Review of School Rumble: Volume 2

Introduction

`Let`s get ready to rumble…`

Okay, there comes a point when a reviewer should step back, take stock and realise that it may be kinder to all concerned to take a break from the arduous business of reviewing DVDs, take a vacation and breathe some life back into an obviously ailing imagination. Many would think that misquoting PJ and Duncan lyrics would be that point. But in many respects, I`m as thickheaded and stubborn as some of the characters in this anime, and I will carry on regardless. School Rumble is a perfect antidote to the grind of daily life, it offers bite-sized portions of hilarity that push your cares and worries to the side, while you immerse yourself in a bathtub of mirth (someone stop that metaphor before it makes a mess!). I loved the first volume, and as you may guess, I`ve been waiting for the second with bated breath, and corset at the ready (to keep my sides from splitting). I`m not fat, just big-boned…

School Rumble is a slapstick, laugh-packed comedy, something that the UK anime scene could always use more of in my opinion. What`s more, it`s not one of those `teenaged boy, surrounded by a harem of girls, crossed purposes, compromising situations` comedies. It`s the second year of high school for Tenma Tsukamoto, and it`s time for her to confess her feelings to model student Oji Karasuma. Unfortunately he doesn`t know she exists. Kenji Harima is a teenaged delinquent, known for his gangster tendencies, his aggressive attitude, and his motorcycle, who has up till now been a school dropout. That`s until he fell for Tenma Tsukamoto. Now he`s a full time school student, attitude and all, determined to make his feelings known to Tenma. Unfortunately she doesn`t know he exists. The battle continues.

Revelation releases volume 2 of School Rumble. The next five episodes are presented on this disc, along with some extra goodies.

6. Survival After School! Arrival When Confessing! Hospital For Two!
Tenma gets locked in the sports supply room. It turns into a desperate survival situation; only she`s not alone. Meanwhile Kenji finds out that Tenma has feelings for someone else, and he`s busy eyeing up his potential competition. He gets the wrong end of the stick when he gets in the line of sight between Tenma and Karasuma, and soon he`s all charged up to confess his own feelings. He isn`t expecting to confess them from a hospital bed, with relationship advice from his guardian Itoko.

7. Pool Cleaning! Pool Racing! Pool Warring!
Martial artist Hanai still has the hots for Tenma`s little sister Yakumo, which is why Tenma`s class gets volunteered to clean the school pool to take the burden from her sister`s shoulders. Kenji overhears Hanai waxing lyrical about the younger Tsukamoto sister, and gets the wrong end of the stick. The rivalry in the empty pool heats up, and erupts into an impromptu game of pool hockey.

8. The First Shopping Trip! The First Packed Lunch! The First Heartbreak! Huh?
Tenma`s friend Eri fends off male attention with her typical brutality, but she does have one particular man on her mind. She realises that the best way to a man`s heart is through the stomach, but coming from an affluent family, she`s never cooked before, in fact, she`s never been in a supermarket before. But it gives Tenma an idea, and seeing that Karasuma is currently missing his lunches, she decides to treat him to his favourite dish. Kenji gets the wrong end of the stick when he sees Tenma loaded up with a double helping of lovingly prepared packed lunch, but he`s in for a rude awakening.

9. Comic Book Blues! Older Woman Blues! Super Bad Water Blues!
Kenji`s heart is currently a post apocalyptic landscape, but he`s channelling his lament into creativity, authoring a manga story. It`s good, good enough for him to be considered for a Rising Star of Manga spot at the publishing house where his idol works. It was all going so well, until he got his first look at him. Entering the drowned rat phase of heartache, sitting on a swing in the rain, he catches the eye of an older woman who takes pity on him, rescues him, and invites him back to her place. She`s cute, but Kenji still only has Tenma on his mind. Meanwhile Tenma is finally trying to cook food herself for Karasuma, which isn`t fair on the cat.

