizuka and Nano...well, Nano guarding Shizuka but Shizuka doing the little she can considering Nano's acrophobia. The only one that doesn't work or just feels "there" is Kusuri and Iku...but again, they actually get more interesting stories with the second of these; maybe they knew that they'd get something better and needed a final partnership so just threw them together and said "what the hey", did a butt joke and moved on. (I think that's probably why it's easy to ignore them here since they get better partners and stories in the other chapter) It works and I'm sort of happy to see how the series evolved...!<

!Though what was with the intro saying 'oh, these guys are distant relatives of Iku's' when we really never needed to know that? The Serious Group becomes a running gag from here on out, but where or how are they associated with the Sutou's...and is this building something for Iku later down the line?!<

Next Time: I'd say we're doing the "end of volume" stuff next, but there's a special chapter before we get there so...I guess we'll do something more "fanciful" next time.

My Next Time:

Yaku was a werewolf all along? WHAT A PLOT TWIST! (or drugs...probably drugs...)