Urusei Yatsura – 31 – Shinobu in Futureland

Miyake Shinobu has terrible luck in men, who always seem be freaks like the lip monster or pervs like Ataru. She asks Sakura to examine whether it’s the result of a curse, but the onmyouji nurse can’t find anything. Sakura tells Shinobu it’s just her fate, but she’s still young, and her ideal man will surely come along someday.

Shinobu assumes Sakura is simply telling her this to make her feel better, but on her way home from food shopping she encounters a handsome, princely lad starving behind some trash cans. Then he eats one of her raw carrots and she sees that he’s wearing a white rabbit suit. So, another freak!

When the rabbit lad asks her on a date and won’t take no for an answer, Shinobu has the same thing for him she has for anyone who messes with her: a knuckle sandwich that sends him flying. He almost collides with an airborne Lum, but vanishes into a hyperspace portal.

Shinobu discovers he left a mysterious old fashioned key behind. Upon returning, the rabbit guy, named Inaba, rejoins his co-workers, also guys in rabbit suits. When he realizes he doesn’t have the key, they all panic, for the key in the hands of a “normie” could be catastropic.

But then they realize there’s no way a normie would be able to use a key, because they assume Shinobu doesn’t know an alien girl who can build a door for the key. Once opened, Shinobu, Lum, and Ataru all fall through and enter the same dimension full of doors where we saw Inaba running around in last week’s closing scene.

Since Shinobu opened another door while falling, the trio decide to go through it. They end up in a place that looks and feels like their town, but everything’s a little different. Then a ganguro cycles past, Ataru chases after her, and Lum chases after him, leaving Shinobu all alone in this strange place.

It isn’t long until she encounters someone addressing a woman with a kid as “Shinobu”—someone who looks and sounds a lot like her. When the kid addresses an older version of Ataru’s mom as “grandma”, it confirms it: she’s in a future where she married Ataru. This is … not optimal for Shinobu, and Inaba pops out of a trash can to confirm she doesn’t accept this particular fate.

Meanwhile, Ataru and Lum spot Sakura’s fiance with two kids, one of whom looks like Sakura. Ataru assumes the guy is two-timing Sakura, but when they follow him home they find they got married after all. Once her husband has seen their kids to their respective rooms, he and Sakura start getting hot and heavy, which not only Ataru and Lum but also Shinobu and Inaba can’t help but watch until Sakura sends them packing.

What of old Ataru? Well, Mendou arrives by Toyota Century to personally fire him from his corporation, once and for all severing all connections with his high school nemesis. Present-day Ataru ends up catching Future Mendou’s sword, but Lum spots Ataru talking with a future Lum (when she switched from bikini to a dress, we may never know).

Unfortunately for our Lum, this Ataru is speaking to Lum like a friend, not his wife. He also mentions her husband, who turns out to be Rei, while Ran is revealed to be a miserable spinster devoted to making Lum and Rei’s lives a living hell. It’s just not a particularly optimal future for anyone.

Before they can make another move, the four are swiftly captured by Inaba’s co-workers with the “Fortune Manufacturing Office.” They ponder whether to send these contaminated normies to a dark dimension or simply drug them, and settle for serving them tea Mad Hatter-style before bonking them on the heads with wooden mallets.

Alas, these FMO officers don’t know who their effing with. Between Ataru’s elusiveness, Lum’s flight ability, and Shinobu’s strength, the three are able to easily give their captors the slip, taking Inaba along with them. He leads them to an FMO locker room where they all don bunny suits so they can travel freely through possible futures.

Did I mention that Lum and Shinobu are made to wear bunny girl costumes, not bunny mascot costume like Ataru? Anywho, they try another door hoping to find a better future, only to find an even worse one where Lum is married to Lum and now does ojou-sama laughs, while Ataru is a literal footstool, and Shinobu is the spinster still pursued by the lip monster.

The next handful of futures they try out are basically the same, except for small aesthetic details. So as Inaba said, finding one’s ideal future is extremely difficult and not something that can be left to chance. Even so, Shinobu, Lum, and Ataru are all heartened that none of these futures are set in stone.

Lum could presumably find a future where she’s married to her darling, Shinobu could find one where she’s married to her ideal man, and Ataru could find one where he has a harem of all the women in his life and more. But it’s more likely they’ll ultimately end up back where they started, in the present day where anything and everything is still possible.

Chained Soldier – 09 – Is My Big Sister a Baddie?!

After another battle in which Yuuki takes care of the last Shuuki on his own, Kyouka praises him, and it motivates him to keep getting stronger so he can save her. Then his reward acts out the fantasy of saving Kyouka, gathering her in a princess carry so she can kiss him. It’s a rare instance of Kyouka letting her guard down and being a little vulnerable, if only because she’s in reward mode.

