First Impressions / Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?

「うん、先生が最強だよ！」 (Un, Sensei ga Saikyou da yo!)
“Yeah, Sensei is the Strongest!”

This was a superb episode. My main qualm with season 1 was that while the comedy was great, the plot was weak at times. Not so here. In this episode Studio Deen managed to mix a bunch of plot in with plenty of comedy, and balance it all really well. I know I’m prone to forgive this series for a lot – it has given us Yukinori, Taeko, and Sera doing things like this, which’ll earn you a lot of good will, let me tell you – but this truly felt like a good balancing act, making this one of the best (if not the best) episodes of this season. And coming from the guy who has loved almost every episode, that’s saying something.

The episode started with an explanation of why Haruna was hurting at the end of last episode. It turns out that using Yuu’s power comes with Yuu’s drawbacks as well, namely that Haruna was now suffering intense pain whenever she spoke or experienced extreme emotions…which, this being Haruna, is all the time. Aside from her getting in on the Yuu fashion, this also meant that YUU COULD TALK NOW YAY!! Hearing original Yuu so much in one episode was nice, especially since she finally got to say that “itterashai” that Ayumu has been fantasizing about for so long.

Speaking of that, let’s talk about Ayumu’s fantasies. Probably the funniest single moment in an episode full of funny moments was the revelation that yes, Yuu actually does know about all your fantasies, Ayumu! Her actually asking him to fantasize about her was great, especially since it resulted in some of the most devestating fantasies we’ve seen to date. Yuu saying sempai was marvelous. We were also treated to the debut of mousou Haruna, with predictable (but still funny) consequences. Even in Ayumu’s mind, Haruna goes where she pleases. +5 Stilts points for whoever gets that reference.

But that was all just setting up for the meat of the episode, which involved our heretofore only lightly used Yousei-san. I really liked the plan she used to get around her curse, because it was subtle and only a shade convoluted, which kept it from being too convenient. The only thing that really was convenient was the ring – not how she got it off Yukinori (side note: you made Yukinori cry. I will kill you. I will kill you with my bare hands), but how Ayumu got it in the first place. The guy just appears with exactly what she needs when the rest of the ingredients are falling into place? Ehhhh. Still, that’s a minor qualm, and it might just mean that we’ll be seeing more of that blood vomiting guy in the future. In fact, I expect we will.

Anyway, it turns out that boring sensei was Yousei-san, whose real name is Chris (finally!), and that she’s an insanely powerful masou shoujo who was once Dai-sensei’s mentor. Oh. Fuck. Yes. This is going to be awesome (is what I said when these facts were revealed). I’m going to go over some of the reasons why in the random thoughts below, but the most plot-relevant part is this – Chris is powerful, on the loose, and it looks like Dai-sensei is going to loose the hounds to stop her…and by hounds, I mean Kyouko. Insane masou shoujo vs insanely powerful (and frequently drunk) masou shoujo? Oh yeah. This is going to be good.

Ayumu, I don’t think that Chris is truly evil, she just wants to be free of her curse. It’s up to you to stop her, and then save her! And, you know, try to stop Kyouko from disembolwing you. Again. I can’t imagine that’s much fun.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Yuu speaks, Haruna can’t, Yukinori cries, Ayumu fantasizes, Anderson-kun flies, Sera nyans, & Yousei-san…well, it’s good times 😉 #korezon

Random thoughts:

  • Why is Sera’s yellow shirt always almost falling off her left breast? Not that I mind.
  • Yukinori is ridiculously cute. Yes, there’s NO way you can tell her where you got the ring from now, Ayumu. Just marry her and be done with it. You lucky fuckin’ bastard you.
  • Saras was okay with her kuso darling giving a ring to Yukinori? Well, I guess she only wants one part of him… >_<
  • Seifuku Sera, HNNNNG! And then there’s nyan nyan neko Sera, HNNNNNN- *bursts a blood vessel*
  • I approve of this Dai-sensei-always-in-the-bath initiative. Also, why does it seem like all my random thoughts are perverted ones? =X
  • Oh, so being transformed into a middle-aged man is the worst curse ever? As someone who will one day be a middle-aged man (and probably get there sooner than most of you for whom this is an option), I think…you’re probably right, Orz. Pass me the sake, Chris.
  • Speaking of, Chris had to get drunk, to loosen her curse. I wish I had that good of an excuse.
  • Wait, when did I start watching Angel Beats? Yurippe, is that you?

