Hayato opens a beach hut version of the Familia Café Terrace for the summer. Sun, surf, and sand prove too much for Riho.
Episode 8 — “A Beach Hut!”
The Bathos Melodrama Meter!
The Bathos Meter for Goddess Café Terrace had a slow burn around Riho’s growing jealousy and need for attention from Hayato. As the Nest Protector of the girls in Hayato’s harem, she had always contributed to the marketing and neighborhood relations for the Familia Café Terrace. Now we see more concrete hints at her motivation from her flashbacks. Riho fears abandonment after her family has left her and Grandma Kasukabe picked her up.
The girl feels she needs to be of use to the household. Otherwise, her new family will disband for financial reasons. Also, she requires affection and approval from the center of that new family. That’s why Riho feels irritation at the other girls receiving attention from Hayato or when they don’t look like they’re contributing to the success of the family business. The foreshadowing for Riho’s melodrama arc started when Hayato noticed how late she stayed up, working on the café’s social media presence. The culmination came when Riho collapsed after not taking breaks during the Seaside Café Familia’s first day of operation. Correspondingly, the preview for the next episode shows Riho dropping a bucket load of tears in Hayato’s lap.
Goddess Café Terrace brought back two narrative devices I hate on another Bathos Meter front. After Hayato realized he should stop talking to himself out loud a couple of episodes ago because his roommates have a habit of overhearing him, he did it again! And then Akane overheard Riho feeling bad for lashing out at her before she passed out. In the first episode review, I explained how I rolled my eyes at this overused narrative device between characters because it fosters intimacy without confrontation. People should hear a heartfelt apology from another in a face-to-face meeting, not through paper-thin walls.
Protecting the Nest Points.
Riho gets all the points in the Goddess Café Terrace episode by inspiring Shiragiku and Ouka to make new food and uniforms for social media images. Now stop playing tug-of-war against a drunk Shiragiku with Hayato’s body.
Grandma’s Little Girl Points.
You’re in for a surprise. Who got all the Grandma’s Little Girl points? Hayato! Because the business association let him have a fancy beach hut because he was Grandma Kasukabe’s grandchild. Let nepotism work for you! Plus, gambling with four months’ worth of profits.
Baka Charm Points.
Ami ran away with most of the Baka Charm points in the Goddess Café Terrace episode, but Hayato poached some away. Ami’s photobombing is on point and viral! But her and Hayato’s continued chuunibyou military otaku role-playing exasperates their roommates. Hayato even made an Evangelion reference as he dubbed the Familia Beach Hut “Type 0 Kai.” Then he blamed the navy for not approving the name!
Akane and Shiragiku also scored Baka Charm points. Akane’s obsession with Mussy Mustache Girls for a tongue-twister convinced her bandmates to adopt the name. And Shiragiku’s ongoing oblivious amnesia from her blackout-drunk antics proves she has a silly side.
Drunk Girl Points.
Huffing isopropyl alcohol wet wipes, kids. Not even once! Just say no! It will make you wear stretchy hair bands for bandeau tops! Please, don’t do it!
Cool Charm Points.
Akane received points for coming home to a scene of utter chaos and partial nudity and did not even blink a spasm of surprise. Her character arc in Goddess Café Terrace is done for the season, so she’s given her quota for excessive blushing and vulnerable tears.
Heh.
It’s July in Goddess Café Terrace. It’s time for a café by the ocean to have a beach hut arc! There’s no time for Hayato to meet a summer girlfriend, even one right in his house. Akane is the lead candidate! Riho and Shiragiku can’t bear that! Chuunibyou Hayato announces decampment to a secondary location. Ami eats it up!
I can’t believe it. Akane’s bandmates agreed to keep the mustache band name. Mussy Mustache Girls is the new name. And we still don’t know the original one. Ami is set for the beach hut battle in Goddess Café Terrace! Uh. Market. Whatever. She wants to beat down tanned surfer dudes! Oh no. Hayato proves to be an investment gambler instead of a risk-averse investor. He sunk four months of profits (they did?) into the beach hut project. There shouldn’t be a way for Ami and Ouka to destroy his laptop and phone to prevent him from dumping stock on a sudden dip. Should. Not. Be.
