Episode 20:
Confession

Bow-chika-wawa! Bow-chika-wawa!
Go Tamao! Go Tamao!
Go Tamao, go!
Woooo!

With Shizuma’s self-destruction in Ep18 and the current vulnerability of Nagisa, Tamao moves in to set up for the kill. Ep20 also reveals that the rest of the 4th-year Miator girls have sufficient self-preservation skills.
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Brief Episode Summary:
Tamao-focused Only.
Along with some inserted comments.

Tamao is once again the narrator for the episode( we sure get a lot of them don’t we? Good times, good times), which opens up with an autumn scene before focusing on Tamao walking along a leaf-strewed path as the narration begins. The Etoile election is getting heated up with Miator, Spica and Lulim taking part.

Lulim? Really? And just who are their representatives?

We flashback to the previous episode’s ending scene, where Nagisa is sobbing her heart out behind Miyuki. The episode then produces a twist.

Tamao-san was there, outside the room next to the door listening… Tamao knows. Tamao knows all.

*Title Screen*

The next morning, Nagisa appears to be hyperactive and all smiles as she bounces around the room, but Tamao knows better and is well aware that Nagisa is merely putting up a front. The iron is ripe for the striking, but if Tamao approaches Nagisa directly now, Nagisa would surely deny that something is wrong( because she would not want to bother her friends); and if Tamao persists in pursuing the matter by herself, it would very likely strain the bonds between her and Nagisa.

So Tamao needs to take a different approach to the matter. An indirect assault, so to speak.

Emo-Shizuma scene at the Greenhouse.

A classroom scene. Tamao is getting worried. Nagisa’s defences are weak now, and she needs to take advantage of the situation before Nagisa becomes a shell of her former self. There is no fun to be had in tormenting a zombie.

Hikari burns Yaya.

Another emo-Shizuma scene at the tree where she and Kaori made love.

Scene switches to Tamao and Nagisa walking together to a picnic spot. All of a sudden, Tamao gets flustered and ushers a confused Nagisa away from the path. As it turns out, Shizuma was walking on the path from the opposite direction. Nagisa did not see Shizuma, but Shizuma did see Nagisa and sighs before walking off the path as well to avoid the pair.

Hikari and Amane scene.

Emo-Yaya scene.

More emo-Shizuma scenes in Kaori’s room.

It is dinner-time now, and the girls of SPanic chatter among themselves. Chiyo notices that Nagisa is barely touching her food, but with her pitiful comprehensive skills, fails to notice that something is wrong with Nagisa. Kagome( the teddy girl) on the other hand, displays observance, and begins to plot on her own( because we all know that when it comes to anime, it takes but a single act of kindness to make a person fall hopelessly in love for you).

On their way back to their room, Nagisa announces suddenly that she has forgotten something and runs away from Tamao. Tamao feels sad of course, since the object of her affection is running away from her.

As it turns out, Nagisa ran to the piano room to get all emo and such, recalling her memories of the times she spent with Shizuma. Her thoughts get interupted though, by the sudden appearance of Kagome. Kagome begins her assault as she probes Nagisa about her hidden crying, and Nagisa finally loses her composure and breaks down onto her knees.

Cue the entrance of Tamao. ^^;

Now that Nagisa has opened herself up in Tamao’s hands, Tamao takes the initiative and shoos off the rest of the girls from taking Nagisa away from her clutches for the night.

Girls moping about Nagisa.

Evil Lesbian Duo(ELD) plotting.

Lulim girls asking Chikaru for help on cheering up Nagisa.

Emo-Nagisa trying to throw away the key to Shizuma’s vacation home.

The girls plan to make foodie goodies for Nagisa to cheer her up.

Tamao makes her debut shower scene. Coming out from the bathroom, she notices Nagisa moping on the bed before hearing a knock on their door. The visitor turns out to be Miyuki and she asks about Nagisa’s condition. Tamao requests that Nagisa be left alone for now, and Miyuki agrees.

Scenes of the girls making foodie goodies for Nagisa.

Hikari burns Yaya, part two.

Tamao returns to her room and finds Nagisa up and sitting on her bed. Nagisa begins to mope and tells Tamao that perhaps it would have been better if she had never come to Miator in the first place. Never one to let opportunity pass, Tamao launches an attack using Reverse Sympathy as she tells Nagisa her own tale of woe.

