The 3rd episode sees the continuation of the Rihoko arc from the first season with mostly much of the same. There’s the usual combination of her constant worries about her weight, memories of their time as childhood friends and then conversations with her former seniors in the tea club. Finally, the next turn in their relationship is forced upon by one of their classmates.
As far as construction of this episode, there was one particularly good part which was well executed for an Amagami episode. One of the students in Junichi and Rihoko’s class was going to try to get two or three girlfriends over the entire summer break, and to be honest I never thought much of it. By the time the end of the episode rolled around it had come full circle. Rejected by all of the other girls he had targeted, he realized that Rihoko was quite attractive, which ultimately forced one of the two to finally make a move.
As for the rest of the episode, there really wasn’t much to take away from what was one of the more frustrating arcs the first time around. It was essentially more of the same, that even the side characters were commenting on the lack of movement in Junichi and Rihoko’s relationship. Kanae asks Rihoko about it in the first five minutes of the episode and she conveniently runs into Manaka and Ruriko, the former tea club members, who ask the same near the end of the episode.
In between those questions, we get more of what happened the first time around. Rihoko is lazy about getting up in the morning, Junichi teases her about her weight relentlessly, Junichi does perverted things that she easily falls for, they then remember their childhood when Junichi was also doing perverted things that she easily fell for. The big break in this episode was supposed to be Rihoko going over to Junichi’s house to make dinner, which ultimately would have probably come to nothing since neither party would have the courage to tell the other how they felt.
But first, back to the measuring scenes. I really have a hard time believing that the two of them would sneak into a doctor’s office to measure themselves competitively. Junichi’s actions are more believable by messing around with the scale and ogling Rihoko whenever possible in the past and present. The fact that by presenting it as a contest makes her gullible is what I find beyond belief. If she’s so sensitive about her weight, why would she suddenly want to be involved in something where lower weight is worse? Writing for her as a character must be incredibly easy.
After acquiring the food needed to give Junichi extra virility from Manaka and Ruriko, things take a sudden turn. Makabe isolates her in an alley almost demanding that she go out with him and giving her no room to escape. It’s all creates a rather disturbing, uncomfortable scene about whether she would just give in to someone who openly sees her as attractive. Would this turn into one of those NTR scenarios a defeat for Junichi because he wouldn’t make the first move? As this is the safe world of Amagami it would not be as she would confess that she already had someone she loved as Junichi looked on. Who that is was of course interrupted by one of those train horns which always seem to interrupt dialogue at just the right moment.
So as far as next week is concerned, it looks like there’s going to be yet more flashbacks. I just hope something, anything happens to make this relationship move. Actually, I wouldn’t put it past the creators to have Rihoko say she was kidding about the whole confession thing and Junichi to accept that explanation over the one that requires him to act. I really hope they don’t.
Lower Mid-Table 
Wish we were watching the same thing so I could comment, but alas, we don’t seem to be.
I’m probably watching a lot of what you’re watching, but I’m not writing on it. I need to choose better next time.