天下制覇

Been a week or two since they were plastered all over the screen.

Impressions:

I think the animators just now remembered that the show was airing on AT-X and that they could show nipples, because they decided to start and end this episode with blatant and somewhat excessive bathscene nipple shots. Not just people naked in the bathtub, but the aereola covering about 90% of the screen. I’d have taken a cap, but I don’t have a Yuyuko large enough to censor that.

Things are moving again (finally) and with most of Seito now half dead, hopefully we can get back to focusing on Nanyou and Ryofu, but we still have absolutely no clue what evil witchloli is even trying to do, aside from possibly conquer the world with an army of nubile high school girls. As far as world conquest plans go, I’ve certainly seen worse, but aside from a fear and aversion to Hakufu, hasn’t really showed any ultimate plan, goal, or motivation in any way. Same thing with Saji. Meanwhile, we have them manipulating the remnants of Kyoushu, apparently attempting to control Seito, and trying to stay the hell away from Nanyou. I’m sure it’ll be explained eventually, but it feels like they’re juggling quite a few things, and we’re not certain what we’ve got in the air. Maybe scarves, maybe tennis balls, maybe chainsaws. Who knows? I still have no idea why Ryuubi was even after Koumei, but then apparently didn’t use her. She could have at least made a decent hostage. Even Bashoku is more of a threat than Koumei, and the only person she’s beaten in a fight was a guy with cancer.

This episode was alright, I suppose, but there really wasn’t all that much fighting for an episode where at least half of it was supposed to be a protracted battle. Ryomou spent about as much time fighting Choushou as Kann-u and Hakufu did fighting the puppet four combined… so "meh" on that front.

Kann-u takes a bath. THRILLING. So does Chouhi. As they get out, Kann-u reminds Chouhi about her duties tomorrow. Chouhi freaks and runs off.

Before she can go to sleep, Ryuubi visits her. Ryuubi moves in close and reaches under Chouhi’s night shirt. After a moment, Chouhi’s eyes go dead as she collapses. Ryuubi and Witchgirl giggle.

The next morning, Kann-u meditates on her own. She asks Ryuubi where Chouhi is, but Ryuubi claims to have not seen her. Another student interrupts them, saying it’s time to go. Kann-u hasn’t heard anything about this, but Ryuubi says that it’s just to go play with friends.

Kann-u’s a bit stunned that Ryuubi would go without her or Chouhi, but Ryuubi says that Chouhi’s Chouhi and Ryuubi is Ryuubi. Kann-u’s not convinced, but Ryuubi shakes her off and leaves.

At night, Kouchuu snores. Ryuubi appears at his door, calling for him. He opens it to find her in a low cut shirt.

The next morning, Kann-u meditates again, but Suikyou gets in her face and says that something is bothering him. Kouchuu has been missing. Kann-u admits that Chouhi’s been missing too… and Ryuubi’s acting weird too, but Suikyou says that Kann-u needs to believe in Ryuubi.

At night, again, Kann-u stares up at the moon with a smile, thinking about belief.

Ryuubi giggles in a room behind her. She’s chatting on a cell phone while in casual clothes. She hangs up and opens the door to see Kann-u, who demands to know what her plans are. Ryuubi basically blows her off, but Kann-u demands to know what happened with Kouchuu and Chouhi.

Ryuubi calls Kann-u a big silly (tee hee hee!) because those two are standing right behind Kann-u. She demands to know where they’ve been. Chouhi mocks Kann-u and swings at her. Kann-u easily dodges and looks at Ryuubi, wondering if she’s the real thing. Ryuubi giggles.

Kouchuu attacks. Kann-u easily blocks it and Ryuubi walks away. Kann-u tries to follow, but Chouhi blocks her. Ryuubi goes to Koumei’s room. Koumei immediately senses something as Ryuubi stands above her. Ryuubi leans down and kisses Koumei, but a chain whips out and pulls Ryuubi off of her. Bashoku arrives and demands to know what Ryuubi is doing.

Ryuubi glares at Bashoku and her eyes glow. Bashoku is thrown backwards. Koumei tells her to leave and bring Hakufu at once. Ryuubi holds out her arm to finish off Bashoku, but Koumei jumps on her. Ryuubi throws her off, but the distraction is enough to let Bashoku escape.

Kann-u is chased by Chouhi and Kouchuu. The two catch up and the fight begins again. Kann-u senses that there’s something wrong with them, but a fight is inevitable. She turns to face them, but Chou-un appears behind her and tells her to follow.

