Episode 2 of Kaiju Girl Caramelise is a slight step up from last week’s debut, and that really shocked me. I adored Episode 1, so the buildup to this week’s new episode (especially hearing about the newest addition to the show’s cast in early coverage) had me extremely excited. I’m unbelievably impressed with our new character, Manatsu Tomosato, there’s Kaiju references galore for fans to enjoy, and even the mundane school life aspects of the anime were fun! The animation continues to be a highlight, especially with the use of colors. Not a lot of intense movement happens this episode, but you’re gonna get a ton of style! This is definitely something to look forward to every week!
Most of this episode is Akaishi dealing with the aftermath of her Kaiju moment, trying to understand her own feelings and how her body reacts to them. We don’t get any new lore drops about her condition (if it even is that) or how the government is handling the new “Kaiju threat,” but we are given a new character in the form of the aforementionedManatsu Tomosato. Manatsu has entered the story, and she has immediately stolen my heart as my favorite character! For starters, she is simply a kaiju fanatic.She eats, breathes and lives Kaiju! In our first time getting to know her, she’s in a Mothra Larva sleeping bag and wearing a cute Mothra cosplay! Her father works on Kaiju media, so she spends all of her time embracing the genre. She is a bit eccentric, being in love with Akaishi’s Kaiju form Harugon, and she lets Kaiju media consume her life to such a degree that she interprets life through it. In fact, her immediate assumption when meeting Akaishi is that she is a priestess of Harugon! This sequence even features a lovely cameo from the Shobijin, Mothra’s iconic priestesses. Of course this leads Akaishi and Manatsu to become friends, and we get a further peek into Manatsu’s life when two Ultra-looking men show up to take her home.
Minami gets a little less to do this episode, but he gets a great moment towards the end. Akaishi tries to embrace her Kaiju self, before realizing maybe she shouldn’t. It’s a strong moment to finish the episode on. I really love seeing Akaishi interact in school and push everyone away because she is scared of her feelings. That ending moment also features a pivotal scene in which she is disgusted with her own body, something I can relate to as a trans woman. I think the story can be relatable to anyone who feels ostracized for being a little weird. Akaishi is consistently pushing people away, is very quiet, as well as being called ugly and retaliating. She is also deemed a “nerd” by the more popular girls, and all of that resonated with me pretty well.
This episode features less actual Kaiju than the first, but in return, there’s many more Kaiju culture references, showcasing the love the creators have for the genre. And that’s not just Godzilla, but Ultraman as well! The framing is “romance,” but the core features scream “Kaiju” in a lovely way for fans of the genre. Yes, it is fully aimed primarily towards young girls, but there is also a point expressed in the anime that Kaiju media is typically “for the boys.” A big part of this is the intro; I think Kaiju fans in general will like this, as it features heavy metal music, intense instrumentals, and lots of black and white destruction from Harugon! There are occasional hearts, but this definitely showcases Akaishi’s mental state and her desire for love, while also being something I know a lot of Kaiju fans are fond of. Metal and dark colors aren’t inherently “male,” but a lot of media portrays it so, and this doesn’t feel like the “cutesy romance” the premise probably infers. The intro neither pokes fun at Kaiju media and it isn’t “feminizing” it, either. This is a beautiful meld of two very different genres and for the people interested, it’s a treat. If you want more of a mindful and psychological look into a Kaiju concept, it’s surprisingly well-executed here. I think this episode is a little better than Episode One, but not by a ton. I’d easily give it an 8.5 out of 10.