Back at base, Tenka is still loitering around, and when talk of Yuuki’s inspiring big sister comes up. Yuuki regales her and the squad of a time one of his classmates and his big brother threatened him, but she came to his rescue, judo-throwing the older brother (who is three times her size). To her surprise, Yuuki also puts the younger bully in a lock, having learned a thing or two from his sis. This pleases her to no end.

Anyone would envy having a tough, cute big sis like Wakura Aoba, and no doubt Yuuki has been missing her every day, and remains both confused and intrigued by the possibility she’s still around, in humanoid Shuuki form. When Nei detects what looks like a kid being chased by Shuuki, Shushu and Himari are dispatched to save her, only for the “kid” to be one of those humanoid Shuuki.

When a second humanoid Shuuki shows up, Shushu and Himari are in big trouble, so despite Kyouka giving Yuuki the rest of the day off to bathe and recharge, they have to head right back out to save their comrades. By the time they arrive, a third humanoid is there: the one who looks like Aoba. When he charges at her, she shouts for him to stop, and he obeys. Kyouka is thrown from his back, and Aoba surrounds her with lesser Shuuki. By the time she’s carved her way through them, the humanoids and Yuuki are gone.

It’s a rare defeat for Uzen Kyouka, but more than that, the fact Yuuki is more than a pet or slave, but a comrade and friend as well, makes it that much harder for her that they’re now separated. He waks up naked, being licked all over by the petite humanoid (her saliva has healing properties). Then Aoba comes in, acts in a way Yuuki immediately clocks as his big sister, and they share a touching embrace.

Aoba, along with her comrades Zanibako Coco (petite) and Yuno Naon (sultry), act pretty much like the humans they used to be … they just look a lot cooler and sexier now. Their chemistry and interactions prove just as charming as the ones among the DDF members. It’s only when Yuuki brings up the DDF that their eyes start to glow and they adopt a more menacing posture, but that soon fades and Aoba returns to the big sister Yuuki knew and loved.

I actually like how much of his time with Aoba the humanoid Shuuki depicts them as less two-dimensional than the heels they make themselves out to be on the battlefield. At the end of the day, they are victims of Mato-related accidents making the best of their new half-monster lives. Like Yuuki, through Aoba I was able to empathize quite a bit with them. These aren’t monsters to be defeated by the DDF, but people with the same souls thery had as humans.

That said, Aoba and her two lieutenants have higher-ups who seemed a lot more one-dimensionally eeeeevil, and it’s clear they have no interest in negotiating or co-existing with the DDF. Suruga and Himari are worried not just about Yuuki, but Kyouka, who holes herself up in her room after they return, but once Yuuki transformed back into a human, Kyouka became a Yuuki detection radar, since she needs to give him his battle reward.

Tenka, Yachiho, and Sahara join forces with Kyouka, Shushu, and Himari for the Rescue-Yuuki mission, but none of them know yet how much more complicated things have gotten. Now that he knows what she is, I doubt Yuuki will allow his big sister to be harmed. It’s your classic case of family-vs-friends divided loyalties, adding a welcome and fascinating wrinkle to what had been a black-and-white fight.

Metallic Rouge – 08 – Between Freedom and Order

Rouge arrives at the Junghardt mansion with Ash and Noid just as her brother Gene discovered a secret passage. They discover a vast repository of Roy’s memories, most of which come off as cold and analytical where both Gene and especially Rouge are concerned. She wonders if he only ever thought of her as some kind of experiment or test subject.

Gene, who spent more time with Roy as his adopted son, can’t say for sure, only that Roy was “a complicated man.” But the memories also include those of one Eva Kristella, who was the genius behind Code Eve, an protocol that would free Neans from the Asimov Code that made them subservient. The Immortal Nine are part of Code Eve, as is Rouge. She has to choose whether to free all Neans now and risk the chaos and harm that is likely to follow, or try to maintain order until the time is right.

Their little confab outside the house is interrupted not by Naomi’s Ochrona soldiers, who stand by in the trees, but Cyan, the self-proclaimed little sister of Rouge. She immediately deforms into a blue version of Rouge’s battle mode and attacks Rouge, but Rouge won’t deform and doesn’t want to fight. Honestly Cyan is pretty one-note, interested only in fighting and killing Rouge. The question is, why?

When Gene’s assistant reports that Aletheia HQ is under attack by Jill and an army of bots, he picks Gene, Rouge, Ash and Noid up in a copter to take them there. Deciding she’s not going to allow Jill to slaughter humans and make things worse for humans and Neans, she leaps out of the copter and into a fight against Jill, who is keen on destroying anyone who stands in her way of punishing humans and needs Rouge’s id to execute Code Eve.

