Pink-Black Ranger MiyaMiya meets her match, in both senses of the word, in Evil Psychotic Stalker Reimi who had been flagged up by Mentar earlier (though, at the time, I thought he and Dav were talking about CLANNAD orz). With a fun mix of motivations, the team works towards the goal of the inter-high.

Miya Miya provides buckets of entertainment whenever she’s on screen. This time, the range of her facial expressions when she recounts her Reimi stalking trauma, her amazement at what Tama-chan wants to spend her part-time wages on, and suddenly remembering Dan The Man’s birthday.

Family background and more Ishida-sensei flashbacks but my reaction is the same as Kirino’s.

Idiocy of cute teenage girls can be entertaining and even endearing. Idiocy of 30+ male loser teacher is neither. BTW KiriSaya love-love umbrella looks sooo good in the OP, especially Sayako.

Like Totali and TL-chan, I’ve been really intrigued by how freaked out Miya Miya is by Reimi. As we’ve seen Miya Miya is not shrinking violet and has an aggressive and formidable personality. Definitely someone who don’t want to piss off.

But it was also cute and funny how she was surprised by Tama-chan’s ninja powers of suddenly appearing behind her without a sound. Reminded me a bit of Gibbs appearing behhind Tony in NCIS – another show whose stories are less than compelling but have lots of charismatic characters.

A final note. I just love how this series has conveyed a person’s aura. There’s Miya Miya’s pink-black but also Andou Yuri’s nattou aura and now Reimi’s venus flytraps and Rafflesia, though the plant analogies (particularly the reference to weird smells) reminds me of the yuri-filled Hotaruko (aka Crimson Climax). -_-;;

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

It’s been great to watch how Tama-chan’s been developing as a person / character. Lots of new experiences from joining a club, making new friends from other schools, and now a part-time job. The creepy shopkeeper reminded me of Kayahara-sensei but, at least, the latter has a bijin side when eating ramen!

But Miya Miya quite effortlessly steals the scenes when she goes back and forth between Black and Pinku. If MaxFac makes a figurine (or Good Smile Nendriod) of her, they’ll definitely have to have alternate heads for her. And speaking of yandere figurines that may tempt Skane, I’ve yet to see a similar concept executed for Her Supreme Yandereness, Krazy Kaede Fuyou herself. In fact, for some reason, good SHUFFLE! figurines seem far and few but I’m still pleasantly surprised, i.e. in shock, that it’s been licensed by FUNimation!

Don’t worry, Tama-chan. As Konata says, there is a need for DFC too. In fact, if you’re not fussy, you’ll be very much in demand!

Like Totali, I was pretty amused by the incredible effect that Dan can have on Miya Miya.

The best apology I’ve heard, in scifi, is from Babylon 5: ‘I apologize. I’m sorry. I’m sorry we had to defend ourselves against an unwarranted attack. I’m sorry that your crew was stupid enough to fire on a station filled with a quarter million civilians, including your own people. And I’m sorry I waited as long as I did before I blew them all straight to hell. As with everything else, it’s the thought that counts.’

Tama-chan has got a really over-active imagination but after seeing her father’s scenarios of how he should accept his birthday gift (which Tama-chan has probably forgotten about), it’s quite clear that she’s a chip off the old block.

Did have some trouble with the aspect ratio for the AES fansub of Bamboo Blade 8 but it was fine for Ep 9… ah well.

I really like Kirino x Saya’s boke double act. There isn’t a real yuri vibe to it but it’s still very cute how the much taller Sayako tends to cling to and blubber to Kirino when she is in emotional distress.

Long live the Bamboo Boke Alliance! Not quite as powerful as Azumanga’s Blockheads Troika though. :3

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

Ishida-sensei uses trickery to deploy Tama-chan twice for the 4 v 5 match. Obiwan Tamaki has taught her team mates well; Saya and Kirino manage to triumph against their opponents after learning to trust in Tama-chan and to use the force. Tama-chan ‘fesses up when asked for her name by the visiting team’s teacher but the only thing on his mind is to pit his skills against hers.

Miya Miya unleashes the power of Yandere after Dan-kun goes to the little boy’s room. But her opponent, Akemi, who had been feeling down because of her romance going pear-shaped but then receives an apologetic mail from him and the Sparkle Power of Puppy Love triumphs. Mostly because Darth Miya Miya was too enraged to control her Sith Lord power and overstepped.

But a Dan-kun soothes the savage yandere. Verily Dan x Miya Miya is a match made in both Heaven and Hell.

Despite her advantage in morale over Scaredy Cat Nishiyama, Saya struggles against her opponent’s FUD-spawned lightning responses. But she remembers to Use The Force, recovers her composure and uses a Tama-chan Attack Routine to overcome.

Likewise, Kirino had trouble against the Kabitzin Bane aura of Ando Yuri but also recalls her Jedi training to overcome the opposing team’s yandere Darth Stickious.

Final score. 3 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw – victory for the home team!

I was more than a little uncomfortable with how our Champion of Justice so easily acquiesced to Ishida’s cheating ploy – to pretend to leave after the first match (fighting at half power) and then returning (with megane disguise) under another name to fight Maya. But I suppose one could also see how she, with her naive child-like demeanour, was being manipulated by Ishida Palpatine (who also offered a bribe of an anime goods very rare item). Also surprised that Ishida’s senpai hasn’t said anything about it yet but I guess that will come later after his immediate response to Tama-chan’s fighting spirit and prowess.

LOL at how Maya tried to intimidate her opponent with her battle shout but then ends up being intimidated instead when she witnesses The Mouse That Roared.

Next week looks like a tough match for our heroine. Tama-chan, fighto!

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.