Summary
With its second episode, Tomo-Chan is a Girl! touches on more serious topics, proving this series has more to offer than just surface-level comedy while remaining quirky and fun.
We recap the Crunchyroll anime series Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Season 1 Episode 2, “Tomo’s Skirt/The School Idol,” which contains spoilers.
The first episode of Tomo-Chan is a Girl! set the foundation for what should be a fun romantic comedy series. The idea of a tomboy looking to be seen as more feminine could feel dated to some viewers, but the genuine intentions of the characters help the series feel more grounded and less like a gimmick. Last week was all about getting to know these new characters. This week Tomo-Chan is a Girl! dives deeper into the relationship between these teens while also balancing more mature topics at the same time to really gives this anime some depth.
Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Season 1 Episode 2 Recap
The first half of the episode opens with Jun inviting Tomo to sit next to him on the bus. While she initially agrees, she soon becomes too embarrassed and chooses to stand up instead. Suddenly, a man begins to grope her, causing Tomo to shift through a range of emotions, including denial, confusion, and anger, as she tries to make sense of what is happening to her. Not wanting Jun to see what’s happening, Tomo tries to pretend it’s not happening. Her obvious discomfort attracts Jun’s attention regardless, and he immediately attacks the man assaulting her.
For a moment, Tomo is on a high as she reminisces about how Jun took control of the situation for her. She’s brought back to reality though when Jun suggests that she should stop wearing skirts to school. When she relays the story to Misuzu, her friend is simultaneously concerned and outraged on her behalf. However, when Tomo reveals that Jun finds her skirts distracting, Misuzu wonders if maybe he just doesn’t want to see her get assaulted again. Tomo mistakes this for Jun caring about her, but Misuzu continues, pointing out that Tomo’s skirt is shorter than normal, even despite the shorts she wears underneath.
After being punched by Tomo for his earlier comments, Jun is thrilled to find out she is no longer mad and willing to walk home with him. He’s shocked when he sees her, though, as she is not wearing her usual shorts under her skirt at the suggestion of Misuzu. He’s almost too flustered to look at her, and when they get to the bus, he convinces himself that every other man is a potential threat to Tomo.
Once off the bus, Jun refuses to look at Tomo, choosing to walk ahead of her. It eventually upsets her so much, she grabs his arm, but the action causes her skirt to blow up. Jun gets so flustered, he passes out. When he comes to, he apologizes for how he acted before but Tomo’s too distracted by his face to hear him. Still, the two make up in the hall later after some influence from Misuzu.
The second half of the episode opens with a busty girl named Carol walking down the school hallway as various boys call out to her, asking if they can do favors for her. Tomo looks on as the males flock towards her, wondering how she became as girly as she is. Misuzu explains that not only her looks get her noticed, but her personality. Tomo mistakes this to mean Carol’s defenselessness, confusing her.
Tomo is surprised to run into Carol and Misaki together in the hall. She asks how they know one another, and Carol tells her they are in an arranged marriage. After finding out Tomo is not only a female, but friends with Misaki, she seems intent on picking a fight with Tomo by calling her “dumbbell” whenever she sees her.
Carol approaches Misuzu, looking for dirt on Tomo in exchange for cake, but when she asks how to knock Tomo out, Misuzu directs her to Jun instead. With nothing better to do after school, he agrees to help her. Yet, after assessing her strength, he concludes she is too weak to engage in a fight. Carol hopes that Jun will be able to make her strong enough to fight someone.
Ending Explained
When Jun picks Carol up to train her after class, Tomo finds herself both surprised and nervous. Misuzu further stirs the pot by telling her she’s never Jun act this friendly with another girl before. Even in club, Tomo is preoccupied with thoughts of Jun and Carol together. Meanwhile, Jun slowly realizes Carol has zero stamina and athletic ability.
Tomo shows up to the gym to see what they’re doing, only to find Jun training Carol. Carol reveals that the person she intends to fight is Tomo, while Tomo begins to berate Jun. Watching Jun and Tomo interact, Carol realizes that Tomo is no threat to her relationship with Misaki and leaves. She still takes Misuzu out for cake as she promised, but when Carol asks if this makes them friends, Misuzu suggests she ask Tomo instead. Carol is afraid she has already messed up her chance but is assured that Tomo will still agree.
Carol’s pleased to gain both Tomo and Misuzu as friends after asking. The episode ends with Tomo telling Jun Carol is not that bad. As Jun says Carol and Misuzu are all the rage amongst the guys right now, he accidentally reveals that he and Misuzu dated for a brief period in middle school, shocking Tomo.
After this episode, I still stand by my initial assumption that this series and romance are going somewhere. At times, they make a joke or comment that seems a little out of touch, only to come full circle with a much deeper storyline and outcome than you were expecting. I was pleasantly surprised to see how they addressed Tomo’s feelings at the beginning of the episode, as they felt more realistic than I was expecting. It’s nice to see not everything is a joke all the time.
Carol’s airheadedness and schtick, where she appears in random places, turned out to be funnier than I expected. At first, I thought it was going to annoy me, but like most characters, she grew on me after realizing that’s just who she is. By the end of the episode, her character is given a little more backstory to help you understand. It makes seeing her and Tomo become friends much more rewarding, especially in a series where Tomo could easily be portrayed as a jealous or mean character because of her looks.
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