The first day of the second term is about to begin for Tomozaki and the rest of his crew, which means new goals given by Hinami as he continues to play this game of life. And so, the second season of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki begins with Tomozaki having progressed through the game quite a lot; he’s no longer “bottom-tier,” as demonstrated by all the greetings he receives on the first day back from friends who are “winning” in the game of life. Tomozaki spends the rest of the term’s first day observing interpersonal relationships, discovering that Nakamura and Izumi are now officially (but secretly) a couple, and witnessing the shy Hirabayashi being harangued by Erika Konno into becoming the class’s girls’ captain for the upcoming sports day. That last bit sets the stage for a new goal that Hinami gives Tomozaki: to get Konno motivated for the sports tournament. In a most RPG way, Tomozaki will have to use strategies—”items” he discovers, information about Erika’s weaknesses (primarily from Yuzu), and advice he’s given (the most significant from his lazy coworker, the newly introduced Gumi)—to win this game. It won’t be easy, but Tomozaki is motivated. And as the episode ends, he announces that he has an approach to achieve victory.
I can’t tell you how excited I am for the return of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki! Since season one aired a couple of years ago, I’ve been reading through the light novel releases and the series has become one of my very favorites. I especially like the arc coming up later in season two. Unfortunately, episode one reminds me that the anime adaptation is serviceable at best. The episode begins predictably, with flashback material. Okay, I accept the necessity of it. But seven minutes in, we’re still in a flashback, and worse, the episode flashes back to a scene earlier from this same episode. Thanks for wasting my time. Other than that, this episode is distinguished from episodes in season one by being more dynamic. My biggest gripe with the first season was how it felt like a visual novel, somehow artificial with characters frequently facing and talking to the screen. It had a detached feel. Some of that looks like it’s been resolved in season two, while episode one also includes a bunch of cuts to make Tomozaki’s plan feel like an RPG. I appreciate the effort, but just because the show and protagonist are game-focused doesn’t mean including such scenes is appropriate; combined with the show’s odd music selection (which again are game-based, but more like they’re straight out of corny, kiddy games), they make the series’s tone jump all around. It’s a shame because the writing for the series is really good. Kikuchi’s thoughts on Konno being motivated by not wanting others to talk down to her and Yuzu’s choice at the end of the episode are great pieces of characterization. And ultimately the writing and characters are strong enough to carry this series and make it memorable despite a middling adaptation. So I’ll continue to watch, and I’ll surely continue to enjoy the series too—I just wish the production was worthy of the source material.
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 2nd Stage can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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