Category: Shinryaku! Ika Musume

“Bring it on snake! Kakatte kuru de geso!”
Ika takes a page out of Gorou’s book to try and look cool.

「人形じゃなイカ？／疑惑じゃなイカ？／登山しなイカ？」
(Ningyou Janai ka? / Giwaku Janai ka? / Tozan Shinai ka?)
“Isn’t That a Doll? / Isn’t it Suspicious? / Won’t You Go Mountain Climbing?”

Creepy dolls, invisible American scientists, and mountain climbing. This wasn’t an overly hilarious episode, but still had its moments when Ika was scared to death of Eiko’s old doll (as opposed to ghosts) and received a beat down from a king cobra in the mountains.

“Booyah! Who’s the squid!? Who’s the squid!?”

「てるてる坊主じゃなイカ？／好かれなイカ？／野球しなイカ？」
(Teru Teru Bouzu Janai ka? / Sukaranai ka? / Yakyuu Shina ka?)
“Isn’t that a Teru Teru Bouzu? / Aren’t I Liked? / Won’t You Play Baseball?”

Ika may draw like a two year-old with her hands, but it’s a completely different story when her tentacles grab hold of a pencil and she churns out masterpiece after masterpiece. Best of all, her drawings were in “squid vision” and gave us an inside look at how she perceived everyone. Eiko and Chizuru’s amazement over her artistry combined with their shock from her perception of them as a killer robot and demon respectively resulted in some priceless reactions.

Ika’s glammed up like a porcelain doll and ready to make mankind fall for her.

「ピンポンダッシュしなイカ？／メイクしなイカ？／秘密兵器じゃなイカ？」
(Pinpon Dasshu Shinai ka? / Meiku Shinai ka? / Himitsu Heiki Janai ka?)
“Won’t You Doorbell Dash? / Won’t You Put on Makeup? / Isn’t That a Secret Weapon?”

For whatever reason, this series isn’t getting nearly as much attention as it should be among English-speaking fans, so I thought I’d spark some more interest by having Ika Musume invade Random Curiosity in the form of a banner. Those who have stopped by the IRC channel have already heard me go on and on about this series, so for everyone else who hasn’t been checking out this little gem of the season, I’ll say the same thing I’ve been saying there. Go watch Ika Musume! (…and Samurai Girls.) You know what they say, once you go squid girl, you can never go back (…or something like that).

Sanae got squid slapped and she liked it!

「病気じゃなイカ？／新能力じゃなイカ？／ささなイカ？」
(Byouki Janai ka? / Shin Nouryoku Janai ka? / Sasanai ka?)
“Aren’t You Sick? / Isn’t That a New Ability? / Won’t You Open It?”

There’s a saying that idiots don’t get sick, but apparently that doesn’t apply to invaders from the sea. Or at least that’s what Ika shows us this week, after she catches some (supposed) squid disease that turns her shrimp cravings against her. Before long, the bipolar mood swings kick in and she starts showing some serious signs of shrimp withdrawal too, much like one would expect from a crack addict.

“Oogly boogly boo! Fear me!”

「狙われなイカ？／研究しなイカ？／働かなイカ？」 (Nerawarenai ka? / Kenkyuu Shinai ka? / Hatarakanai ka?)
“Aren’t I Being Targeted? / Won’t You Research? / Won’t You Work?

Nagisa tries to foil Ika’s invasion, Cyndi puts Ika under the microscope, and the fake squid girl returns as the newest Lemon employee. It may not sound like much on paper — much like the idea of a squid girl doesn’t — but it’s a whole bucket of laughs in execution.

IKA-BOSHI!

「ヒーローショーじゃなイカ？／勉強しなイカ？／恋じゃなイカ？」
(Hero Show Janai ka? / Benkyou Shinai ka? / Koi Janai Ka?)
“Isn’t it a Hero Show? / Won’t You Study? / Isn’t it Love?”

Ika.. do you have secrets that you aren’t telling us?

Go mini Ika Musume! Give that shark everything you got!

「宇宙人じゃなイカ？／学校に行かなイカ？／飼わなイカ？」
(Uchuujin Janai ka? / Gakkou ni Ikanai ka? / Kawanai ka?)
“Aren’t You An Alien? / Won’t You Go to School? / Won’t You Raise Her?”

Just when I thought this show was way too cute (in a good way), they take the cuteness to a whole new level with a skit on “mini” Ika Musume. Similar to what Mitsudomoe did last season, the skit was completely all devoid of dialogue save for the noises coming from Ika; however, that’s exactly what made it as awesome as it was.