A Strange "100 Kanojo" Reread - Special (Chapter 077.1)

Last time on the reread: https://www.reddit.com/r/100Kanojo/comments/1opxibi/a_strange_100_kanojo_reread_chapter_077/

As a wise person once said, \"There's always a bigger set of boobs...er, fish.\"

Special (Chp. 077.1): Rentarou's Fairyland Family

This...is a weird chapter. It's not really a chapter, it's another "special chapter" released for a Young Jump special; and it's less a chapter and more "a fairy tale what-if scenario" with the first 16 girls and Rentarou. It's in the volume it released in (Vol. 9) though so...we're covering it before we get to the extras, making this the last time (outside slip-ups) I will be doing a weekend chapter as a result.

Once upon a time, Shizuka was tiny...no I mean REALLY tiny...

Yeah, Thumbelina; we'll be getting a lot of Hans Christian Andersen with this and to kick it off with Thumbelina and Shizuka shows...that really is who or what she is.

And then a toad appeared...and a beetle...and Yamame wasn't around to say "AYE!" and chase it away.

And then she got stuck in a scenario where she had to hear a badly-written song by Barry Manilow (not one of his better ones).

In the same forest lived Kurumi with...wait, does Kurumi have a brother? I mean we haven't met her family.

And Kurumi...um...if your brother is leaving breadcrumbs, why not stay with him instead of eating them, they're probably stale bread anyway and despite your hunger for anything, bread off the ground with dirt on it really isn't good for you.

And then her brother abandoned her. Some fairy tale; and what is he going to tell his parents; and isn't it the father that kills the witch in the original fairy tale and not...this version? (besides in the original Hansel and Gretel, Gretel has to save her brother since the witch gets to him first!)

Oh and then a gingerbread...are you sure this isn't a Hahari trap? >!Yeah, Hahari does the same thing just after Meru is introduced in a post-volume moment...so really she must be the real witch trying to capture...let's not even think what Hahari wants to capture, OK?!<

And then a witch tried to eat...er, kill her. And sadly it's a Margaret Hamilton type of witch and not a cute one.

Elsewhere, Kusuri is...giving out drugs...and she's wearing a red hood for some reason.

I do wonder if Kusuri had another grandmother because...considering Yaku's in the Family now, she has her own story and thus probably shouldn't be her granny in the fairy tale notable about the granny being eaten by a wolf.

But then Kusuri doesn't know that and...gets eaten by a wolf. Maybe if she took some Neutralization Drug first, it could have saved both of them?

Meanwhile there's an axeman whose axe feel in a stream and...Hahari appeared.

Wait a minute the "God" in "The Honest Woodcutter" was male, originally being Mercury/Hermes. I guess they changed it to Aphrodite here because...Hahari probably paid them off.

So the honest woodcutter got three axes. And the dishonest one...

Wait why bring another axe!? You had an axe, then why drop it in the lake? And if Hahari's a God, wouldn't she have the means to stop the stupid woodcutter?

Meanwhile, it was a horrible night to have a curse...for Iku...

Um, is Iku a dancer? I mean we don't have a dancing GF, this is just...I mean it isn't just hitting her butt for a change.

OK, true story: in the original fairy tale, the Red Shoes kept Karen dancing until she literally had her feet chopped off! Oh and the original heroine was as vain as Mimimi so...um...are you sure this shouldn't be Mimimi and not Iku?

Meanwhile, Nadeshiko is Princess Kaguya...but that means she's Japanese...and SHE HATES BEING JAPANESE!

Do find funny that the "Moon People" are all bunnies; would be nice if we got a cameo from Newbie Idol or...>!some really lonely girl in bunny clothes who'd love all the attention on the moon.!<

Oh and The Tale of Princess Kaguya/The Bamboo Cutter was written in the 10th century; so Naddy...wants to go live among the Native indigenous Americans I suppose. (then again if the moon people are aliens...why not just make them "Americans" like her and it fits the tale?)

At the same time...OK I admit, Momiji feels more like Alice than Hahari does.

Another rabbit, what's with the rabbits today?

And...I know what others say, I still want this Queen of Hearts; she's huge and she has big lips too; she's different and nice!

Maybe don't make your bosom so prominent in your appearance for looking more formidable?

Meanwhile, Mei is...wait, she's Cinderella; the maid that loves being a servant and not a princess?

OK, I get the idea but the origin made it like that it was her actual parents that was the problem and Hahari that saved her from a horrid live by giving her a...life...of...servi...tude...I mean she chose it.