In the resulting melee, Noid is mortally wounded, and his last words are that he always felt human when he was with Ash, and urging him to take better care of himself. Distraught by his partner’s sudden demise, Ash pulls a gun on the humans who killed Noid and basically tells them to fuck off. No detective wants to outlive their young assistant.

When Eden “Who Are you?” Varock, AKA Jet Black Noir, shows up, Jill assumes he’s on her side, but he blows up all of her bots and sides with Rouge instead. Aes also shows up with their ice attacks, presumably on Rouge’s side, while Cyan lurks overhead like a bird of prey ready to strike when the time is right. I’d advise Rouge to look up now and then to avoid an untimely death.

While I remain frustrated that we’ve been deprived of the best thing about the show—i.e. the relationship between Rouge and Naomi—and that Naomi herself has had shockingly little to do but sit around observing, I decided to follow the advice of my Anime News Network counterpart and simply go with the flow and not think about stuff too much.

As a result, I was able to enjoy this episode more on its own terms rather than my preconceived notions. It’s really never been all that clear where Metallic Rouge is heading, or what exactly Naomi’s endgame might be. But the fact Rouge has chosen to protect humans as well as Neans probably bodes well for their ending up back on the same side eventually, assuming they both survive the remaining robot battles to come.

Classroom of the Elite – S3 09 – Triggering a Flag

Sakayanagi informs Ayanokouji what he likely deduced on his own: she had Class A use their positive votes on him to spare him expulsion, all so they could have a proper duel. She also chose Yamauchi to expel because he was a dick to her at the training camp. Their chat is interrupted by their soon-to-be new Chairman, Tsukishiro, who will take over in April.

He skips the foreplay and knocks Sakayanagi’s cane out from under her, then pins Ayanokouji to the wall. Little more than a thug, he relays a message from his father: voluntarily drop out now. By not blinking twice, or even once, Ayanokouji refuses. Once Tsukishiro departs with this answer, Ayanokouji proposes that he and Sakayanagi officially compete in the next special exam.

That exam, which will be the last of the school year, involves two Classes competing against one another. Each class choses ten subjects of competition, be it athletics, academics, or games, to create a pool of twenty. Of those, seven will be chosen at random by the school. Each class also picks a captain who can’t directly participate in any subjects, but can guide everyone else.

Sudou and Ike want to know why Ayanokouji won the most positive votes. Suzune defends him, inferring that Sakayanagi betrayed Yamauchi by sending her votes to Ayanokouji. That said, class trust in him has been shaken by the last exam, so he volunteers to be the captain, understanding that if Class C loses to their opponent, he’ll be expelled.

The class isn’t without its malcontents. Kouenji isn’t quite that, but he’s so damn stubborn and whimsical you never know if he’ll pull through or not. As for Yousuke, the last exam straight up broke the guy. Now he harbors no illusions about being nice to anyone, not even Mei, perhaps the sweetest girl in class who is only worried about him.

When Kei calls him out for being mean to Mei, Yousuke glares at her and tells her to stop calling him by his given name, then warns her to get off his case, lest he go nuclear and tell the class their relationship was a complete fabrication. He storms out, and Mei runs after him.

That night we get out Kei-Being-Cute Scene of the Week, as she arrives at Ayanokouji’s dorm with a “Heyo.” He invited her there to talk about various class dynamics as usual, but also to give her a birthday gift. She’s touched he learned it, and when she finds it to be a golden heart necklace, she’s … confused?

Turns out it was the top gift for a high school girl on a website Ayanokouji purused. While it’s the thought that counts, Kei would have preferred he actually pick something out based on what he knew of her. But while she’s critical, she’s not about to reject a birthday gift from the boy she likes, particularly a heart. The old Karuizawa confidence shines through when she admits that she’s so gorgeous, anything looks good on her, which is the truth.

Ayanokouji happens to encounter Manabe and Akane at a crosswalk, and reports that Suzune is giving the newest exam her all. Ayanokouji asks Manabe why he was so rough with Suzune back when they first met, and Manabe’s answer is enlightening. He didn’t want her to perfectly imitate him, because it meant she was dependent on him, rather than growing into her own.

Manabe freely admits (and betrays his high regard for his sister) that if Suzune were to stop “chasing his phantom” and face herself with “perfect honesty”, she’d surpass him, and become someone even Ayanokouji couldn’t ignore. Ayanokouji not only believes Suzune can change in that way, but wants to be the one to try changing her.

