Mairimashita! Iruma-kun continues to be fun to a stupidly crazy degree.  It’s the current “I could watch if my hair was on fire” show, something you hope every season has at least one of (I wish).  That the student council arc is actually one of my lesser favorites so far is a measure of how much Iruma-kun has grown in my esteem, because it was still pretty great.  That said I think it’s best-suited to be a quick hitter, so the series was smart to wrap it up in 4 episodes (and I’m assuming 8 chapters or so).

The reason you have to love this arc is because of the chemistry between Iruma and Ameri, which to me is pretty undeniable.  Seriously, Iruma is such a pure pure boy – possibly among the most genuinely good characters you’ll ever see in anime, which makes it pretty remarkable that he’s not insufferable.  His hand slap of Ronove last week was epic (though I knew Ronove was basically harmless), and the way he talked Ameri back from the depths of despair here was just perfect.  He’s so kind, this kid, but he can be quite assertive when the need arises – to the extent that it surprises even himself.

It’s not really surprising that Ameri would fall in love with Iruma, or that he would be the reason why she was tangled up in the spell.  He instantly saw past the front she always hides behind to the real Ameri underneath and what’s more, he was never afraid of her (because of that).  For Ameri to make people respect and fear her is easy, but to make someone understand her immensely difficult.  That was the hidden upside of the spell for her subconscious – there was some part of her that wanted to be as openly vulnerable and insecure as Iruma knew she was underneath her facade.

As for that spell, as I said last time it always seemed very unlikely to me that Ronove was behind it.  This sort of scheme just isn’t him on any level.  Too devious, too underhanded, too plebeian.  Ronove is literally all bluster – even his magic is pure artifice (and temporary).  The actual culprit turns out to be one Eligoth Schenell, a second-year obsessive Ameri fanboy.  He’s brought to justice by Clara and Azz, who prove to be as useful as always when called upon by Iruma.

Buoyed by Iruma-kun’s sage words of encouragement Ameri finds herself in time for the dissolution election, and the reappearance of the old Prez is enough to get the students to cast aside Ronove’s “desire” sales pitch.  Even if he’s not guilty that still means Ronove’s battler is dissolved, but Ameri decides to show both her magnanimity and confidence by offering him a slot on the student council (which he accepts).  And there’s one open, too, because Iruma declines her offer to stay and elects to return to the magical apparatus battler now that he and his sidekicks have proved their worth.  It’s the right choice both for Iruma and the series (and I love Iruma for his loyalty to his absent sempai, in spite of his mistakes).

The takeaway from this arc in the end is that Ameri has realized what was pretty obvious to us all along – she’s in love with Iruma.  Since it was already obvious and she acted like it anyway I’m not sure how much this changes things in practical terms, but admitting it means the truth is now front and center in Ameri’s mind.  One senses Ali-san is going to prove crucial in advancing this plotline (and maybe all of them – he may just be the series’ new X-factor).  He’s taken Iru-bo’s development on as his personal cause, and he doesn’t seem the type to sit back and let things happen at their own pace…