A couple of stories that highlight the strength of UY’s colour design. They’re both Spring themed and the colours do a great job of getting that over.
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On a spring day almost all of class 2-4 have fallen asleep. All but Mendou and Ataru. Mendou resists the lure of sleep via vitamins. Ataru by intense concentration (while reading girlie mags).
We soon see this sleepiness is due to a spirit “Shunmin”, who is chastised by her superior for not making all the class fall asleep. Lum shows up to visit Ataru and discovers the pair. It turns out that Shunmin is having to do a spirit resit exam and making the class fall asleep is it.
They offer an “apology party” to the three of them, but Mendou suspects they are going to drug them. This leads to the line of the episode when Lum produces a chemical test for sleeping potions – “My, you keep the strangest things in your bra.“
However the sake appears safe, and instead of tiring Ataru and Mendou out it makes them very energetic and lusty. It turns out that Shunmin had accidentally mixed a stimulant instead. She blackmails her teacher into passing her and they run off.
We then cut to the Headmaster leading the PTA on a special investigation into class 2-4. Much to the Head’s horror when the door is opened he finds the class asleep, and Ataru and Mendou chasing Lum and Shinobu round the room…
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Ataru, Lum, Ten, Mendou, Shinobu, Ran, Cherry and Sakura go on a poetry reciting picnic among the peach blossom. Ataru is more interested in stuffing his face than devouring culture.
Cherry starts reciting and they see a ghostly maiden appear. This suddenly sparks an interest in poetry from Ataru. However Cherry struggles to complete his poem and she disappears.
Mendou then has a go, and is successful. At which point Ataru grabs her and runs off with her. There’s a wonderful moment where the others just stare off in amazement at Ataru’s lust, before Lum leads them in chase.
However something else finds Ataru first, a giant wizard, the Wizard of Poetry. He demands a poetry contents and if they lose, he will eat the loser. Cherry is chosen as the judge, as he’s the least appetising.
Ataru goes first with a poem to praise the Peach Spirit, and it goes down surprisingly well, despite Mendou’s possibly correct claim it makes no sense.
The Wizard of Poetry then has a go, but it turns out he has writers block having never had to recite poetry for 500 years…
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Izumi Itirou wrote the episode (last seen on episode 3).
Asami Endo was animation director on both stories.
Mamoru Oshii storyboarded and directed the first story and Keiji Hayakawa the second one.
And as such it’s one of the better looking episodes so far.