On that note, Ayanokouji asks if Manabe and Akane are dating. Akane’s reaction is priceless, as is Manabe’s immediate reply in the negative. Manabe poses the question to Ayanokouji, who admits he does not have a girlfriend at the moment. Manabe wouldn’t mind giving him and Suzune his blessing, but doesn’t see them as a couple. Akane again interjects, warning him not to “trigger a flag”.

The moments of levity in this episode are welcome after that particularly tough voting exam followed by Tsukishiro’s naked brutality towards both Ayanokouji and Sakayanagi. Honestly, the best partner for Ayanokouji may be and may have always been the Short Queen of Class A.

She clearly considers him someone worthy of her attention and her maximum effort, and with Class C going against Class A and one of A’s subjects being chess, it looks like she’s already determined what form their duel will take.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 09 – Process and Outcome

Bless you, Mizusawa, for promptly and firmly calling Tomozaki out on his “masochistic crap”, i.e. his tendency to believe no one would ever choose him. He claims not to care whether or not Mizusawa continues his self-deprecating ways, but when he does it, he upsets people who like him … like Mimimi. Tomozaki can even recall times when Mimimi said basically the same thing Mizusawa is here: he should cut that crap out.

Hearing this harsh assessment of his unconscious defense mechanism, Tomozaki accepts that Mimimi likes him, and therefore he is worthy of being liked. It’s a big step that our boy Ichikawa in Dangers has also taken, and an important step to entering into a romance.

Hinami is glad Tomozaki has chosen two girls to pursue in Mimimi and Fuuka, and gives him what he deems to be difficult mini-goals because she knows he can pull them off if he tries. She also concedes that as his philosophy of balancing process and outcome (i.e. means and ends) has made him the top player as nanashi, he’s free to try the same method IRL.

Then Mimimi and Tomozaki meet for the first time since her confession-in-all-but-name, and they’re awkward and extremely sus, both to Hinami and Mizusawa. The latter told Tomozaki there was a possibility he could carry on with Mimimi like nothing was said, but that’s not looking so likely right now.

Mimimi really put herself out there, and if we’re honest, the ball is in Tomozaki’s court. He gets some leeway because he’s new to this romance stuff, but at some point he owes her an answer to the feelings she honestly and bravely expressed to him that afternoon.

Fuuka may be far less “aggressive” as Mimimi, but like jazz, it’s all about the things she’s not saying or doing, or the things she feels she has to qualify. Tomozaki gets the ball rolling on talking about what dating means to her, and it’s not surprising she gets her guidance from her favorite author.

A story about two people who are the only ones for one another, for whom no one else will do: it’s what she believes dating to be, and she probably sees Tomozaki that way, but like him is too scared to let herself believe she’s worthy of that scenario.

When Tomozaki and Mimimi meet again at lunch, it’s awkward again. Mimimi tries to tell him to forget about what she said in the interests of going “back to the way things were,” but she stops short of that, saying she’d rather he didn’t forget.

When they’re joined by Mizusawa and Hinami, those two are almost egging them on by talking about the rumors swirling about the two of them being a couple, while Tama is her usual lovably blunt self, giving Mimimi a couple of confused looks and declaring she’s being “weird.”

Maybe she is being weird, and maybe Tomozaki is being weird right back. But this initial discomfort and awkwardness is a crucial obstacle to overcome. As I said, Mimimi has been pretty clear to Tomozaki about how she feels, and he owes her some kind of response.

This new dynamic is so compelling, I have to admit I was a little disappointed that so much of the latter quarter of the episode was given over to Tomozaki narrating the gist of Fuuka’s story. That said, I like how there are many parallels: If the dragon is Fuuka’s story, delicate and precious, then she’s Kris, who tends to the dragon, while the princess Alusia is Mimimi and Tomozaki is Libra.

Fuuka is having the same problem as Tomozaki with whom to choose as Libra’s romantic partner, not wanting to ruin the nice vibes she’s created with the three of them. However, in adapting her short story for the stage, a bit of the magic that made the characters feel real was lost in an effort to make the parts easier to play.

Tomozaki recommends that Fuuka bring back the short story versions of the characters. It will be harder to perform them, but they’ll be that much more interesting both to the performers and the audience. Fuuka accepts his advice, accepting the higher difficulty is the key to unlocking the best version of her story.

At the same time, Tomozaki needs to do some serious thinking about what dating someone means to him, and ultimately who he’s going to choose. He’s perfectly justified in finding it hard to do so, as Mimimi and Fuuka are both incredibly kind and lovely girls. Rejecting either of them would be tough, even for a higher-tier character.

Gushing over Magical Girls – 09 – Out of the Shadows

This week Tres Magia is reduced to bookends, content to train in the wilderness. That said, when she tries to meditate under a waterfall, Sayo only ends up getting turned on by the weight of the water and how wet she’s getting. When the trio bathe together, she covers up her breasts, still remembering what a Dollhouse-influenced Kaoruko did to them. Will these three end up strong enough to take on Enormita? We’ll see!

