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…