Posts in Magical Pokan Category

Aiko finds an old VHS tape deck, and inside is a videotape of hers from way back when labeled "Memories". Only one problem... she, Pachira, and Liru can't find any analog inputs on their digital TV. Uma comes in, not realizing what's going on, very excited about the rebroadcast of one of her (and everybody else's) favorite shows, Makai-chan. Uma finally sees the tape deck -- with that she can record Makai-chan! But they can't hook it up to the TV... so Uma'll use her magic! No, absolutely not (^^;;) Keimi points out that the instruction manual for the TV says that they need a DA (Digital to Analog) Converter for the TV. Uma wants to get one right now, of course. The other agree to pitch in to pay and they head off... but the shop they go to doesn't have one. But if they go to Akiba they might be able to find one.

So, Uma, Pachira, Liru, and Aiko head off to Akiba in search of a DA Convertor... a very futuristic Akiba from sometime in the future ;) Uma's more interested in the maids, though... they look through all of the stores, but have no luck. They're pointed to an old junk shop, and there.. they've got it. But for 40,000 yen. They can't afford that, so they head back home...

Pachira asks Aiko what's on that "Memories" videotape. Back when she was little(?), some of her memories had to be transferred to tape since her hard drive was full, so she doesn't remember anything of what she was like back then.. Uma goes over to Aiko -- AIko's memories are in that videotape, so that's good enough, there's no reason to be sad. She can treasure that tape as her memories.. what's most important is that she's together with Uma and the others there. Well said, Uma ;) She cries, but stops once Aiko says it's almost time for Makai-chan to start..

（ ゜д゜）ポカーン
poka~n

So the OP was really the OP for Makai-chan... okay, I get it now ;)

Actually, Yatagai-san (the director) explained why the OP turned out that way on the Magipoka blog. According to Yatagai-san, the OP shows the journey of Uma and the others from the makai to the human world, so he wanted the song to represent their feelings of perhaps wanting to be human or perhaps having to give up something to go to the human world. He had originally planned to do a light denpa-type song like the ED for the OP, but with that image Yousei Teikoku of course made a more serious song to fit. He couldn't just go back from there since he himself had put in the order for the song, so he then had to do the storyboard and explain why things were that way to the other staff since the whole journey to the human world was completely his idea. Considering all of that, it turned out rather well, working even though it didn't exactly match the image of the actual show :)

Anyways, onto the B part now.

Uma, Pachira, Liru, and Aiko (Keimi's there, too!), trying to improve their English conversational skills... I guess... play a little game. Each has to identify an object in English, no Japanese allowed. If you get it wrong or say something in Japanese you have to drink a can of this rather foul brown liquid in one shot. And so the game goes on, with each girl eventually messing up and having to drink. Poor Aiko has some trouble dealing with it, as she overheats and crashes a couple of times (^^;;) But when she messes up Keimi has to drink for her since she can't drink or eat anything. We finally see what it is that they're drinking -- Strawberry Natto juice... yuck to say the least. Apparently Aiko bought 6 cases of it from a salesman that came by since it's supposed to be good for you (^^;;)

Uma, Liru, Pachira, and Aiko go skiing up in the mountains. Well... Uma rides the lift up and down and up and down (typical Uma). Aiko's too heavy (300kg) to ride the lift, so the others go on without her, pretty much forgetting about her (poor Aiko...). And though Liru and Pachira say this is their first time snowboarding, it obviously isn't since they tear up the slopes with ease, even having a race -- Pachira cheats, of course. Afterwards, Liru and Pachira finally remember Aiko and go back to find her sunk in snow, building snowman with rather sad expressions. She's lost it (^^;;)

After a fun day it's time to go back to the hotel... except that nobody reserved a room. Ooops (^^;;) They go up the mountain and look for a cabin, and soon come upon a girl with her leg caught in a trap. Liru sets her free and she invites them to come to her house. Did I mention she's got an older brother? Usual reaction from everybody when they see him (^^;;) They have a dinner of watermelons, cold noodles.... isn't it winter? No electricity or anything so they're stuck with it... after eating and eating they eventually freeze and the girl and her older brother show their true selves -- they're going to eat some souls now. Only problem is that Aiko didn't eat since she's a robot and isn't frozen. The others break out as well... looks like those two got more than they bargained for there (^^;;)