For now, Enormita is busy fighting the Lord Squad, but first we’re introduced to the sisterly bickering of Loco Musica and Leberblume, who is treating her back wounds from Lord Enorme’s whipping. Loco is eager to get back on stage, partly to lure Enormita girls into a battle, and partly because she truly believes she has the makings of a top idol.

Loco Musica’s next show is Utena’s first opportunity to hear her, and Kiwi isn’t surprised by her reaction. Loco is also playing for a crowd of seeming fans, though something is a bit off. It’s a nice touch that they’re just as out of tune as Loco is, but when Leberblume reveals she has the power to use shadows to control people, it’s clear the crowd is under her influence. Leberblume also features my favorite outfit, showing none of her front and back, but all of her sides.

Utena and Kiwi also end up under her control, but Magia Baiser has a plan. The mortal enemy of shadows being light, she uses Kiwi as bait to lure Leber in, then Kiwi releases a flash grenade. In Leber’s moments of blindness, Neroalice traps her in a darkened dollhouse. Utena threatens to smash the house unless Loco strips and performs naked.

At first, Loco is hesitant and embarrassed, but once she actually starts singing, everyone is shocked to find she can actually carry a tune, as if the discomfort (or comfort?) of being in her birthday suit unlocks the talent she always believed she had, but never demonstrated. She also gets rather hot and bothered by the thrill of performing nude, and when she finishes and Baiser, Leopard, and Neroalice offer their enthusiastic (and genuine) applause, she accepts that his battle is her loss.

With their defeat, both Loco and Leber’s identities are revealed as Akoya Matama and Anemo Nemo. Surprising everyone, including her longtime partner, Matama declares that they’ll be (re-)joining Enormita, and will henceforth be their allies against Lord Enorme and Sister Gigant.

I like the twist because it makes sense: Nemo doesn’t want to be stripped and whipped by Enorme, while Matama is indebted to Baiser & Co. for her true idol awakening. Does this mean next time Tres Magia shows up, it will be five against three … or will Enorme and Gigant team up with the good guys to even the odds?

Synduality: Noir – 20 – A Better Way

Synduality takes a pause in its present-day narrative to tell two separate stories of yore. First up is a recording of Pascale both telling and showing Kanata, Mystere, and Noir the story of how she, a child of Amasia, went up to the surface to explore the real world with her Magus by her side, soaking everything up.

She didn’t believe Magus were merely computational dolls, but had the potential to become just as “real” as humans. She carried a journal containing a list of things she wanted to do, from tasting real grass to smelling the real sea and witnessing a real rainbow, all with her companion, student, and friend Mystere in tow.

When they located a signal up in space, Pascale had Mystere hack into it. On the same carrier wave Mystere used to access Histoire, Histoire send a signal back: Noir. Pascale never told Mystere, but Noir wasn’t just her safe mode alter-ego, but an independent entity, eager to learn and absorb information, albeit with no body of her own.

Pascale was pursued by Ideal, and in one scuffle, she is seriously wounded. Rather than give Mystere or Noir up, she has Mystere return to her unconscious safe mode in the museum where Kanata would find her several years later. The recording of Pascale regrets that she had to lie to Mystere, but urges her to see through the dream they shared of reaching Histoire. Mystere is understandably emotional, wanting so bad for the recording to be interactive.

As for Kanata, Pascale asks him to take care of her “girls,” and he fully intends to. But first, they locate Pascale’s grave under a great tree, and pay their respects. It’s then when Noir runs her hand down her chest and suddenly asks, “Where’s Ciel?”, heartbreakingly unaware that Ciel sacrificed her life so she could live. Like Mystere with Pascale, Noir lost someone precious to her in Ciel, but must keep moving forward.

The second story, is that of Macht, told while he and Schnee are just chilling in the present day. Macht, Licht, and Weisheit were all elite Coffin pilots given equally elite Magus. Weisheit got Ciel, whom he immediately started to treat and use as a mere tool, while Licht and Macht formed more human bonds with Mouton and Schnee, respectively.

Weisheit decided that the only way to reach Paradise, i.e. Histoire, was for all the youths to rise up against the adults who were administering them. That meant dirty work had to be done, and Weisheit had Ciel do a lot of it. Macht fell in line, as he believed in Weisheit’s dream, but Licht didn’t, and was imprisoned and marked for elimination.

There’s a clear parallel between Pascale and Licht/Tokio in that neither got much out of staying below ground in what remained of Amasia. They also felt that Magus were more valuable as friends and companions than as mere tools or weapons.

