I seriously must be a masochist for still having a slight interest in this series.

Really… when exactly did Zero no Tsukaima begin its plummet? It was somewhere in the choppiness of Futatsuki no Kishi, but I can’t remember exactly when. Images of Colbert-sensei and Agnes going emo come to mind though. Regardless, it doesn’t matter at this point. Princess no Rondo has been hovering around below average since the first episode. At this point, one can only hope it stays above the Mendoza Line and avoids complete suckage.

Louise’s tsundere novelty wore off back in the first season. She redeemed herself a bit in Futatsuki no Kishi by finally accepting her feelings for Saito and getting over that ojou-sama complex she cherishes; however, that was all undone by her tirade during the final moments of that season. With Princess no Rondo, I’ll give Lousie credit for trying, but her “BAKA INU!” routine is completely dead and buried. It’s part of her character, yes, but the frequency and intensity of it is where the annoyance resonates.

We know Saito loves Louise. We also know Saito has a penis, and thus cannot help acting the way he does. However, he definitely tries to behave and his affection of Louise is genuinely there and expressed. With Louise, we know she loves Saito; we’ve seen her admit it. We also know she’s stubborn when it comes to expressing her romantic feelings. Yet, she still, after 2 seasons and change, has her explosive outbursts. At this point in the story, those should be less frequent and much less intense. Did the script writers forget that Louise and Saito have had strides in their relationship and that Louise’s antics are counterintuitive? Butting heads is expected, but the whiplashing, void explosions, and full Kugamiya Rie rage absolutely needs to be de-emphasized. J.C. Staff has relied on that trick for way too long now and it’s making Princess no Rondo even more unwatchable. I haven’t read the novels, so is she like this at this point in the story? Does her violent stubbornness continue this far?

I am not advocating the idea that Louise give up her prime characteristics–Louise without her tsundere goodness is no Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere–but am advocating that her personality be expressed differently. Louise can still have her jealous and aggressive moments, as well as her lovestruck moments. In episode 4, when Saito said he wanted to talk about Tiffania instead of have dinner with Louise, instead of Louise flaming in anger and throwing Saito out, make the anger productive. Louise can still get pissed off, but having her say why she was pissed off (or even hinting at it) and eliminating the flying silverware would have fit the story better. Same personalities, same outburst, but you’re no retarding the plot’s development.

There are plenty of legitimate complaints about Zero no Tsukaima ranging from poor plot pacing to excessive reliance on fanservice to anticlimactic endings. Really at this point, it’s “pick your poison.” However, for me it’s the poor treatment of Saito and Louise’s relationship that has consistently left an unsatisfying taste in my mouth. Why spend 25 episodes over 2 years bringing two character together, only to waste it by having one of them act like it never happened. Why sour things just to keep a character’s image the same as it was in episode 1 of season 1? Character development should be a good thing. If continually highlighting the extreme of Louise’s tsuntsun side and her theatrical jealousy are more important that character development and plot progression, I probably should have stopped with the first season.

At least we still have Noto Mamiko.