Starting off; Tenma. Tenma behaved as a nuisance for quite a few episodes there in the middle. Tenma generally falls into that airhead archetype of character. Here in season 2 her airheadedness showcases itself in a most bothersome fashion. Compared to season 1 where she was largely just a klutz one would be pressed to find a reason to dislike, her treatment of Harima here is exceedingly harebrained. When Harima, a total stranger who isn't very familiar with her home, is caught by her after "snooping" in her sister's room she concludes that the most rational course of action is to toss him. While knowing that he has nowhere else to go. Without even letting him speak for himself nor considering the possibility that he could've.. simply been lost? This is a recurring theme throughout School Rumble S2. Tenma thinks up something and just refuses to budge. It's pretty much how retards in the real world act. I find this troublesome as I don't want to think about real life morons in my anime world. But when this really reaches it's apex is later on. Tenma, whom was evidently not satisfied with kicking her "friend" to the curb like he was little more than garbage, decides to rat on him to Eri claiming that he goes creeping on girls. Eri sticks up for him, saying that he wouldn't do such a thing and asks if she asked him about it. Tenma thinks and replies with a "Oh yeah, he was insisting on something" sort of response. Now, what do you think the next scene we see Harima and Tenma in is like?
If you guessed "Harima risking his entire future as a manga artist just to show his beloved a manuscript featuring her where she then proceeds to turn him away and say he isn't allowed at the house despite Eri's word", you'd be correct! It takes Tenma's sister standing up for him and then revealing why they were actually friends for her to believe Harima. Following this, the show tries to make their "reunion" as friends this grand emotional specter. Suffice to say it falls flat when one considers not only how poorly Tenma treated Harima in this season, but also how all of their interactions go. With Harima putting on a disingenuous facade in attempt to impress her while Tenma is too stupid to notice. It was funny the first few times. But now that we're on repeat #20, it has grown rather stale to be kind.
On the topic of Harima, I found myself frustrated with his character this season as well. I loved Harima in season 1, definitely my 2nd favorite character. But here I feel he becomes rather one note. Despite her poor treatment of him seemingly the only thing on his mind is his beloved Tenma. Why? I have no idea. They are so hilariously incompatible with one another that it almost feels as if the show is insulting the viewer's intelligence during the makeup scene where she reads his manuscript. All of his focus on Tenma manifests itself in him ignoring Eri at any opportunity. Rather, it's as if the events between Harima and Eri from the first season didn't happen at all!
The sunset dance? What's that? Never heard of it. Nope. We're back to square one where Harima refuses to talk to her and if he has no option but to talk to her, he berates her. This despite her saving him from probable prison time had she not be kind enough to pay the tab at that restaurant for him earlier in the season. The tab that he accumulated as a result of his beloved Tenma, I might add. It seems this showing of generosity wasn't enough considering Harima will do anything in his power to blow her off. It's made more frustrating by how him and Eri hold great understanding with one another. When they have extended scenes together, it usually results in a very down to earth Harima talking freely while Eri opens up in a manner which she does with nobody else. Not only that, but it is extremely obvious to everyone except Harima that Eri acts much differently around him. Takano and Suou are aware of this in-universe despite barely knowing the details between them.
Yet despite this, Harima's hardheadedness always prevails. I frankly find his stupidity similar to Tenma's; it crosses a certain line where it almost begins to feel meanspirited. It's as if Harima is incapable of thinking about Eri without first considering that she's rich. As if she's somehow incapable of feeling emotion because she has money. Reverse classism is just as foolish as classism is, Harima. Even when Eri is being forced into marriage at the age of 16, a frankly barbaric practice for a show set in the modern world, he seemingly feels little pity for her and only rushes off because Tenma is there. A man who danced with this girl after she injured her leg to make up to him feels next to no remorse for Eri's situation.
I know what a skeptical reader may be thinking. "Oh, well, Harima and Tenma were stupid in season 1 too right? So what's the problem? You liked the first season didn't you?". This is an easy question to answer. Put simply, the situation has changed.
For one, Harima has become clearly aware that Tenma is in love with Karasuma and even goes out of his way a few times to help Karasuma out knowing that it'd make Tenma happy. Like when he lets him escape the manga place to visit her birthday party, or when he rushes to see Karasuma after hearing of his "accident". He knows that he isn't the one Tenma wants, and yet this doesn't change his futile attempts to appeal to her. Why? It's pointless, on some level he acknowledges it yet he continues anyways. The whole Tenma-Harima dynamic is stale especially considering how little Tenma does in return.
For two, Eri's feelings for Harima didn't start to blossom until "The Scene" in episode 12, and this isn't clearly telegraphed to the viewer until she recalls "The Scene" in episode 15. That's an entire cour's worth of time to get all of those Harima floundering pathetically at Tenma scenes out of the system. Yet we just keep getting them. Over and over, taking up all kinds of screentime that could instead be spent on fleshing out other characters.
Lo and behold, we finally get a Harima and Eri scene. This moment makes all of the previous crap from Harima even more obnoxious than it already was. For one, all of the pretexts are dropped on Eri's side due to her not knowing Harima's identity. Together in the temple they have a very heartfelt conversation with one another. Attempts to derail any conversation are made by Harima and his prejudices that refuse to go away. Yet even in spite of his efforts, the conversation continues on as naturally as can be. Harima's attempts at sabotage are no match for their natural bond with each other. It's frustrating because it's a night and day when you superimpose these scenes beside the ones with his beloved Tenma.
