うる星やつら episode 181 (TV anime)
Urusei Yatsura Ep. 181 review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

At Tomobiki High School, rumors spread that Onsen-sensei has retired, some rumors even saying that he’s gone to the mountains to train. Indeed, Onsen-sensei has gone to the mountains to undergo misogi, including waterfall training, meditation, running, and mountain climbing, where he deals with a daily barrage of falling boulders, thanks to Cherry, whom observes from a distance. Whenever he gets discouraged, Onsen-sensei remembers the faces of his students, especially Ataru, and finds the strength to continue his intensive training.  At the end of his training period, Cherry sends a massive boulder down the waterfall, but Onsen-sensei is not phased, having stopped a massive boulder rockslide earlier. Thus, Cherry knows he’s ready and Onsen-sensei returns, telling the principal that he wants to hold a marathon before he retires.

Ataru hears of this and quickly organizes a surprise, going away party in the gym with Lum as MC. Initially, Onsen-sensei is touched, but starts learning the truth when Shuutaro gives his presentation, which becomes an angry rant on paying for the event, and then when Ataru gets Onsen-sensei into a wedding kimono. The night before the marathon, Ataru and Onsen-sensei plan their revenge on each other by digging pits near each other. On the day of the marathon, the rules are the students can make their own route, but must return to the school when the gong sounds. The students think they have it easy, but the teachers are out in the town, forcing the students to run. Eventually, Kotatsu-neko sounds the gong, leading Onsen-sensei and Ataru to have their showdown, where they fall onto their connected pit. Meanwhile, the principal announces Onsen-sensei is staying on as teacher.

Thoughts/Review:

There are good episode and bad episodes. If I had to say, this one falls into the middle somewhere, neither being funny, but not being horrible.

The first half of the episode being dedicated to Onsen-sensei’s training is mostly “meh,” but it left me hoping that he would seriously crack some skulls when he returned to the school.

The second half quickly revealed that this would not be the case since Onsen-sensei was immediately suckered by the surprise party being held.  Even though he eventually got the joke against himself, it was too late, meaning the whole training half of the episode had been rendered as pure, pointless filler.

Then, the race having the teachers going after the lazy students, as was the final showdown between Onsen-sensei and Ataru. The stupidity of them both digging deep pits within a few feet of each other, without knowing the other was there, and without questioning why their pit connected with another pit, is SO stupid, even the episode acknowledges this at some level.

Since the episode wasn’t annoying, nor what I was call boring, it therefore falls in the middle for me.  With that, its time to move on as I’m almost through the TV series. Yay!