Liru sees someone looking very much like Pachira going around town sucking blood.... Liru tries to place blame on Pachira, but she denies she's the one that did it. Pachira herself sees the thing out sucking blood when she's out later and gathers everybody together since she's figured out who the real culprit is (you Haruhi or something? Well, she is, kinda.. same seiyuu). Aiko is sent out as bait -- works well since the robot can't suck metal. Turns out that two alien kids@Tomoko Kaneda were inside, trying to gather blood for thier mother who was injured when their spacecraft crashed. Pachira, Uma, and Liru offer to help out and.... they end up being pretty much sucked dry of blood since the aliens' mother is rather large. Well, at least they did help them out...

Liru's really, really, really, really excited since the full moon is coming up and she wants to watch it and have a party with everybody. Nobody else is really all that interested as of yet, though... Liru goes off shopping to buy food for the moon-watching party and buys this and that and a ton of other things, unable to resist discounts. The day finally comes so Liru sets out to get the best spot for moon-watching and to set up a refrigerator and grill and tables and blankets and... as the sun sets her stomach grumbles since she hasn't eaten yet, and for some reason a steak appears in her hands. Night comes and Uma and rest come and eat all they want and just have fun, and...

Uma, Pachira, and Aiko arrive at the designated moon-watching spot to find Liru, now in cute doggy form, talking in her sleep. Seems she was so excited that she wore herself out over the past couple of days. But rather than wake her up, Uma picks her up and cuddles her as everybody enjoys watching the full moon... what, no ochi (the "punch line", you could say)? Well, a nice happy ending like this is good every once in a while. Liru's extremely cute in doggy form :)

In a rare follow up to what happened last time (...which I should probably blog....), Uma is sent to hell by a Dr. Keiko Enma. First, she has to pile stones on top of each other. When she's just about finished, a Liru oni makes it fall down and she has to start all over. Of course, since we're dealing with Uma here she finds a way to have fun -- pushing it down by herself before the Liru oni does it. She does the same to the other people there as well, and soon enough the Liru oni has had it and sends her off to the next hell. In this one Uma's put into a giant cauldron and boiled by a Pachira oni. The Pachira oni makes the mistake of telling Uma that she won't die, though, so Uma sits back and relaxes. The Pachira oni seems to not like hot water, so Uma squirts some at her and the other oni (that actually look like oni), and soon enough Uma's sent on. This next time she ends up in a cage on a burning cart that an Aiko oni takes around hell. Of course, since Uma knows she can't die it doesn't bother her at all and she wants to get on with the tour. Soon enough, Aiko writes a note and sends her up to heaven. The note says that Uma's banned from hell. She is a handful (^^;;) Uma frolics in the soft billowly clouds, but soon enough gets bored since there's nothing there. The spirit in charge decides to revive Uma and send her back home so it all works out in the end thanks to Uma being an idiot.. yeah.

  
Opening: "senketsu no chikai" by Youseiteikoku - Warning: Does not reflect actual episode content ;) Much, much too cool and dark for what proceeds and follows it. Song reminds me of the Tsukuyomi ED for some reason or another.

With a quick intro at the very beginning we're introduced to a group of four rather... well, not exactly smart girls who have come to live in the human world, Uma the witch, Pachira the vampire, Liru the wolf, and Aiko the android. In the A part Pachira, Liru, and Aiko end up getting caught by this mad scientist, Super Doctor Keiko, who wants to use them to gain admission back into this scientific society she was banished from. Uma eventually shows up, worn out from practicing magic... of course when she tries to use her magic a cake ends up appearing (^^;;) And that's not all, as the next time... well, have a look:

は　い　て　な　い！
ha i te na i!

Some of y'all are familiar with that expression, right? ...seems Uma forgot to put something on when she left the house (^^;;;;) Super Doctor Keiko's assistant gets one of the bigger nosebleeds I've seen and flies around the room, eventually crashing into Keiko, no more problem.