hontou ni sou omou?

The first part of this episode was lovely Kirino stuff. The second half filled me with a burning rage to strike down upon thee with GREAT VENGEANCE and FURIOUS ANGER those who attempt to poison and destroy Tama-chan. And you will know I am Samuel L. Jackson when I lay my vengeance upon you, you little b*tches.

In a fit of worry, thinking that Kirino was gravely ill, Sayako had gone on one of her mad bicycle road trips only to find Kirino well. Returning to the dojo with the croquettes, she forgot to ask Kirino why she was absent. Kirino had been away from school and training while she tends to her mom who is recuperating well in the hospital and mans the croquette stall in her place.

Kirino reports back the next day, just in time for their big match. Ishida is worried and asks Saya and Tama-chan to support the Club Captain. Lovely scene as Saya does wonderful things with her chest and Tama-chan’s aura of cuteness is as strong as ever.

The team does well, getting through to the second round after winning the majority of their two first round matches. Miya Miya is the only one suffered defeats throughout and her black aura leaks out, mostly at Satori’s expense, but Dan’s love soothes her Dark Side powers. With perfect timing and just the right words (you didn’t win but you tried your best and you were very cool) means that Dan The Man is in Miya Miya’s Heaven, all’s right with the world.

Well, not with the canned tea that Satori bought, under Miya Miya’s orders, which was crushed by the taisho of their next team. A sealed eye girl whom Saya has heard many unsavoury rumours about (e.g. planting thumbtacks, hiding opponents’ bougu etc.) from a friend of a friend. Citing such unreliable secondary sources, Ishida dismisses the rumours, saying that this is just a high school tournament… but he also says he doesn’t understand the cat fighting of teenage girls. The opposing team’s advisor tells the girls to go all out against Muroe’s strong team; the guy’s team didn’t get through (at least they had a full team!). However the female team captain has a trio of fangirls who take her ‘Who will rid me of this turbulent priest!?‘ cue for covert action against Tama-chan.

All the while, the gang is having fun as usual. Satori’s mum has packed a game controller instead of a bento. Looks like Kirino isn’t the only one who takes after her mom - though genkiness is much better than dojikkoness.

This episode goes on to reinforce my love for Saya and Kirino as best friends, really excellent combi those two.

Before her next match, there’s an announcement for Tama-chan to go outside at the request of her dad. She passes the opposing taisho along the way, finds thumb tacks in her shoes and, of course, waits fruitlessly for her dad. She gets dragged off by the trio who shove and lock her into an equipment store. Cue GREAT VENGEANCE and FURIOUS ANGER. I haven’t been so pissed off since the mean sisters sabotaged Hikaru before their match against Misaki in Angelic Layer Ep 10.

In fact, it’s even worse as Misaki never learns of the sisters’ treachery and thus her innocent joy in the game is never tainted. But Tama-chan’s strong sense of honour and respect will overcome! It must! Which is appropriate as Tama-chan’s no stranger to meanness and badness from kendo practitioners - after all, she started off in Muroe’s kendo club to fight the resident bullies there. Therefore I’m just so hoping that GREAT JUSTICE will be done in the next episode with Tama-chan and co utterly TOTAL CRUSHING and HUMILIATING ANNIHILATION those evil little biatches.