After episodes developing Mika and Mei, this episode focuses on character development on Mutsuki. While Mutsuki didn’t exactly have a major problem, this episode does help to demonstrate what it really means to be friends and to bond. Side point though, the “fanservice” is really starting to be very disturbing. (more on this at the end)

First joke. It’s exams! And we see Manabi showing off her magic pencil which includes a random generator to help pick answers. She insists that it must work because the monk she bought it from had said that it’s made from wood from Mt Fiji. Momoha comes along and after examining it, reads out “Made in China”. Manabi is crushed…… cept she now thinks that China has a Mt Fiji as well.

Anyway, progress on the school festival goes well. Especially thanks to mysterious viral brochures and a website done by Mei, who apparently codes websites in BASIC. The website allows for submission of School festival plans, and also allows for much interactions, including winning clothes for your avatar. (Think maple story and stuff) In fact, everything is enough to excite even the school admin.

Before leaving the student council room the next day though, Mika sees that the Softball tournament was actually over. Mutsuki seemed very down, and can’t even win at lucky draws. Only while chatting over an ice popsicle, did Mutsuki mention that they had actually lost in the softball tournament. Only later at home, did Mika read back on a news article that they actually lost because of a mistake Mutsuki made.

Mika starts blaming herself for not realising what happened earlier. Through a flashback, Mika remembers that on the first day of school, Mutsuki was the one who offered a hand when she tripped, and coincidentally, they had entered the same class and became close friends, though Mutsuki was always the one teasing Mika. A scene shows a drenched mutsuki and mika in the school council room. (What happened is not revealed yet)

In the end, Mika decides to pop by Mutsuki’s house to accompany her to study, where we’re introduce to the mess that is Mutsuki’s house. Only after the intervention of the Mom, did they finally settle down to study.

However, as both of them has the same brain level (i.e. zero) they soon end up sneaking out to play. Drinking at the cafe, ktv, playing at the playground. The might not have any same topics of interests, but that won’t stop them from being great friends.

Of course, they end up bombing the exam. We find out what happened at the school council room previously. So it happened that the senior batch had graduated, leaving Mika alone. But Mutsuki had gone to the effort of going around asking people to join, even making herself drenched with water.

So that’s the history of their great friendship, and we see Mutsuki joining the school council as well.

Thoughts

The fanservice was disturbing.

I know it’s summer, and girls like to flap their skirts in summer. But having constant skirt flapping for no reason through the episode was just weird. And what’s that scene of Mutsuki eating popsicle supposed to imply. (Random Curiousity and 2D Complex has an animated gif of it)

You might argue that there’s nothing wrong with fanservice. But in a series where the characters are drawn to look real young and cute, and with serious themes like friendship, the fanservice is just disturbing and jarring to me. Unless maybe you’ve got a perverted mind.

Great episode on lesson of friendship though. It’s not the similarities and interests you have with your friend, but rather the amount of effort you put into it that determines whether it succeeds.