Manabi Straight! – 09

Summary:

In March of the year 2005, the current principal of the Seiou had entered the school for the first time as a student and had been welcomed almost immediately by other girls at the dormitory. Now, 30 years later, she stares at that old dormitory building from the outside until Shimojima finds her there. The principal explains that the dorm had been done away with during her third year at the school, and she had led the resistance against it. At the time, however, they hadn’t been able to change the decision, and Shimojima wonders if that means everything had been futile. During all this, Manabi and friends have been outside trying to collect signatures for the school festival, but it hasn’t been going well. With only 142 hours left, Manabi starts having crazy dolphin ideas and Mei suggests a pyramid scheme. The girls lack a good idea and spend the next several days struggling towards their goal. Mucchi starts to think that it might be useless with the students’ interests now focused on the new school uniforms, but Manabi feels that they can’t give up. On Day 4, Mucchii goes off to softball practice and Mei has things to do, causing Manabi to comment on how it’s like the student council has returned to before when it was just her and Mikan. The two of them are ready to go home, but Mikan suddenly runs back to the student council room and starts crying as she wonders to herself if this is the end of the school festival.

The next day, the new school song – an upbeat pop tune called Fly to Future – is broadcast to everyone. However, the signal is suddenly hijacked by Momo in her biohazard suit, and she plays for everyone a video she shot of Manabi and the student council. In it, each of the girls introduces themselves, and they are shown at work and at play, all to background music of Manabi singing the old school song. Mikan had wanted to redo her introduction, so Momo had put that towards the end of the video. However, the teachers are finally able to get to Momo and turn off the hijacked broadcast, so Mikan’s segment is cut short right after the part where she says that her favorite word is tomodachi (friend). Having watched the video of everyone and herself, Mikan is now crying over them not being able to do anything and about how she doesn’t want everyone to be separated. Because of this video, Mucchii and Mei rush from their classroom to the student council room, and Mucchii screams Manabi’s name at the top of her lungs. Knowing what Mucchii is going to say, Mikan suggests that they go ahead with the school festival and do the things that only they can do right now. The girls then put out their hands and band together with a Massugu Go! The following day, they are back outside trying to get signatures in a renewed effort. Watching them from her office, the principal finally answers Shimojima’s question from before. Although she hadn’t been able to change the school back then, she doesn’t think that it was futile. She’s now remembers all the faces and names of her close friends from back then, and she motions towards outside as proof of why it’s not futile: three girls have come to Manabi offering their signatures. However, there are now only 46 hours left until all the signatures need to be collected.

Momo to the rescue! I’m glad that Momo finally got to play a part since she’s been somewhat of the odd girl out for most of this show. You could probably say that she still isn’t quite part of the group yet, but she’s getting there. I also liked the parallel between the principal’s resistance 30 years ago to Manabi and company now. Maybe Manabi or Mikan will become the principal of Seiou once they grow a bit older. Like what happened back then though, I don’t believe that Manabi will succeed in reaching that 70% mark in the time she’s got left unless she does something radically different to get signatures.
Oh yea, they also threw in a reference to Hidamari Sketch this week. You can see the comparison pics on this blog.