Ookami Shoujo To Kuro Ouji OVA

I thought nobody cared or everybody had forgotten about it. And because of that, so did I. Well, it might take a while for somebody to ‘care’ and sub the unaired thirteenth episode or simply Ookami Shoujo To Kuro Ouji OVA. If you know the trend of OVAs these days and especially one that is of the romantic comedy genre, you can generally guess what it is all going to be. After all, what else more can they do, right? What more can wolf girl and the black prince do to further deepen their erratic and peculiar relationship as a couple?

Breeding Doubts – Happening Kiss
Kyouya is not pleased that Nozomi knows his birthday. What’s more, Nozomi has got a matching set of glasses for him as present. I believe it is a sign he doesn’t want to be buddies with him so he crushes them. San surprisingly seeks Kyouya’s help to tutor her because Erika has some urgent business to attend to. Could it be that girl actually forgot about Kyouya’s birthday? As you would have guessed, she certainly did not. She has already planned an elaborated birthday surprise for him. First, she sees Takeru to get keys to Kyouya’s place. Then she does all the necessary settings and preparations while San distracts him for a day. Now all that is to wait for the surprise and let things take its course. Somehow I have a feeling that Kyouya praising and loving Erika will be the part that won’t turn out as she would imagine… Now it is about time, Kyouya and San are seen walking home. A boy chasing his dog accidentally makes Kyouya trip and this has him fall towards San. Their lips met. What is worse than a boy and his dog seeing this kissing incident? Erika seeing this kissing incident! My, is this the surprise. Kyouya prepares himself to explain but Erika continues with the surprise party and everything. But Kyouya can tell that she is very disturbed by that kiss despite she denies she is not concerned about it. You can obviously tell she is just messing up things.

Next day at school, Erika’s doubts grow when she sees San talking to Kyouya. She misinterprets San has a crush on Kyouya when they were actually talking on how to deal with Erika’s depression (of course Kyouya would rather leave her alone like always). Erika then gets an idea. In art class, she tries to persuade San the benefits of having a boyfriend and tries to recommend Takeru. San knows where she is going so she assures her she is not interested in Kyouya. Erika reveals her worries that because it is her first kiss, she might develop a crush on him. This has San divulging an embarrassing secret that it wasn’t her first kiss. Long ago, she had a boyfriend and they kissed but they have long breakup since. That was before she met Erika and that’s why she was under no obligation to tell her. Erika must be feeling shocked and stupid right now. So Erika texts Kyouya about the misunderstanding and promises she is over it. He can expect her to be normal. But imagine to his and everyone’s surprise, she is worst and gloomier than before! WTF?! Was that email a lie? Yeah, she is probably feeling miserable the entire day.

So on the way home, Kyouya just tells her off for dragging this out forever. She also hits back that she is bothered but won’t tell him what it is. Ah, typical woman answer… Then she runs away. I guess this means Kyouya has to go chase after her. Not because he cares (really?) but rather he is getting sick of all this. So he catches up to her to make her spill what is bugging her. Is that kiss still bothering her? Actually, they never had a kiss ever since that last time. Is that what she wants? He shuts her up with a kiss. So she should be happy, right? Well… She feels somewhat awkward. I don’t know what she is complaining again but I guess he kisses her another time. I hope that will do. Then in class, Erika bugs Kyouya to redo his birthday bash. That guy is certainly not amused with her persistence. San watches their comedic quarrel and even notes that it makes her want to fall in love herself.

Dealing A Kiss With A Kiss…
As expected. Not really much but still fun to watch but sometimes a little irritating seeing the insecure Erika being the typical girl wanting her boyfriend to make her feel better but not say a thing about it and that guy like any others will have to guess what the freaking problem is. Even if Erika knows very well it was just an accident (and she even saw it unfolding before her very own eyes) but she still let it get to her. But unlike many of the guys in the real world facing this problem and are often at the losing end (guys can never best a woman in any sort of argument, right?), it is because Kyouya doesn’t really give a damn and it is Erika who is the one relying on him that makes things work out in the end. All in all, this OVA would only appeal to fans of the series and those who love the odd couple of Erika x Kyouya. Otherwise there are tons of somewhat similar romcoms out there and if you have watched a lot of them, you won’t find this any different or stand out. Maybe you’ll just learn a thing or two. You can never take back a kiss but you can certainly add more to that and cover up the earlier ones. If it was only that simple in real life…

Ookami Shoujo To Kuro Ouji

Those seemingly perfect and lovey-dovey couples we see every day around us. We would like to have that kind of true love ourselves, don’t we? But… What if they are just pretending and putting up an elaborate façade? For whatever reasons, it is the case for a girl in Ookami Shoujo To Kuro Ouji. The title may sound like some sort of twisted fairytale because when you have Wolf Girl and Black Prince together, it is either some messed up comedy or dark romance horror. I can assure you it is not. Because our girl who is prone to lying ends up in a bigger mess just to prove to her friends that she has a freaking cool boyfriend. Sure, it is all fake and pretend play. But that guy she engaged to play her boyfriend isn’t Prince Charming either. His heart is like a black as the night. So if she wants to keep up this charade, better do his biddings, whims and fancies. Be at the beck of his every call. No turning back now. Oh, this isn’t some sick hentai flick if you’re thinking he is going to make her do all that stuffs. More of romantic comedy to see how their fake love blooms into real love over time. Oh come. You should have guessed that when you have a synopsis like that, you can guess where this is going, right?

