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「茉莉香、招待する」 (Marika, Shoutai Suru)
“Marika Sends an Invitation”
This series doesn’t leave any rock unturned. After the events that transpired on the ghost ship, I mentioned I wanted a brief explanation behind the princesses’ motives – and lo and behold, Mouretsu Pirates delivers the just right amount of backstory in this episode to satisfy my curiosity. More impressively, it manages to do this without becoming too entangled into the messy topic that galactic politics can be, and remains focused on what this show is truly about: Marika.
Usually, the pirate captain archetype is that they tend to be egotistical. After all, they’re the captain of their very own ship, they never follow any rules or laws, and all they basically yearn for in life are glory and riches. As far as I can tell, Marika isn’t cut from the same cloth; she wants neither fame nor fortune, and is a bit uncomfortable with her newfound stardom after being tricked by Gruier into attending a public medal presentation on Serenity that was broadcast throughout the galaxy. It was quite endearing to see Marika’s misgivings about her new celebrity status, especially when everyone else embraced it so easily.
Even Marika’s high school has reaped the benefits of her popularity with many new students coming in all because of her. I can’t blame them though – who wouldn’t want to attend school with such a loveable and charming girl? About the only thing that didn’t benefit from Marika’s fame was the yacht club, but it’s not all that unexpected because the club is pretty intimidating, being full of talented girls like Lynn, who’s taken over from Jenny as the club president. I admit I was a little relieved to hear of the club’s recruitment troubles because it’s already hard enough to keep track of all the girls’ names with their limited screen time. Unfortunately, the show decided that there weren’t enough and added three new ones for us remember (from left to right): Natalia Grennorth (Ise Mariya), Hoshimaya Ai (Kayano Ai), and Yoshitomi Yayoi (Nanjo Yoshino). Luckily, we already know the fourth and final new addition to the yacht club: Grunhilde Serenity, looking quite meek in her school uniform compared to the military dress uniform she donned before.
I swear, if Marika were a guy, this show would turn into a romantic harem in no time at all. She already plays the “knight on the shining horse” role so well – maybe even better than most male characters. This raises the question of which girl would the best for Marika. After the first seven episodes, I would definitely have picked Chiaki, but lately Princess Gruier has stolen the top spot, if not Marika’s heart. Unlike Chiaki, Gruier is refreshingly honest; she doesn’t pretend that she’s there for the parfait, but to thank Marika privately instead. As a bit of a political junkie, I found her explanation of the Serenity backstory and her motivations fascinating, even if it could have used more details. That said, I do think that any more would have been too distracting from what was the true intent of the scene, which was Marika and Gruier’s bonding. There was even a “promise” ring involved!
So what’s a person to do after being pseudo-confessed to? Why, invite her and her sister over to your house and cook them dinner of course! Despite Luca’s ominous divination, the dinner was a “romantic” success (other than feeding the sister hot mustard). Everyone can learn a thing or two from Marika: have the girl bond with your mother while you befriend her sister. Just don’t take it too far, or there might be two girls falling head over heels for you. I know I’ve already fallen for Marika.
ED3 Sequence
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ED3: 「透明な夜空 〜瞬く星に包まれて〜」 (Toumei na Yozora ~Matataku Hoshi ni Tsutsumarete~) by 小松未可子 (Komatsu Mikako)
Watch the 3rd ED!: Streaming ▼
Episode 14
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「茉莉香、募集する」 (Marika, Boshuu Suru)
“Marika Goes Recruiting”
Looks like there most likely won’t be a new opening song for the second half of the series, but there is an updated outfit for Marika and a completely new Bentenmaru crew too. Wait… what?
After the mention in the previous episode about the ship taking on a biological container of cat-monkey hybrids, it was pretty obvious something would go wrong and lead Marika and company to immediately set off on another crazy adventure. With a potentially dangerous cargo like that, the possibilities were endless too. Were they going to unknowingly use it as a biological weapon, be framed for it, and then find themselves embroiled in yet another galactic power struggle? Or would it be something even more sinister, like an attempted assassination? Turns out, I was only half right; only Marika would be going on an adventure because those purple critters incapacitated the entire crew with some sort of unknown infection while she was away at school. I didn’t even know cyborgs could get sick!
