That was certainly the most extensive tutorial I’ve seen on stuffing nuts in a bag.

I think the first chapter this week was excellent, but it may just be that it’s been a few weeks since we’ve seen Shirokuma-san really in his element, wholeheartedly trolling someone.  The victim this time was Handa-san who, let’s face it, was born to be trolled if anybody ever was.  As good as the cast here is, I think I’d have to pick Shirokuma-san as my favorite – he certainly seems to consistently deliver the biggest laughs.  We also got another visit from the adorable Red Panda-kun, working as a waiter at the fancy café where Handa-san has asked Polar Bear to coffee so he can pick his brain about how he should go about wooing Sasako-san (asking her out would be a good start). 

The carnage begins with Shirokuma-san ordering the most expensive lunch set on the menu (only five made per day) plus a soup set and a fancy dessert.  In the meantime Panda-kun and Penguin-san are doing their best – that is to say not very well – at trying to run interference for Handa-san with Sasako, who’s minding the café on her own.  Naturally they’re besieged by a parade of hilariously rugged yet metrosexual bishounen, and Panda-kun’s consternation apparently turns Sasako-san’s panda roll cake tsuntsun.  The highlight of the episode comes when Shirokuma-san decides to “help” by sending everyone he knows a text asking for advice for Handa-san – including Sasako-san, much to Handa-san’s horror.  Happily this is one final troll, as he just asked her what Handa-san should have for lunch.

As for the second sketch, it was also solid but I was hoping for something more along the lines of a look inside the Panda home, rather than a day out shopping with Panda Mama.  That day involved the aforementioned nutbag-stuffing with Mama Red Squirrel (Miyata Kouki is really hilarious here) and her four sons, and later, an all you can eat cake buffet with Mrs. King Penguin and the very human Ms. Tanaka.  There’s something sort of paternalistic and condescending towards women in this whole chapter, truth be told, though it does have its highlights – and when the four housewives descended on Shirokuma Café to complain about their sons and twist Shirokuma’s arm for free refills, it was really the first time in the series I’ve seen him overmatched (as was Panda-kun, who was hiding behind the counter).

New ED too – this time it’s Penguin-san’s turn.  Very whimsical and clever.

ED6: “Penko-san” by Kamiya Hiroshi