When Mouton sprung Licht, Macht had one more chance to choose a path: to go with Licht to the surface, or remain with Weisheit. We know which he chose, but judging from Schnee’s consistently forlorn tone both in the past and the present, you get the feeling she wishes he’d chosen differently.

Even so, once her “Lord” made his decision, she dedicated herself to him until the end, and he started donning his black mask. That mask symbolizes both his embracing of Weisheit’s darkness, and averting his eyes from the reality that it’s not too late to change his (and Schnee’s) path. He can still side with the good guys.

Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy – S2 08 – New Students

Makoto leaves the Demiplane to head back to Rotsgard, and while Tomoe is eager to determine the precise ways mist gates have affected the weather, Mio is simply sad to see the Young Master leave again so soon. But teachers have class, and he’s got three new students: Sif and Yuno Rembrandt, who he saved last season with judo and ambrosia, and the more mysterious Karen Force.

He has one of his blue lizardman friends fight his existing students (urging him not to use his breath and fight at no more than 20 percent), and they get trampled, but surely learn valuable lessons through their failure. Meantime, he has the three new students come at him at once with everything they’ve got, instructing them to adjust their tactics on the fly.

After the battles, the existing students are surprised the infamous Rembrandt sisters are so … nice. Makoto is more concerned with Karen Force, and takes her aside after class to learn more. Because she’s far more powerful than the real Karen should be, he suspects, and is quite correct, that she’s an imposter. Shiki confirms she’s actually Rona, a general in the Demon’s Army who specializes in … seduction.

Naturally, neither her magical nor feminine charms have much effect on our young heartbreaker, who is already more than neck-deep in lovely ladies to whom he doesn’t give the time of day. Over lunch, he makes it clear he and Shiki are netural and have no immediate quarrel with Karen/Rona as long as she doesn’t disrupt his business. Karen, in turn, tells him the purpose of her disguise: she’s investigating rumors of demi-human trafficking in Rotsgard.

Makoto pays the Rembrandt sisters a visit at their palatial dorm, and they receive him in lovely Renaissance-style dresses bearing their family crest. They express their heartfelt gratitude for him saving them, but he assures them he didn’t free them from their curses so they could live their lives indebted to him. Like his other students, he has high hopes for them.

After bribing the ogres with bananas, Eris and Aqua are all too eager to assist Lime Latte, now Tomoe’s spy and apprentice, in the investigation Karen/Rona mentioned. We later see Lime taking the initiative, roughing up people until he finds signs of trafficking on a still under-construction part of the academy. There, he puts his sword to the throat of someone wearing instructor’s robes. Looks like the darker corners of the academy are as rotten as Mio’s potatoes.

Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! – 08 – Their Best Selves

With Tsubasa no longer in danger of being shipped back to Tokyo, I figured the drama would shift to the romantic, as Rena seems to be making a hard play on our boy. But no, no drama! When Minami hears Tsubasa is on a date, not only does she rush to the mall to watch from afar, but invites Sayuri to watch with her! Minami is too busy swooning at the sight of Rena in a kimono to be concerned about Tsubasa being swept off his feet.

And boy howdy is Rena a lovely date. She emanates purity like light, and everyone around them seems to be in awe of her ethereal beauty. When she sees a crane game full of local mascots (like a melon bear or a tiny mint … squirrel?), Tsubasa gives it his all to try to win her the former, but gets the latter as consolation. Sayuri is so frustrated with his crane skills she almost blows her cover to assist!

After going to see a character drama film, during which Rena cried in the middle, she clarifies that she almost never cries like that, but she really related to the main character. She works so hard to be perfect at everything, that greatness was expected of her, and praise receded to the point there have been times she’s wondered what it’s all for, and if she’s worth anything.

Tsubasa assures her there’s nothing wrong with working hard to earn praise, as it’s a common practice with most people. But in Rena he sees someone who’s actually followed through, finishes what she starts, and he’s certain that when people see her, it inspires them to try to be their best selves.

Rena is glad to have met someone just next store who seems to understand her better than most, and when he says he wants to learn more about her, she asks if he has a girlfriend. He doesn’t, and she asks if he’s lonely. He’s not, because he’s made some special friends in Hokkaido who accept him for who he is.

Right on cue, Minami rises from her and Sayuri’s hiding spot to reveal they’ve been watching. It doesn’t take Rena long watching Tsubasa’s interactions with the other two to understand their dynamic. Minami is finally able to introduce herself to Rena and hold  her hand, and Rena can tell why Tsubasa values them so much.