Episode 1
Erika Shinohara is afraid of being a loner in her high school debut. Her friend, Ayumi Sanda AKA San is more practical but if Erika was the listening type, you wouldn’t have all the troubles that follow and thus this anime. Also, Erika is the kind of girl who loves to brag and lie. Oh, it’ll get her into trouble one day and that day is today. Her first step into class, she is already panicking because everybody else has formed groupies of their own. She’s alone. So she tries to hastily make friends with Marin Tachibana and Aki Tezuka. Because they are the posh type with boyfriends, thus begins Erika’s lie… Two months down the road, they’re still talking about their boyfriends as Erika brags that they have done sex. Erika had to pretend she got a call from her boyfriend who is no other than San to whisk her away from the conversation. She is told to just tell the truth because they don’t even have anything in common. But you know, Erika… Then those girls walk into the toilet that they are. As they hide, they hear Marin and Tezuka talk about Erika’s lie. Maybe she’s faking it because they’ve never seen her boyfriend before. Not even a picture. Not willing to live the rest of her high school life in hell, on her way home she hears lots of girls swooning over a handsome hunk. The kind that they wish to be their boyfriend. Erika gets this idea to take a picture of him, Kyouya Sata. She shows this to her friends. However they have a feeling they have seen him before. I mean, with his awesome good looks, he might be some sort of a model. During recess, it finally hit them. Because Kyouya also walks in. He is a student of their school. Oh crap. Erika takes him and runs away.

At first she thinks he is the nice kind of guy. But after telling her situation, he agrees to pretend and be her boyfriend. Think life is smooth sailing? Well, he tells her to spin around and bark like a dog. Say what? Oh, look at his evil eyes… If he is going to play along with her little farce, it isn’t going to be for free. If she won’t be his dog, he can’t guarantee her secret won’t be exposed. Then her reputation will become like a wolf girl and her parents won’t like it, etc. Instantly she does his bidding. Her troubles are just the beginning. It might seem he is calling her from class like a loving boyfriend. Innocent in the eyes of other jealous girls. But of course in actual fact he is going to make her his lackey. She is trying to guess what he wants. He says he loves dogs but the way he says that with his evil eyes just makes her feel otherwise. Erika’s life becomes a tiring one when she is at Kyouya’s beck at call. Marin and Tezuka figure they play a prank. When they join them for lunch as Erika introduces Kyouya to them, they start mentioning about their kinky S&M bondage play that Erika mentioned (one of those earlier lies). This causes Erika to be embarrassed and the entire cafeteria heard it. Kyouya coolly admits he does. And then with those evil eyes looking at them suggesting he might want to try it out on them. After he apologizes to everyone for the ruckus, he takes Erika’s hand and leave. They hold for a long time because he knows her sceptical friends are still watching. Erika feels guilty for what happened so he tells her off to shut up and be protected as his girlfriend. And that is one more debt for her to be indebted to him. Erika isn’t sure if asking his help was right (definitely it wasn’t) but she’ll continue playing the wolf girl for a while.

Episode 2
On a rainy day, Kyouya shares his umbrella with Erika. All the girls wish they would swap places with her. So Erika is complaining the double face Kyouya is to San. She calls Erika a masochist for putting up with this. She also tells her to get a real boyfriend instead of playing slave girl. But first she needs to find someone to fall in love with and it might be closer than she thinks. After observing all the boys in class, delinquent boys, glutton boys, otaku boys and sissy boys… Just disappointing, no? But more trouble crops up for her. This time the girls of Kyouya’s fan club. The confront her and want her to stop dating him because Kyouya is the school’s idol and there is an unwritten law he must not be owned and admired from afar. Say what? As they get rough with her, a handsome guy, Yoshito Kimura tells them to stop the bullying. It is no surprise that Erika is taken in by his kindness (and good looks) so much so she spaces out so much thinking about him that she spills whatever food and it’s just bloody obvious. Erika even asks Kyouya the girls he dated. He never although he is popular with them because no girl has ever gotten him to be serious in them. Besides, he views romance as an extra in life. Erika’s feelings between the guys grow in different directions. Kimura was kind enough to check on her to see if the bullies come back again. But Kyouya uses her as a shield when the car splash water and when some kids accidentally bump into him and she sniggers, Kyouya makes her fetch a stick and it took her all day. Couldn’t she have just find a similar one instead of really going out to find the actual stick? That’s where her lie comes in handy, right?

Marin and Tezuka see Kimura take Erika to the infirmary after the latter got hit by all sorts of balls! Serious. They tell this to Kyouya and warn his girlfriend might be cheating on hm. Kimura asks if she is free this Sunday and would like to go out with her. Of course she doesn’t want to miss this chance. When Kyouya comes in and the guys are introduced, Kyouya notices Kimura giving that stare to him. After they leave, Kyouya asks Erika for her handphone and breaks it! He doesn’t want her to go meet that guy. He reminds her of her position and has no power to refuse him. But Erika thinks she has an ace up her sleeve. Once she gets a real boyfriend, she can dump him. Against Kyouya’s advice, she goes meet Kimura this Sunday and they have fun in their outing. At the end of the day, Erika confesses Kyouya is not her real boyfriend and explains the situation. She wants him to be her real boyfriend. Suddenly Kimura changes. Why would he date somebody who isn’t Kyouya’s boyfriend? He is disappointed that he wasted time with her because it won’t do if she is not Kyouya’s real girlfriend. He reveals Kyouya stole his girlfriend and stealing his is his way of getting back at him. Erika is reeling from the shock as Kyouya shows up. He knew this would happen. Kimura accuses him of stealing his girlfriend back then but he mentions it was his girlfriend that decided to break up with him. Erika wonders if all Kimura did and said were lies. Kimura mocks for the gullible girl she is and will never fall for a cheap girl like her. Erika is close to tears when Kyouya punches him. He claims Erika belongs to him and it makes him mad for hurting her without a reason. Erika feels ashamed for all of this so he lectures her about her love being just a self delusion and thus no point getting depressed over it. Despite his harsh words, she thinks he is trying to make her feel better. But after he says he needs to train her from the start again, she doesn’t think so.

