Back to Marie’s “boyfriend” giving her a tour of his home world. Is it just me or is this much more entertaining than the fantasy adventures? I guess I shouldn’t be too shocked that this is where the show shines. It’s literally called “Welcome to Japan”; the show better live up to that name. But I don’t know, if we are diving our time between our world and Marie’s, the show may want to strike a better balance in quality. For what it’s worth, the Japan side of things remains as charming as ever.
We start this episode with a leisurely walk through the city. Marie notes that she can’t detect any spirits in the city, reckoning that her abilities aren’t as strong in Kazuhiro’s world. That does beg the question if Marie and even Kazuhiro could actually use their abilities in our world but it wouldn’t surprise me if the show doesn’t go any further from here. Marie then encounters and pets a stray cat. Kind of weird that she doesn’t know what a regular darn cat looks like at first. Do they just not exist in her world?
Kazuhiro then takes Marie to the local library, figuring that some books can help her out with her Japanese studies. Marie gets annoyed when she’s brought to the children’s section first. It does make sense for her to start there but understandably, she thinks Kazuhiro is treating her like a kid. Funnily enough though, she ends up borrowing a children’s picture book in the end. It’s okay Marie, I understand that you’d rather read something with pictures in it. Curiously, the book centers around an adventurous cat. I feel this and the cat scene earlier is supposed to remind you about the cat boy under captivity. I suppose it works because it frankly is easy to forget about that issue, what with this episode being mostly about Marie’s cute reactions to everything.
Upon checkout, Kazuhiro recognizes the librarian as an old friend of his, Kaoruko Ichijo. The two are surprised to learn that Kazuhiro has recently moved to the same apartment building Kaoruko lives in. Kazuhiro introduces Marie to Kaoruko as a relative of his from overseas, which gets a little awkward when Kaoruko asks if he has feelings for Marie but don’t worry about it! Marie and Kaoruko introduce themselves to each other, with Kazuhiro acting as an interpreter. For once, we get to see someone get confused about whatever language Marie speaks. I don’t blame this show for not coming up with a fictional language but it continues to be funny how there is supposed to be a language barrier but we instead hear everyone speaking Japanese. I also enjoyed the humor involving the honorifics. You’d think Marie would’ve heard of those before from watching TV but come to think of it, this is nevertheless the first time someone uses any of them with her in conversation.
The rest of the episode takes place in Kazuhiro’s apartment. First, we have Kazuhiro and Marie watch an old cartoon together. I admit that I chuckled when Kazuhiro explains that there’s all sorts of media for Marie to try. Oh no, this girl is going to become a weeb. While Kazuhiro gets dinner ready, the apartment experiences a earthquake. Since Marie has never experienced an earthquake before, the experience leaves her quite shaken (pun intended). There’s an unnecessary amount of fanservice in this scene (and of course this is where the visuals brings its A-game) but I do really like that it’s not just modern technology that makes Marie feel like a fish out of water. Even a natural phenomenon can elicit a reaction out of her.
I kind of figured that the show would start to skip the routine of going to sleep to switch worlds. There’s only so many ways the show can execute that type of moment. To this episode’s credit however, it does manage to play things a bit differently by having Kazuhiro read the picture book to Marie. How cute that Marie falls asleep while listening to the book, just like any child would. For someone who wants to be treated as an adult, she sure is a kid at heart. Right before following suit, Kazuhiro remarks how he used to take his home for granted and he’s come to appreciate it in a new light thanks to Marie. Aside from the sweet message, that’s definitely a hint that Kazuhiro is falling for Marie.
Part of me is actually begrudged to go back to the fantasy world. Like yeah, the show has to properly conclude the desert adventure but I honestly would rather just watch more of Marie reacting to everything. But who knows, maybe things will pick up in the next episode. I scoffed when Kazuhiro and Marie officially form a RPG party together so that they can use the chat. I just know that it’s either going to be some convenient telepathy or a literal and really tacky chat screen that completely detracts from the immersion in the show. But like with the status screens last episode, this at least conveys how much Kazuhiro and Marie trust each other.
Watch Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! on Crunchyroll
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