we're finally notdotq anymore

Ahhh, here at last. I can honestly say that I was waiting for this on the edge of my seat since the day Lovely Kitsune posted about its existence all those months ago. Ichigo Mashimaro is, in my opinion, one of the best done series, due to its simplicity and brilliance. It’s got those two things going for it, and going for it strong: the down-to-earth banality of everyday life and the unrealistically amazing sense of humor weave together to form one of the more enjoyable shows there is. It’s easy on the viewer (to the point of boredom, but a happy boredom) and doesn’t insult the viewer’s intelligence (unlike Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu).

Why did I cap the episode title?

In a word, it’s perfect. It’s exemplary of the show and is just so… true? Ichigo Mashimaro makes abundant use of scenes where the characters are talking off-screen and the viewer is instead shown slow pans over beautifully detailed stillframes of very, very normal … things. I would guess that the “scenery” referenced by the episode title is just that—the extremely mundane.

And here we come to one of the main selling points of Ichigo Mashimaro. “Annual Rice Tax” and “ran away from home” are ingrained within me as classics. And now, “launch.” The refrain of “push it!”, enhanced by the old man’s stuttering finger and Nobue’s “cowardice” was great and served all kinds of wonders not only in the comedy of the episode, but also in its structure. Repetition is indeed a handy device.

Note—I’m trying a more classic post style this time around (since the whole thing is a bit of a poor tribute to Lovely Kitsune, after all) so be sure to hover your cursors over the following images for my captions.

Antics in the classroom. Miu, as always, wins, though her teacher doesn’t lose completely, being one of the few with the willpower to actually press the launch button. Unfortunately, Miu fails at the whole math thing. It would have been too amazing if she’d answered correctly immediately after launching. It would have been nice if they’d shown more of Ana being a stuck-up bitch, but the lack thereof was aptly made up for by…

One of the strongholds of the show, or at least I wish. It’s not that prominent (being only in two episodes, and then being reversed in the final episode of the TV show) but the Sasazuka joke is high-class. “Are you showing off, Sasazuka? Go stand in the hall.” “Well, if you don’t know the answer, go stand in the hall.” There’s no way for the kid to win, at least not in a world where all is right. I was greatly disappointed when he refused to stand in the hall in the final episode of the TV show, and rejoiced at the return of the joke in the OVA. I almost couldn’t believe my ears as the sensei addressed Sasazuka, and by the time the door slid shut, I was orgasming.

Nobue’s job application process (hopefully not for ‘Snack Kannazuki,’ that whorehouse Miu proposed she work at in the TV show) goes as smoothly as can be expected; Miu sabotages it in style. Gao is cuter than funga, and I think that’s what makes this work. It was pretty great how Miu unquestioningly runs out of her classroom and onto the street. What if instead of Nobue, it had been pedobear on that scooter? You never know these things.

Miu’s not got great instincts, despite being a ninja.

Miu, whore that she is, becomes Ana’s bitch in exchange for a candy shopping spree.

All I can say is that I approve.

A bath scene. They just needed it I guess. Oh well. It tied together some earlier threads nicely, and sort of made the episode feel like it had a plot.

I’m left with not a whole lot to say. This show just makes me feel soooooo … happy. And I mean that in a non-creepy non-pedophilic way, honest! (And Nobue is still voluntarily exposing her genitals to girls half her age.)