Full-length images: 04, 06, 18, 35, 39.

 

Preview

54 Comments

  1. Orito. Best. Engrish. Line. In. The. Entire. Episode.

    “I can fly!” *with a nosebleed on his face*

    We need more Sarasvati. Please Korewazom, give us back our favorite butt-loving vampire ninja idol-singer.

    The_Magus_Killer
    Reply

  2. Honestly, my biggest issue with season 2 so far has been all the focus they’re putting on Yukinori. It’s not to say I don’t like her, but she’s the definitely the most boring of the girls, and I find myself getting distracted when I’m supposed to be enjoying her scenes. Eu, on the other hand, can never have too much screen time. Seeing Sera do the nyan-nyan pose again was absolutely lethal too! Sera’s dere is too much to take!!

    Animation when Chris blew the liquid was awesome. Eu’s outfit was one of the best ones in the series to date. This was a fantastic episode.
    ANDERSON-KUUUUUUN!!!

    staticology
    Reply

    1. naah. she’s not boring, just pure dere. seems that with all the different types of characters, people have come to forget how to enjoy a pure dere for some reason! oh well!!!

      Nitro
      Reply

      1. Too much Tsundere -> Domesticated Men -> Unable to appreciate healthy abuse-free relationships

        Fox News reports that the Japanese will soon go extinct if they do not start making more babies soon, warning that this might be of consequence even to Americans and blaming the usual suspects of herbivorous men, otaku virgins and weird Japanese who prefer making friends “with robots.”
        http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/05/11/lack-babies-could-mean-extinction-japanese-people/

        Random Hobo
        Reply

      2. They keep showing her like she’s his main love interest…. Is that the case? I doubt it.
        Then again, I dunno if there really is a love interest since the show doesnt really want to delve in that area for too long.

        omeganx
        Reply

    2. Same lol! Completely threw me off! “I wanna buy a pet dog, and make it fight to the death!” I was like damn… vampire ninja girls are crazy! They’ve got crazy bodies but also crazy minds! I love it!

      Although the highlight has to be Eu’s voice and Chris’ revelation!

      Ryner
      Reply

  4. Finally this episode pays back all our faith this season in spades. So much seemed random filler but everything is brought together nicely. I do wish they had Teacher Chris show up a little more before this episode’s big revelation. And there’s still the mystery of blood vomiting guy…
    Best part of this episode was hearing Yuu speak, and asking Ayumu to fantasize about her. OMFG! Does she actually know the exact fantasies that Ayumu has been having? Oh Yuu, you can be my imouto anytime!

    bertman4
    Reply

  9. Oh God! Yuu! Please make this curse transfer permanent! Moar Yuu, less Haruna!

    Now how the hell does Yuu knows about Ayumu’s fantasies? Can she read minds or something? That was the biggest surprise I’ve seen in this show so far surprisingly. Hilarious nonetheless. I can just imagine how awkward it will be for Ayumu from now on, now that he knows SHE KNOWS.

    Whelp looks like Ayumu’s harem just gained a +1 membership with Yousei-san. Yep we all know she’ll be converted eventually. I cant see her as a villain at all.

    YanDaMan
    Reply

    1. Not really attempting a serious answer but majority of the time after Ayumu fantasizes he blushes, pets Yuu and calls himself Onii-chan. The signs are there.

      I don’t think she’ll be a villian either. Think Kyouko and probably Dai-sensei have that role.

      Mousou Yuu
      Reply

  10. Best episode ever.

    I dont mind Haruna staying like that if I could have Yuu to talk for the rest of the show.

    Also, glad I wasn’t the only one who was reminded of Angel Beats rocket chairs haha.

