English Dub Review: Meiji Tokyo Renka “Labyrinth of Love and Heartache”

Nothing really happened, but surprisingly, I was still entertained.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The date of the full moon is fast approaching, and with it, Mei’s return to Tokyo. Episode nine, Labyrinth of Love and Heartache is filled with her reflections on this upcoming due date. We also get a tiny bit of insight into how Ougae feels about Mei’s departure. This episode is mainly filled with little gags and a lot of flashbacks, but we do get one cliffhanger ended by the time the credits roll: Mei can stay here forever!

Our Take:

The day of Mei’s return to present-day Tokyo is soon approaching, and Ougae is getting nervous. She’s been standing on her balcony for hours, just staring at the moon overhead. Ougae wonders if it has to do with her leaving soon, and oddly enough he isn’t far from the mark. Back when Mei had just been sent back to Meiji-era Tokyo by the strange blue-haired street magician named Charlie, he told her she could return to her present time period during the next full moon. At that point in time, it was annoying to have to wait so long, but now? A lot of things have changed. At least, that’s what this episode wants us to believe. But I’m not totally sure I buy it.

It’s important to recognize what a major moment this episode represents for Mei. Despite nothing exceptionally exciting happening when it comes to action or overt plot development, I think Mei’s change from waiting for the full moon to dreading its approach, to actively fighting against being returned to her proper time period is a shift worth an entire episode. If only it would’ve been a bit better executed. Staying in a completely different time period for your entire life is a BIG DEAL. Mei is a teenager. Teenagers are notoriously dumb, everyone can agree on that. I’m not sure if I should be rooting for or against her and Ougae at this junction. Clearly, the show is on their side. But I find it hard to bring myself around to it. For example, in this episode, Ougae is so busy working on his writing (which turns out to be a novel about a love story… wink-wink!) that he has no free time to spend with Mei. How can they have cultivated such a meaningful relationship when they can go entire days without even speaking or interacting? Even when they do meet up, it’s only at meal times. How prepared is Mei to make such a big decision like this based on a single guy she barely knows who won’t even spend time with her? Is that question legal to ask about a romance anime based on a dating simulator game? These are the things that keep me up at night.

Along with all these deeper questions, episode nine brought lots of good-natured humor to the table. I feel like the episodes where we follow Mei more closely are usually the better ones, at least when it comes to comedy. She’s such a fun, genuine person that it’s hard to be too serious around her. It’s hard to imagine anybody not being charmed by her playful rendition of the plot of Ougae’s story, which she acts out for Fumi as she ‘helps’ tidy up around the house. We even get the fourth wall breaking moment when a written sound effect from a ‘mid-day cannon’ bursts in, forcing Mei to shove it back outside in order to let Ougae work in peace. Meiji Tokyo Renka doesn’t take itself too seriously, either, and that’s a big point in its favor in my book.

The ending to this episode might be perceived as a good one since Charlie says Mei can remain with Ougae in this timeline forever. I’m not sure, though. The magician Charlie is not a good guy here! He still hasn’t given an explanation for why he sent her back in time without at least a ‘heads-up’ first. And he shows up whenever he feels like it. There’s definitely something fishy going on with him, given how easily he agrees to let Mei stay and how he loves being physically assaulted. (I love that Mei takes no crap from him: “Ew, no! You’re so weird.”

The English dub is great this week, with Madeleine Morris continuing to shine in the role of Mei. Her vocal performances remind me just how key a good dub can be. Even when there’s a lackluster beat meant to be funny in the script, it can get raised up purely by a fun, upbeat delivery: “Hi! I wanted to say goodnight.”  Mei shushing the dogs was definitely one of the highlights for me: “Please fight quieter! Ougae is trying to focus on his work so only soft barks are allowed from here on out.” Finally, let’s appreciate how much Charlie loves a good kink: “The next time you want to hit or kick me, you should throw in a few dirty words for good measure.”

For an episode where nothing really happens, Labyrinth of Love and Heartache brings a lot of inner turmoil to the table regarding Mei’s prolonged stay in Ougae’s world. A world that celebrates her ghostly abilities rather than ridiculing her for them. Getting somewhat of a breather episode while the reality of Mei having to leave sinks in isn’t a bad thing, and there were tons of funny moments and good gags that made me smile. I just wish I could see what Ougae and Mei see in each other.