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| Yep. Still adorable. |
Review Scale
Warning: The following review contains SPOILERS and adorable fox spirit
The first show that ended this season was the last show that began in the case of Inari, Kon Kon, Koi Iroha. As I wrote in my 3ET, I picked it up hoping for a pleasant watch about a cute girl who can transform into any other human thanks to divine power from a shrine god. And if it had some character development, that would be a nice bonus. This would be a case of perfectly met expectations, as I got to enjoy a well-balanced show about a girl, her friends, some magical shenanigans, and adolescence.
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| Neither Sanjou, Sumizome, nor Marumachi can see the fox on Inari's head. |
The most compelling relationships didn't involve the magical shenanigans, as they involved Inari and her classmates. The story arc about her group of friends adding a fourth member was the strongest element of the show. The new girl, Sumizome, was the girl who started the whole divine power thing in the first place, as she was the girl Inari wanted to transform into to get the affections of the boy she liked. It did well to show the new dynamics of the group, like the socially awkward nerd, Marutamachi, being bitter towards the popular Sumizome, and how they resolve their issues. It also had a nice twist, where Sumizome confesses that she has a crush on the tomboy of the group, Sanjou, and her feelings aren't played for cheap laughs just because she has feelings for another girl. Sure, the fact that Maru is a fan of gay love of all types (and apparently draws the stuff) is there as a joke, but it's not offensive and it was a nice way to remove the supposed rival between Inari and the boy she likes, Tanbabashi.
As for the relationship between Tanbabashi and Inari, it's a work-in-progress. That is, if the final goal is for them to become romantically involved. Because by the end of the series, Inari has developed a solid friendship with Tanbabashi. She has moved from being scared to even speak to him, to being able to spend time with him and his family, and even confesses at one point. Of course, her confession comes when she is transformed into another girl who has a crush on him, but her hopes are raised when he says the stock phrase "I have feelings for someone else" with regards to the other girl's feelings. Personally, I'm happy the show didn't end with the two of them together, because I felt that would cheapen the core message of the show, which I'll get to at the end.
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| "Of course the god gets the blue shell when she's in first place." |
Inari isn't the only one whose relationships are explored over the course of the show. Her older brother, Touka, is able to see the god, Uka, and has been able to since he was young. When he finds out that Inari has gained divine power, he goes into overprotective older brother mode (a mode I have plenty of experience with). He is also seen spending time with Uka, playing videogames with her while he tries to pry information about Inari's newfound power. The two of them have good banter, and if I squint I can see the beginnings of romantic feelings growing between them, but as platonic friends, they work just as well.
Things weren't all good for Inari, as some of the divine comedy elements felt out of place. At its core, this show is about a girl going through adolescence, and having Uka be forced to go on dates doesn't have anything to do with that. At least, the way it is portrayed has nothing to do with it. Neither does her pervert brother going well beyond what is considered non-creepy in his protective behavior for Uka. The events in the Celestial Plains seem to exist for cheap, ineffective laughs and the only events that take place there are there for forced dramatic tension. In other words, because the plot demands it.
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| Hey, I had one picture without the cute little fox in it! |
The most important relationship in the show is with Uka and Inari. While the two of them are not often shown together on screen, it is clear that they care for each other, especially as Inari's power develops. It turns out that the more Inari uses her power, the more it weakens Uka. And when Inari overuses her power, sometimes consciously, sometimes not, it puts Uka's life in peril. Uka seems willing to disappear in order for Inari to keep her power, while Inari is desperate to save Uka, no matter what. And the last episode ends exactly how one would expect. Inari gives Uka back her power, Uka doesn't disapper, and things go back to normal.
And by "normal", I don't mean that Uka and Inari stay friends and have tea together all the time. A major point of the show is that a human using divine power has consequences, like how things seem to align themselves for Inari to get what she wants as her power strengthens, whether she consciously wishes for them or not. And a the consequence for Inari giving Uka back her divine power is that Inari can no longer see or interact with Uka. But, she doesn't regret it, because she saved her friend. The other major point is that she didn't gain anything from having the divine power that she couldn't have gotten without it. She has new friends and she can talk to the boy that she likes. She is not the same person that she was at the beginning of the series, it's almost as if she has developed as a character.
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| And she might get to be with the boy she likes! |
And that is the point of Inari, Kon Kon, Koi Iroha. Hiding underneath the adorable fox spirits, the silly body-switching gags, and the slice-of-life antics was a the story of a girl beginning to grow up. In this case, the only part that is shown is where her story of growing up intersects with Uka. Her development from a girl into a woman is only partway done, much like many of her relationships, and when I left, I felt good about where she was in that process. In the end, Inari is a pleasant watch, and while it isn't anything special, it never strove to be anything more than what it is. And what it is is a cute, fun, little show that is worth its runtime. Even if the slice-of-life stuff tried to lull me to sleep at times.
Final Score: 6/10
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