KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE

Episodes 5-6

Two episodes' worth of Kaiju Girl Caramelise leaves me with too much to write about, so I'm going to skip the preamble and dive right into Kuroe's monster-sized misadventures in romance.

The fifth episode continues the series' theme of smart subversions. Kuroe's instinct to hide her new relationship with Arata is confronted and quickly dismissed, and that's a great way to sidestep a common dramatic cul-de-sac in these stories. We can understand how her insecurities drive Kuroe's actions, but we also know that she knows better than to dismiss Arata's feelings. Arata, in fact, tells her to be more selfish. And he's right! Girls like Kuroe (hi) make themselves small. They apologize too much. They push their own wants and desires down for the sake of others, but they are also bad at reading into what other people truly want from them. More often than not, it's what Arata asks for. While selflessness is noble to a point, every person needs their own stalwart sense of direction, lest they be forever socially adrift.

Kuroe then finds some trail markers in the form of Raimu, a chipper gyaru who takes an interest in dolling up her new and gloomy classmate. There's one interaction that I believe best defines their dynamic: Kuroe, sad that her lipstick came off, wants to ask Raimu where she obtained it, yet she feels self-conscious about coming across as overly friendly or creepy. However, when she gathers up the nerve to ask, Raimu is all too happy to drag her to the exact store for a little shopping date. I've been in Kuroe's position before, so allow me to confirm that women love to tell you about where they bought something. It rules. I can compliment a part of their ensemble I really like, ask them where they got it, and presto: easy conversation and education, which is particularly valuable if you are new to the ways of womaning. Try it for yourself sometime!

Additionally, Raimu surprises Kuroe with her own kaiju analog: King Kong (note that her last name Kohno is pretty similar to Kong). And while I can appreciate the series expanding on its gimmick, this iteration is quite a bit more fraught than Kuroe's troubles with transformation. There isn't a lot of other media that explores the phenomenon of a girl growing into a Godzilla. Unfortunately, there is a long history of women being depicted as apes for misogynist and racist reasons. Even if this is not the authorial intent, Raimu's makeup-free face echoes this precedent, and I'm not sure the series takes it far enough into reclamation territory to fully justify this particular kaiju-based gag.

That contention aside, I really like Raimu's character and place in the story. She speaks further to the ways that “unattractive” women are dehumanized and forced into specific boxes deemed “appropriate” for them (e.g., the funny one). I also appreciate the overall argument for makeup as a powerful and wonderful tool for expressing oneself. I am very new to makeup myself, having only used it a handful of times, but I could feel the extra confidence it gave me this past Otakon weekend. I think we can skip past the usual arguments about whether makeup is good or bad—whether every woman should use it or no women should. Ultimately, it comes down to bodily autonomy. Every woman should be free to use as much or as little makeup as she wants. Makeup is something I do for myself, because I like how I look in it, and I'm glad this episode reaches the same conclusion.

This theme of camaraderie between women continues into the next episode. Raimu gives Kuroe tips on applying blush that she promptly botches (don't worry, Kuroe, I'm right there with you). Kuroe then notices and compliments the makeup on Raimu's entourage, which quickly smooths over their prior prickliness, as we see a nice montage of the entire group of girls enjoying their campout. After all, this is not just a story about Kuroe gaining the confidence to date a really hot guy. It is equally important that Kuroe fosters these friendships with her peers, because they can support her when she feels unkind to herself. Her social rehabilitation is romantic, platonic, and everything in between.

This manifests most directly in her new bond with Raimu, where Kuroe surprisingly finds herself taking on the role of a protector. She immediately clocks Okada's reappearance as bad news, and despite Raimu's reassurances, she correctly assumes she shouldn't let her friend tackle this situation all on her own. While Raimu is not a damsel by any means, she's letting her thirst for revenge cloud her judgment, when the best move was always to continue ignoring Okada's existence. Guys like him don't deserve that extra attention, even if it is negative. Raimu is a bigger person than he is.

However, this poor decision leads to my favorite moment of the episode, where Kuroe intentionally transforms to protect Raimu's bare face from being revealed. This is the first instance where Kuroe recognizes her kaiju form as useful, pushing her usual insecurities aside for the sake of another. It's an act of heroism instead of a tirade from an angsty teenager. Raimu, too, feels that call and rescues the other student, even though it reveals her face to her classmates. Now, there was never any doubt in my mind that they would accept her by the end of the episode. I was nevertheless moved by everyone sharing their makeup with her, returning her original kindness by being kind themselves. Compared to the prior episode, this adds up to a less jokey application of her King Kong mode with a better emotional payoff. While Raimu's kaiju side can't fully escape its fraught history, the series still finds affecting and effective ways for her to proselytize about the power of makeup.

Let's not forget Arata, though, who has quite the interesting excursion himself. In the span of maybe an hour, he narrowly misses out on his first kiss with Kuroe, receives a peck from her on his cheek, and then shares his first true smooch with a practically blushing Harugon. I hope size-difference lovers everywhere were hollering at that last instance. It is the first screenshot from this week that I saw posted to Bluesky, and it is surely one that will be bandied as emblematic of the series' appeal from this point forward. While there's a part of me that wishes he would knowingly make out with monster-mode Kuroe already, I cannot find it in me to fault this particular moment. It's too cute.

Then the show twists its knife, as Kuroe subsequently wonders if she'll ever find her giant lizard form attractive. It's a piercing and vulnerable admission. Makeup, clothing, presentation, and confidence can go far, but they cannot go all the way. Ultimately, we all know the “ugly” parts of ourselves, whether they be physical traits, bad habits, or other sides we try not to show others. Sometimes they can be improved. Oftentimes they can't. There is a lot I've had to negotiate with myself in this past year of transitioning, and those negotiations will continue into the future. I know I feel more confident as a person than I ever have. I willingly take and share photos of myself. That would have been unfathomable to me a year ago! I'm happy about that, but in some ways, I feel just as insecure about my unvarnished, “true” self. Can I learn to properly love that side of myself too? I like to think I can, so I hope Kuroe does as well. Because she's right; she is pretty.

Episode 5 Rating:

Episode 6 Rating:

KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Sylvia is on Bluesky for all of your posting needs. She is a girl who likes kaiju. You can also catch her chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.