It seems almost redundant to say Mairimashita! Iruma-kun has hit the ground running in its fourth season. That’s a given with this show, basically. The music festival arc feels like it should be right up this series’ alley. I could be proved wrong but opportunities for it to get too serious or action-heavy for too long seem relatively limited. It’s a premise that invites goofiness and goofiness is what Iruma-kun does best. As this episode very ably demonstrates.

First things first, and that’s Iruma “introducing” Purson to his classmates. He really has been there there since the first OP, I checked (Yeah! babi babi babi babi babi babi babi babiru!). And it seems most accurate to say they know about him but sort of forget he exists (which is the point I suppose). Needless to say group introductions are a bit of a trauma for Purson. Iruma lets them hear Pixie (I’m still not sure why “Pixie”) first, then the big reveal. And then more big reveals – as in Purson revealing the secrets all the boys in the Misfit Class have been guarding. But not the girls – he’s a little gentleman, after all.

Purson is going to prove very popular, seemingly – enough that he, Lead, and Iruma got their own nickname (the “Boku Trio“), and the newest spinoff manga. Purson’s conditions for appearing in the festival performance – that he be heard but not seen and that no one know he’s performing – are basically self-defeating. How is he going to Dalet up that way? Purson knows this perfectly well, but is surprised that the Misfits don’t freak out or give up – they’re just kind of “we’ll figure something out”. Of course saying that is the easy part – actually coming up with a workable idea that satisfies Purson’s seemingly impossible conditions is another.

Fortunately, help is on the way. If by “help” you mean time-wasting distraction and ludicrous popinjay antics galore. And where Iruma-kun is concerned you can’t say “ludicrous popinjay” without thinking of Ronove Romiere. He’s the one Ameri (that manga of hers is more ecchi than I remember – “thrust!”) ) dispatches to check up on the first-year projects. She sends Naphula along with him, which is an odd couple if ever you’ve seen one. Most of the classes are planning something relatively devi-ordinary, which Ronove roundly mocks them for, Ronove. But he does give us a rousing musical number, “¡Ole!“, whose lyrics mostly consist of his name.

Any time Mairimashita! Iruma-kun does a musical number it’s cause for celebration. But there’s work to be done here, with the Misfit Class specifically. Ronove finds them in a dire strait, Ronove. The only idea anyone could come up with was Azz suggesting a chorus line dodging his fireballs. That proved unpopular (and exhausting). And here, miracle of miracles, Ronove actually says something perfectly sensible and even helpful. The Misfits aren’t going to win by doing some generic idea they think will be popular. They have to indulge their inner misfit and do what they love. Ronove prompts Irumanati for his thoughts, but all he can come up with is “all thirteen of us doing something together”.

It’s Kerori who comes up with the game plan – fittingly, as she has by far the most experience at this even if she can’t admit it. It’s a forbidden akudol move, the “Hell Dance“. Yes, dancing in sync – and doing anything in sync is the hardest thing for a devil to do (never mind a teenaged one). It’s proved impossible for six – so thirteen doing it is ludicrous. Purson assumes it’ll be twelve as this has nothing to do with him – he won’t be dancing. But something tells me Iruma is not going to be denied about this. Or pretty much anything else, if past history is anything to go by…

Su…ki…ma: