I have enjoyed every episode of Machikado so far, but this episode really took the cake! It was cute, charming, and had just the right amount of humor for me. From the moment Shamiko shot up out of bed all the way to Ryo finding the picture of the crisis mode outfit I was having a really good time. (And after that emotional roller coaster that was the new Fruits Basket? Phew!) It seemed like every character this episode that we’ve met up until now really had a chance to shine. Of course, some definitely stood out more than others, but I was happy to see everyone get some screen time!
The absolute highlight of the episode for me was when Momo and Shamiko decide to follow Sion to her club room. So far, Sion has really just been an odd ball of a character who appears every once in a while, says something a little ominous, and then leaves. We’ve known for a long time that’s she’s been into demons and dark magic, but we finally get to see it in action. As always, Momo steps in to protect Shamiko from whatever dangers lie ahead and instead Lilith gets some arms and legs. If Lilith were any other shape, I probably would have gotten nightmares from what she turned into, but thankfully it wasn’t as creepy as it could have been – but then again, this anime doesn’t really do creepy. Thankfully, Momo comes to the rescue again and gives Lilith the cutest body. Prior to this episode I was really hoping the small white-haired girls were new characters that we were going to meet, but I think I’m happy with what they did instead! It was fun to see Lilith be happy and move around freely. Of course, it was fantastic when Momo was able to issue out commands and Lilith had no choice other than to obey.
While the first half of the episode had my favorite segments, the second half was also a real gem. I’m happy to see Ryo view her sister in such a stunning light and the attempts that Momo went through to show that she wasn’t actually a magical girl. However, none of it worked, but we got to see genuine pride and joy come from Ryo as she thought that her sister had managed to create an army of magical girls. Poor Mikan though…. She was just being sweet and bringing ice cream back to enjoy, but instead she got poked and prodded into becoming another subordinate. (At least they got their ice cream though!). It’s just so nice to see that what little conflict this anime brings up is just enough to push us to the next moment, but doesn’t spiral out of control in a negative way. Sure Shamiko now has to deal with the fact that her sister thinks that she’s more powerful than not one but two magical girls, but it’s done in such a charming way that it still makes me smile. Just overall, I’m really happy with how the characters, situations, and humor are handled.
And boy oh boy am I excited for the next episode. It looks like we’re going to get the full background story of the demon clan! Or perhaps some other mysteries of the anime!
