Hopefully we can put all the ugliness of the Hayashi controversy behind us now. And also hopefully, it’ll be the excellence of both that arc and the musical number in question that people remember in the long run, rather than the controversy. It’s a bit of a breather episode for the animators at least. There is a short balls-out fight at the beginning, but after that mostly dialogue (and most of that comic). We also get the introduction of the most important new character since Jiji – one who I like a lot, but that’s an opinion not universally shared by the fandom.
The issue here is whether the Evil Eye situation can be resolved without the nuclear option being pushed by Manjirou. Okarun takes it on himself to try and make that happen, though it’s not immediately clear exactly how. He calls out Evil Eye, and takes him on head-on. No doubt his power levels have increased based on what Turbo Granny taught him (school is a place for learning, after all). The two of them go at it for a few minutes, pretty evenly-matched, when Ken goes into turbo mode. With that he gains the upper hand, not finishing off the enemy (that was never the intent) but finishing off the house in the process.
In hindsight Okarun’s plan looks pretty simple and pretty clever. He’s seen enough to know that, in effect, E.E. is a child. A newborn is what Granny calls him in fact, and that seems to spark an idea into flame in Okarun’s imagination. It was necessary to show the upper hand against Evil Eye for his plan to have any chance, and he did do that – but since he also played the turbo card about Beethoven and his henchmen, he can only go once here. That leaves him in normal human form when Evil Eye gathers himself, and places the entire onus on his powers of persuasion.
Taunts and promises are pretty effective given the mental age of the enemy here, that’s for sure. By providing Evil Eye the best opposition he’s ever faced Okarun makes the idea of being his playmate attractive. And through some pretty famous adult (close enough) verbal chicanery Okarunus able to extract a promise (though I’m not sure what the guarantor is) that Evil Eye will fight him and only him, and won’t cause harm to any other humans. The house is in rubble, but for now at least everyone can go home. Those that still have one at least.
Seiko has no interest in being a martyr, and no interest in taking money from kids. She blows the last of her stash on a girls’ (and grannies) spa day and has no firm plan to rebuild. Fortunately Okarun had a plan for that too. He’s gone to Peeny-weeny for help. and he in turn has called in his pal Ludris (Takahashi Shinya). Momo’s threat response kicks in so does her boot on Ludris’ butt, and he seems to spend the rest of the episode pissed off about it (not even Mr. Mantis Shrimp seems to understand him). But the nanoskin he’s brought for the rebuild is insanely useful – either for toys by Chiquitita and Aira or an actual house. And who knows, maybe other things too.
As to Jiji, he’s returning to school – but his roommate is returning with him. And while he keeps his promise not to massacre the hoomans, he does prove quite difficult for Momo to explain when he pops out (even if the muggles can’t see the difference, they can certainly hear it). Momo would just as soon have him flip back, but unfortunately every vending machine is sold out of hot drinks, and the cafeteria hot food. That leaves her trying to teach E.E. human lessons, which doesn’t get off to a terribly promising start.
As for that new character (Fujiwara Daichi), we don’t get a name just yet. But presents himself to Okarun after the ED), introducing himself by singing “Char ga Kuru”, a cheesy Gundam insert song from the 80’s (which makes it the second 80’s anisong in Dandadan this season). He then proclaims himself to be Okarun’s enemy, though he has to repeat it a couple times to get Okarun to pick up that he’s the enemy in question. Who is this portly fellow calling out our hero, and what is the source of this proclaimed vendetta?
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