かんなぎ Episode 03
Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens 03

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Jin is off to school, having to tell the bored Nagi to stay behind (though she is impressed that Japan schools its young in this age). Jin meets up with the casually-walking Tsugumi where they continue to school. Tsugumi is a bit concerned about Nagi and school, which Jin promises to address with his father when his father returns. At school in the Art Club room, Jin is working on a painting and his efforts are critiqued by older female students Shino and Takako. Jin’s friend Daitetsu (a hulking kind of guy) gets praised for his abstract painting and Jin’s friend Akiba (a blonde guy) gets some praise for his manga work and some criticism.

Jim asks Akiba why he isn’t in the manga club, which set Akiba off since their doujinshi work is weak and they spend time discussing anime. Not that Akiba is against anime since he does like a certain mahou shoujo title and rapidly spews out why. Daitetsu asks Jin about his wood sculpture but since Jin can’t say it turned into Nagi, he states that it got accidentally broken and apologizes to Daitetsu. Jin and Daitetsu continue to talk as Shino and Takako look at their new members, wondering which of the guys is the best. When Jin announces he will pass Daitetsu in art, Takako’s nose spews blood (she gives Jin the name “Too Pure Pure Boy”).

Since the art club now has male members, Takako wants them to clean up the art storage building, which hasn’t been used in years. Since the building is connected with the supernatural, Jin is not wanting to go since he can see supernatural stuff. However the three guys and Tsugumi go to the old building where Daitetsu is at his limit for scary stuff. Jin sees an impurity and figures that this is related to whatever bad thing happened. Tsugumi acts possessed and tells a ghost story of a student who died in this building after falling down the open trap door and being impaled. When said trap door begins to slam from the inside, the foursome is out of there screaming.

That night at home, Jin wonders if he should tell Nagi about it but since he knows she’ll want to go to school then, he passes. However, she senses something is wrong despite his assertions to the contrary. The next day to Jin’s horror, Nagi shows up with a throng of admirers, wearing the school’s uniform. She sees Jin and using her ultra formal speech, runs to “Jin-kun” to embrace him. To the disbelief of Nagi’s new male fans, Jin side-steps the embrace and Nagi “slides into first.” She continues her formal speech, telling Jin he’s cruel, forcing Jin to tell her angered admirers that she’s a relative, at which he grabs her and leaves.

Out of the public eye, Jin demands to know why she’s here and why she has a school uniform. Nagi tricks him into acknowledging there is an impurity on the campus and Tsugumi arrives, confessing Nagi is wearing one of her uniforms (which had become to small for Tsugumi). When Jin learns that Nagi has been through his things as well, he’s worried she found his “precious collection.” Nagi has a little fun with him on that aspect, but it lets Tsugumi know that Jin is into girls with larger chests, which she has. She’s pumped about that revelation.

That afternoon, Nagi joins Tsugumi, Jin, Akiba, and Daitetsu to check out the abandoned art storehouse building. Inside, Nagi senses an impurity and even senses something coming from the trap door. She opens it and to everyone’s surprise, and older, geeky-looking man emerges. Turns out it is the Art Club’s sponsor, Dokusasori-sensei, who lives under the storehouse building. The whole event was an initiation into the club set up by Takako and Shino. However, Nagi does not take this well and races out. She realizes that to be so fooled means her powers must be waning more. She sees a church and enters, where she finds a nun in a miniskirt who has the impurity. What’s more, she destroys it and addresses Nagi as “Neesama” — her older sister.

Thoughts/Review:

OK, this anime is rapidly moving up my favorites list when it comes to comedy pieces. Having the that one usually hears in the carousel (carnival music) as Nagi runs to Jin made me laugh, as did his side-step to avoid her, which made me laugh even harder. There were several other nice laughs as well, not all with Nagi. The comedic timing in this series is good stuff.

Basically, Nagi is just such a hoot as a character during the comedy moments, but also very interesting during the serious moments. I liked that she assured Tsugumi that she has no romantic interest in Jin (though why she did it they way she did is beyond me except for obvious fanservice reasons). I wonder who she supposedly likes though.

So, this episode we are introduced to a ton of people. Since all of them are shown in the OP, I guess that will be in for the main characters. Its still to early to see how they will all turn out, but there’s certainly some parody stuff here. Takako getting the explosive nosebleed from the “Too Pure Pure Boy” (she actually uses that English phrase in reference to Jin) is certainly a parody (even if funny).

Of course the most interesting moment came at the end with Nagi entering the church and the miniskirt wearing nun not only removing the impurity, but addressing Nagi as “Neesama.” I guess that means that this girl (whom I’ve seen in the promo art) is also a kami though why she’d be in a church is a good question. After all, Shinto religion and Catholicism don’t seem to mix on the surface. Then again, now that I think about it, actually they do more than I first thought.

Well, I’m kinda rambling here because I’m tired as I write this, but as I mentioned earlier, Kannagi is moving up the list of favorite comedy anime titles. I hope it can continue to do so.