“You know the answer to that already, don’t you?” 

This title quote applies to so many parts of this episode. Find out what I mean. 

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Binbougami ga! comes to a pretty fitting end, but all it indicates is that there are plans for additional mayhem to come. As of now, this is neither good news or bad news because this series has its moments when it strikes gold with the comedy. But before I give Sunrise a pat on the back for its successes, here are some thoughts on the “finale.”

All of the craziness that is Binbougami ga! would not be satisfying without Momiji making her poor version return. The ultimatum ended up being more of a sacrifice should Ichiko had things done her way, but that final twist that Momiji would become mortal after a certain number of days (take a guess) really pushed our busty-go-lucky protagonist to the edge. It’s been a few episodes running but she’s finally come forth with the notion that friendship is actually a pretty damn good keeper, and she’s realized that her flat-chested counterpart plays the role of the provocative friend/foe quite well. Thus, Plan A turned into Plan B which also turned into Plan C due to some luck. 

It turned out that Keita got the last cool line — I really want to say season at this point but I’m getting too far ahead of myself — as he helped Ichiko figure out the mess that is this hypothetical what-if-my-best-friend-is-gone-and-I-can’t-deal-with-these-feelings scenario. Going in, I had a pretty good feeling about the placement of the line and I couldn’t think of a better support character (sorry, Ranmaru) to speak the final title quote. 

Albeit some predictability, Binbougami ga! ends well with the usual bashing of heads and insults as compliments of one another’s fondness. A lot of the answers that were being sought out were kind of obvious, hence the predictive nature of this final episode. You could have made a to-do checklist and gotten most, if not all, of what needed answering. I’ll even include a few that crossed my mind as the ED rolled as the finale’s OP: thanks to the preview from last episode, Momiji’s return would be stalled; everyone would make a return somehow, someway, even the oh-so-important Nadeshiko; hell, Nadeshiko would appear in the actual episode as blatantly as possible; there is a condition for Momiji’s staying in this new form; ultimately, she’ll return to her usual misfortune goddess form.

However, it didn’t take away from the fun of seeing this grandeur of a struggle between the two sides and mend any confused hearts that are uncharacteristic of anyone. I thought it was clear, concise and captivating enough to close out the series. But that tease in the very end really convinces me that there is a follow-up project in the making, and I doubt that we’re dealing with trolls. At least, I don’t think Sunrise would try to fool anyone.

GO Rating: 3.5/5

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Final Thoughts:

Well, that sure was wacky from beginning to end, eh? It wasn’t surprising after the efforts put into Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou that Binbougami ga! could become a pretty representative comedy fit for my tastes. Besides the endless amounts of Shounen Jump parodies, I thought the original material sufficed and was suitable relative to what the series was aiming to do. The added input of over-the-top action sequences really added to the base charm of the premise, even if some parts were absolutely cheesy. For example, I just couldn’t take the Soumin Shourai seriously until it became the most reliable piece of wood ever. In addition to that, there’s that S&M dog that just ended up being so funny to watch each episode. That last fight between Momou and Ranmaru quickly turned epically funnier as soon as punches and kicks were sought out to be kinky. 

For me, though, the true star of the series is Momiji’s seiyuu, Uchiyama Yumi. Holy crap, she’s talented and this entire thirteen-episode run really showcased her range from sounding dull and indifferent to contagiously cute in a matter of seconds. I’m looking at her list of roles and I’m praying that she gets more in the very near future because she really made Momiji a memorable character. And this is not to shun Hanazawa Kana’s role as Ichiko, because I knew what to expect from her. 

The rest of the series’ production deserves praises and I think it’d be tedious for me to go through each department for what they did well. If you’ve seen it, then we can simply agree that Binbougami ga! had little shortcomings as a whole and pretty much sold itself as a solid comedy series of the summer. I still think it lacks a stronger foundation, or that something feels missing, but from the short list of comedies I’ve covered in recent seasons, it would get high regards from my end. I don’t think it’s as purely funny as Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou but it’s much more fluid and active than a series like Acchi Kocchi. (I’m also glad that the little hints of romance weren’t even considered for the finale. Thank goodness for that.) 

I enjoyed this anime series much more than I originally expected to, and again, Uchiyama Yumi’s role as Momiji set the bar. From there, it became easy watching that required no headaches in trying to sit through each episode. I do have to apologize again for doubling up at times, but I’m glad I got the chance to share my thoughts on it to the end. It’s not fantastically great but it’s a series I would recommend because it has all the right pieces to make it fun and exciting, with added quirkiness and kinkiness as well. Thirteen episodes seem so few but perhaps that’s why there was a teaser trailer for a possible second season. I can’t say I’ll be adding it on my queue list right now but if it airs, I’ll be sure to check out what’s going on. 

Overall GO Rating: 3.5/5