Episode 3
Unlike her friends, Erika spends the entire summer holidays bumming at San’s place. San teases her that Erika is pouting because Kyouya didn’t call her and she might have fallen for him. There is also a possibility that Kyouya may have fallen for her. Who knows? A person’s feeling can change anytime. At the start of the new term, it is learnt that Kyouya fell sick. As he is in San’s class, San as the class rep is supposed to deliver notes to him but since she had other business, she has Erika do it. And so outside his door, she is nervous thinking of what to say and all that. She’s just thinking too much. Kyouya opens the door to get the things but since he is still drowsy, he bumps into everything. Erika can’t leave him alone and puts him to bed. He explains his father works late and mom doesn’t live with them. He is used to this life and doesn’t think about it. Just leave. Because her presence is just making his cold worse. The next day, the same task. This time Erika stays and is willing to do things for him and stays by his side while he sleeps. Kyouya is sceptical like as though she is trying to make him indebted to her. She says she’s doing it because she wants to and not after anything. By the third day, Kyouya is better but still hasn’t fully recovered. He wants to go to the store himself but Erika is acting like his mother and won’t allow him. Get back in and stay in bed and fully rest. After a long time in what it seems to be Kyouya pondering like the David statue, he thanks her. Woah! Did she hear right? This guy thanking her? She cannot believe it. Hey, even guys like him have the capability of saying thanks. He explains he is sick of girls acting swooning over him with thoughts of wanting him to be their boyfriend. However Erika is different and didn’t harbour such ulterior motives so he decided to at least thank her. That’s all. This makes Erika feel weird. When she leaves, she feels conflicted about her feelings. Her heart is racing thinking about him and they’re not even dating. I can’t think of a reason why.

Next day, Kyouya is back in school and this means his mean attitude towards her too as well as fooling other girls with his nice princely behaviour. Welcome back? Talking this to San, she is made to admit that she likes Kyouya. She advises that she should just follow her feelings honestly and she’ll be happier that way. But the toughest part is going to let him know her feelings. At the park, Erika notices Kyouya playing with a dog. He puts up a very nice smile she has never seen before. She asks if he likes dogs, why not adopt one? Long ago he had one. But it died and it made him sad. The fear of losing it made him decide not to adopt one. Besides, he has a ‘big one’ now, right? Of course Erika doesn’t want to be his dog or fake girlfriend. She wants to be his real girlfriend. But how? When her aunt sends extra pears to them, Erika gets an idea to give some to Kyouya. But at his doorstep, a woman appears to be leaving. Is she some sort of friend? Somebody who picked him up in town. Erika flusters thinking the kind of things that might have happened and tells him to stop doing this kind of things of bouncing between girls. He denies doing that and since she is not his real girlfriend, he has no obligation to tell her anything. Erika says she doesn’t like this one bit. Because she likes him. Although shocked, Kyouya runs his mouth that because she is playing this fake dating game, she is beginning to think she is really in love when she actually isn’t. Yeah. Maybe he is right. Maybe she didn’t want to fall for him after all. She shoves the bag of pears to him and leaves in tears.

Episode 4
When Erika leaves, she comes across that girl again who believes Kyouya didn’t tell her everything. So Erika returns to confront him about done playing with girls and getting a dog. That is her, right? Erika really does like him and she really considered about quitting but since she will never lie about her feelings, she won’t quit. Even if he doesn’t believe her now, she’ll keep saying it till he gets it. Since Kyouya doesn’t like it when she gets persistent, he’ll believe her. He’ll be looking forward to see what happens next. So does he like her or not? Maybe spending her day in anguish at his every command would help. It’s not too late to turn back… Erika talks to San that she needs to work hard to turn him around. But San can’t believe she still likes him after going through all that. She really is a masochist. However San can’t help her out since she doesn’t talk to Kyouya. There goes Erika’s hopes of finding anything she could blackmail him. She was going to do that? Next day, Erika gets a football hit in her face! What is it about her that attracts balls? Takeru Hibiya apologizes and he turns out to be Kyouya’s old friend. This brute guy loves showing off his six pack but he is overall a nice guy. Nice enough for Erika to tell him about the predicament she is in. Takeru wants to beat up Kyouya but Erika doesn’t want to fix his warped personality. Whoever Kyouya is, she likes him. She just wants him to like her the way she does. Takeru is so touched and agrees to help her out. So he starts asking Kyouya a serious of seemingly retarded questions about his favourites. I don’t know if they are related or not. And now to put it to the test. Erika tries to be and act like those ‘favourites’. From an intellect girl to a girl who keeps her distance and finally some retarded Galapagos Island I-don’t-know-what-the-heck-is-this. Kyouya is not moved and San is just embarrassed to see her. Then Takeru’s class is holding a maid café for the school’s festival (all the guys are maids!!!) and Takeru advises her to act like the scared fragile woman so Kyouya can save her. Didn’t work. Feels like she gets played around.

So the duo are at their wits’ end. How are they going to make Kyouya look her way? More importantly, can Erika take more of this stupidity? Takeru is impressed with her because she is working hard and it really makes him want to support her. This time all the silly stuffs that they do, Takeru is by her side. Still didn’t work. Even that final hypnotizing tactic. That desperate, huh? Even if they’re still not going to throw in the towel, Erika suddenly starts crying. It must be hard. Time for drastic measures. That night, Takeru calls Erika and Kyouya to meet him at the park. Takeru confesses he likes Erika and wants to make her his girlfriend. He promises to protect and cherish her. So does Kyouya mind giving Erika to him? Of course. Take her. But this causes Erika to feel hurt. She scolds him and runs away. Takeru is going to beat Kyouya up for not knowing her feelings but Kyouya points out that all this is part of his scheme. He knows they’ve been in cohorts since the start thanks to their poor acting. And now this plan has fallen apart because Kyouya said the opposite thing as he wanted. Even if Erika is working hard to make him like her, he will decide when it is time to fall in love with her. Takeru felt he was so cool that he couldn’t answer back. Erika feels heartbroken. I mean, he said she belongs to him and now he casts her away so easily like that? Kyouya comes to get her and asks if her feelings are all she has to offer. He dares her to wrench open his heart. That is the only way to get him. For now Erika goes back with him and although she still doesn’t understand his thinking and he gets on her nerves, she still loves him. Lastly, Erika tries to apologize and reject Takeru and that guy forgot his pretending sounded like a real confession.

