Uzaki-chan feels sad summer vacation is over but perks up when she can tease Sakurai-senpai again.
Episode 1 – “Uzaki-chan Wants to Play, All Right!”
First Thoughts.
Hana Uzaki-chan, the fanged busty short-stack, is back! The first episode for Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! brought back the supporting characters for appearances. So, fans of Ami, Sakaki, Master, and Mrs. Tsuki Uzaki could get a dose of their comedic gags. Sakaki’s chapter with Sakurai and Uzaki-chan reminded us of the pair’s competitive streak. Ami’s chapter reminded us of Uzaki-chan’s source of cosplay outfits for fanservice. Tsuki even showed up at the café to keep the misunderstanding MILF near the front of our minds. The first episode had fun dumping the audience into the deep end of “baka couple” hijinks. My body is ready for more oppai jokes, flirting taken too far, and the steady progress of romance.
Hmm.
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! fast-forwarded the story to a Christmas Eve date. And perhaps more! Get ready for disappointment, though, because the first season did the same thing with a drunken sleepover. We’ll get hints of Uzaki-chan and Sakurai starting to admit their feelings to themselves. But the romantic comedy will pull back enough to tease us. That’s just how a fanservice gag machine operates! However, Uzaki-chan wisely offers the audience a direction for all the small moments of intimacy between Uzaki-chan and Sakurai. They will get closer, but we’ll have the whole season to see how.
The Cast of Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Wants to Return!
In an earlier news item on J-List, we met the new cast members and their voice actors. Let’s meet the returning cast.
The anime’s official title is 宇崎ちゃんは遊びたい！ω (Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! ω, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! ω). The lowercase omega is pronounced だぶる (daburu), or “double,” because it resembles a stylized “w.” The Japanese are so malleable with other languages’ punctuation and grammar rules.
- Hana Uzaki (voiced by Naomi Oozora – Jahy from The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!) is a nineteen-year-old college sophomore coed. The busty short-stack with a fang relentlessly teases her senpai, Sakurai.
- Shinichi Sakurai (voiced by Kenji Akabane – Sakuya Fujitaka from Symphogear) is a twenty-year-old college student. He’s an athletic loner who constantly draws the attention of his kouhai, Uzaki-chan.
- Ami Asai (voiced by Ayana Taketatsu – Nino Nakano from The Quintessential Quintuplets) is a 21-year-old college coed. She works with Sakurai and Uzaki-chan at the Asia Café for her father. She eats up the bickering banter between the “baka couple.”
- Itsuhito Sakaki (voiced by Tomoya Takagi – Keirick from In the Land of Leadale) is Sakurai’s 21-year-old college classmate and friend. He colludes and plots with Ami to get Sakurai and Uzaki-chan together romantically.
- Master Asai (voiced by Yousuke Akimoto – Master Asia from Mobile Fighter G Gundam) is the owner of Café Asia and Ami’s father. He shares his daughter’s interest in Sakurai and Uzaki-chan’s relationship.
- Tsuki Uzaki (voiced by Saori Hayami – Yuuri from The Maid I Hired Recently is Mysterious and Yor from Spy x Family) is Hana’s mother. She frequently misunderstands Sakurai’s actions as seduction attempts.
Heh.
Christmas already? Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! starts on a flash-forward. Are Sakurai and Uzaki-chan on a Christmas Eve date? Uzaki-chan looks nervous. It’s their first Christmas date! I’m sure they don’t call it a date. Dinner, video games, and cake — how is this different than any other time they spend together? Sakurai drunkenly collapses on Uzaki-chan after a love confession he won’t remember. Again, I see no differences… Such a tease! We need to wait two and a half months to see what happens.
The opening credits are fun. Studio ENGI insists on animating a conventional fang for Uzaki-chan instead of a skin fang. A lowercase omega is not shorthand for “double u.” I’ll call the show “S2” instead of “double.” I see the Sakurai and Uzaki families here. Oh? Did Sakurai get a surprise baby brother? Fun and family times will feature this season.
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Let’s go! Now we’re back to the restart of the university term in the middle of summer. Uzaki-chan is not in study mode. Whoa! The second season’s aura effects are CGI richly detailed. Sakaki calls this Uzaki-chan’s “haunted vibe.” She misses summer already. Sakaki knows the score — Uzaki-chan hasn’t had her dose of teasing Sakurai-senpai yet. Got it in one! Oh. Sakaki never heard how Uzaki and Sakurai met. Lots of flashbacks to the first season. The first episode needs to recap for new viewers. It’s news for Sakaki, so that works out for plausibility.
