I don’t know what the future holds for Mairimashita! Iruma-kun as anime.  I know that I’m pleased to have gotten four cours of it whatever happens, just as I was with Baby Steps.  I also know that in addition to being sneaky great, this series is sneaky popular.  It was #8 in total franchise sales last week (the new volume’s release helps, but that’s still pretty good and probably a series high).  The manga has a spinoff series, and generally seems to be increasing in popularity if anything.  Will the anime continue?  I’m keeping my expectations in check, but it would be far from the most shocking development in recent anime history.

Coming on the heels of one of the series’ most epic episodes ever, this one was very different yet gave us an awful lot to unpack.  As you’d expect it was indeed Ali-san who Iruma asked to save the day, and save the day he did.  Not without a little kvetching, and not without insisting that Iru-bo had to do his part too.  If I have any complaint about this season it’s that I wish we got more Ali-san and this ep is no different, but he does yeoman’s work here.  And seemingly, no one noticed his presence (Romiere certainly doesn’t) which saves Iruma from having to answer some awkward questions.

The standoff between Iruma-kun and Kallego-sensei is one of those cases were even though the two are arguing mutually exclusive positions, neither of them is wrong.  Kallego is doing exactly what a teacher in his position should (especially one with gaps in his knowledge about his student), trying to get Iruma to consider his own welfare first.  But Iruma is who he is – he speaks of ideals and while with some people you’d blow that off as mere verbiage, with Iruma it’s as real as can be.  He can’t not be humbly heroic, just as he can’t not gather more and more allies to his side (which should prove interesting in the series’ eventual endgame).

Counterbalancing the dressing down from Kallego are words of praise from Ronove’s father, Romiere Roosevelt (ROFL).  He’s every bit as ludicrous as his son, who calls him “Legendaddy” (in English) – in fact he looks identical except for the porn star moustache.  Roosevelt throws Iruma (oh, and the others) a parade, and puts them up for the night in his fancy hotel.  The park has been saved, and most of the prisoners remain incarcerated – all but one very important one, in fact, who screwed them just to see the looks of despair on their faces.

Kirio remains an incredibly interesting antagonist, and while I’d say “I hope we see more of him” I know we will.  He’s a twisted SOB, no question.  But he’s also someone who has a sensibility that’s clearly different from his older brother, who’s the one who really seems to care about this “going back to the old ways” thing.  Kirio is genuinely thrilled to see that it’s Iruma-kun that’s foiled the plan and saved the park – his reasons may be perverse but he treasures the bond he has with Iruma, who he sees as his fated rival.  And when the moment comes for Kirio to choose between his aniki and Iruma, I don’t think his choice is a foregone conclusion.

There are some hilarious antics in the hotel (right down to the sukima with Kallego and Balam sharing a quiet meal together), but the real meat and potatoes of this sequence is Iruma and Ameri’s chat on the rooftop.  I don’t know how you could possibly see Ameri’s actions as anything but a confession – “Why don’t we go somewhere together, just the two of us?” – but then I’m not a 14 year-old boy who’s in many ways emotionally even younger.  The symbolism of Iruma standing on that step (and still being shorter than Ameri) is not coincidental – he’s at a different place in life than she is.  In some characters you’d see it as ridiculous denseness if he didn’t grasp Ameri’s meaning, but it would be totally believable for Iruma.  We’ll see.

The cherry on top here is the teaser of what’s to come.  Because Sullivan has gone on demon TV and bragged about his grandson’s heroics, the press is all over Iruma – and he still has valid reasons to be very uneasy about that.  Going back to the dorms won’t escape them, so Clara (as she occasionally does) comes up with a smart idea – they should go over to her place to hide out.  Any chance to spend time with the Valac family is welcome and promises glorious amounts of silliness.  Will this be the moment at last when we meet her dad – and if so will Asai Ayaka add that feather to her cap, too?

Su…ki…ma…kuru?