Episode 5
Christmas is coming. Oh. With Marin and Tezuka suggesting they send selfies of each other and their boyfriends to each other, I guess Erika is going to have a tough time asking Kyouya out. He is already painting Christmas as some commercialized scam that he wouldn’t want to participate in but despite saying all that, he still accompanies her. He rudely turns down a saleswoman selling a beautiful ring (because he says he has a much better one) and then suggests of getting a dog collar and a leash for Erika as present. Guess what? Erika really wants it! That surprised you, Kyouya? But it is heartbreak since Kyouya won’t get it since it was only a joke and doesn’t want people to think he has some strange fetish. After they take a selfie at a Christmas tree, Erika’s stomach starts to hurt. Kyouya buys some medicine to make her feel better. This is to repay her for taking care of him then. She really wants to tick him off for his usual indifferent but since Kyouya is playing the nice guy and willing to listen to her, she knows he knows everything and is just fooling around with her. She wants to know if she is just a toy for him to kill time. Suddenly… Kyouya changes. Like Prince Charming, he admits that he likes her! He has been too shy to say it but he has liked her for a long time. Is this for real? This isn’t a dream. So happy this simpleton that she starts crying. She forgives all that has happened and want to spend Christmas Eve with him. And then… Kyouya wonders how long he should keep up this monkey show. I knew it. Too good to be true. He tells her off for being too simple and gullible. She is too trusting that she will get con one day. This means she never understood him because he will never say something so sweet to her. In that moment of rage, Erika splashes the glass of water in his face. She hates him and leaves. Shocking? You reap what you sew.

Erika is now in tears of sadness back home. Crying that she has had enough. She’s tired of it all. Depressed enough for her to lock herself in her room. On Christmas day, her friends send their selfies. Erika wonders if she should do the same. But the thought of them shunning her is better than staying with Kyouya. She doesn’t care if they find out the truth. Of course her heart is still in a dilemma whether to really give up on him as she can’t easily forget him. Surprisingly, Kyouya is here to see her. Not only that, to discipline her. He claims he waited all the time for her to come to apologize but never showed up. Why does she have to apologize for? Throwing water in her master’s face and telling him off, that’s why. I know he deserves it buy Kyouya is going to remind her again that she is his dog. He puts the collar on her. Hey. This collar feels different. It is a pretty necklace. This is proof that she belongs to him and also a real collar would make people suspicious of what he is into. Now the tears of happiness are flowing again. She’ll treasure it. They send a new selfie to her friends. She still wants to believe what he said to her then so he says he loves her.

Episode 6
For the entire winter vacation, Kyouya never called her! So is it no surprise that she’s really happy (or worried) to see him when the new school term starts? Well, at least she had the necklace to get by so it’s not all that bad. Erika thinks of making Valentine chocolates for Kyouya. She can’t wait to do it till she learns he hates sweet things! But noticing her disappointed face and the book she has to make chocolates, he hints as long as she can make something edible, there is no reason for him to say no. Hopes getting up again. While buying ingredients at the store, the cashier line is held up by her timid classmate, Yuu Kusakabe who has forgotten his wallet. Erika pays for him. Although he is very grateful, he is also very apologetic. He is also quite negative because of his personality that makes others uncomfortable. However it is not the case for Erika as she doesn’t view him so and even advises him to have a little self confidence. Next day in school, Kusakabe feels a lot better and thanks to Erika, he has confidence in doing the simplest things. Kyouya didn’t like seeing this so he goes to cuddle Erika to make that shy guy go away. Erika wants Kyouya to meet her during recess as she has chocolates for him. He had hoped she failed. You don’t know how many times she failed prior to this success… Before that meeting, Erika bumps into Kusakabe and because she feels bad about his family predicament (something about them acting strange towards him because of his change in character), she gives him an obligatory chocolate. So happen, Kyouya sees this chocolate in his hands and has a strange feeling. When he meets Erika and sees the same packaging, he throws it back at her. He’s not going to eat it even if he hasn’t taste it. Jealous about Kusakabe? Erika tries to explain the story but what makes him upset is that by doing this, he is put on the same level as him. Erika then runs her mouth how Kusakabe is a better and kinder person than him. Oops… Said too much? Yeah, maybe she can go ask him to play boyfriend then. Suddenly all the fun feeling she had today just washed down the drain. She screwed up somewhere, didn’t she?

Erika spaces out and almost falls down the stairs if not for Kusakabe stopping her. He wants to do something to thank her but she starts crying. Meanwhile Takeru is lecturing Kyouya on the way he treats Erika (while eating his chocolates? Not that Kyouya likes sweet things anyway). He believes his uncalled treatment is because he thinks Erika won’t leave him. He must realize he isn’t the only guy around. Don’t underestimate her. Yada, yada, yada… At the same time, Erika fumes about Kyouya’s attitude to Kusakabe. As usual, that guy keeps apologizing since he feels it is his fault for letting this happen. Erika is confused that she is sticking with Kyouya. Maybe she would be better off if she dumps him. This makes Kusakabe muster his courage. He confesses he likes her and asks if she would like to go out with him. He promises he won’t hurt her like Kyouya does. She doesn’t have to give an answer right away, though. Next day in school when Kyouya and Kusakabe bump into each other, the latter asks if he really loves Erika. None of your business. Because Kyouya continues to talk like he is superior to her and enjoys being a sadist, this makes Kusakabe mad that she is wasted on him. He reveals his confession and is waiting for her answer. That shock you, my prince? But as usual, he remains indifferent, giving the green light for them to do whatever they want with each other. Does this mean Kyouya never loved Erika? She is just something to pass the time. And as cliché it would get, Erika heard it all.

Episode 7
And so Erika has decided. She goes up to that jerk and says she quits. Yeah, you tell him. And thus they parted ways. Like nothing happened. But Erika is still crying… Although she is good friends with Kusakabe, her friends find it odd that Erika just ‘downgraded’. Now that Kyouya is single again, many girls are trying to give him chocolates or confess to him but he just ignores them. Although he is scarier now, they still love him! Girls, can’t understand them… Each time Kyouya and Erika pass, they just ignore each other like they never existed. Erika and Kusakabe spend lots of time together but San feels something is not right despite Erika relishing in her freedom and trying to pursue a new romance. Because when Erika sees a girl confessing to Kyouya (he’s just zoning out), she becomes clumsy and scraps her knee. At the infirmary, there is Kyouya too and the atmosphere gets weird. He mocks her for setting the bar low but she’d rather have it this way than those setting it high that they look down on others. Kyouya then asks if she loves Kusakabe. None of his business. That answer means she doesn’t really love him. So does she intend to fall for him in the future? She will. Now that they are strangers, he should find other fun stuffs to kill time. Erika hangs out with Kusakabe at the aquarium. They had a swell time. Takeru is there with his friends and happen to see them. He calls Kyouya to scold him over what he saw but he never said anything and hangs up.

