“It turned out just like a manga sketch…”

The first skit was definitely the winner this week, delivering some huge laughs as it revealed another of Ika Musume’s seemingly endless talents. The subject this week was art, as Takeru’s homework assignment to draw a picture gets derailed by an approaching typhoon. Eiko encourages him to draw something indoors, he suggests a portrait of his sisters but Chizuru suggest Ika-chan – calling him “one of the family”. Unable to sit still for long enough she turns the tables and demands a turn, revealing herself as a terrible artist – until she uses her tentacles instead of her hands. Her interpretations of the rest of the cast are hilarious, but things really get wacky when Takeru starts making Teruteru-bozu in a bid for better weather. Ika’s versions are… interesting to say the least, and she ends up making a gigantic one in a misguided attempt to preserve Takeru’s childhood innocence. The results are unfortunate for the poor lad.

Next up is a reminder of just how twisted Sanae is. She may have a moe fetish, and maybe only Ika-chan can scratch that itch – but it seems more and more every week as if it’s masochism that gets her off. The girl only seems truly happy when beaten bloody by Ika, despite Eiko’s game efforts to try and “normalize” things between she and Ika. Last sketch is that great Japanese pastime, baseball – and the return of Kiyomi. This time she needs an extra player for her middle-school baseball team, and of course Ika volunteers. To no one’s surprise she’s terrible at the game – once again, until she starts using her tentacles instead of her arms. Yet another hidden talent – she’s a regular Honda Goro once she gets her ten whips into the game. In the end she wins the game – and another group of stalkers in the bargain.

I really enjoy the way Ika seems to be good at just about everything imaginable except invading. She made an interesting comment about not being a middle-schooler there at the end, which leads to the inevitable question – just how old is Ika-chan? If Eiko’s “Mini Ika-chan” dream was accurate, squid girls live a long time – but then, that was just a dream. In the ED we get the return of the Mini-Ikas (including one adorable straggler) and next week, the return of the three idiots promises more hilarity.