English Dub Review: Dagashi Kashi “Convenience Store, Job Magazine, and…”

A new battle begins Dagashi vs. Convenience Store. The fight of the century is on.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

There’s a new sheriff, er, a convenience store in town, and that poses a big problem for Kokonotsu’s revival of his failing snack store. Koko and friends decide to investigate the competition and see what they’re up against. But they’re countered by a powerful man in a business suit, demanding they stop lurking in the bushes so they don’t disturb the other customers. With piercing eyes, he stands tall over our brave heroes and commands them inside, making sure to warn them about the automatic door. (They DO live in the boonies, after all)

But as they enter the magnificence of the fluorescent-lit store, their host turns to greet them with a completely different face. With the charm and charisma of a game show host, he introduces himself as Yutaka Beni, a master of the glorious convenience store. He’s come to change this town, bringing it a future more convenient than ever before, and he’s got his sights set on vanquishing Koko’s snack shop, a dinosaur standing in the way of the future. It’s pretty clear this guy is a little insane in the membrane, but his determination is palpable. He proceeds to show off the numerous glories of the convenience store: ready-to-eat food, drinks, and even dirty magazines line the shelves of this all-in-one temple of convenience. The coup-de-grace, however, is the dazzling array of craft sweets on display; handmade cakes and pastries that put anything Koko sells to shame.

It seems all is lost for our intrepid hero, but in a startling turnabout, Koko outright dismisses the beautiful snacks. He declares that they’ll never sell, for the plain and simple reason that they’re far too expensive. Koko suggests, rather naively, that he should stock simpler, cheaper snacks that people can afford. Realizing his folly, Yutaka bursts into tears of respect for his newfound rival, appreciating the virtuousness of his foe who would so willingly share that kind of knowledge.

Later, Koko sees that the convenience store is doing quite well, and returns to his empty snack shop, head hung low. But as he opens the door, none other than the eccentric Yutaka Beni stands before him. After a good amount of yelling, Yutaka parlays with Koko to arrange a partnership: he wants Koko to come work for him. He proceeds to declare his love of convenience stores to Kokonotsu, but our boy isn’t terribly interested in Yutaka’s shenanigans. That is, however, until hears the pay is 850 yen an hour, a princely sum 100 yen above the average wage in town. But Koko isn’t convinced just yet, so Yutaka has to bring out the big guns. Swinging open an official looking briefcase, he presents Koko with the most enticing of prizes: a dazzling display of dirty magazines. His temptation reaches critical mass, but fist clenched, he thinks back to Hotaru’s passion, and proudly declares that the pleasures he’s seeking are greater than mere magazines. Yutaka sees that pride and acknowledges it, but still persists, showing him a silly ad in the local paper that’s apparently surefire going to make him want to work there. Spoiler: It doesn’t, but Koko notices a picture of a particularly shy-looking girl in the ad, and wonders why she stands out so much from the others. No doubt, next week will shed light on this mysterious newcomer.

Our Take:

This was a fantastic episode. Well-paced, funny, exciting, and Yutaka Beni and all his nuttiness fit right into the Dagashi Kashi family. It’s good to see this show taking on more conflict because so often the episodes just feel a touch pointless. But Hotaru’s disappearance and Koko’s stepping up to take his family store seriously has added a new spice to the show, keeping me intrigued to see what happens next. Unfortunately, the major drawback to this is that the show’s limited runtime is starting to weigh down its ambitious new direction. I want more, but it seems I’ll have to get my snack food romantic comedy in small doses. Still, credit where it’s due. This episode is a darn good time.