Erika is happy as Kusakabe mentions he sincerely did it all for her sake. But then San’s words and flashes of Kyouya’s face start to fill Erika’s mind. Oh no… Because now she has arrived at an answer. She apologizes to Kusakabe she can’t return his feelings. WTF. She still has lingering feelings for Kyouya. WTF. To say that she was through being wolf girl and wanting to find a new romance was just an excuse to run away. She is sorry for doing this to him. Kusakabe had a feeling of something like this when he confessed. He is cool with it. Erika doesn’t want to lie to herself anymore as deep down in her heart she wants to be in love with Kyouya. Kusakabe doesn’t want her to apologize as he too understands what it’s like to run away. Thanks to her, he discovered a lot of things about himself. I hope you’re regretting your decision, Erika? You’d rather dump this nice guy to go back with the jerk? Girls, can’t understand them… And look, she’s crying now that she’ll try her best to get Kyouya to love her back. And speaking of him, here he is to take her back. Is this okay? Okay it is. Since Erika is still whiny about his behaviour, he shuts her up with a kiss. Erika doesn’t understand his erratic behaviour. Yeah, we don’t understand her love for him at all. She doesn’t want to go with the flow and wants him to admit it. Say it for real and not because they’re pretending. She makes a surprise move by kissing him. She’ll make him her real boyfriend instead of a fake one. But Kyouya corrects her that he is the one allowing her to love him. That didn’t annoy her and she continues to be the happy simpleton.

Episode 8
Erika wants to go hanami with Kyouya but that guy isn’t interested in going to crowded events. Eventually he had to after he lost in a rock-scissors-paper game. But whatever Erika suggests, he doesn’t want to do. It is more annoying watching other couples do lovey-dovey stuff. Finally the boat ride, he too doesn’t want and this makes Erika mad. They’re a couple and should do what couples normally do. Whoever imposed such a rule? She planned all this herself and if she wants to go for a boat ride so badly, go herself. Fine. Erika alone in the boat. It really looks odd. When it’s over and they take a break eating takoyaki, Erika suggests watching DVD like he wanted next time. She doesn’t want to force him anymore. Then this surprising request from Kyouya. Feed him! OMG! Did he say that? Even Erika can’t believe it. I guess once in a while you need to make your dog girl happy. Now that they are in their second year, Erika is so glad that she is in the same class with San. And more so because Kyouya too. Also in this class is another handsome Playboy, Nozomi Kamiya who has his own little harem of admirers! New rival? Nozomi thinks Erika and co are his harem girls and that they are the same type. Erika is sad that she is seated so far away from Kyouya but next to Nozomi. He doesn’t hesitate to flirt with her and asks for her number. Sure, she knows he is hitting on her and her flattery and good looks are one thing. Because the duo didn’t concentrate in class, the teacher makes them the organizing committee members for orientation.

So the duo have to stay back and do some paper work. Nozomi continues to flirt with her and suggests hanging out for some adult fun. Nozomi’s girlfriend calls and the way he sounds make it like they are a couple. Erika wonders if it is fine flirting around despite having a girlfriend. However he says Hiromi isn’t his girlfriend and definitely not dating. She is one of the many girls he likes. Nozomi believes that when you become a couple, you are attached and tied down with lots of unwritten rules. He doesn’t like that. It is much more fun to have all kinds of experience with various girls. He treats everyone nice, everybody has fun, everybody is happy. Erika wonders what if a girl gets the wrong idea and gets serious about him. He knows she is talking about herself and wonders if she is serious in Kyouya. When he learns they are really dating, he decides to drop the subject. When they’re done, Erika is surprised and happy to see Kyouya waiting for her. Yeah sure, he got nothing better to do. When she returns to the class to retrieve something, Nozomi asks Kyouya if he is dating Erika seriously. He can’t believe he is because a guy like Kyouya could date and dump as many girls he wants. And of all girls, why pick plain Jane Erika? Super rich? Convenient yes man? Got some dirt on him? Good in bed? That was the last straw as Kyouya is about to get rough with him when Erika returns. After they leave, Nozomi deduces Kyouya has gotten serious about Erika based on his reaction. He thinks he is being stupid and needs to open his eyes.

Episode 9
Erika’s class is going on a field trip. She notices Nozomi being friendly with him but Kyouya is rejecting him. Even more upsetting that the guys are seated together and Erika ended up with San. So what’s the problem? Marin and Tezuka tease that the guys might end up in some yaoi relationship and Erika really gets worried. Nozomi shows Kyouya all the girls he knows but Kyouya is clearly not interested. Erika talks to Nozomi and the latter’s smooth talk convinces her that he just wants to be friends and open up his heart. During the hike, Nozomi tries to introduce some of his girls to him. They want to exchange numbers but he doesn’t have a handphone. Nozomi knows it’s a lie and again tries to persuade him to change his ways. Whatever Nozomi calls it, Kyouya doesn’t want to be part of it and warns not to push his ideals onto him. When he feels like making a move, he will do it and doesn’t need his advice. Nozomi isn’t convinced and it seems he may need to use force to make him understand. He calls some of his girls to come visit the boys’ room. Meanwhile Erika is thinking too much about Kyouya that she almost burnt her hair with the hair dryer! Marin and Tezuka suggest to go visit his room. This gets her hopes up till they mention they can only see her fail. San wonders why she wants the guys to be friends so badly. Erika remembers her predicament when she was alone and somehow forced her way to become friends with Marin and Tezuka. They might not be the best of friends but at least they were there to encourage at comfort her sometimes. She doesn’t think Kyouya has such friends.

