Kiniro Mosaic - 4

Carrying on from last time, Karen's hype still hasn't died down. Looks like she'll be holding a revolution at the rate she's going at! Anyway, taking up the vast majority of this episode was... Shino's birthday! However, therein lay the catch that Karen and Alice, having recently come over from England,  didn't have any clue about it... (and apparently Shino had totally forgotten). All in all, it was pretty uneventful. Maybe there's a difference in culture, where birthdays aren't so commemorated in Japan, but I couldn't help feeling bad for Shino. Presents which are better than a carton of Orange Juice, or a $1 Snow Globe are problems I've never had to worry the night before. Nevertheless, she was lucky to be surrounded by all her closest, beloved friends. That's enough to make any birthday worthwhile, not to mention it's the though that counts. Nothing is more substantial than everlasting friendship. Reminds me of when my friend told me his proudest moment was hanging out with us (me and some other friends).

Alice says 'No!'

Imouto, Onee-chan, Imouto, Onee-chan! Poor Alice just can't seem to get her act together, not really her fault considering she didn't have a way of knowing Shino's birthday beforehand. Filled with insecurities which make her jealous, she can only helplessly flounder around as Karen seems to have more in common with Shino. Instead of moping,  Alice truly endeavors to solve her problems, without giving a second thought to her negative emotions (a trait I find rather endearing). She positively looks forwards, eventually leading to her reconciliation to both Shinobu, and Karen, leaving you very glad as well.

Can I just join in too?

Technologically Challenged is taken to new heights. Is it possible for a person to catch a virus from a computer? Shinobu doesn't just fail at IT, she fails at Biology too. Then again, she is the classic baka, but for the Boke and Tsukkomi to also doubt it's credibility? Seriously, which leads onto the 'Idiots can't catch colds'...

Haha, everyone knows a computer can't give you a virus

Huh? But my sister said so...

Oh Lord, could it be I've been wrong all this time?

... because Shino caught a cold, and as I've already pointed out, she's an idiot. Albeit a cunning idiot with a penchant for pranks. That one really blew over, and I won't say what it was, but I really enjoyed the Boke and Tsukkomi interactions it initiated between Yoko and Aya. Here, we see just how close the two friends are, almost bordering Yuri (particularly when Yoko proclaimed 'I'd never love a guy as much as you, Aya'). I admit to cringing slightly, since I've actually told a friend a similar line about how I'd love him more than any other girl could, just to embarrass him while he was with his girl.

Definitely my Anime of the Season, I can't help but wonder how long these times of happiness and joy will last for. In the long run, the gags are going to go stale, and there won't be enough interesting material to animate. Well, it's to early to make such a whimsical statement, so I'll wait for the end before making any kind of rash judgments.

I actually can't get enough of Alice and Karen