I am back today, on the first of July, to do a write-up for the tenth episode of the Cuties season. This episode will feature the most featured maid in the series, Maria. It is now time to begin the write-up of this (probably) exciting episode. (After the jump.)
The episode opens with Maria introducing herself as the maid of the Sanzenin and reminding everybody yet again that she is only seventeen. (It is nice to see that she is calm about her age when no one is around.) From the right side of the screen (or is it left like in theater?) comes Makimura who hugs Maria and says that she has grown so big. Makimura then asks if Maria has a boyfriend and introduces her own boyfriend, Eight. (Good for you Eight. You made a proper appearance and got Makimura to take you back.) Makimura then leaves with Eight and tells Maria they should catch up later. The talk of boyfriends seems to have gotten Maria thinking and then the intro plays.
After the intro, Yukiji is shown in the staff room noticing that her music player is broken. Makimura offers to fix it for her and mentions that she also has a broken one. Yukiji asks how another broken player will help fixing and Makimura says that as long as the broken parts are different she can combine the two together into a working player. (That is a convenience of music players that use physical media.) Once Makimura has fixed her player, Yukiji compliments Makimura for her skills and calls her a genius. Makimura takes the compliment gratefully, but notes that she was never top of her class and that there was a real genius in her grade which begins a flashback to her school days. (I just noticed that Makimura has like teal eyes. It's nice, especially when contrasted with Yukiji's yellow eyes.) A younger Makimura bursts into the student council room and informs the president (whom she calls "little president") that something is going on. She then sees the president, who is shown to be Maria, reading and finds out that Maria is reading Shonen Sunday in Polynesian. Makimura gets back to the task at hand, points out that it is snowing outside, and asks what they should do. Maria says they should bring out the kotatsu and Makimura is impressed by the simple answer. They sit at the kotatsu, both warm and comfortable, while Makimura rattles off Maria's achievements that impress her, namely being the best in academics and sports and being student council president all while being ten years old (and cute). Makimura calls her little president again and Maria insists that Makimura call her by her name Maria. Maria then notes that Makimura has started a new club, the Video Research Club, and Makimura reveals she started it to track the growth of Maria for the student body. She also notes that there is obviously a demand for it as all the guys love Maria and Maria notes that fulfilling the demand could make criminals out of much of the student body. Makimura then says that she has video of Maria already and shows shots of Maria lounging, walking up stairs, and swimming in a school swimsuit. (For some reason, Makimura seems to have a thing for Maria's rear.) Maria then breaks the camera, insisting that her hand slipped, and tells Makimura that video is no good. Makimura then pulls out a tape recorder and says that they can use sound. One of Makimura's robots comes into the room and tells her that she has to meet with the teacher, which reminds Makimura that she has to present her thesis. (I'm not sure what that means for Makimura's intelligence, but I think this means that Maria is even more incredible than shown.) Makimura runs out of the room with her robot, leaving Maria alone. Maria then looks at the tape recorder and decides to try recording herself. (What is it with females and electronics in this series? Both Maria and Izumi seem to find recording themselves irresistible.) She tests it by just saying her name and position and the test succeeds. Seeing that the recorder works, she decides to sing about herself, but Makimura comes in during her song and Maria's hand "slips" again. The recorder is shown and time shifts back to the present day to show that the one Makimura took parts out of is the same as the one from seven years ago. Yukiji wonders what is on the tape from the recorder and as Makimura doesn't know decides that listening to it is the best option. Just then Maria comes in and takes the tape. Yukiji decides that something of Maria's must be interesting and asks if they can listen to the tape and Maria says they may but her hand may slip causing Yukiji to decide to not listen. Afterward Maria is shown walking down the street, relieved that she remembered the tape in time. (This segment was inspired by chapter 160.) Back at the Sanzenin Mansion, Maria is impressed by the amount of mail they have received including pizza offers and a flyer for a maid delivery service. Maria then notices that one piece looks a bit odd and sees Hayate's name on it. She looks at the pink envelope and heart sticker holding the envelope shut and thinks that it may be a love letter. She decides it probably is a love letter when she sees the return address and sniffs the paper. After she enters the house, she hands the letter to Hayate and he asks how he should turn the letter down. Maria is baffled by his quick decision and asks why he doesn't go to see the girl once and give her a chance. Hayate then asks if he looks that clever and then says that he was serious when he asked advice from Maria because she seems like she would be used to handling love letters. (At least Hayate seems to understand that he is dense.) Maria says that she did get a lot in high school, but they all gave off a criminal vibe. (Of course they did, she wasn't even a teenager.) Hayate then decides to read the letter and finds that the letter is a piece of paper covered with "I love you"; Hayate comments that obsessive isn't his type and Maria says there is no guarantee of love from that letter. Hayate then decides that he should write a rejection letter to the return address and Nagi comes out of somewhere to asks if that really is the best plan. Nagi says that they have no idea how to conquer and obsessive person and shows them how it is done by writing a somewhat harsh rejection letter. She mails the letter with Hayate and says that the random person has no chance of laying their hands on Hayate. When they return to the mansion a reply has already come and when Hayate opens the letter he sees that it says "I'll kill you" all over in red ink. Hayate asks Nagi what to do and she says that they must take the "classic romantic comedy route". The scene changes to Ayumu who is walking down the street. She spots some romantic comedy books and has a fantasy about Hayate running up to her and asking her on a date. She then wonders what the punch line is as Maria runs up to Hayate and the two walk off together. Ayumu is shocked by the plot development and the connecting theater plays.
