This was the most serious episode yet, presenting us with what is clearly the beginning of the final arc. We got to see some of our heroes being put in real danger by being manipulated by Shirou, and we also got to see Ryoushi finally take some steps to strengthen himself, in order to prepare for the inevitable showdown for Ryouko that he still doesn’t realize will be coming. The episode even managed to stick in a couple fairy tale analogies, adding a fun new character, even as several of the old ones came back to play important roles. This was a strong episode, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this show will close out.

As foreshadowed by the image of Shirou’s girl from last week’s preview, we’re back to super serious mode now. Someone’s been spreading nasty rumors about the Otogi Bank, and to counter that, Alice and Liszt decide to run a 30% off promotion (the show itself acknowledges that the 30% is meaningless because the payment is through favors), which predictably increases demand, meaning that Ookami-san and her Seven Companions have to work overtime to fulfill the favors. It seems that this was all part of our main baddie Shirou’s master plan, as he seizes this opportunity to kidnap some of our heroes, including Otsu, Ryouko and Tarou (with Otohime a possibility), with a little help from his girl Reiko who successfully infiltrated the Ryouko household.

I loved Nekomiya Saburo, the stand in for Puss in Boots, with his styling hat, vertical eye slits, cat-ear hair, and metal studded chaps. He fit his role quite well, helping to give Ryoushi that much needed backbone in order to catch Ryouko. I took a liking to him right away, and not just because he’s a narrator-proclaimed bishonen with cat ears. The way he kept ending his sentences with “nya,” only to correct himself was charming, and the way he reversed the stalker role on Ryoushi was priceless. I haven’t been able to find his voice actor, though he sounded a lot like Mamoru Miyano, the voice of Masaomi Kida from Durarara!!.

Mr. Neko shows off his cat-like agility.

Then there was Reiko, who I suppose was the wolf in sheep’s clothing. I’ll be honest here: I was naive enough to think that she might actually have been telling the truth. Of course, given what we saw of her back in episode 5, I knew that it was highly likely that she was working for Shirou. But given the type of person as which Shirou has been presented, I thought it made sense that he would be that abusive to her. Plus, those injuries on her looked real enough. Instead, it was all a part of a long con. Silly me.

She looks so innocent and helpless here!

With Shirou’s plan coming together and our heroes finding themselves in duress, the entire last half of the episode proved to be excellent. I loved the hectic storytelling as the show switched from member to member, letting us see how each fell into Shirou’s master plan. It felt very 24ish, especially with all the hostage situations and the distraction phone call to Ringo. I mean that in the best way possible, because 24 was an amazing show, at least for the the first two seasons (don’t remind me of the god awful series conclusion earlier this year). The build up in tension was palpable, and there was a distinct sense of urgency as the episode ended with a “to be continued.”

One thing I am suspicious of is Otohime’s whereabouts, though. She was never shown to be kidnapped, and Tarou went along with the thugs based solely on seeing her purse. I could easily see this being a switch, with Otohime, never having been captured, coming to help save the day along with Ryoushi, Liszt, and Majo. Speaking of whom, I doubt we’ll ever get an intro episode for our witch at this point. I don’t know what her deal is, but I feel like I could have easily traded Otsu’s back story for hers.

I maintain that she's the hottest out of all the main characters. But is she supposed to be just a generic witch, or one from a specific story? I guess this show won't reveal that.

As they say, shit’s getting real, and we’ve clearly entered the final story arc of the series. Things will play out predictably, with Ryoushi using the training from Neko-san to save the day and get the girl, who will then punch him in the face for making her feel embarrassed/feminine. Of course, the devil is in the details, and Shirou’s motivations and master plan are still shrouded in mystery. I’m looking forward to finding out.

I’m feeling very positive about Ookami-san now, more than at any other point in the series. Going in, I never thought that there would be a central plot or that one would get as much attention, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well the serious parts have been handled. Furthermore, instead of the fairy tale analogies being atomic as I had expected, they are tied to the main plot and characters, returning to play crucial roles, such as Usami and Shirayuki in this one. I wrote before that Ookami-san and Seven Companions failed to meet my expectations, but perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing. We’ll find out in just 2 weeks.

All this scene needed was a clock counting up to the next hour, with a "paching!" going off with each second.