Hahaha! Uzaki-chan full power mode! All it took was Sakurai walking through the door. Senpai, senpai, senpai! So weird. When I watched Jahy-sama, I could barely separate Uzaki-chan’s voice from Jahy’s. Now in Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!, I can only hear Jahy’s voice when I hear Uzaki-chan excitedly shout. I’m sure that will change soon. Sakaki is impatient for the “baka couple” to acknowledge reality. Bowling will cure the summer mode blues. Kuso Cat continues to impress with its quality of cameos.
To the bowling alley for Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!! I love how all the clerks in the Uzaki-chan universe wear glasses and G-cup bras. That includes Ami, you know. Oh, yes. Uzaki-chan is polishing big balls! Sakaki boiled down the whole relationship between Sakurai and Uzaki-chan as the busty short-stack provoking the buff loner and Sakurai trying to keep calm. So, it begins! Uzaki input their bowler names as “Hana, Punk, and Hunk!” I’m familiar with ikemen (イケメン – good-looking guy), but I’ve never seen chinpira (チンピラ – hooligan).
Uh oh. When did Sakurai learn to channel his rage into power? Where’s my training arc? Uzaki-chan senses trouble! Har! Sakurai is such a loser he trained angry bowling by himself. Pathetic! Uzaki-chan and Sakurai feed energy off each other. Ugh. Uzaki-chan plays dirty! “Cheering” for senpai as he releases the bowling ball makes Sakurai flinch. So much cheating! Who will win? Sakurai! Barely… Boo! Sakurai agreed to a second round. You know he’s going to lose after that! These two are made for each other.
Ami knows Sakurai and Uzaki-chan make a perfect couple, but she needs to see them wear sexy clothes more! She’s sneaky! When Master Asai is away, she’ll make Uzaki-chan cosplay! Flashback to Uzaki-chan Bunny Girl in the first season of Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!. Ami and Master Asai butt heads about the café catering to current trends. Ami goes too far in trying to turn Café Asia into an otaku theme venue. One day a week wouldn’t be too bad! Putting Sakurai into leather hotpants and nothing else would be too bad, though! Yay! Uzaki-chan in a maid uniform! Can we get a second season of Blend S? Please? Ooh! Different maid uniforms!
Uh oh. Uzaki-chan became suspicious! Master Asai wouldn’t let these maid uniforms fit the vibe of a coffeehouse. Oh, yes. I want to see Uzaki-chan, or Ami, in every one of these outfits! I want to see Uzaki-chan in her bunny outfit again too! There it is. Leather hotpants for Sakurai and nothing else. Nipples. That’s what Ami’s jealous about. Uzaki-chan saw them all the time in high school! Uh. Didn’t Ami see Sakurai’s bare chest during the beach trip arc in the first season of Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!?
Ha. Hahaha! Tsuki Uzaki arrives to bring the insanity to eleven! Ami’s craziness went there. Tsuki in a cosplay outfit, let’s go! Pole-dancing oyakodon. That’s new to me. Oops. Ami’s descent into depravity is over. Oh, yes! Ami is in Uzaki-chan’s bunny girl outfit! And that makes Uzaki-chan jealous of Sakurai’s staring! Tsuki giggling is the best reaction.
A new chapter for Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!, a video game marathon! Sakurai wants to go to sleep, but Uzaki-chan won’t let him. It’s too late for the shouting, even in the Uzaki household. Sakurai will have hell to pay in the morning. Hoho, phrasing! Late-night screams of “one more round!” leads to misunderstandings. Uzaki-chan’s friends think she already has a boyfriend! So does everyone else besides the “baka couple!” Sakurai needs to nap even more. These are the same couches where Uzaki-chan and Sakurai yelled their first names to each other. What “baka couple” things will passersby find them doing? Ooh, lovey-dovey naptime! But they’re not dating!
The end credits for Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! is a fun recap of the romantic moments from the first season. Next time, Uzaki-chan wanna make udon and hang out!
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! S2 (Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! ω) streams on Crunchyroll and VRV in Japanese and English subtitles.