Eh, it's a great transformation and...hey, RENTAROU FINALLY GETS TO BE IN THIS CHAPTER! But he's...Romeo...Rentaromeo...um...does this mean there's a Juliet?

So...the slipper...just remained on? Did Mei just find a way to keep it on? Was it a perfect fit? Was she just courteous and brought the fallen slipper with?

And then...WAIT, YAKU, WHY AREN'T YOU HOME WHERE YOU'RE EATEN BY A WOLF AS KUSRUI COMES TO GIVE YOU DRUGS...ER, GOODIES!?

Alright, I do like the idea that she's Otohime from the story of Urashima Taro; the funny thing being with the whole infamy of "the tamatabako box", maybe that's where her lost age went...or maybe she became immortal once she became Otohime?

And in this version...wait, she's immortal and essentially an eternal 8 year old; so Urashima Taro just...decides to be old to get with someone who is old but isn't and then...my head hurts.

And now...The Crane Returns the Favor. Except it's Meme. So Meme's a crane now.

OK, this fairy tale totally makes sense.

OK, now Mimimi's Snow White. I'd say it makes sense but the funny thing...considering Yamame in her intro, I'd say she should be Snow White...but no, they need someone to peeve the Magic Mirror.

Maybe this is a hint Mimimi has a stepparent in the same as Kurumi's is hinting at a possible brother?

And unlike the real Snow White, she revels in being called the beautiful one.

Then again, if Mimimi is Mimimi, wouldn't she trust her own apple dealers instead of just buying a random one from an old beggar? Eh, maybe the beggar did the same speech the one from the Disney version did. But even then...Mimimi is the type who believes in making her own beauty and her own happiness so to be promised a "happily ever after" from a poisoned apple wouldn't be her deal and she'd still just buy her...eh, my explanation: the beggar snuck a poison apple with the supplier she usually buys them from, she ate it and entered sleeping death, the end.

Time for another depressing Hans Christian Andersen one with Chiyo as the Little Match Girl!

I get her desire to be warm but...um, I'd suppose that Uncle Hiro...is he alive or dead in this universe?

Regardless, Chiyo's stupider than usual and basically dies from her own stupidity. Way to cut the tragedy.

Meanwhile...oh yeah, Hakari really is Juliet considering her arc.

In many regards the "Hakari Rescue Arc" probably could have worked in a scenario like this; they even had a balcony scene between her and Rentarou even if it involved cell phones and security guards. But then he's already Romeo and already tried to win Cinderella...yeesh just call him "Prince Charming" considering that's the most generic name ever and fits better considering how this tale turns out.

And the issue here is...Mama Capulet...wait, isn't she Hermes back at the stream? Shouldn't she be nearly dead by way of woodcutter? And is there a Paris trying to win Juliet for himself despite Rentarou's zing? And where is the Tybalt...eh, I wish there was one but considering Hahari's situation, he's probably adopted.

So Little Red Riding Hood gave Juliet drugs and...eh, it works, just roll with it.

I'd find it hilarious if Rentarou shows up and kills himself with...more drugs...yeah, "Romeo and Juliet" just uses a lot of drugs, doesn't it? I just wonder who supplies them with Little Red Riding Hood wolf food and Otohime stuck at the bottom of the ocean to avoid Urashima Taro?

Now here's Princess Fiona...what, Yamame's as big and she's essentially Sleeping Beauty here. >!If the chapter was made today someone else would fit better but she'd be sleepwalking the moment she's out.!<

And in this case it's Aurora's fault for sleep-talking...>!Maybe this story should have waited for Nemu instead of using Yamame, that's my moral.!<

Mean...yeah, after the Food Fight, Nano had to be Rapunzel.

Rentaromeo...RENTARO, IF YOU'RE ROMEO, GO BACK AND SAVE HAKA...JULIET RIGHT NOW!?

And of course she's overthinking things.

Still better than that Mandy Moore/Zachary Levi movie.

Meanwhile...

OK, now I see why he didn't go back to Juliet: Karane's a mermaid.

I do wonder what sort of witch would...it's Kusuri, isn't it. Little Red Riding Hood really is just a servant of chaos in this fairytale realm. (except for Momiji/Alice cause her drugs were already in Wonderland without her)

So who was this "Princess"? I mean considering things, it isn't the Disney version where said "Princess" was just a deception of the Witch. But then considering the parallels in this tale, I do wonder if it was someone parallel to Karane...>!(jokingly imagines a certain gyaru as the rival princess who is just as "hyuuuute" and flat and thus how she ended up winning Rentarou's heart instead of Karane as in the original)!<

You know a story where the mermaid was a tsundere instead of losing her voice...I think that works.

