Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts
Shuffle! Episode 03 – Quick Summary
In Shuffle! Episode 3, “Do You Remember?,” Rin, Kaede, Sia, and Nerine faced a terrible threat that was particular to high school: end of year exams. They got through them, but Rin had forgotten something important: that Kaede, and now Sia and Nerine, had fan clubs. Fan clubs who extended the definition of jealous to the extreme. Fan clubs who would be waiting for them after exams! But Rin had forgotten something even more important: how he first met Sia. Can he escape the fan clubs? If he does, can he remember how he met Sia? And how will Sia’s dad Eustoma react if Sia has to go to remedial classes – and miss out on the chance to bond with Rin?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Shuffle! Episode 03
Neither Sia nor Nerine seemed to have any objection to Rin’s decision. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
One of the things I like about this show is how thoughtful Rin can be – or at least try to be! – when interacting with the young women around him. He’s taking seriously the idea that three of them, at least, have feelings for him. That alone makes him rare in the world of harem series.
Another thing I like about him is that he’s not a wimp. The dude sticks up for himself. He doesn’t take much nonsense from Itsuki, for example. Nor does he take any crap from Eustoma and Forbesii. As he demonstrated in my favorite quote.
Eustoma and Forbesii just bared in one morning – the morning after Primula had showed up. Kaede had found some of her old night clothes for Primula, but nothing more. There hadn’t been time. So, it made perfect sense when Rin said she wasn’t going to school.
For some reason, this shocked both Eustoma and Forbesii. They objected, saying Primula couldn’t be left home alone. They were further perplexed when Rin agreed.
To Primula, Rin said (02:23), “Well, if anything comes up… you feel free to bother these two gentlemen.”
Yes, Rin intended for them to stay home and babysit Primula. And do you know what the funniest thing was? They agreed!
Favorite Moment from Shuffle! Episode 03
Rin’s words helped cheer Sia. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Subtext in Dialogue
This was a slow episode. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean there were few events, but they they were important, especially in the context of Rin and Sia’s relationship. A couple of moments stood out, like Sia asking if Rin remembered their first meeting. He lied and said he did. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. He recalled bits and pieces. But he didn’t recall the details.
That was quite a contrast to Sia, for whom the memory seemed to be one of her happiest memories. In fact, she said it was the moment she fell in love with him. Even though I’ve seen this series before, I’ve forgotten a lot of it. I’m really curious why Rin doesn’t remember. It seems like that’s going to be important.
Sia loved the rain. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
That is only slightly related to my favorite moment. It’s related because Eustoma is really pulling for Rin to pick Sia. Really, really pulling for them. As in, he’s not above cheating. For example, when he heard that, if Sia failed her exams, she would miss out on summer fun with Rin, he was ready to take direct action. He even mentioned something about the special forces for the gods. Only Sia and her chair could put a dent in his enthusiasm.
But his advocacy for Sia set the context for my favorite moment.
Romantic dialogue is hard. In my sometimes humble opinion, romantic dialogue is harder than dramatic dialogue, though not as hard as comedic dialogue. Nothing as hard as comedy. All that said, my favorite moment involves an indirect romantic quote.
In his book Story, Robert McKee (affiliate link) talked about dialogue. One of the things he talked about was subtext – how in real conversations, people seldom come straight out and say what they mean. That tendency is even more pronounced in fiction.
Delivery: Simple Romantic Dialogue
Rin gave us a perfect example in my favorite moment.
Remember how Eustoma made a big deal of Sia passing? Toward the end of the episode, they decided to study together, because both were really worried about passing. The phrase “the blind leading the blind” came to mind, and for good reason. Neither were experts in any of the topics. Rin turned her father’s reaction into a running joke. He insinuated that the future of the human race depended on her doing well on her tests.
But the tests came and went, and they thought they’d done reasonably well. After eluding the crazy fan clubs, Rin found Sia standing alone, just inside the school. She’s forgotten her umbrella, so he offered to share his.
I suspect that Sia laid a trap for Riin. Not that he minded! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Yes, it’s a well-worn trope. But it’s a trope for a reason: it works! As they walked home, she apologized for inconveniencing him. Now, he could have said something sappy. Instead, he chose subtext, with a gentle helping of humor.
“There’s no way,” he said (20:34), “ I could abandon the person who rendered the most distinguished service in the final exams.”
She seemed confused, so he added (20:41), “As long as you avoid supplementary classes, peace in the human world is virtually guaranteed.”
That put her at ease. I liked this moment because it shows them drawing a little closer together in a way that lets them be good to one another. That might seem like a low bar, but look around. That sort of thing is in precious short supply! It’s one of the reasons I wanted to review this series. I want to see people being good to one another – even if I have to turn to fiction to get it!
What did you think of Sia’s continued and liberal use of the chair? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Shuffle! Episode 03: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- My Anime List (must be logged in): Shuffle! Episode 3 Discussion
- Random Curiosity: SHUFFLE! – 03
- Umai Yomu Anime Blog: Shuffle! (Episode 3) – Rainy Season
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Shuffle! Episode 01: The Man Who Could Become a God or a Demon!
- Shuffle! Episode 02: I Wanted to See You!
- Shuffle! Episode 03: Do You Remember?
- Shuffle! Episode 04: Egg Omelet of Happiness
- Shuffle! Episode 05: Where I Belong
- Shuffle! Episode 06: Smile!
- Shuffle! Episode 07: Romantic Scramble
- Shuffle! Episode 08: Panty Date
- Shuffle! Episode 09: Survival Swimming at the Beach
- Shuffle! Episode 10: Moonlit Confession
- Shuffle! Episode 11: Girls of Summer
- Shuffle! Episode 12: Frozen Summer
- Shuffle! Episode 13: House of Twilight
- Shuffle! Episode 14: Lycoris
- Shuffle! Episode 15: What Was Regained
- Shuffle! Episode 16: Kikyou
- Shuffle! Episode 17: Honest Feelings
- Shuffle! Episode 18: The One Rin Loves
- Shuffle! Episode 19: Unforgettable Sentiments
