Written by: Karlo Cervantes | Published on: January 10, 2021
There's another Nakano sister?! A Sextuplet?!
Season 2 of the Quintessential Quintuplets has finally aired last January 8, 2021. The first episode of this season covers Chapters 33-35 of the manga.
After that major cliffhanger from the finale of Season 1, fans were left confused as to who Futaro is going to marry. Though subtle hints were given, it was not enough for the audience to determine the identity of the bride. More confusion might have been caused by that final scene but thankfully, Season 2 is now here. Here's to hoping we get more clarity!
Season 1 TL;DW (Too Long; Didn't Watch)
If you’re similar to the Nakano Quintuplets and have been falling behind your homework, we’ll let you borrow our notes. Be warned though as these are very detailed, please expect major spoilers ahead. Here’s our TL;DW (Too Long; Didn’t Watch) of the Quintessential Quintuplets Season 1:
Futaro Uesugi was hired as a private tutor to the academically-challenged Nakano Quintuplets: Yotsuba, Miku, Itsuki, Nino, and Ichika.
Futaro’s first love was seen in an old photograph which was later revealed to be a young Nakano quintuplet.
One of the Nakano Quintuplets ends up marrying Futaro. The question is which one?
When Bibury Animation Studios took over the production duties from Tezuka Productions, changes were not completely inevitable and unexpected. But why did they have to do this to our favorite Quints?! They made it look like Futaro pushed them so hard at studying, they skipped leg day.
Other than that, the show continues its similar animation style to that of the first season. And much to the fans' delight, important, erm, "assets" were retained.
The opening theme entitled Gotobun no Katachi (‘The Shape of Quintuplets’) followed the same light, playful and definitely kawaii sound as that of the previous season. The same can be said about the ending theme entitled Hatsukoi ('Puppy Love' or 'First Love'). Both themes were performed by the same musical group, Nakanoke no Itsusugo, who are also the respective voice actresses of the Nakano sisters.
The episode opens with Futaro narrating his dream about the fateful encounter he had in Kyoto with a young girl – The same girl that was seen in the photo in his wallet. This acts as a prelude to the central theme of the episode as the show tries to narrate the background story of this character, her relation to Futaro, and hints of the character’s current identity five years into the future. This is a good way of retaining the audience’s attention as it introduces new elements into the narrative but only teases little bits and pieces about the character.
This episode also assumes that by this time, the audience already has a good grasp of the personalities of the Nakano sisters. By definition, the quintuplets should physically look the same but the author gave them individually unique designs depending on their personalities, allowing their characters to take shape differently from one another. This forcibly confuses the audience by hindering them from determining which Nakano sister is the same young girl that Futaro met in Kyoto 5 years ago.
A subtle relationship advice is also displayed toward the ending as the scene shows that no matter how hard it is to physically tell the quintuplets from one another, Futaro begins to recognize the mannerisms of each one through their handwriting allowing himself to identify which is which. “Where’s the advice?” one might ask. To put it simply, it’s important to pay attention to the little details as this allows you to show your partner that you care enough to notice the slight changes/differences they display whether in looks or in personality. It definitely goes a long way.
Overall, “Quite the Crappy Kyoto Quagmire” had seamless continuity in terms of transitioning from the first season. The clever storyline and sequence of events continue to grip the audience. Its light and feel-good qualities along with the occasional fan service make it enjoyable to watch.
If the first season revolved around character introductions, landscape setting, and storyline connections of this harem universe, the first episode of season 2 aimed at establishing more context about the identity of the young girl. Viewers are forced to make predictions as similarities of the young girl intertwine with the present Nakano siblings.
Episode 2 of The Quintessential Quintuplets comes out on January 15, 2021 at 1:28AM (JST).
Official Anime Website: The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬
Official Twitter: @5Hanayome_anime
What did you think about this episode? Which Quint do you think Futaro will end up marrying? Let us know in the comments below if you’re on Team Yotsuba, Team Miku, Team Itsuki, Team Nino, or Team Ichika.
