Locodol

Episode 9

There's a scandal brewing in Nagarekawa. Nanako's friend Noda-chan happened to notice that all four girls involved in the Locodol project happen to attend the same school. Could that possibly mean that the school is in collusion with the local government to turn their students into idols?! Silly as this may sound, Nanako is just credulous enough to take this burning question to her uncle. (Amusingly, no one seems all that surprised by the possibility that he may have done something shady. Perhaps the first episode was meant to be a little creepy.) He's understandably uncomfortable, because he knows what Nana's really asking: why was she chosen to be a Locodol? The answer turns out to be both what we might expect and more than that. While it may have looked like Nanako was just conveniently in need of a swimsuit at the right moment, it turns out that she was on his radar to become the second Nagarekawa Girl from the start. Long story short: she was chosen because she's his niece.

Oh, so there is a scandal in Nagarekawa. It's nepotism!

Apparently Yukari was also chosen because she's related to someone powerful in the town: her grandfather was mayor at one point. Interestingly enough, this much larger scandal to Western political eyes is brushed off as totally okay, and the plot moves right ahead. (As a side note, according to the Encyclopedia of Business, nepotism does not carry a stigma, or as much of one, in Japan.) This week the girls and Urodokoro-kun are helping the local train station celebrate the 100th year of the Nagarekawa Rail Line. This means that the mascot gets to be stationmaster for the day, and Yukari MC's while Nana helps whichever girl is in the blue suit go about her “duties.” Nana can't help but notice that her job seems much less important and impressive than Yukari's, but she quickly learns why she's not the MC when Yukari collapses with a fever and she has to take over in her own special way. This, effectively, is a segue to the second half of the episode, which is narrated by Yukari as she thinks about how she met Nanako. There's a definite yuri flavor to this section, but rather than feeling like it's thrown in as fanservice, it does add to our understanding of why Yukari is so fond of her fellow Locodol. It's kind of sweet, really, and also allows us to see Nanako through the eyes of another character. We spend most of the show in her point of view, so this is a window that gives her more of a balanced character, which is a real plus. It also elevates Yukari beyond “token lesbian for laughs and titillation” to someone with understandable emotions. The first half of the episode is fun, but it's this slower-paced second that really works to fill things out. As usual the preview doesn't do much to let us know what's coming next week, but hopefully the story will continue this New Balance of development and laughs...and maybe show us more of Yukari in her glasses as well?

Rating: B-

Locodol is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rebecca Silverman teaches writing and literature and is the author of the fantasy novel A Tale of Apples.