Minami’s mom shows up and treats everyone to yakiniku, and every first piece of delicious grilled meat they eat is described with great detail. Naturally, food tastes better when you’re in the company of such great people. Yes, Minami, Sayuri, and Rena are adorable as all get-out, but more importantly, they’re beautiful on the inside, like Tsubasa.

When Minami’s mom praises Sayuri and Rena, Sayuri thinks Rena might belong in a class of her own as she’s the product of some pretty good genes. Minami corrects her, saying she’s watched Rena enough to know she works hella hard at both her appearance and her studies. Nothing was given to her. When Minami says seeing Rena makes her want to be her best self, it reinforces precisely what Tsubasa was telling her earlier.

After the feast, Minami takes Tsubasa aside and asks him if he’s going out with Rena. When he says he isn’t, and that their date was due to circumstances he’d rather not get into at the moment, she gets up real close and tells him that in that case, “she’s next” when it comes to going on dates with him.

Then she runs up to the others and proposes they have a barbecue together when Spring arrives. There were just warm feel-good vibes all round this week, which is what I come to this show looking for—not serious love polygons!

Your RABUJOI “Wake the F*** Up” Song of the Day: “May everything be there.”

For when one drum set just won’t do…

7th Time Loop – 08 – Ice, Ice, Baby

Rishe calls in a favor from Theo to get on the list of knight recruits, training as a man under the name “Lucius” so that she won’t get preferential treatment. One of her fellow recruits is Fritz, from the Kingdom of Coyolles, who greatly admires Prince Arnold. The two also meet Count Lawvine, an important northern retainer who Arnold executed as a traitor in Rishe’s previous loop.

The day of their secret jaunt into town arrives, and Elsie makes sure Rishe looks as lovely as possible without looking like the crown prince’s fiancée. Arnold expected her to show up in far plainer clothes, but it’s not like he minds how magnificent she looks. They tour the vast and lively marketplace, where Rishe has Arnold taste a scary-looking but healthy fruit.

Arnold then swiftly leads Rishe to an unassuming store that happens to be one of the finest jewellers in town. They have a test for Rishe to identify a fake among three gems. She says she cannot tell, but then asks for appraising tools, and determines that they are all imitations, thus “passing the test.”

She then learns the purpose of their visit: she is to choose a stone for the wedding ring Arnold intends to give her. When the proprietor asks her favorite color, she gazes into Arnold’s deep icy blue eyes and asks for a gem of the same color, not realizing how romantic and lovey-dovey she sounds making such a request.

Rishe and Arnold view the sunset from the top of one of the gates to the city, with a view of everyone entering and exiting. Combined with the fact Arnold is no longer periodically looking at his watch, Rishe has deduced that he is here waiting for someone to arrive, which is correct. That person happens to be someone who cannot make their wedding, but is coming to celebrate and offer congratulations beforehand.

That someone is no less than Prince Kyle of Coyolles, the very same prince Rishe served under as an apothecary in a previous loop. He’s a hottie like Arnold, but much fairer of skin and frailer of constitution; indeed, Rishe developed medicines to help him in that loop, and intends to help him here as well.

In that loop, Arnold destroyed Coyolles and everything in it, and in this loop, Coyolles is just as wealthy but militarily weak. When he meets Rishe and gives her glowing praise, Arnold flashes a look that could kill, but not because he thinks Kyle is up to something. He’s simply being jealous.

Arnold is hoping a meeting between the prince and Count Lawvine will help shed some light on Kyle’s true intentions. That would be fine, except for the fact Lawvine has already met “Lucius” and will see a lot more of “him” during knight training. Will he recognize Rishe and blow her cover?

Shin no Nakama – S2 08 – One Punch Van

Other than the grotesque mad scientist Gedouiin in Ao no Exorcist, Van the “Hero” might be the most hateable villain of the winter. We check in on him as he’s slaughtering the Hill Giants … for failing to attack and kill humans, which is what he believes Demis created them for. That’s right: the conflicts and suffering that tear this world apart aren’t a bug, they’re a feature. They’re all part of Demis’ plan … a plan that frankly sucks shit!

I honestly don’t know how Esta/Theodora can keep supporting this guy. Perhaps she’s staying out of some misguided notion that she can keep him in line if she just delivers the proper nag at the proper time, but most of her guidance is canceled out by Lavender believing Van can do no wrong. Both she and Tisse are in grave danger, but I see the value of keeping someone like Van close by. I also loved the quiet moment by the campfire when Tisse basically gets Theodora to admit she loves Albert!

Zoltan prepares a grand party to commemorate handing the airship to the Hero, but he doesn’t take it well. When they apologize for not considering his duties and offer their prayers, Van rejects the entire town as lazy heretics. Zoltan as a place has no value to him, and be believes the only proper use for its people, and their only salvation, is to follow him into battle: men, women, and children of all ages.