We sink even lower when Eri falls asleep beside him and, while dreaming, she mutters under her breath that "Whiskers is an idiot". She was dreaming about him despite the fact that they hadn't had a real moment to speak with each other in-universe in what was probably weeks? It was quite a few episodes. Harima of course manages to miss the implication of this and decides to take vengeance by drawing a stupid mustache on her face with a marker while she's sleeping. He's hardheaded, sure, but to be hardheaded enough not to realize the implications of that? Especially when considering Eri's personality? She obviously didn't mean that. It's getting into "convenient excuse" territory. There's no way around it.
Even if you want to argue until you're blue in the face that this is in character, you can only have a character miss the point so many times before it becomes clear that you're just trying to avoid advancing the plot. Especially when we have plenty of humor throughout the rest of the season. Similar to Tenma's idiocy, Harima stupidity loses it's endearing qualities and starts to feel like something an idiot in the real world would do. That's territory that you never want to enter as a show. But the issues with Harima go deeper than just him; no, in my opinion this porous character writing also has a secondary effect. It prevents Eri's character from growing whatsoever as well! Shit rolls downhill as they say.
To establish some things about Eri; she's a wealthy girl who deeply loves her family that she rarely gets to see. She practically lives alone in a mansion with a personal butler, almost every scene where the viewer is shown her at her place involves her being alone looking out the balcony. Eri is a very sheltered girl that has no experience with... I was going to say romance, but honestly? It goes deeper than that. While she certainly has some snark and a cruel streak to her, it's quite clear that she isn't the person she presents herself as outwardly. Eri simply has little to no experience expressing her true self to people in any fashion. She also has little life experience in general and this is subtly telegraphed to the viewer at some points. For example, the fact that the previous summer she was the only one who didn't work part time. In order for Eri to grow as a person and escape her shell, she needs to be able to express herself to someone. She has no other way to do so; her butler just does her family's bidding, and she almost never sees her family. You can see how important Harima would be to her even if they were just good friends and not love interests.
While it's never explicitly stated, I always thought that the reason Eri fell for Harima in the first place is because of how honest and open he is with her. She never gets that. Ever. From anyone else. For someone who has also experienced loneliness and isolation in a similar vein I find her character very relatable. It's apart of why I like her so much. To see this nature of her's trampled on and cast aside triggers me in a particular manner. You could make an incredibly compelling character arc out of this and instead all of that potential is wasted. Delegated to the sidelines and little more.
While Harima's honesty can make Eri pissy at times, I think it's clear that she appreciates it. Nearly everyone else in the show sees her as one of three things: A girl who's out of their league, a girl to try to pick up, or a mere acquaintance. This is why seeing Harima treat her like shit gets old quick for me. It's irresponsible. Okay sure, whatever, I understand if Harima isn't smart enough to notice that Eri acts this way around him or connect the dots with her life circumstances. That's plausible. It's the blowing her off at any opportunity that just makes it seem like the author is trying to kick the can down the road to prevent either of them from changing in the slightest. It's also what makes Harima just come off as a douche at times. Especially so since it's likely that Eri suffers from some form of depression. This is evidenced by her "Nobody will care if I'm gone" quote as she's packing up to leave for the marriage an episode earlier.
You know what happens because of Harima's antics? It nearly results in her being taken away for good. We know this because Eri said herself that she had given up and didn't have the willpower to resist the arrangement. She would've been if not for Suou; it was her who took initiative and nixed the arrangement. It was her precious father's desire after all, Eri wouldn't go against it unless she was shown a reason not to. Eri has nobody else; who is she to resist his wish? Her father is her world. If she did so, it'd make one of the only things she has disappointed in her or perhaps even dislike her. If Harima's inaction had won out, nobody in the show would've ever seen her again.
My main issue just comes down this; Harima's fixation on Tenma when it is abundantly clear that ship has already sailed. Even Harima himself seemingly knows if you analyze him according to his actions. All the while there's another character who has taken an interest to him that he simply ignores. One who very desperately needs someone in their life even if just as good friends. But these potentially touching and heartfelt scenes are forgone in favor of repetitive jokes that had worn most of the tread off of their tires 20 episodes ago. What was the point of the first season if the second feels as if it's a filler arc that rehashes the same general concepts from the first one? While also taking little of the first season's developments into account in it's story?
With my long list of complaints having now ceased, the season is not without it's good points. Suou is shown to be an endearing, responsible, and emotionally mature character that cares about her friend despite their falling out in season 1. She understands that if Eri is taken away by Nakamura, she will never come back. As such she quickly forces Harima to get on a motorcycle and run with her to somewhere, anywhere. Suou's quick thinking here was probably the coolest moment of the season to me. Her generosity in allowing Harima a place to stay is also notable. While I wouldn't call her a deep character, it's a big upgrade from season 1. Her thing with Aso is also enjoyable.
Despite all of the problems it has, I wouldn't say that I disliked this season. If anything it was rather enjoyable; it's just hard to overlook the glaring flaws. It indeed is a real shame that we never got more adapted of this series other than that train wreck of an OVA. As such, I would say that if you were a big fan of the first season it's worth watching. If you were mixed or only softly positive on the first season? Stay away. You're getting more of the same but with vastly inferior writing and some episodes that just feel like straight up filler (looking at you episode 20 and 21). If you were high on the first season but happen to be an Eri fan? Well, you'll probably end up feeling somewhat burned! But it is still more School Rumble, and it still contains all of it's trademarks. The show is a comedy first and foremost. At that, School Rumble still excels.
In my final opinion, the 2nd season was an okay but rather disappointing follow up to the fantastic first season. I'm a bit scared of reading the manga because I worry that this sort of floundering with character development will continue to rear it's head prominently. I'd hate to see the characters wasted any more than they were this season.
