天下制覇

"Hey Natsuko, I need you to help me watch my friend go to the bathroom."

Impressions:

Wow, this episode got serious at the end. I was a little surprised with the total cheeseball nature of Sakaki’s formulative experience with Minamoto. I swear that every shounen fighting show from Naruto to Airmaster has pulled the "I’ll send my feelings to you through a punch" nonsense. Sure, usually it’s the person who is doing the punching and usually one of the two involved is not a telepath, but hey… close enough for me. I also enjoyed that Minamoto managed to make out with some drunk chick, and yet still retained the presence of mind to pocket something to protect himself from Shiho. Too bad he forgot that Kaoru can and will just hold him down and drag the truth out of him one way or the other.

Then, yeah… the halfway point… well… after the "Minamoto is a loli for one of the dates being Naomi" joke at any rate. There’s nothing wrong with liking Naomi, dammit! Crackshot Minamoto dropped both dolls without even a second’s hesitation. He really has been spending time in the practice range lately. Kugutsu was also somewhat more evil for a little bit. He did go after Minamoto and his ladies via robots with knives, and shoot Sakaki in the heart, but then he had to ruin things by having a team of cosplay puppets do his fighting for him. Even the Children didn’t take him seriously at that point, just sort of screwing around until they could blow him up. I’m pretty sure Aoi could have also just teleported him to a great height and watched him fall. Then again, I’m not entirely certain how his ESP canceller doll would have worked with teleporter stuff.

But the best part… the absolutely awesome bestest of bestest parts… is that after some three or four months of advertisements telling me about the league of evil mutants espers run by Kyosuke… they’re finally showing up next episode. Some dedicated antagonists. Awesome. Just awesome.

The Chief and Kashiwagi present Minamoto with photographic evidence that Sakaki’s been selling BABEL secrets. Minamoto refuses to believe that it’s really him.

After the OP plays, we cut to a flashback of Sakaki beating the hell out of some people. They were scared of/looked down on him because of his psychic abilities, and he just felt like stomping some ‘manners’ into them. Minamoto stops him, and Sakaki threatens to beat him up too. Minamoto takes off his glasses and tells Sakaki to go ahead. Sakaki clocks Minamoto, but through his abilities, senses that Minamoto is different from the others. Minamoto yells his own feelings back at Sakaki through the psychic link. Sakaki smiles over his new friend.

Back in the present, Minamoto still refuses to believe Sakaki’s a spy. Sakaki, meanwhile, is convincing one of the employees that she needs to strip for him. It works and she starts unbuttoning her shirt, but Minamoto brings an unceremonious end to the sexual harassment suit in the making.

Late at night, Minamoto arrives home totally worn out and trashed from a night of partying with Sakaki.

His entrance wakes the girls who demand to know where he’s been. Shiho goes to read his mind when he refuses to talk, but can’t. He’s got a thought canceller because of ‘adult activities.’ Kaoru holds him down and Shiho straddles Minamoto and goes to use her full power to drag it out of him, but Minamoto manages to get away. The girls still think something is up though, so they make a late night call. Natsuko’s ringtone is the OP theme… *sigh*

The next day, Minamoto’s still worn out, but Sakaki wants a nice dinner date. Minamoto asks Natsuko and Hotaru for help, and they admit that the girls called her last night asking if she could keep an eye on Minamoto and let them know what he was up to.

Since they’d be in the way of his Special Sakaki Operation, that’s no good. Kugutsu is nearby though, and has a plan.

That night, the girls struggle to get into their evening dresses to go out with Minamoto, but he’s watching TV. Sort of. His eyes are dead and he responds emotionlessly. The TV is also playing static. Shiho tries to read him and they figure out that he’s a puppet, so Kaoru explodes it and their suspicions turn to Kugutsu.

Minamoto’s getting a ride from him to the hotel where they’re having their nice dinner. Kugutsu smirks evilly.

At the party, Natsuko and Hotaru are getting drunk with Sakaki’s help. The final member of their triple date arrives… it’s Naomi. Sakaki knows that Minamoto likes them young… Natsuko and Hotaru cower from the lolicon.

The Children make it to Kugutsu’s house, but they can’t find anything there. They hear something and find Tanazuki tied up in the closet.

He tried to stop Naomi from going out and got psychic crushed. He tells them that it was some special operation though, which sends the girls to the Chief. They learn about the suspicions surrounding Sakaki and that Minamoto is trying to figure this out. He also left their limiter operator with the Chief. Kaoru angrily snatches it up and the girls take off.

Back at the dinner, Naomi’s a little distressed from the curry, but Sakaki’s scarfing it down with no problems. He excuses himself for a moment to go to the bathroom. Minamoto follows, dragging along Hotaru and natsuko and begs Natsuko to use her powers to check on Sakaki. You pervert, Minamoto. Hotaru transmits the vision between the three and they see Sakaki taking a handoff.

They’re all shocked, and Kugutsu appears behind them egging Minamoto on to go arrest Sakaki. Minamoto is extremely suspicious of this behavior and thinks about Sakaki’s lack of taste buds earlier. He throws open the bathroom door and fires twice, dropping Sakaki and the other man. Both were puppets. He turns his gun to Kugutsu, accusing him of being the real spy. Kugutsu’s not worried at all though. Minamoto tells Hotaru and Natsuko to go get Naomi, but Kugutsu’s already got her tied up. Minamoto threatens him directly, but it’s just a puppet too. More swarm in behind him.

They retreat to a closet and try to think of a way out. Minamoto can’t call the Children because he lacks his phone (good work, doofus). They suddenly hear something though, Sakaki’s mentally transmitting from the roof. He’s been shot in the chest by Kugutsu and is dying. The girls hear his psychic voice too.

The puppets break down the door to the closet. Minamoto drops a couple, but there are too many. Suddenly, a psychic blast rips them all apart and the Children show up. Kaoru yells at him that they’re a team and throws him the limiter release. He unlocks them.

On the roof, Kugutsu’s standing over Sakaki with a gun. Kaoru appears and tries to attack, but he’s got a doll that can repel her psychic energy.

He’s got other dolls too, in various costumes for various types of attacks. Kaoru holds off the barrage while the adults check on Sakaki. The bullet’s lodged in his heart and if they don’t remove it soon, it’ll kill him.

One of the S&M puppets gets Kaoru in a whip, and another brings out a bazooka to finish them off. As soon as it shoots, Aoi teleports the girls into the air and then Kaoru whips the rocket right back at Kugutsu.

Sakaki uses his power to show Naomi exactly where the bullet is and she manages to remove it safely. Kugutsu has been knocked out by the blast and the girls fly down to teleport Sakaki to a hospital.

Some days later, Sakaki is recovering. Minamoto is visiting him and cutting up apples for him. Without even thinking, he makes apple bunnies. The girls swing by too, along with Naomi and Tanizuki. Sakaki thinks about how everything that Minamoto said back then about them all being in this together is true. The girls steal Sakaki’s apple bunnies.

Preview:

Oh hell yes, PANDRA finally launches. Let the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants go wild!