In any case, with the Bentenmaru crew out of commission and quarantined for possibly an entire month, I was looking forward to seeing just how much Marika has grown and matured as a captain when she’s not able to rely on her crew. First off, she had to deal with Shou (Yasumoto Hiroki), the insurance agent who gives the Bentenmaru its contracts, and it’s clear from the start that she’s not yet fully comfortable handling all the duties expected of her, or even used to her status as a local celebrity. For a girl who’s normally calm and collected as of late, there were many times in this episode where she was nervously squirming about, most likely because she found herself in unfamiliar situations and there was no one, like Misa in particular, who could give her any advice. Even Gruier, who probably notices that her girlfriend was distressed and then dons the most obvious of disguises to follow her, wasn’t enough to inspire Marika’s confidence again. Not that I mind, since Marika is quite adorable when she’s flustered (or when forced to wear a mini-skirted suit “disguise”).
I’m not even sure why Gruier wanted to disguise Marika before they went to search for a crew. Wouldn’t it be better to let everyone know that Marika’s the famous Bentenmaru captain and thereby attract highly qualified people who would want to work for the best in the business? Gruier’s hilariously bad choice of disguises also probably ended up hurting more than it helped – just imagine two girls dressed in suits and sunglasses, asking these rough and tumble pirate types to crew their ship. Who would want to work for people who don’t look like they a thing about pirating, or even sailing for that matter? When three potential sailors actually approached Marika, I thought they were just out to swindle her or something, but the group turned out to be Chiaki, her father Kurihara Kenjo (Matsumoto Yasunori), the captain of the Barbarossa, and his crew. I predicted that they would temporarily crew the Bentenmaru to help Marika keep her letter of marque active, but they do make a valid point however: she shouldn’t let any stranger off the street crew her precious ship, only people whom she already knows and trusts. And aside from the original crewmembers, there’s no one else that she trusts more than the Hakuoh Jogakuin Yacht Club, having already worked with them on a ship before.
Judging from the preview (and the expressions of the actual crewmembers), I’m not sure that having a pirate ship crewed by high school girls is the best and most prudent decision, but at least it’s guaranteed to be the most entertaining one. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? It’s not like they appear to be completely in awe of everything… In any case, I am definitely looking forward to the next episode because Miniskirt Space Pirates, your time has finally arrived!
Preview
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Chiaki you lovable tsundere you!
Next time some high-school girls pirating!!
(Chiaki doesn’t resemble her father at all :O)
The whole episode I was sitting there like: ‘Why not use the flippin’ yacht club? Its not like they’re doing anything better anyway!’ Lo’ and behond, she gets to that conclusion anyway…guess they had to make an episode of it somehow lol.
Heh, likewise, and didn’t read your comment till after I posted below! Why devote a lot of time to the club in the beginning of the series, only to dump them for 20 episodes?
Finally, she’s actually in the titular miniskirt XD. Agreed with Freddeh, I was expecting it right from the start. Next episode should be fun, similar to the first few episodes (not that all of the episodes so far hasn’t been fun :p).
Ah… I get it. A Slice of Pirating Life Series. I love how Chiaki’s dad,
Kenjo Kurihara, Captain of the Barbalusa pirate ship, trolled her. Early on
I wondered if the club were the crew (on that 1st voyage – I was wrong), but
I see now – not so much.
Let’s see what the Yatch Club will do…
Episode 14 is aparently anime original but it does make a nice breather episode. It also serves to expand Marika’s
haremcircle of friends.Episode 15 has monkeys so its already awesome.Then we got Marika in a sexy suit and more Chiaki as a bonus. I can’t wait to see what hijinks ensue with Bentemaru being crewed by high school girls.
Needs more Chiaki screen time. Other than that, bring forth the highschool girl pirates!
The Plot behind the “Shadow Faction”, that wanted the Princess Killed, and released a Virus to take the Crew over 1 Month out, so they lost their Contract. So the Princess will lose her Support.. Well
Anyway, the Mastermind behind this all, will soon made his Move.. Well, you see. Bentemaru with a “replacement” Crew.. Good time ti attack and take her out… Because only The Captain knows the routine. But nobody has Battle experience
Oh, i saw right trough it?.. Sorry. I just curious how is the Mastermind behind all this, when it comes to the Princess
Natalia Grennorth– nice callout to Uchuu no Stellvia. 😀
It is entirely possible that a cyborg can still get sick or become infected because they are not wholly machines like androids. The name, as a portmanteau, is self explanatory: cybernetic organism. The organic components are still vulnerable to all things bacterial.