The girls visit the boys’ room and clearly the other guys are thanking God for this heaven sent. But since Kyouya is sitting this out, the girls wonder if they will be a bother and want to leave. This has the guys force him to come with them so Kyouya reluctantly to hangs out with them. They play the King Game and when the time is right, Nozomi sets up Kyouya to kiss with one of the girls. He believes no men can resist his natural instincts. But be surprised because Kyouya pushes her away and decides to leave for the night. Outside, Nozomi confronts him about that. Kyouya will not be led around like that. Nozomi says he is doing all this for him and that he should broaden his thinking. He shows all the 500 email addresses of the girls he has. So? This means he is having 500 times more fun than him! Kyouya calls it bad maths and tells it to his face. No matter how much trash he picks up, it is still a pile of trash. Nozomi is left to ponder his words when one of the girls, Yuri comes by. He wants to be consoled by her but it seems another guy asked her out and she is serious in that. Can’t hang out with him anymore. So delete her from his list? Only 499 more to go… On the return trip, Erika is happy because she won’t be separated from Kyouya anymore. To her surprise, he sits next to her and uses her shoulder as a pillow. She didn’t wake him up when they get back because he was sleeping soundly. As they argue, Nozomi says not to flirt in from of him. It’s embarrassing. He mentions about Yuri’s address he erased but had no regrets. He believes Kyouya was right. He doesn’t care about anything he has because having 1 girl who is special is more than enough. Will he ever get one? Kyouya believes he will because he was once like him. Once Nozomi gets a real girlfriend, they should double date. No thanks. Erika can’t help put up that smirk on her face after seeing their friendship.

Episode 10
Nozomi is hanging out with Kyouya so close that other girls may start to get the wrong idea about them. You jealous, Erika? This month, Erika has something to look forward to. It’s her birthday. Will Kyouya guess it? Guess not. She’s really begging with puppy dog eyes to celebrate that special day with her. He obliges but what does she want on that day? Hmm… How about love? WTF. So Kyouya is talking to Takeshi and Nozomi about this. They give their ideas on what Kyouya can do on that special day. Takeshi seems knowledgeable despite he himself doesn’t have a girlfriend. San hears from Erika about her date plan on her birthday. So she is mapping it out herself what she wants to do on her birthday? And besides, doesn’t her love request sound ridiculous? Actually, she wants him to at least say “I love you” once. Kyouya overheard it so he thought it was a piece of cake and practises alone. He can’t. Tough, eh? So he picks her up on her birthday and he still can’t find the guts to say those right words. Not so easy, eh? At a fancy restaurant, he gives her a bracelet as present and she is very happy. This makes it a total of 2 gifts from him. He puts his face close to her but backs out. Can’t find the guts, eh? Meanwhile Takeshi is showing Nozomi pictures of young Kyouya. Funny… They wonder how is his date going and decide to give him some spiritual support. Yeah. Their support is echoing through the universe that Kyouya could feel the chill down his spine.

When they go watch a movie, Erika isn’t sure if he wants to see a serious love story. He asserts he can watch any movie. Unfortunately it is tough for him to take since the guy is a wimp while the girl is chiding him that he can’t say those simple 3 magic words. And that guy is screaming… Sounds familiar? It gets to him when he hears comments from other girls how wimpy that guy was and thankfully their boyfriends aren’t like that. He tries to do it this time but still got cold feet. Outside, a cheeky kid teases them how lovey-dovey they are. Erika is a natural talking to kids even though you shouldn’t be talking to random kids in the first place. The girl then asks Kyouya if he loves Erika and if he doesn’t, does it mean he is a bad man? How should he answer this one? Well, he put on his evil face and instantly the girl cries! OMG! She’s even complaining how scary it was to her mom! The duo spend the rest of the day without any incident. Night falls and as they take a ferry ride, the mood may seem just right for Kyouya to finally sum up his courage to say it. Can he? Nope. He ends up complimenting her hairdo. I don’t know if it is a good thing or not that Erika is too dumb to guess. But then again, she has learnt not to expect too much from him. Before they part, Erika expresses how happy she is and this is the best birthday she had. She thanks him and naturally confesses she loves him. Suddenly Kyouya hugs her. It is to avoid getting her run over by a car. Really? Then he whispers something into her ears. I think he must have nailed it because is so shock-cum-happy. Never knew he could say that, huh? He continues to squeeze her tightly. It doesn’t matter because this is the best birthday she’ll never forget. And of course, she loves him back too.

Episode 11
Nozomi teases Erika that she better not lose what Kyouya gave her or else… Yeah, she’ll have to swim halfway around the world to get it back! When they are hanging out, Erika thinks she has touched a landmine when Kyouya doesn’t want to talk about his mom. He adds he has not childhood trauma, abandonment issues or grudges. Then they see a woman coolly telling off a guy who wants to hit on her. Kyouya with that flabbergasted look could only mean one thing… Yeah… They know each other. Instantly she goes up to him and slaps him! She is Reika and Kyouya’s big sister. That was for not answering her calls. She lives with mom in Kobe and visits Kyouya once or twice every year. Erika starts to panic thinking she will become her future sister-in-law. She stammers as she introduces herself as Kyouya boyfriend. Reika sounds like a mean dominating sister that Kyouya can’t even put up with. Is this the future sister-in-law she is going to have? Does this attitude run in the family? Back in his home, Reika is sceptical that Erika is his girlfriend because with his kind of face that attracts girls, who would fall for a brat like him? She thinks if he is doing this for fun, just break up with her. But seeing he is serious, she can’t actually believe it. So she calls Erika out for a date. Erika thinks this is some sort of interrogation and big sister is going to find out if she is worthy of Kyouya or not. Alright. Time to make a good impression. But they hop from sweets and cakes stores to another. Can Erika take more of it? Is this some sort of test to see her limit? Like if she could hold her sake? When a couple of boys try to hit on them, Reika’s sarcastic and mean suggestion scares them. Reika explains she hates half hearted flirting guys. They treat women like fools and think they can go out with a girl if they get lucky. They’re just boys. Kyouya too.

