A fine, fine episode.
We open with Ten and Torajima (the neighbourhood tough cat from episode 43) training to fight the Stormtroopers and Ataru, when a Godzilla appears on the roof. It turns out to be two Kuroko sent by Ryouko Mendou (see episode 50) to invite Ataru to a masked ball. The invitation is naturally overly dramatic – this time in the form of a puppet show. Additionally they reveal the winner of the ball will get a kiss from Ryouko.
Annoyed at his sister inviting Ataru, Mendou goes on TV and invites everyone. Particularly those who have grudges with Ataru. Which for this episodes purposes are The Stormtroopers and Onsen-Mark.
The reasons for this become clear when Ataru, Lum, Ten and Torajima arrive at the Mendou mansion. They are given masks and, more surprisingly, a crate full of weapons. You see there is a terrible pun at work, and one way of saying Masked Ball could also be read as Combat Party!
This gives the animators licence to go wild, and do the sort of combat animation that rarely crops up in the show. First Onsen-Mark takes a shot at Ataru, then the Stormtroopers. Once he gets past them he faces the elite warriors Mendou has picked from his army. Finally he makes it to Ryouko (after a short diversion for an Enter The Dragon parody), only to get bonked on the head by Lum.
Oshii and Endo hit it out of the park again here, one of the best episodes so far. I particularly like the facial expressions Lum has throughout, rather than get angry or throw tantrums, she just has this resigned manner about her, where she’s going to let Ataru do this nonsense up to a point, but she knows in the end she’s going to get the last word.
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Screenplay: Kazunori Ito
Storyboard: Mamoru Oshii
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Animation Director: Asami Endo
