天下制覇

Stop introducing characters, dammit.

Impressions:

Remember last week about how I complained that they’re still adding characters to Ikuto’s ever growing harem? Well… another episode of that. Sakuya the robot-bath-maid. How they managed to get a robot on an island with technology from medieval Japan is beyond me. They’ve certainly put the Professor to shame with their coconut kinetics. It was another fairly uninteresting episode mostly about a total throwaway character. At this point, I also note that we have yet to have an Ayane-centric episode through the entire run. Poor girl. She really deserves one too. 

Summary:

Ikuto is sitting in Chikage’s library, reading samurai stories to pass the time. Chikage’s mother comes in and introduces herself to Ikuto. She  asks if Ikuto likes mysteries. Suddenly, they hear thunder, and she says that Ikuto should hurry home to Suzu.

Back at home, Suzu is cowering and waiting for Ikuto to come home. A sudden flash of lightning reveals a shadow at the door. Tonkatsu charges to the attack, but it’s just some laundry. Suzu looks down and sees a letter. Ikuto is still running home through the rain.

Later, it’s sunny again and Ikuto, Meimei and Suzu are discussing the letter that Suzu got as they head to Sakuya’s bath. Meimei can’t really figure out what the letter means either. The three chatter onward about various legends and disasters on the island while Ikuto still tries to figure out who Sakuya is. They finally reach a house where a beautiful girl comes out.

She introduces herself to Ikuto and Meimei as Sakuya, but as she bows, her head falls off. She puts it back on as she says that she’s actually a form of robot. Meimei is a bit overwhelmed while Ikuto is his usual cynical self. She tries to take their bags in, but her arms fall off as she picks them up.

Over at obligatory naked fanservice bath area, all the other girls are chit chatting about Ikuto and other mundane things. Machi is off in a corner rubbing her skin to get it shiny and smooth for Ikuto, so all the other girls except Chikage end up doing the same.

Back with the threesome, Ikuto is still arguing with Tohna about whether or not she’s a kappa. Even though he’s willing to accept Sakuya as a robot, he won’t accept Tohna as a kappa. A shadowy figure watches from above.

At the changing room, Suzu is trying to get Ikuto to go into the bath together with her. She says that it’s okay because it’s a bath. He refuses though, saying that mens and women’s baths are seperate.

In the women’s bath, all the scrubbing girls are in pain and covered with bruises. Suzu is still lamenting that Ikuto won’t go in the bath with her, so Chikage heads out on her mission to convince and drag Ikuto in there.

Ikuto, meanwhile, is having tea with Sakuya. He asks her about the letter that they got, but Sakuya says that she got the same letter. Chikage senses a mystery, and turns the letter over to reveal a seal on the back. Chikage says that it’s the doing of some mysterious curse from centuries ago where a swordsman stalks the island.

Chikage ends her painfully long and overly dramatic explanation by saying that it’ll be fun. Sakuya says that it’ll be okay because they’re all guests here and under her care. Sakuya asks how the guests are doing in the bath, and we see them all passed out from the heat.

That night, everybody is fanning themselves to cool off. Sakuya heads off to get food and Chikage also excuses herself. Ikuto keeps thinking about who the curse could be targetting. Suzu notices that he’s worrying, so Ikuto ends up telling them all about the curse and to be careful.

Suzu thinks that Chikage’s just screwing around with them and making up stories. Ikuto isn’t sure, but before he can answer, Ayane, Yukina and Machi all jump into his arms for protection. Suddenly, a scream from outside brings them all running out. They find Chikage pointing at something in the woods. Sakuya switches to battle mode, complete with guns, but it’s just Shinobu, who collapses in front of them, holding a letter with the same seal.

Back inside everybody is being fanned again and trying to figure out what’s going on. Ikuto’s still a bit worried that this is more of a prank, and given how wiped out everybody is, it would fall on him to protect them if something happened. Then he notices that Chikage is perfectly fine and starts thinking that she might have something to do with this.

Ikuto finally decides to hit the bath, so excuses himself. Ayane notices that everybody’s still exhausted, so takes her chance and follows him to the bath while daydreaming about it. Ikuto thinks that he needs to borrow a towel from Sakuya while Ayane strips and heads into the bath. She sees a guy washing himself and leaps on him… only for him to turn around and have an evil mask on.

Her scream brings Sakuya and Ikuto running into the bath. They split to check the two changing rooms. Ikuto’s scream sends Sakuya running to the bath where she finds a completely blood drenched Ayane. She thinks that Ayane’s dead, but Ikuto apologizes for nose bleeding all over her. At least it wasn’t white and sticky.

Ayane comes to and grabs Ikuto, humping him and yelling at him for tricking her like that. Sakuya thinks that it’s strange because Ikuto was with her the entire time. Ayane is meanwhile itching all over. Suddenly they hear a laugh from above and see the imposing man in a mask standing on a tree above them.

Post-ED, we see everybody freaking out in their room while Chikage malevolently chuckles.