Riho adjusted quickly and recruited herself, Shiragiku, and Ouka by suggesting a “grammable (Instagram-worthy)” summer menu served by waitresses in cute beach hut outfits. Ami asked the most pertinent chuunibyou question: what’s the name of the beach hut? Familia Type 0 Kai! Vetoed, of course, over Ami’s effusive approval.
Whoa! Ouka fabricated a bikini-type uniform prototype! Powder blue stripes match the regular uniforms, but horizontal ones on swimsuits call to the hearts of cultured individuals everywhere. Goddess Café Terrace knows its audience. I’ll wager that the hibiscus flower hairband will end up around Shiragiku’s boobs soon. Hoho. Ouka found one of Hayato’s weak points: he’s shy around sexually assertive girls. Good luck, Drunk Shiragiku! Uh oh. Riho pouts. Why? Ah, I see. She competes for Hayato’s attention. Bikini babe, Riho!
Oh crap. Alcoholic wet wipes. You know what that means. Drunk Shiragiku wears a hairband! Doh. Riho doesn’t want obligatory compliments. This scene resembles the cookie fight between Riho and Shiragiku. Akane won’t save Hayato. Later, Shiragiku sleeps, Akane writes song lyrics, Ouka worries about Akane, and Riho worries about Akane’s interest in Hayato. Harem hijinks! Also, Hayato still hasn’t stopped talking to himself out loud. Nice. Goddess Café Terrace brought back the omake comic strips. Shiragiku thinks people prank her when she’s asleep. I’d like to see her BAC from wet wipe fumes.
Hey, there’s a “grammable” watermelon parfait. Ami’s dork face is not “grammable” at all! Ocean-wading girls in waitress uniforms? Totes “grammable!” Ha! Ami’s dorky picture went viral.
Beach Hut Time for Goddess Café Terrace! Seaside Café Familia? Looks fancy. Fun. Ouka took Hayato and Shiragiku’s advice for the official beach hut waitress uniforms. Only one hibiscus for the hairband, so Shiragiku had better stop getting drunk from liquor fumes. And a bustier style tank top to guard Shiragiku’s modesty. Aw, and hahaha! Ami wanted “Familia Type 0 Kai” on the sign! Typical. The army blamed the navy. Funny! Ami keeps the recurring joke of asking about Ami’s drunkenness alive. Guh! Acchan from the market district is a top-tier MILF! Look at those abs! Ami likes them too! Acchan makes traditional Japanese sweets called wagashi (和菓子), but that swimsuit is untraditional. Not traditional at all.
Here comes the drama for Goddess Café Terrace. Riho is overworking again. Heat, dehydration, not eating. Add in stress from jealousy, and boom! Collapse! Thanks for letting us know whose turn is next for the bathos meter. Abandonment issues stalk Riho. Headpats are her reassurance! Wow. Three omake comic strip panels in one episode.
Well, Goddess Café Terrace isn’t subtle about its plot development. A pensive Riho in the epilogue led straight into the preview of the next episode titled “Riho and Her Past.” I’m still uncertain about the subject matter. I need a couple more of Ami’s dumbbells dropped on my head. The unrelated voiceover is hilarious! Akane thanks the concert crowd for watching Mussy Mustache Girls! How many times can she say the band’s tongue-twister name? Next time, the swimsuit episode for the other goddesses happens. Will Ami’s feet and fists meet some old friends?
Goddess Café Terrace (Megami no Café Terrace, The Café Terrace and its Goddesses) streams on Crunchyroll.
Were you as surprised as I was by Wagashiya’s MILF-tastic body, revealing swimsuit, and razor-sharp abs? More, please! The J-List store has products to scratch your itch for mature mommy milkers, so check them out here. I like the Tsuki Uzaki bunny girl figure. She’s available for preorder now!
Are you happy to see a story arc of bikini episodes instead of just one? My body is ready. Is yours? Let us know in the comments below or online on Facebook, Twitter, or Discord.