Erika wonders if this means Kyouya’s feelings for her are just lukewarm. As his sister, she can’t believe she has changed. Erika tries to prove so but makes up exaggerates up the facts. But Reika starts laughing uncontrollably at those ‘jokes’. That’s when Erika snaps back. What’s so funny? She thinks she knows everything because she’s family? Even Kyouya can love. It is her who is treating him like a fool. Reika is impressed she can talk back. Erika won’t stand for anyone badmouthing her boyfriend even if it’s his sister. Reika suggests a challenge. If she wins, she’ll apologize. Tiger versus dog… This might get ugly… Meanwhile Kyouya is hanging out at Takeru’s place. Can you blame him for not wanting to go back when his sister is temporarily staying there? Suddenly he gets a call from Reika to get his ass down to this hotel. He doesn’t want to until he hears how Erika is in a bad shape. She snapped back at her so she took care of it. Instantly that guy heads there and you can see that he is freaking serious that if anything happens to Erika, he’s got a lot more to say back to big sister than her. Then this scene… Erika vomits!!! Ugly. Seems Reika challenged her to an eating contest and since Erika was full from all those cakes, she threw up. Reika slaps Kyouya and then makes him pay the bill. Kyouya learns the truth from Erika of what led up to this. Erika almost fell for his love trap but felt disappointed she let her guard down since things have been going good for a while. Reika is convinced that Kyouya has changed although this feels creepy. She likes Erika because she has got guts and wants to invite her to Kobe to meet their mother. Too bad, she has no say and before she knows it, Erika is already there. So is their mother as mean as them? Well… Holy cow! Big tanned masculine mama! I thought it was some body builder in drag!

Episode 12
Actually that is the big mama from the bar whom they know. Their real mother is a normal and nice lady. Phew. Well, maybe not totally normal because she’s telling Erika silly jokes in hopes to get her to like her. I’m not sure if she’s drunk. Unfortunately Kyouya is being anti-social and holes himself up in his room. Later Reika explains about their family situation. Their parents were divorced when they were young and it had an effect on Kyouya. Although he said he was not mad or anything, he accepted it by closing his heart and gave up. Mother always blamed herself for causing Kyouya to be suspicious of romance and it is only natural he hates her. So with Erika around, she might have changed his perception of that. That night, Reika and Erika dress in their yukata and are about to leave for the fireworks festival when Kyouya surprisingly joins them. However he seems not wanting to do fun things like as though he is here just to dampen the mood with his frown. Erika thought it was strange for him to suddenly come. She thinks he is thinking about his mom and buys some foodstuffs for him to give her. However he tells her off that strangers need not butt in. She’s no stranger. Well, he didn’t ask her. Fine. Erika angrily walks off. Not again. Of course Erika knows this isn’t enough to get her down. Figuring Kyouya isn’t being honest as expected, she calls his mom to come but she turns her down believing Kyouya won’t have fun if she’s around. That’s when Erika starts lying that the siblings got into a fight and it’s getting messy. Because some inconsiderate people accidentally bump into Erika, mother thinks something bad has happened. Erika is glad the first hurdle is passed but she realizes her necklace is gone. And she’s near the dump side. Where to look?

Kyouya and Reika start looking for Erika but cannot find her. When mother arrives, they believe Erika went missing about 30 minutes ago when Kyouya fought with her, about the same time Erika called her. Mother agrees to help look for her. It may sound embarrassing mother is screaming for Erika’s name but save the embarrassment for later because Erika is Kyouya’s precious girlfriend. When they hear commotion near the dump site that a girl is searching for something, Erika is pretty messed up and still trying to find the lost necklace. How many bags of trash has she opened? It may just be an object to others, but it is something precious from Kyouya. She doesn’t want to lose not a single of her precious connections to him. Kyouya starts looking with her and thanks for the fireworks, the light reflects off the shiny metal part of the necklace hidden between the bins. Back home, Kyouya thanks mom for helping him. She is glad he has found a good girl like Erika but that guy still won’t admit it and says it is her clinging to him. He promises to come here more often. Reika also apologizes to Erika for saying mean things about her brother. He was never the type to do things for people. I guess a woman really does mature a man. Next day, they see Kyouya and Erika off at the train station. Reika gave Erika some photos of the siblings when they were young. In school, Erika brags and exaggerates of her time with Kyouya to her friends. Till Kyouya has a talk with her. Then he deletes the photos in her handphone. Her treasure gone. By why have that when you can have the real one? Yes, a real kiss!

Real Love Don’t Lie!
With so many of such romantic comedies around, each is trying to be a little different from the other. Therefore I am with mixed feelings trying to decide that this series is a good one or just another run of the mill romantic comedy. It’s your typical shoujo type anime of girl meets boy and falls for him. The plot and story is simple but hardly anything impressive because for the 2 main characters, some may find them annoying and hardly anything likeable in terms of their personality. For one, Erika started off as a big liar while Kyouya is some prince on a high horse who is riding so high, he thinks he is superior than everyone else. I know 2 wrongs don’t make a right but we’re not talking about morals here. Love is like maths because when 2 negatives come together, it becomes positive. See what it did here when you throw these characters who are a mess themselves together?

In such genres, characters play an important role but as I have already pointed out in my previous paragraph, the main duo are already having negative traits may not appeal to viewers. But I guess it is for comedy’s sake because it would be funny to see and know how Erika gets herself into when this lie starts out. I guess you’re supposed to laugh at her when that happens. And although each time she is put down by one of Kyouya’s indifference, in the end she doesn’t give up. I guess the only good part of her is her perseverance. There are so many times when she is about to break and you might think she will this time but she proves us wrong and gets back on her feet. What doesn’t kill you makes you strong. She just won’t be defeated. Therefore if you don’t succeed at first, try, try and try again. Well, this only makes her look like a masochist, doesn’t it? Well, at least she makes us laugh with all the funny moments.

Erika is having a roller coaster ride of emotions trying to put up with Kyouya who isn’t exactly pushing her away but more like playing hard to get. As she sincerely tries to win his heart and be his true girlfriend, it feels that her lies and part of playing the wolf girl stopped till the final scenes just to remind her why this anime is named so. Even if she didn’t, she wasn’t as good as before. Well, not to say that she is one good liar but she has always gotten this far with her exaggerations but since getting Kyouya as her pretend boyfriend, she just dug a hole so deep that you could actually drop out from the other side of the planet. So I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a blessing in disguise because despite her lies getting her into real trouble, she ended up nailing it and getting the big prize. Therefore I am hoping that this show doesn’t send the wrong message that lying could land you a good looking guy. It’s just funny and sometimes pitiful to see Erika going through a myriad of emotions from love sick to just everything. All she truly wants is just to be in love and to be loved back. Heck, every girl wants that too.

