I’m not sure how much of a synopsis is in order since this is just a continuation of the previous season. Haruo must contend with Hidaka’s increasingly overt feelings towards him as he tries to connect with Oono despite it growing more difficult due to the different lives they lead.
The music is good and the animation is of the same quality as before, so I don’t feel the need to get into those aspects of the season.
Giving credit where credit is due, the comedy is still spot on. I loved the comedic dynamic created by Oono’s sister, Makoto, and Haruo’s mother, Namie. There’s just so much energy when they’re in a room together and I love seeing them as the coaches for Haruo’s relationship, even if they’re a bit ineffectual. My favorite bit was Namie’s weird snores that kept Makoto up. Haruo’s friends are also quite good. While the side characters don’t have much depth, (though I found myself caring a lot about Jiiya and Gouda) they will provide some laughs.
I also enjoyed the obscure bits of gaming history including Virtua Fighter’s very strange CG portrait series. This is the one Haruo watched in the show:
The parts where games and/or the romance with Oono were the focus were enjoyable, but more than the first season, I could not stand the love triangle. Regarding the first season, I said that the love triangle did not detract from the plot. This is not true for the second season.
I know it may seem that I don’t like the triangle simply because I don’t like Hidaka. This isn’t the case; it would be petulant for me to not like a triangle if it served the story well or if both members were viable. Does it serve the story well? I suppose that begs the question of what the story is. If it’s a story of two children who grow closer due to video games, then no, it mostly obstructs it. The love triangle also doesn’t seem to help Oono or Haruo grow as people. It doesn’t really help Hidaka because, for one, without the love triangle, she wouldn’t need to grow and its thanks to the love triangle that she needs to grow in the first place. Hidaka as a love interest is an absolute joke. The first thing we see her do in High Score Girl II is use her clout within the local arcade community to have Haruo bullied and driven from the arcade. Later, she tries to flirt with Haruo and sleep with him in a hotel room. She doesn’t get very far and the entire ordeal (and I suppose Hidaka) makes me uncomfortable. It contrasts nicely with Haruo and Oono, who had a very pleasant time when they had to share a hotel room last season. Overall, I didn’t see Hidaka as doing much besides confirming that Oono and Haruo were meant for each other, which I could have told you without her existence. The drama just feels really tiring, which is unfortunate given how exciting other aspects of the show are. Bear in mind I’m not saying the love triangle isn’t realistic, I’m just not sure what the point of it is for besides drama for drama’s sake. Oono’s family problems feel more organic since they were always there and are a central part of Oono and Haruo’s dynamic. This conflict didn’t grow old for me while the love triangle wore its welcome at the beginning of this season, if I’m being generous.
At the very least, Oono never gives into jealousy towards Hidaka...she does get angry at Haruo picking a female character at a video game, however. Sometimes, I honestly couldn’t with this show.
The parts with Oono and Haruo were pretty cute, as always, however. It’s just so wholesome seeing them connect over video games, no matter how much older they get.
It’s clear that an ending can truly make or break a story. While an ending breaking a story is well-documented, but it’s important to recognize endings that improve the overall experience. High Score Girl is an example of such an ending. I had such a good time with the final arc of this show in which Haruo and Oono compete in a Street Fighter tournament together. This arc showcased the blend of video game appreciation and romance that I’ve come to love, reminding me of why I fell in love with the series in the first place. The tournament was very tense. While Oono and Haruo ended up facing each other in the final match, I still liked the swerve of Oono losing her first match, thus needing to climb up the loser’s bracket to get to Haruo. The final arc left me with feelings of both happiness and romantic longing. Probably one of my favorite aspects of the conclusion of this show is the fact that Haruo doesn’t need to compromise his passion for games to be an effective lover. He can love Oono as much as he loves video games, something that wouldn’t work with Hidaka, for she desperately wishes for him to separate her from video games. The final episode is also very nice; we see Haruo struggling with having to deal with Oono leaving again. Since she returned his trinket, he (understandably) believes that she’s moving on from him. This creates a somber mood. While most can guess that Haruo will get over his funk, it’s nice to see him have to finally work through his feelings since things are so dire. It’s cool to see the video game characters “helping” Haruo make it to Oono at the airport, once again tying the romance to video games in a way that viewers won’t see anywhere else. The ending was delightfully bittersweet. While the two finally declare their love for one another, Oono still must depart for America. Haruo vows to meet Oono there one day. As much as I love happy endings when it comes to romance, this ending felt quite authentic and I respect the show for that. I have to give a lot of points for the ending, it really did do a good job of showing just how great this show can be at times…
..the key words, unfortunately, are at times. While I really, really did enjoy the ending, I’d be remiss to let the show off the hook just because it ended well. The journey, not just the destination, is important, and the journey was very, very rocky, at least for me. It wouldn’t be fair to me to give the anime a score that didn’t reflect the vast majority of my time with it. It’s really disappointing for me to come out and say it, since I had high hopes for this series going in, but I spent the vast majority of the season season being annoyed.
Maybe it’s easier for me to acknowledge my feelings because the last episode showcased my biggest problem with the show: Hidaka. Hidaka’s appearance in the conclusion provides a nasty catch-22. Assuming she doesn’t appear, then all the time we spent with her will have no payoff, thus, we’ll feel that our time has been wasted. Assuming she does appear, however, she takes away from Oono and Haruo’s moment, possibly stirs up drama, and otherwise just reminds us of the tiring love triangle. I’ll admit that it’s nice that the show subtly conveys that Hidaka has moved on, showing that she has cut her hair and helps Haruo with Akira. What isn’t nice is how Hidaka physically and verbally assaults Haruo for (again, very understandably) interpreting Oono’s return of her trinket as meaning she's moved on. The scene did very little in assuaging my negative feelings toward Hidaka. She rocks the boat to such an extent that my cute show is just uncomfortable to watch. A bit later, Haruo’s mother isn’t quite as bad, but she still criticizes her son for “giving up” when, as far as he can tell Oono has as well. This bit of the final episode reeks of taking agency away from Haruo and I don’t particularly enjoy it. Nor did I like the general framing of Haruo being somehow “dense” and not being a mindreader, for he’d have to be to know that Oono wants him to go to her despite actively providing evidence for the contrary. I don’t consider myself particularly dense, but according to the show, me and Haruo are. Ugh
And bear in mind that’s the last episode, one that I actually enjoyed. That might give a sense of just how annoyed I was for the rest of the segments involving Hidaka.
Still, the ending did do a lot to regain the points the show lost in my mind, but the points don’t amount to a much higher score than the first season. All High Score Girl II did was flip its high and low parts. The first season (not counting Extra Stage) had a very solid beginning before declining, while II features an annoying beginning and a strong finish. Ultimately, the higher score I gave Extra Stage was not indicative of the second season improving upon the first, it was just indicative that the sequel season would have select sections that were great.
At the end of the day, High Score Girl is a hard show to hate. It’s cute, it’s interesting and fulfills a very specific niche for anime. I’m sure there are many anime watchers who enjoy video games and romance stories, so they’ll be sure to get something out of High Score Girl. I’d still want people to see this show of themselves due to how unique it is. At the same time, I’ve found this is a difficult show to love. If it’s not somewhat average, it’s annoying. The highs are high, yes, but it can be a slog to get to them and I’m not sure it’s worth it. Like I said last season, unless you’re really into all the elements of the show, I’m not sure I can recommend it. Of course, I infamously don’t enjoy love triangles, so maybe it’s just me.
As I said in the beginning, I do like this show. I even love parts of it. But overall, I don’t love all of it.
7.4/10
C
