Amagami SS+ plus 11 – Catastrophic Middle Names

The character who really deserved her own arc.

The 1st half of the Haruka arc is really about planting an idea inside of Junichi’s head. That’s not exactly Inception-like in implementation, but rather his being casually led in the direction of proposing to Haruka on her graduation day from high school. To that end, he’s run through mock family formation with Haruka by Hibiki. Then, Haruka’s relative from England appears and strongly suggests to him that he make a move before she leaves to go sightseeing. He then goes ahead and confirms their relationship by actually talking to her.

*cough* I want to get married now *cough*

This episode started out with the rather silly use of background whispers from unseen characters. Once again, it’s implied that Haruka is simply too attractive a girl for the likes of Junichi. Of course, only Junichi hears these and his own doubts as to whether he deserves her come to the fore. Which makes it impossible for him to come up with an answer when she invites him over to meet her parents. The longing glances at wedding attire before hand probably put him off just a bit, though.

Haruka really loved those stories of her grandfather working in the mines as a youth.

There’s nothing terrible with that, but the conversation with Hibiki raises the fundamental plot point for this arc. Haruka’s grandfather proposed to her grandmother in front of a cathedral in England on her grandmother’s graduation day, the same thing happened for her relative Jessica (who has the ridiculous middle name “Sexy”), so wouldn’t it be great if Junichi could do something similar?

Hibiki with the block, Junichi isn't going to be taken without a fight

Thus set in the grand plan to get that idea into Junichi’s head without telling him directly, because Haruka didn’t want to seem like she was begging him to do it. So Junichi and Haruka engaged in another one of their role-playing scenarios with Hibiki’s help. A mock wedding, mock visit to an obstetrician and a mock family dinner were the events on the day. There’s definitely some gaps in there as Junichi observed quickly, but it was the dinner where things picked up.

Just what this show really needed, Haruka to be pregnant from THAT night at the hotel

Hibiki, comically playing the role of Junichi and Haruka’s non-existent daughter, asks how Junichi proposed to Haruka. He had no answer. Haruka was disappointed. As the three of them walked home, Hibiki told him to come up with a proposal next time. Then, Jessica arrived on the scene and nearly spoiled him on what Haruka wanted.

When Lovely met Sexy, who came up with these names?

It was about this time that the episode hit a lull. Junichi was being depressed again about how lonely he would be when Haruka graduated. He was also busy imagining Miya as a comedy foreigner. Haruka was a little downbeat because she was thinking something similar. This led to a little rumor spreading around school that Junichi had been dumped. Before Junichi could enter panic mode, Jessica called him at school to tell him to make a move otherwise Haruka could be stolen by many potential suitors in England. I’m surprised none of the names was Nigel if they were going for the most cliche representation of England ever, but I digress.

Haruka just goes and confirms Junichi's victory at life.

Junichi made his move by taking Haruka to the shed behind the school. Oh nostalgia, recalling the innocent times when Junichi would lick her in all sorts of strange places. Actually, that’s probably not something to be recalled fondly. Anyway, Junichi manages to win Haruka over once again by simply confiding in her with his own insecurities.

I want you to come over to my house where it will be just the two of us and we can live out the deleted scenes of our role-playing.

He’s already won, he doesn’t have to worry about losing her to some childhood friends thousands of miles away. That might actually be a disincentive now to propose marriage to her. Haruka could have resisted a bit more. Or maybe told him the story about the proposals on graduation day without implying anything. Then again, this arc would have probably lasted 5 minutes. Unnecessary drama without any sense of threat is exactly what Amagami is about anyway.

In next week’s final episode, Junichi invites Haruka over to his house. Fortunately, the need for parents was written out in the episode preview. They don’t really exist, not in the sense that they were brutally murdered and stuffed in a closet, but they only exist as conceptual parents supplying conceptual income for their children. Hell, we have a good idea what will happen. Junichi’s going to do something perverted, but fail in an endearing way. Then by some contrivance Junichi is going to propose to Haruka in front of that cathedral immediately after graduation. Because planes happen to work like that in the world of Amagami.