BTW I’m enjoying this new direction with the Yacht Club, although I admit that I thought of them right away when Marika was told to find a crew. So I was surprised that it took her an awful long time to realize that, especially given her ability to think outside of the box at times.
Yeah, I just figured with so many cybernetic modifications, they’d put some in that would make him less likely to become sick, like the ones Adam Jensen can have in Deus Ex. Schnitzer can already survive without oxygen (as seen in episode 12), so I didn’t think it was too far-fetched for him to be impervious to sickness as well.
I feel old for knowing Deus Ex
Schnitzer didn’t get sick though. As explained in the novels, he could in fact hold his breath and was very likely to not have contracted the flu. The hospital still had him isolated anyway to avoid risk.
episode 13 was kind of weak for me I thought for sure they would have gotten over the whole princess Gruier and Marika pairing! And then they bring her back again? Ah well I think there are lots of Gruier fans out there anyway…and they tossed in Grunhilde? Double loli princesses for the win or for the loss?
Episode 14 made me laugh more than anything with Marika and Gruier exploring the relay station for new Bentenmaru sailors, but hey at least we finally met Chiaki’s father and more Chiaki screen time even if that was only for the last five minutes.
Hooray for the Space Yacht Club! I was like FINALLY they are going back to those girls because things have been rather dull with the constant Gruier X Marika filled episodes.
Am i The only one who suspects Ririka-san to have masterminded the entire situation?
She was shown to be the one who ordered the delivery of the sick monkey cargo.
So IMHO she’s also the one who set the time so early. Monkeys escape, make all sick but not dangerously sick (like Ebola). the Marika has to “learn” how to get a crew for the ship on her own powers.
Fun ensued! Rofl.
Um, and how she could Manipulate the “Timer” to set off? and where to get this “unknonwn” Virus? 🙂
oh, now i get it. in Episode 13, Marika got the Ring.. And your think she used it?
I think you’re overthinking and confusing Ririka submitting her ship license exam and saying she’s looking forward to it and getting it mixed with the next scene. First Ririka clearly turns off / closes her terminal screen. And right after that its a cut to the next scene which I believe is causing your confusion since you see a photo of the cat-monkeys on a screen and think it was Ririka plotting something. But that photo on the screen and the background at 21:53 just before Marika mentiones she’s looking forward to the zoovisit is the same one Marika was looking at while talking with Misa 20 seconds earlier.
a slice of pirates life for me!
LOL. Say Space Pirates instead. There are many kinds of pirates.
I love how predictable, and yet problematic, the answer to Marika’s problem was.
Marika, Chiaki, and Ririka…all I need to keep watching, lol.
Chiaki’s back ! >3>
Good episodes overall… except for one thing that kinda rubs me the wrong way:
It’s about Jenny. I feel like she got written off the story. I know that she graduated and is no longer with the Yacht club, but isn’t that the cheapest excuse ever ? If the Yacht club is like a ship-piloting class, shouldn’t they keep Jenny as an executive teacher, counsilor or whatever ?
Ok, yes, it makes a little bit of sense that she’s no longer in the club, but come on, we barely know about her (her character, her personality, her conflicts, her relationship with Lynn) and they make it sound like we’re gonna forget about her on the upcoming episodes. That’s quite the low blow for a character like that.
I’m fully aware that the show is focused heavily on Marika, and it’s a good thing (needs more Chiaki though ^_^), I’m just saying that writing off secondary characters like they’re doing to Jenny is rather cheap. Of all of the Yacht club members, she and Lynn are the only ones that were made important.
Anyway, I’ll see how it’s gonna turn out on the upcoming 2nd half. The show’s really good… but it’s kinda hard not to notice that little detail. Then again, she still is a rather important character in the light novel, so we’ll see how they get her role here.
BTW, I LOLed so hard that the Bentenmaru crew’s reaction during the preview.