Boy, Mairimashita! Iruma-kun is a pure force of nature.  There’s so much sheer positivity packed into it that it almost jumps off the screen.  Irreverence and niceness is a powerful combination in any comedy, and this one has tons of both.  It’s a much more subtle and complicated show that you might think, but the formula is still very simple.  Good things happen to good people, because they deserve them.  Maybe real life doesn’t work that way, but niceness is a more powerful weapon in the real world than most people think.  They should try it more often.

It seems almost unfair to add yet more appeal to the mix, but now we get the irreplaceable Konishi Katsuyuki as Balam Shichirou, the infamous teacher we briefly saw last week.  I was actually a bit uncomfortable with Balam at first, because that “skinship” habit of touching all his students is a bit…  Then he carries Iruma-kun off to the teacher’s room and rips his shirt off?  Yeah, that all had a bit of a skeevy feeling to it but as it turns out, Balam-sensei was just worried about Iruma not having any wings.  And indeed only Ali-san saving the day with his quick thinking prevented his secret from getting out (father than it already has).

This being Mairimiashita Iruma-kun, it’s not a big surprise that Balan actually turns out to be incredibly nice.  He’s scary even by demon standards and lonely because of it (hence the touching), but massively curious about all living things (including mythical ones).  As an apology for embarrassing Iruma by showing his tiny wings, Balam reveals his exposed fangs to the lad, then proceeds to explain his painful past.  Moved by this, Iruma – just like that – blurts out the truth about himself.  He regrets it immediately, but the real Iruma is the one who said it, not the one who regretted it.

The thing is, everyone’s lot in life improves if they have nice people around them.  Iruma saw how deeply Balam yearned to meet a mythical human for real, and his instincts kicked in.  Iruma’s instincts rarely let him down and this was no exception.  Balam-sensei would never blow his cover (quite the opposite, he obsesses over preserving it), and certainly never eat him.  These two are kindred spirits really, peas in a pod.  And Balam is a great teacher as well, as was hinted by the usefullness of the book Iruma stumbled upon last week.

Iruma, being who he is, has never had a summer vacation.  So the idea is massively appealing for him, though it all hinges on the class (most of whom cheerfully fall in the “moron” camp) passing their end or terminus exams.  Balam-sensei’s picture books (which reflect his personality) prove invaluable in this.  There’s even a musical number as the kids throw themselves into their studies (a Mairmiashita musical number is always a good thing), the highlight of which is Kallego-sensei’s reaction when he walks in on it.  Cynics needs not apply – if this doesn’t make you smile, you’re a mineral concretion.

If there’s a default mode for this series, this is it.  And it’s probably my favorite, though it’s a show capable of so many different styles of storytelling.  Seeing niceness celebrated – and rewarded – is surprisingly rare in anime.  And it shouldn’t be – for every Miira no Kaikata there are a hundred Your Lie in April.  I love serious and challenging series as much as anybody, but there are times when you just want to be entertained and to feel good about the world.  When that’s the craving, Mairimashita Iruma-kun is the fix.