hontou ni Stripey Insists Sisters Cry Oniichan Now

Kampfer 08

Summary:

Shizuku asks Natsuru out on a date which he thinks is a camouflage to lure out the white Kampfer. They are overheard but Masumi quickly discards the idea. Kanden Yamaneko notices Shizuku's good mood as she prepares for her date but she refuses to tell her about the date. At the aquarium, Shizuku demands Natsuru do date-like things such as buying a gift, walking arm-in-arm and sharing bento lunch (and being forcefed sausago tako) and he rationalizes it all as an anti-White Kampfer ploy by Shizuku.

Shizuku asks why Natsuru loves Sakura and finds his reasons - she is beautiful (so are Mikoto and Akane) as well as nice personality and elegant (plenty of girls are like that) - unsatisfactory. She says that there are many things that you can only find out when you date a girl and implies that Sakura is not as she seems (the macabre Entrails Animals fascination should have been a big hint even without the Kampfer link). She tries to ask Natsuru about his opinion on a link between Sakura and the Moderators but switches instead to why White has appeared. Shizuku dislikes being moved around like a pawn, has not been able to find the answer by fighting so won't fight Blue. And also for revenge *dun dun dun*

But Natsuru has dozed off and dreams of kissing an unknown girlfriend, waking up on Shizuku's lap. At the end of date, she asks him to send her home and to stay over but Mikoto flying kicks Natsuru. Shizuku forces him to call her by her name without honorific and makes things worse including Hell Girl death threats. Mikoto deals a second blow by telling Akane about the date and she duly comes over, demanding an explanation and Natsuru inadvertently gives her hope amidst the Sea of Dirac. Akane transforms and makes him vow and then date her as equivalent exchange. Natsuru doesn't get why Mikoto was crying, Akane was happy and Shizuku asked for the date. Shizuku unwraps Natsuru's SS! souvenir from the aquarium; it really is just something simple but she looks happy nonetheless.

Reaction:

This episode made it very clear to me that my suspicions about Shizuku largely mirror Natsuru's suspicions. Like him, I knew little about her and my first impression was of her being scary and manipulative. Which the episode does well to dispel by having her relate her motivations plus open-mindedness but, even more crucially, showing her vulnerable side with her irritation at Natsuru not being keen on dating her at all. Like Natsuru's first impression of Shizuku, mine is still hard to shake but, in this case, I saw, heard and understood more than he did so I've become a lot less suspicious of her. And while I get the feeling that her feelings for Natsuru are sincere, I also still can't help but feel a degree of schadenfreude about his utter lack of interest in her.

Natsuru didn't transform even once so that was a bit of a downer but the next episode promises to more than make up for it.

Related posts:

1. Kampfer 07
2. Kampfer 06
3. Kampfer 09