天下制覇

Because you really need algebra for life on Airantou.

Impressions:

You know, they skipped the early manga chapter where it tells you that there’s basically no education on the island and they’re all operating at somewhere below a 2nd grade education level. That made this episode very strange to me. Not to mention that you had Chikage, Shinobu and Machi of all people teaching classes. Ikuto doing very VERY basic pre-algebra, fine, I can live with that. Shinobu and Machi though? Those two couldn’t pour water out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel. And why are they teaching Rin? She’s supposedly 19… and a carpenter.

At any rate, it wasn’t that bad of an episode, but it wasn’t a particularly engaging one either. From the first moment of “Suzu doesn’t want to go to school” the entire rest of the episode from start to finish was laid out and it didn’t do a single thing to even threaten deviating from the cliche. I’m pretty sure I dozed off during at least one of the “everybody wants to have fun with you” speeches. There were a couple moments that made me laugh, and Suzu’s various petulant puffy faces were all pretty cute. I’ll never really understand the Japanese cliche of the puffy faced angry female, but it’s anything but fearsome. Maybe they’re trying to inflate themselves to scare the male or something.

Annnnnnyway, these rambling asides should give you something of a clue as to how much interesting there was to talk about for this episode. I’m almost sad that they didn’t make any “Ikuto will teach you ladies the art of love” jokes. I mean, I’m technically a mathematician, so I know how sexy math can be, but tensor algebra ain’t the way into a lady’s heart and parts beyond, let me tell you.

Summary:

All across the island, people are going about their normal activities. Suzu is working in the fields, sorting giant potatos while Ikuto brings over giant carrots. Suzu’s inability to count comes out when she can’t make it past ten and has to take off her stockings to get at her toes.

Later, Suzu is hanging up laundry. Ikuto heads out with a wrapped up package and goes over to Chikage’s mansion. We finally learn that her job on the island is the to teach the people of the island, including Rin apparently… who is about half a decade older than her. Shinobu and Machi also help, doing various things with Ikuto now wrapping things up by teaching math.

After a hard day of being hit on by his students, he heads home to the truent Suzu, stuffing her craw with mame daifuku instead of getting an education. Apparently, whenever people have tried to drag her to school, she’s destroyed the classroom, or hidden on the side of the cliff instead of going.

Chikage is letting the class out for the day, telling all the rest that they’ll be making sure Suzu comes to class to study tomorrow. Chikage gives them the plan and assigns them their various tasks. Ikuto’s the last one, but he’s a bit reluctant to make Suzu do something that she doesn’t want to. All the other nameless girls say how fun it is to study together and whatnot and convince Ikuto, though he still worries about tricking her. 

Of course, the other girls have their own personal plans. Rin and Ayane think that Chikage wants to torment Suzu.

The next day, on the way to wherever Iktuo and Suzu are going, they start meeting all the girls who say good morning to Suzu while others also follow them from the shadows. Suzu asks Ikuto if it seems strange to him. She finally asks Ikuto where they’re going, and Ikuto says they’re going to meet Rin.

They then come to a sign marking a closed path, so they casually head off down the other fork. Rin appears and takes the sign away. They come to a closed bridge next… Shinobu’s station. Third is Yukino and Kumakuma digging holes and yet another detour. The ever sharp Suzu thinks it’s strange and gives Ikuto a suspicious look. The two continue a little further… and fall into a pit trap while Chikage cackles.

Tonkatsu is loving the giant wooden slide. They’re finally spit out into the classroom where Chikage welcomes them, surrounded by gears and various quiz machines, all numbered or marked. Suzu recognizes that she’s at school and all the other girls come in. Ikuto tells her that it’s good for her to study, and she inflates like a pufferfish in anger before retreating out a window… and the chase is on.

Yukino, Rin and Shinobu are on their way back when they see Suzu being chased by Ikuto. Suzu baseball slides through Rin’s legs, steps off Kamokamo and over Yukino, leaving only Shinobu who starts racing next to her. Shinobu vaults off a tree, but Suzu dodges the grab. Last comes Ayane, cluelessly tired and heading to class. She’s trainstomped by Suzu and Ikuto.

Suzu makes it to a cliff and climbs up easily, forcing Ikuto to scramble. He keeps trying to grab at her, but she easily dodges. Ikuto finally gets close enough to grab at her, but she just jumps into a tree. As he thinks about how to catch her, Tonkatsu has a plan for him. She hops out of the tree and the chase continues.

This time, Ikuto grabs Tonkatsu and throws the pig at her. She easily dodges as Tonkatsu becomes a star in the sky. Ikuto realizes Tonkatsu’s plan as Suzu is descending from her jump and imagines grabs her while she can’t dodge, getting two full handfuls of Suzu. As he’s lost in his delusion, Suzu lands, knees first, on his face. She thinks he’s okay and gets ready to leave, but Ikuto grabs her foot and trips her. Good seduction move, pal.

Having firm grasp of her foot, he takes off her shoe and starts tickling her until she admits defeat and is exhausted. Ikuto declares his win and tells her to not run anymore. Suzu calls him cruel and starts hitting him on the head and says how much she hates studying. Ever the lady’s man, Ikuto smacks her on the head for being a little brat and says that everybody misses her and wants to study with her.

Suzu tries to convince him that she doesn’t need to study and things are fine just the two of them. Ikuto instead says how she taught him so much and they should do things together. He pats her on the head and she nuzzles his hand and agrees to go with him.

At sunset, all the girls are waiting for Ikuto and Suzu to come to the school and think that she’s not coming. A few offer to search for them. Ikuto finally comes up with Suzu hiding behind the gates. She walks out, says “I’m back” and all the girls apologize for trying to make her do something that she didn’t want to. Suzu apologizes to them all in return and says she’ll return to school.

Chikage tells Suzu that she’ll get to learn from teacher Ikuto as well, and Suzu finally figures out that that’s what Ikuto had been doing. Chikage says that things aren’t all over yet though and drags Suzu off for some personal remedial education.

After the ED, Suzu is working on counting. She can make it rather high without resorting to her toes this time. Good work, girly. Ikuto rewards her with mame daifuku for her counting expertise. Suzu says how she can try a little harder at school.

She then turns to Ikuto and asks going to school with him. He says it’ll be fine, but then looks out to sea where there’s a note floating in the ocean.