When Ren’s time in the school is threatened, will Haruka be enough to get him on track?f

What They Say:
Provoked by the behavior of his roommate and childhood friend Masato, Ren makes a pass at Haruka. However, Ren is a habitual offender when it comes to sabotaging his own homework assignments. When Haruka learns that Ren has been given final warning and is on the verge of expulsion, she implores him to turn in his assignment by the due date. But…

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As the series progresses, the fun with the performances and music can ramp up a bit and when you have a cast that’s supposed to vamp it up a bit because it’s required, it can be comically fun. Such is the truth of the opening minute or two of this episode which has a couple of the guys doing their dance routine to some seriously upbeat music, voguing and posting left and right, making the female students swoon in delight. It’s definitely a cute moment, especially when it goes further when one of them gives Haruka a rose. Ren is a true tease in every sense of the word, but he has the looks and charisma to pull it off easily.

While this kicks things off and puts a bit of tension in the air between Ren and Haruka, it turns to something different when she learns that his laid back personality infects his schoolwork as well, as he’s always either late or never turns them in. And it’s gotten so bad that Hyuga has threatened to expel him at this point of things don’t start turning around with the current assignment that they have. Haruka does get the background from the others, and it’s not surprising to see her become interested in wanting to help him out because of her own personality. With how Haruka is, it’s also little surprise that through the way she presents herself, that she can warm her way into his heart to try and help him with things and that he would accept.

The episode provides some basic back story for Ren that helps to show just a little of why he is like he is, but it also spends time going back for Masato as well with relation to his twin brother. Both are done pretty appropriately for this kind of episode where it’s all about mood and atmosphere, as we see it filled with beautifully warm colors that really draws you into it. That said, neither of the young men really draw you into their story because of it as the focus is more on the atmosphere and mood. Haruka does her part in trying to help Ren with everything and it’s another simple but good stating of how she is as a person and nudges others to realize that she is the dependable kind that will make the effort for everyone. Of course, it all leads up to the obvious moment for Ren, but that was a given from the start when the situation was laid out.

In Summary:
Uta No Prince Sama pretty much plays to the predictable here with what it does as we have Haruka help out and lightly inspire Ren to get his ass back in gear. It has some fun little musical aspects to it throughout, from the upbeat and outgoing pieces at the beginning and end, but also some somber and wistful ones in the middle as it focuses on Ren and Masato’s past. Haruka plays her role here as the concerned almost-friend that gets involved to try and smooth things out and make sure everyone is happy, but it lacks any real emotional depth or connection. It really just feels more manufactured in a way than other shows tend to do and part of it is inherent in the concept as well. I continue to love the animation here more than anything else, which is all that’s really carrying it at this point for me.

Grade: C+

Simulcast By: Nico Nico

Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.