This is madness, but Van is nothing if not consistent. Any evil he perpetrates or allows to occur is justified, because he is following the will of Demis in firm lockstep. Having recently acquired Chekhov’s Fairy King Shield of Mind Control, Van prepares to use it on the townfolk to brainwash them. When Esta and Mystorm try to oppose him, a very pissed Lavender traps them in a magical barrier.

Van’s shield attack is interrupted by Yarandrala, and when she’s disarmed and nearly killed, Danan enters the fray and actually lands a hit on the “Hero” that makes him bleed. Van simply uses his Reflection ability to transfer his wounds and pain to Danan. It’s clear neither of them are a match for him, but they are buying valuable time.

Buying time allows Red to arrive, with Ruti and Rit no doubt right behind him. He crosses blades with Van and learns that while the guy has been leveling up his Blessing like there’s no tomorrow, his swordsmanship leaves much to be desired, as does his basic magic. When a horde of Salt Dragons threaten to level the town in their search for the shield, he yanks it away from Van and gives it back to the dragons, who then take their leave without further damage.

Van now realizes Red is simply buying time, but by then, Ruti’s fist is already firmly lodged in his cheek, and the much deserved and much anticipated punch to his eminently punchable face finally lands. It sends him flying head-over-heels into a boulder, and as he lies dying, he wonders who hit him. “No one important”, the former hero Ruti declares, blowing on her knuckles.

While I’m glad she made it in time to punch the ever-loving shit out of this asshole, I fear she’s only made him more unhinged. Ljubo and Lavender cast resurrection on him, and he heals himself, then resolves to kill the girl who hit her. He never believed it was his divine role to win, only to fight evil.

Being revived will allow him to continue fighting Ruti, who he deems to be the ultimate evil, even though he really should be looking in a mirror. Here’s hoping Ruti can finish what she started and wipe this villainous piss stain off the map for good.

Ao no Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati-hen – 08 – There’s No Going Back

Gedouiin may be the Absolute Ruler of Illuminati’s Far East Laboratory, but in the presence of a temporarily conscious Lord Lucifer he devolves into a blubbering, idolizing supplicant. He wants nothing more than to help his lord accomplish his goals, and more importantly, that he is more important an asset then the “sow” commander or anyone else.

There’s just a small hiccup: despite him reporting that Kamiki Izumo is extraordinarily compatible with the Nine Tails, extensive testing has revealed that in fact she has a 99.92% chance of dying instantly during the transplant process. Gedouiin is going to run with those terrible odds, because he has to, but just in case Izumo dies, he at least wants to report to Lucifer that he was able to subdue the Spawn of Satan.

Yet, even on that front Gedouiin fails, at least this week. While the chimeras he keeps locked away are the stuff of nightmares, even Konekomaru is able to escape their jaws when he snaps out of his state of panic and anxiety and remembers what his friends told him he was capable of. He lures his chimera to a hatch and once the hatch is smashed open, he slips out of his cell and reunites with Kuro, who is very hangry. He also checks in on Yukio, who was able to subdue his chimera by literally stitching its body to the ground.

Bon initially tries to use his Dragoon’s bazooka, but when he realizes the chimeras can not only speak, but his chimera in particular wants to “go home.” He learns he’s dealing with an entity that still has a shred of humanity. Summoning a mirror of water, the chimera sees itself and collapses in distress. Bon then uses his Aria skills to help the poor wretched creature pass on in peace. I couldn’t help but thing of poor Mitty after Bondrewd’s experiments in Made in Abyss.

Shiemi is saved by Nee, who breaks them out of their cell by growing a huge tree and turns their chimera to dust. At the end of the ordeal, Rin can tell Shiemi is shaking with exhaustion and exertion, but still won’t give up on saving Izumo and Shima, if its the last thing they do.

Konekomaru is troubled that Rin, their ace in the hole, still won’t commit to using killing force against even things that were once human but can never be human again. Of course, if Rin does start killing humans, even to save his friends, it puts him on the path to losing his humanity.

But just as the chimeras can’t go back to their human lives, neither Rin nor anyone else in this lab can go back to who they were. Shima knows Rin’s weakness all too well, and as he counsels an increasingly desperate and unhinged Gedouiin, he’s counting on Rin’s inability to kill humans as the lynchpin in the fight to defeat True Cross and make Lucifers plans a reality.

Rin & Co. have escaped their cells, but they’re still deep within Gedouiin’s twisted madhouse. Things are likely to get much uglier before they start looking up, while the life of Izumo, who is probably feeling more defeated than ever after the loss of her fox-brothers, now hangs by the thinnest of threads.