Changes made to content
by Jacob Chapman,⏎The World God Only Knows episode 2 ⏎ Rating: 4 ⏎ TWGOK's first episode did little more than set up possibilities. Sure it was colorful, well-written, and entertaining, but with a premise so suspiciously conventional, (loser contracted to a potential harem,) its charm relied entirely on how it handled the silly idea it was built on. From this point on, the series could either be surprisingly good, or just terrible. ⏎ The second episode, at least, gives us reason to hope it will only get better. Like the first, the jokes here aren't too creative, and most depend on lampooning stereotypes in dating sim harem stories…at this point a confusing move considering TWGOK could end up being just another one of those schlock-trips. However, the liveliness of the animation, sharpness of the timing, and little shifts in expectations make this more reminiscent of Ouran Host Club as both a parody and a celebration of its own genre. After all, despite its understated tongue-clucking at Keima's preference for fantasy over reality, playing life out trope-by-trope like his dating sims got him the girl and then got her back out of his life without a hitch a fact justifiably criticized by Carl and Theron's looks at that pilot. ⏎ In the second half of this episode, that itch for twists on clichés and a little humbling of the “god” is scratched as we're introduced to Keima's next target, who he profiles as a spoiled rotten tsundere, right down to her short stature and pigtails. Long story short: he's wrong, and to just what extent is still left hanging. The first half of the episode is much more conventional as the demon Elsee tries to live up to his expectations of what the “sister” character should do…right down to the inability to cook, which she takes to bubonic extremes. ⏎ It's a little conventional, a titch satirical, but much like Ouran, it wasn't intended to be analyzed for its qualities: it's just entertainment. Funny, affectionate, and even fanservicey in a cheeky rather than repulsive way, TWGOK is a genuinely good time. ⏎ Squid Girl ⏎ Rating: 4 ⏎ Weird does not...