Well this episode turned incredibly bizarre in its last 5 minutes or so.
A mysterious monster is stalking the streets of Tomobiki, stealing food and leaving cherry blossom behind. At first the suspicion falls on Ataru, then Cherry and finally Sakura. However once the pair of mystics put their minds together they decide the culprit is likely supernatural in nature.
Meanwhile, on overhearing mention of the monster, Mendou fears it is “Konohana”, the creature that is predicted to cause the downfall of the Mendou family. However, when the creature eats one leg off each of his precious octopi he discovers the monster is his sister, Ryouko’s pet cherry blossom tree.
To settle they differences they have a steel cage death match flower viewing, where Mendou’s bodyguards will wrestle the tree. Ryouko asks Ataru to be tree’s tag team partner in return for a kiss if they win. The tree’s Bruiser Brody-esque chain swinging leaves Ataru little to do. However Lum enters the cage and distracts the pair, while the bodyguards get the tree drunk on sake they smuggled into the ring, while Lum puts Ataru in a Boston Crab.
And we leave Ataru and the bodyguards discussing the bizarre hands fate has dealt them.
A suitably odd pay-off, but it could have stood to loose a little of the early mystery and given a little more time to the wrestling match. Again while the standard of animation is generally higher than the earlier seasons, there’s also more noticable repeated footage (Mendou counting the octopus’ legs loops a little too often for instance).
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Screenplay: Yumi Asano
Storyboards: Motosuke Takahashi
Director: Junji Nishimura
Animation Director: Takafumi Hayashi