After she concludes her tale, Tamao proceeds to tell Nagisa that everybody loves her, and when Nagisa wonders what she meant by that, Tamao goes to the door and opens it up, revealing the rest of girls who promptly fall through.

Cue tea party.

Left alone once again in their room, Tamao leans over a sleeping Nagisa, confesses to her, and kisses her.

Episode Ends.
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Preview was darn cute with Nagisa telling Tamao that she had a dream about Tamao, and how Tamao behaved differently from the ‘normal’ Tamao that Nagisa knew.
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The Conspiracy of Suzumi Tamao: Ep20

Suzumi Tamao returns with a vengence in this episode after her absence in the previous two episodes. Playing the ‘Protector’ once again, she claims to be shielding Nagisa from the rest of the world, when in fact, it is because she wants to solidify her status as Nagisa’s dependable guardian. The others do not question Tamao’s motives, as they are afraid of inflicting further harm onto Nagisa’s psyche. All in all, a very good situation for Tamao, as she can now kill off the potential romantic bonds between Nagisa and the rest of the girls, while strengthening her own.

Kagome was also played for a tool when Tamao appeared after Kagome’s success in breaking Nagisa’s shell. Instead of being the one to comfort Nagisa, Tamao stole her thunder and became the shoulder to cry on instead.

Tamao also continued her policy of reverse psychology when she told Nagisa her own tale of woe. In Reverse Sympathy, Man-A tells Man-B a sob story hoping to gain some sympathy. However, Man-B tells Man-A an even bigger sob story, making Man-A realise that his situation is not so bad after all and gives sympathy to Man-B instead.

The classic tale of, “So you think YOU have it bad, eh?”

With Nagisa feeling better about herself now and having more feelings to anchor herself to Tamao, Tamao finally decides to let the rest of the world in and firmly establish herself as a good girl in the eyes of the rest of the girls.

PR cannot be underestimated, especially when one has aspirations for Etoile-hood. From shadowry dealings with Miyuki to showacting in front of girls from the THREE different schools, Tamao is well on her way to being nominated for Etoile.
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Random Thoughts on Ep20:

..) Shizuma has her Tree of Love. Nagisa has her piano.

..) Hikari&Amane going strong.

..) I swore I heard John Woo music when Yaya was feeding the pigeons.

..) What is written on the papers in Kaori’s room?

..) Kagome is a Ninja. She has the ability to stealth up to Nagisa.

..) Tamao however, is Batman. She stealthed up to Kagome as well.

..) Speaking of stealth… Tamao is like freaking everywhere. She sees all, hears all, and knows all. Chikaru might be the only girl Tamao cannot spy on.

..) Unlike Tamao&Nagisa in which the intimacy barrier is practically zero( and negative means insertion( I’m so going to burn for this :P )), the distance of the barrier has increased between Hikari and Yaya. Unless Amane falls off her horse and breaks her neck or something, I would not bet on any Hikari&Yaya possibilities.

..) Miyuki brings Tamao to her world of shadows, next to a window. Seriously. Miyuki likes to stand next to windows in the dark. :P

..) The funniest part of the episode was Tamao’s sob story, especially when Tamao wonders why nobody wanted to bunk with her. Hmm… could it be her need to measure her roommate’s vital statistics? Her love of scream recordings? Her possessiveness? I can just about imagine the rest of the 4th-years running away from Tamao when she went about asking for roommates.

But wouldn’t that imply that her PR is bad, you ask? Well, as Chiyo explains to us, it is the juniors that support Tamao. After all, Tamao has no need to hunt them down for roommates, so she can afford to put on the face of an Angel in front of her juniors( such as the time she tutored Chiyo).

Nagisa’s appearance must have been a Godsend to the 4th-years, and when she conveniently fainted due to Shizuma, it must have been an unanimous vote over her ‘dead body’ that Nagisa be dumped with Tamao so that Tamao would stop harassing the rest of the 4th-years. Tamao is happy to have a ‘victim’ for three years, the rest of the 4th-years are happy to be spared from Tamao’s fetishes, and Nagisa is happy to have a ‘true friend’.
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Onwards to Ep21. :)

Cheers, and thanks for reading.