And then Rentarou realizes what an idiot he's been and rushes to the rescue...seriously, Rentarou, you were just there with Mei...and Nano...and Karane...can't you take a hint!?

And I hate this "obliteration" plan. I get too many fairy tales have a generic "Prince Charming" to lead to happily ever afters but it feels like it just works too hard. (plus...come on, Rentarou isn't that type of person; he may do anything for them but people don't die) My own personal endings:

• Shizuka: He just takes her away.
• Kurumi: He just lets Gretel do her duty...and maybe yells at Hansel for being a terrible brother.
• Kusuri: Maybe remind her that her granny isn't a wolf and at the bottom of the ocean...then maybe just get a giant mallet like the WB version by Tex Avery.
• Hahari: Tell the stupid woodcutter he screwed up, take Hermes away
• Iku: She'd want her feet chopped off...it's gross but maybe find a way to get the shoes off before it comes to that?
• Naddy: Convince everyone that "America is the moon" to get them off her back.
• Momiji: I think she had the Queen of Hearts under control; I still say a "zing" should work but otherwise I think she can grope her way out if you keep the card soldiers at bay.
• Mei: Yeah...just get her out of there after the ball.
• Yaku: Urashima Taro screwed himself with the box; if she's cancelled, then it shouldn't matter what happened next and Rentarou can just go get her without any worry.
• Meme: She was gone so...eh, just get to her ignoring the supposed husband; once she's a crane, the marriage is null and void.
• Mimimi: Just kiss her; it's that easy.
• Chiyo: Eh...they're family (maybe she's a distant relative) so I think her uncle would be OK with him warming her.
• Hakari: Ignore the messenger that makes him believe Juliet is dead, kiss her, she goes "ABABABA!" as usual and you're fine.
• Yamame: Be sneaky...and maybe get some of Kusuri's drugs to avoid the brambles.
• Nano: In the fairy tale she eventually is forced to leave the tower due to...well it's way more adult...but considering the Food Fight arc, he can handle it.
• Karane: Come on, he's dealt with way worse tsundere than this; this is easy, even with the rival princess...unless he zings with her too.

And thus...FINALLY...they all lived happily ever after.

Review ("newtimer version"): Well that is a way to waste 5 minutes. It's basically just bizarre fairy tale versions of all the girls...and then Rentarou kills everyone and the girls all end up with him. Not sure it's going to be popular or beloved enough to remain that way by the time of public domain.

Serious Version (My Current Thoughts): >!I do admit this is a goofy way to show off the girls in different manners by having them all as fairy tale heroines; though I'm still not a fan of the whole resolution of the chapter being "Rentarou kills everything"; the ending sours me on what is generally just a chapter that's more a piece of candy: sweet but forgettable though still cute. I can't necessarily say it is THAT forgettable considering that elements do return with many other aspects through the manga: we've seen the connection between Nano and Rapunzel in the past, and later we do get the whole scenario with Kurumi getting her own gingerbread house (by Hahari so...yeah, same result as this version where she's Gretel) and in the mermaid chapter, we do get Karane as a mermaid and Yaku...sort of a more mermaid version of Otohime? (I mean in the original Japanese, Rentarou compares the mermaid display to Ryugu Palace and not Atlantis and Yaku is one of the first shown so...yeah, she finally becomes Otohime and it makes sense with this) I know some would wonder "could they redo this again with the post-Yaku girls"...there are other tales out there (probably public domain only sadly so if they wanted to do a Disney version, they'd probably have to alter it since some movies don't use public domain fairy tales) but most of the notable and most famous all occur here so...what would they end up with? (somehow I imagine Kishika being the next Miyamoto Musashi, Nemu in "The Princess and the Pea", Saki in "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" as the "oldest...but smallest" goat, Uto as Peter Pan...and Mai trying to rewrite "Cinderella" so she has a younger sister (she doesn't) and she's actually not wicked or mean and wants her badly and gets screwed over by the ball as well. (in the same manner as I'd make Ahko "the rival princess that ends up zinging with Rentarou too" in "The Little Mermaid" considering her and Karane) Oh and Momoha is the princess from the story of "Yamata-no-Orochi" who gets drunk before Orochi does and nearly gets killed cause of it; that has to happen.!<

Next Time: Well with that diversion done, finally time for the Volume 9 Extras and...one story...but maybe two?

My Next Time:

Momiji defies all logic again not knowing how a bounce house works.