The two run together. Kann-u demands to know what’s going on, but instead, Chou-un attacks. Kann-u blocks. Chouhi tells Kann-u that of course Chou-un is with them. Kann-u’s the only one not. Ryuubi returns to them all to watch the fight.

At Nanyou, Hakufu feeds the cat and learns that Ryomou’s been absent for quite some time. Sonken is a little more concerned that something might be wrong, so Hakufu immediately runs off to check up on her. As she leaves the school, Bashoku collapses in front of her. She asks to be brought to Hakufu.

They bring her to the infirmary and then decide to go to Seito. Gakushuu says he’ll go too, and Koukin as well, but Hakufu tells Koukin to look for Ryomou. Sonken wants to go with Koukin, so they split up.

Ryomou walks through a forest. A shrine maiden greets her and invites her inside.

Ryofu tells Koukin that she has no idea where Ryomou is.

She gives Sonken the evil eye, which Sonken does see and immediately tries to get herself and Koukin out of there. Koukin tries to ask what the matter was, but Sonken says it was nothing and leaves. Ryofu wonders about that girl.

Witchgirl thinks to herself that it couldn’t be. Saji is there too. He knows where Ryomou went.

Ryomou fights the shrine maiden, but can’t land a hit. The little one is too fast and slips under Ryomou’s punch and lands a chi blast. That’s enough, the girl (Choushou) says, but Ryomou demands more. Choushou chastises her and leaves.

Hakufu and Gakushuu arrive at Seito as Koukin calls her to report that Ryomou’s still MIA. They see the place completely destroyed and wonder what happened. Kann-u is resting next a tree, and demands to know why Hakufu is there. Ryuubi sits above on a roof and says that they finally found Kann-u.

Hakufu tries to understand what’s going on, and Ryuubi/Witchgirl are both shocked to see her there. Chouhi, Chou-un, and Kouchuu move to intercept Hakufu, asking why Nanyou would get involved. Hakufu wants to know why everybody’s hurt, but they immediately rush to attack. Chou-un and Chouhi attack Hakufu while Kouchuu goes after Gakushuu. Ryuubi follows him, but Gakushuu dodges and Ryuubi stabs her hand into Kouchuu.

He collapses and Ryuubi licks the blood on her hands. Gakushuu is shocked that they’d hurt their own allies like that, but Ryuubi is attacking again. Hakufu dodges all her attacks and grabs her from behind. She tries to talk some sense into her, and Witchgirl’s hold starts to weaken. Ryuubi passes out for a moment, but control is re-established and Ryuubi slashes backwards, throwing Hakufu off. Chou-un intercepts Hakufu in the air and slams her downward.

Ryuubi walks up to Hakufu to finish her and stabs down with her hand, but Kann-u puts herself between the two and takes the blow, then holding Ryuubi’s arm in place. Hakufu yells at Ryuubi to come to her senses. Kann-u admits that Hakufu is an idiot, but she’s right. Kann-u keeps trying to get through to Ryuubi.

Witchgirl’s hold weakens again. Kann-u tells Hakufu to leave Ryuubi to her. Hakufu understands and will take care of the ‘small fry,’ who are not happy to be called that. Hakufu smacks her ass to taunt them, and Chou-un rushes after her. Chouhi is about to follow, but Gakushuu intercepts her.

As the sun sets, Ryuubi wonders to Kann-u how long they can stay like this. Kann-u knows that’s no the real Ryuubi. Ryuubi knows too, as she pushes her hand in further. Kann-u hugs Ryuubi as she asks her to come back to her. That’s the only thing that’ll bring happiness to Kann-u. The only thing her life is for is protecting Ryuubi. That’s the only reason she fights. Ryuubi’s eyes recover as Kann-u keeps going on and on. Witchgirl tries to reestablish control, but Kann-u keeps going on about destiny, and everything that she loves about Ryuubi.

Just being together is all she wants. Witchgirl loses control completely as Kann-u collapses.

Chou-un and Chouhi also collapse before fighting the Nanyou troops. Koumei also wakes up.

Ryuubi hugs Kann-u and sobs. Kann-u says that she’s glad.

Witchgirl is panicking and nearly in tears. Her magic wasn’t enough. Saji says it wasn’t her fault.

Ryomou enjoys the hot springs. Hello nipples. Ryofu joins her in the bath, saying that she looked all over for Ryomou. Hellllooooooooooo nipples.

Preview:

The last time Rikuson was on screen, Ukitsu died. Color me unexcited for her return.