10. Please God! Please, Genuine Animal Fortune-Telling! Please Tenma!
Tenma`s friend Mikoto has her eyes on passing her exams so she can go to the same university as the guy of her dreams, only she hurts her hand sparring with Hanai, and may not be able to hold a pencil for the test. When prayer doesn`t work, she tries fortune telling. A new prognosticator has set up shop in town, and he`s brought a menagerie of animals with him. He looks all too familiar though. When he has to tell the fortune of Tenma and Karasuma, Kenji is torn between manipulating the situation, and doing the honourable thing. It`s taken out of his hands though, when Karasuma is a little too honest. Does Kenji still have a chance with Tenma? It`s time to come clean with a letter that confesses his feelings.

Video

It`s a 4:3 regular transfer, with no immediate problems visible. Everything is clear and sharp, there are plenty of primary colours, and I noticed no compression, or even the aliasing that usually rears its head in the credit sequences. It`s a fine transfer. The animation, as you would expect from a comedy, remains straightforward and simplistic, with pleasant character designs, and fairly non-descript artwork. It`s all very energetic, and does more than enough to get the comedy across.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 2.0 English and Japanese, along with translated English subtitles and a signs only track. The show gets a catchy and quirky set of themes that are impossible to get out of your head once you hear them. The dialogue is clear, and the stereo sufficient for the show. Which language you choose depends on your usual preferences, but for what it`s worth, I found the show much funnier in Japanese, the timing and the flow just seemed to work better.

Features

On the disc, you get the usual extras like the jacket picture, the textless songs, and trailers for other Revelation releases (Suzuka, Mushi-shi).

Just like last time there are two interviews, the first lasting 7 minutes with Mikoto`s voice actress, Hitomi Nabatame, and the second with Yui Horie, Eri`s voice actress lasting 6 minutes. These are pretty standard EPK stuff, with questions about the show, and their characters repeated for both actresses.

Conclusion

Watching the second volume of School Rumble was an ever so slightly deflating experience. The first volume hit our screens in January with an explosive burst of energy. It introduced a cast of wacky characters with a laugh a minute, gag-laden collection of episodes that I immediately proclaimed the revelation (pun intended) of the year. To expect the second volume to replicate that fast-paced mayhem may have been a little unrealistic, and while the first couple of episodes keep the laughs coming, the rest of the volume tails off somewhat, in favour of character development and to move the story along. In truth it`s not the sort of change that should elicit complaints.

It would have been akin to a seventies US sitcom for the status quo to remain in place for the whole series, with Tenma pursuing Karasuma, and Kenji pursuing Tenma, with nothing changing for the 26 episode run. But people expect more from television in these enlightened days, and so it is that Tenma actually gets an excuse to spend time with Karasuma. It`s a pretty one sided friendship that develops, with Tenma envisaging romantic lunch dates, and Karasuma seeking sustenance. When the penny drops, and it becomes clear that Karasuma is keener on the curry she provides, it`s a moment of heartache. The heartache for Kenji is much more painful, as while he is `pretty stupid`, even he can get the message when it becomes clear that Tenma is more interested in someone else. Since the only reason he came to school was to be close to her, he takes things badly and drops out, venturing on a journey of self-discovery. As is the way in these stories, he`s totally fixated on Tenma, so that when he meets an attractive older woman who definitely has an interest in him, he remains totally oblivious.

There`s more of a focus on the supporting cast as well, and it becomes clear that unrequited relationship mayhem is the norm rather than the exception in High School. Tenma`s sister Yakumo is still fending off advances from boys in her school, and Hanai in particular. Eri is immune to the charms of the boys in her school, and it becomes clear that she has her own issues to work out with her father. This coincides with Kenji`s moment of realisation, and injects something of a melancholy air into the show. Also, while Mikoto is perfectly happy to gossip and kibitz on other people`s relationship woes, it transpires that there is a certain someone that she has her eye on, although she is remarkably reticent about it.

Comedy makes way for character development and story in this second volume, and it certainly bodes well for the episodes yet to come. While it would be unfair to expect the show to continue in the vein of the opening episodes, I still can`t help lamenting the loss of that pace and energy. Perhaps I`m being harsh, but that new anime glow has faded a little from this second volume as the show finds its groove. It`s still no reason not to pick up a copy though.