English Dub Review: Mother of the Goddess’ Dormitory (Uncensored): “Sutea Reflects on the Kotatsu / Koushi Tackles Spring Cleaning”

Overview: Koushi (Brittany Karbowski) and the girls enjoy their new kotatsu and later Kosuhi does some spring cleaning for Atena (Christina Kelly), Frey (Melody Spade), Mineru (Carli Mosier) and Serena (Natalie Rial) with Sutea (Juliet Simmons).   

Our Take: I have to thank this episode for clarifying all the important aspects of life I’ve been missing out on. Because little did I know that a kotatsu is the greatest invention in human history since that of sliced bread. At least that’s what this episode would have you believe, because you could create a great drinking game of how many times the word, “kotatsu” is said and/or the amount of times it is praised. This warm little heating table instigates so much fanservice under it   ranging from footsies to…some more footsies. When you boil it all down, this is just simple inconsequential fun, but doesn’t really move Koushi, Atena or any of the characters forward.

Besides Mineru getting a new lab to no doubt increase her sketchy experiments that she loves to get up to, the side development in Serena’s appreciation of Koushi and the girls for accepting her feels like just that. A story element on the side that doesn’t get as much focus or, at least, similar emotional execution as the rest of the other girls in the dorm. Hopefully the story will be able to circle back to her whether it be on that point specifically or another aspect of her as gets out of her comfort zone. Koushi also gets to do some spring cleaning, and while that may sound like your average ol’ run-of-the-mill slice-of-life affair, it does bring Atena’s feelings closer to light as she tips them off to Koushi. Granted, she was disoriented and Koushi had trouble fully understanding her but similarly to Serena’s moon magic, may come into play later down the line. But of course, before anything could really come out of it, the stick-in-the-mud Sutea arrives to derail it. She’s 2-0 for the worst friend Koushi could have and a constant frustration to watch on account of her being a killjoy. She wouldn’t even let poor Koushi enjoy his kotatsu. Unforgivable.