And then there is Kyouya who is playing hard to get thanks to his superiority complex. From the teasing flashback, it indicates to us that something may have gone wrong for him to be this way. But somehow I can’t feel let down by the revelation that it was just his parents’ divorce. Of course, it is understandable that as a kid, it is a big shock and will scar the rest of your life when daddy and mommy dearest decide to split up the family. Even more disappointing was the destroyed snowman turned out to be just Reika’s naughty doing. It was shown like as though it was the key to whatever trauma he had. Nope. Yeah. Maybe as a little kid that can be quite traumatic too. So in the end after all that bugging, he gives in, right? He might not be honest with himself but veteran viewers can tell he loves her as much as she does for him despite all that excuses of following her out, buying gifts and saving her from punks who like to hit on any pretty girl they see. That is his way of showing his love, I guess. And that final kiss seals it. I don’t think that is a bluff.

Therefore it is sometimes funny yet frustrating to see the interaction between Erika and Kyouya. The ups and downs in their relationship. She wants to get close to him but he pushes away. Every time she breaks the door down, he builds another one up. Heck, he even made her cry a few times! That’s bad for a guy, right? Even with only a dozen episodes, their love is progressing slowly but surely although you sometimes don’t know which way it is going because when it seemed like going down, then suddenly it u-turns and goes back up, vice versa. Heck, otherwise it wouldn’t live up to its series’ name. Just like real life, perhaps it is to reflect that real love doesn’t come easy and there are lots of struggles and obstacles to overcome. I know it would be easy for them if they just be honest with each other but then again like I’ve said, what is the series’ name again? Also, it shows that even pretty boys like Kyouya who can get any girl he wants isn’t perfect. It is because he can’t nail a decent girlfriend before Erika showed up is proof of that. Thus I have been thinking had Erika never showed up in his life, would he have turned gay? Unthinkable!

Other side characters feel okay although they are only relevant for that little arc. After that, they don’t feel important or relevant anymore since the entire series revolves around Kyouya and Erika. Duh. I feel like they serve as just the next stepping stone for Erika in her quest to win Kyouya’s heart. Starting off with Kimura who wants revenge against him (at least he is seen in the final scene hooking up with someone. So I guess he’s already gotten over that episode), then with best friend Takeru trying to match make them (show me those abs again dude!), the shy guy Kusakabe whom Erika could have gotten a happy ever after ending but turned him down because he wasn’t as cool as Kyouya (I still can’t believe she rejected this nice guy!!!), Nozomi the big Playboy trying to turn Kyouya into a harem believer (he got converted instead) and finally big sister-cum-big bully making her mark (thankfully being mean doesn’t run in the family because mommy is such a nice woman).

As for recurring supporting characters, they too aren’t making a great impact overall on the story. Because like for San, there is only a limit how much a best friend can do and cover for her. More than that, you’re on your own. So she’s there sometimes giving advice and somebody Erika could talk to. Otherwise, she’s not making as much impact as the rest. Oddly, I am wondering if there is going to be some sort of side romance between Nozomi and San. In the final episode, it seems hinting that Nozomi is interested in her but she is clearly ignoring him. Now that he is free from his girls, he has no one to hang out with but why bug San? It could only mean that, right? I’m not sure if Nozomi is going to do an Erika by persevering till San gives in. But that would be another story. As for Marin and Tezuka, those are the kind of friends you can write off as b*tches. They’re like bad company but a mild one. Clearly they don’t fit with Erika but since she is so desperate then, anything goes. I’m guessing Erika values her friendship with them despite at times they talk bad and play pranks on her so they can’t be all that bad, huh?

As with this kind of romance genres, the art and drawing is of course leaning towards your bishoujo and bishonen types. Every main and supporting character and even the backgrounds characters here look good enough that you wonder if there are ugly people in this world. Because it is ironic that if falling in love with physical appearances is a factor for one to fall in love, then heck, anybody could fall in love with anybody. So bad boys, loser boys, delinquent girls, mean girls, mothers and even that hunky mama (?!) can still look this good, nobody has to worry about putting on beauty products. Ahem. Before I get carried away, let me just summarize that the art is typical and good for this kind of genre so there is nothing to complain. So much so, it is pretty normal by today’s standards nowadays.

Voice acting feels okay. Kanae Itou (Ohana in Hanasaku Iroha) takes on Erika’s role while Takahiro Sakurai (Suzaku in Code Geass) does Kyouya. The rest of the other casts include Ai Kayano as San (Mei in Sukitte Iinayo), Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Nozomi (Kirito in Sword Art Online), Yoshimasa Hosoya as Takeru (Shichika in Katanagatari), Ayumu Murase as Kusakabe (Jaw in Kiseijuu), Mai Nakahara as Reika (Mai in Mai-HiME), Mariya Ise as Marin (Levi in Fairy Tail) and Mikako Komatsu as Tezuka (Tsugumi in Nisekoi). The opening theme is a generic rock pop song, Love Good Time by SpecialThanks while the ending theme is Ookami Heart by Oresama which sounds like a pop piece mixing in some synthesizer sound effects. Personally, I find this quite okay and better than the opener.

I know that everyone wants to make a good impression because first impression always counts. But exaggerating and going so far as to lie is never cool. Even white lies have its limits. But are you willing to leave it all to fate? Erika shows here how she ditched that fate thingy and tried to control destiny with her hands. Well, it took her a lot of tries, though. All in all, this light-hearted series has some funny and romantic moments that is overall enjoyable and nothing too heavy. But because of Miss Liar and Mr Superior overwhelming everything with that negative trait of theirs, some may find it less palatable. After all, they are just humans like the rest of us. They are flawed and want to experience love. So put in the effort and work towards love because in the end, that will never betray or lie to you.