    Nhelraios
    Reply

    1. I was seeing light at the end of this tunnel … nooo .. er, I want episode XD
      My heart almost explodes Seraphim and Yukinori much, but I still want more, not enough for meeeee…., hahaha XD.
      Only things missing that make Seraphim perverted to Ayumo, that would be lethal (nosebleeds), and terrible for her to do that to a “piece of junk pervert” XD

      Shadow74
      Reply

  14. Thank you for loving Yukinori and always having great full-lengths of her. Definitely best episode of the season, and I’ve enjoyed every step along the way as well. Chris and Kyouko on the loose are going to make this second half awesome.

    Xin
    Reply

    1. Ayumu has a pantheon-tier harem, which just keeps getting better and better every season. I don’t think he gets any breaks – he used up all his good luck on that!

      Also, he’s already been killed, so the worst is over. Presumably Gaia has to make up for him having the gall to not lay down and be quiet. And get an awesome harem too GODS DAMN I’M JEALOUS!!

      Stilts
      Reply

  17. I don’t see a problem with Chris being freed. Yes, she stole the ring and mana absorption device so Eu can’t talk, Haruna doesn’t have mana and Yukinori may go berserk…wait, that’s how things were originally. Just now they gained a super-powerful, super-cute, white-goth-loli fairy Magiclad girl. She could even become an ally if they sell off Ayumu to her. I have yet to see her do anything evil, since all the students were unharmed.

    Sera goes nya~

    Ptolemaios00
    Reply

  24. This was definitely the best ep so far; it was both funny as hell (those rocket chairs, Sera acting the way she does, Ayumu’s fantasies) and quite interesting plot-wise (I’m really liking where the stuff with Yousei-san is going, and she is an interesting character to boot). And damn, Yuu speaking an entire episode in her normal voice? She and Tomonori would blow out any man’s brain fuse if they somehow banded together.

    Also, I wonder if blood-vomiting-guy wasn’t just a coincidence, but that someone sent him for the direct purpose of getting Chris free by ways of an unsuspecting Ayumu. Maybe it was someone who wants Kyouko free and who’s masterminding everything! Dun-dun-dunnn! Oh well, we’ll see.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  25. Euu talking normally for most of the episode was enough to push me close to the edge… but when they showed Sera doing the ~nyan~ pose while wearing that outfit, it was the kick that knocked me off the edge XD

    And Euu actually knowing and demanding that Ayumu fantasizes about her was just hilarious! Haha~

    Euzio
    Reply

  27. What’s with Youko Hisaka’s characters and nekomimi? I remember one Mio Akiyama having the same atraction to them, and Sera’s was the same level of cuteness with the plus of the dynamite body.
    Now, Chris is waaay to overkill having withstand Ayumu’s 200% Falcon Punch like it was nothing.

    SeedStriker
    Reply

  28. Chris is cool!!! How she stop Ayumu punch, and still look so cute!!!! Not to mention when she drinks and talk, still damn funny when she talk about how sad it is for her when she/he is male….Dying from cuteness!!!

    Tingster013
    Reply

    1. Dai-sensei and Chris are the middle and second one on the right? Don’t really know.

      but I completely forgot about season one’s opening and shots like that which looked to be foreshadowing.

      kuro
      Reply

  30. Hey Stilts how ’bout discussing on your next SOL the allure of nekomimi. How is it so much more moe than the other kemonomimi counterparts?! It’s like nekomimi is the epitome of moeness in anime 😛

    seranyan
    Reply

  31. @Stilts: Ahem. “and that she’s an insanely powerful !!mousou!! shoujo who was once Dai-sensei’s mento”
    Chris aint a mosou shoujo. The closets we have to that is Mosou Zombie Shounen

    deafvader
    Reply

  37. Oh well, now Dai-sensei is like Magiclad Girls eqivalent of Chuck Norris – so insanely powerful she’s legendary – and then there is Bottle Fairy Chris – an equivalent of Bruce Lee, the guy (or girl in that case…) who taught the legend all it knows!

    ewok40k
    Reply

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