Whenever gaming is involved, I instantly add a show to my list, which is why Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games made it on just the title alone. That’s right… I didn’t even read the show’s synopsis before adding it to my watch list. Well, needless to say, when the first episode started, I tilted my head in confusion because I didn’t immediately recognize the show from the Japanese name alone, and it wasn’t what I was expecting. Did I make a terrible mistake?
Let’s go!
First Episode Synopsis
Aya has entered a prim and proper academy on a scholarship, where she looks to refine herself and become a true lady. When she drops her handkerchief, it is returned to her by Mio, otherwise known as The White Lily. While Mio is new herself, her charm, her grace, and just her pure aura have already captivated the entire student body to the point where she is revered as pure perfection. Figuring Aya will never see her again, she puts the interaction out of her mind and goes on her way.
As she’s on her way back to her dorm room, she hears some loud tapping coming from one of the empty classrooms. When she opens the door, she sees Aya in full nerd mode, beating some poor, helpless soul in Street Fighter 6. Aya makes the mistake of her life by muttering “SF6” loud enough for Mio to hear. From that day forward, Mio begins to stalk her, staring at her, and creeping her out. Aya figures that Mio is paranoid that she’s going to run and tell the teachers, and because all forms of gaming are strictly prohibited on academy grounds, Mio wouldn’t want to run the risk of getting expelled.
However, that’s not the case. Because Aya recognized her playing Street Fighter 6 without even seeing her screen, Mio knows that she plays, too, but Aya has her reasons as to why she gave it up. Mio isn’t interested in her babbling and wants to fight her right there and now. Aya caves and gives her the match of her life. It seems as if the two bonded and have become renegade gaming buddies… until the janitor catches them and they pull a Dr. Nick Riviera. (+1000 points if you get that reference).
Worth Watching?
MAYBE – Right off the bat, I was confused when this episode started. Yes, that is completely my fault for adding a show to my list without reading the synopsis, but hey, life should be full of surprises, right? Well, thinking I was getting a posh and proper show about ladies’ etiquette and high society surely surprised me. Those types of shows are not my cup of tea, but then I quickly realized that this was the gaming show I wanted to watch, and suddenly, a knot formed in my stomach because the premise I had envisioned wasn’t exactly the one I was getting.
Yes… I know… again… My fault.
However, as soon as the gaming scenes kicked in, the show won me over… slightly. I’m still not a big fan of the world it’s set in, nor am I a fan of the style of humor, but watching these two duke it out, and watching Mio gush over Street Fighter, kind of makes me want to stick around and see if this show is truly worth watching, which is why I’m giving it the MAYBE tag.
I won’t lie, though. The first episode was kind of mid with some flashes of excitement, but I’m more than willing to give this one a shot to see if it can win me over.
