REVIEW: ‘SHOSHIMIN: How To Become Ordinary’ Episodes 1-4

The first season of SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary, from studio Lapin Track, was a surprisingly enjoyable mystery that focused on the lives of two high school students, Jougorou Kobato (Shuichiro Umeda) and Yuki Osanai (Hina Yomiya). They’re just trying to be ordinary when they get sucked into a larger mystery. SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 build on the extraordinary circumstances the students find themselves in, adding new mysteries to uncover.

SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 starts by shifting the focus away from Kobato and Osanai. Takahiko Urino takes center stage, and as a writer for the school newspaper, there is plenty for him to do. A rash of mysterious fires started popping up in the area, so Urino sets out to get to the bottom of who is causing them.

It’s nice to focus on the lives of Kobato and Osanai’s other classmates, and thankfully, SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 doesn’t entirely remove them from the situation. Osanai is particularly important still because she is dating Urino. Their relationship pushed Urino to dig into the fires, but it comes at a cost.

Osanai is still committed to living an ordinary life. At one point, she tells Urino that she dislikes his ambition and is only attracted to blatantly ordinary people. This has been Osanai’s go-to approach from the start, but it does not always match her actions. She is the one who pushes Urino to write, so it is a little unexpected when she then tries to tell him his achievements are unimpressive.

SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 feel completely organic.

Still, Urino is committed, and watching him work makes it easy to see why. He is quite intelligent and can figure out things no one else can. He can predict where the fires will happen next, leading some to believe he is the one causing them. This mystery unravels slowly, making it impossible to know for sure if he is involved or not.

It is all completely organic, too. The arguments at the paper’s editorial meetings flow naturally, and the students all act like you would expect. Not everyone is on board with Urino’s investigation, but their motives are unclear. Could one of them be involved in the fires? Do they know something about them that they don’t want to get out?

Those underlying questions make SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 so enjoyable. Everything seems straightforward on the surface, but there is so much lurking beneath that it is impossible to figure out what is happening. Even when things seem ordinary, there is always the potential for a new discovery to flip everything on its head.

SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 also sprinkle in bits and pieces from the first season to keep everyone on the edge of their seat. One of the fires involves the van used in a kidnapping, meaning it could be a larger conspiracy than just a few fires. These references tie in Urino’s investigation to the larger story and add more layers to a much bigger mystery that still needs to be uncovered.

The pace in SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 is slow, but it allows breathing room.

The pacing remains slow, but that is not a bad thing. It allows the story time to breathe, and it makes Urino’s investigation feel more challenging. Even though he does seem to find answers quickly, the truth takes a while to come out. It also allows for more individual character moments for the background students, fleshing out the world they all inhabit.

The visual components of SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 are as impressive as ever. Even ordinary scenes, such as characters eating lunch together, are animated with care, bringing these moments to life. However, the ones with burning backgrounds, as Urino investigates the fires, are the best. Seeing these fires intensifies the situation.

SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 sets up a fantastic new mystery that builds on the one from the first season. Intentional pacing and beautiful visuals bring the world to life in an organic way that never overstays its welcome.

SHOSHIMIN Season 2 Episodes 1-4 are streaming now on Crunchyroll.