In the first half, Nagi suddenly announces that they will have a popularity contest and the winner will strip. Maria then scolds Nagi for such a bad idea as it is not even remotely fun and the contest is called off. In the second half, Hayate and Nagi talk about how they think that Maria has a special power. Hayate thinks that Maria's broom hides a sword while Nagi thinks that Maria is a magical girl like Sailor Moon and Hayate says that he can see Nagi's suggestion.
Back at the Sanzenin Mansion (a little while earlier) Nagi reveals her plan to get rid of the obsessive lover, to get Hayate and Maria to act like they are a couple on a date. She says that if they remove all "flags" early enough, the obsessive person won't become a problem; she reveals the name of her plan, "Operation: Lovey-Dovey Fake Date" and tells Hayate to not get any weird ideas. The operation begins as Hayate suggests that they go shopping for clothes and takes Maria by the hand. They both become embarrassed and insist it is solely for the operation. Hayate then wonders if the plan will work, Maria says it might if it doesn't simply make the girl angry, and random men are shown getting angry at Hayate for being with a maid. Maria then thinks about how this is her first time holding hands with a guy and Ayumu is shown following the "couple" and wondering what they are talking about. Hayate then says he is glad to have a plan as neither he nor Maria know much about dates. Maria gets a bit angry and tells him that since she is older her should treat her like an older woman. At the apartments, Sakuya is shown commenting on where Hayate and Maria are and Nagi is shown bragging about her plan to Saku and Isumi. Isumi compliments Nagi and Saku asks if the plan won't just inspire rage. Nagi ponders this question as Father Regeoster floats up and asks if the date is actually happening. He then says that he wrote the love letter as a prank because he was bored and flies off angry. Sakuya understands that the ghost caused the problem and Isumi realizes what the stationary she lent him was used for. Back on the date, Hayate and Maria are in a clothing store where Maria spots some cute clothes and tells Hayate to try them on. Hayate asks why and Maria gives a flimsy reason before saying that she will add Hayate wearing girl's clothes to the operation plan. Hayate objects and Maria notices that Hayate dressing in girl's clothes is already part of the plan to Maria's delight and Hayate's chagrin. Ayumu wanders into the shop and not seeing Hayate, decides that she was imagining things. A changing room opens, Ayumu sees Maria and Hayate, and Ayumu decides that she wasn't wrong. Hayate and Maria continue their date, with Maria happy and saying that she was just following the plan and Hayate asking if he imagined Maria's enthusiasm. Maria then asks what the next thing to do is and Hayate checks the plan. Once Hayate looks, he decides to not tell Maria, but Maria insists they follow the plan and she looks to see that the next thing to do is have her try on swimsuits. (Hayate really tried to save Maria there, he really did.) Next, Hinagiku is shown in a store looking at and liking a giant stuffed animal before she hears Maria telling Hayate to not look and becoming shocked when she sees the scene. Ayumu runs in, grabs Hina, and the two decide to follow Hayate and Maria to see if they really are on a date. A while later, Hayate stands around until Maria comes out wearing some clothes they bought earlier. Hayate compliments Maria on the choice of clothes and they both decide to continue the plan by going to an aquarium. At the aquarium, Maria becomes excited when she sees a dolphin show being put on and runs up front which causes Hayate to pull her back so that she doesn't get wet from the dolphin splashing. They now share a flustered moment where Hayate apologizes for grabbing Maria and Maria apologizes for getting too excited. They then sit higher up and comment on the dolphins; Maria is unhappy with getting flustered and decides that she needs to show Hayate the dignity of an older woman. (Maria is interesting as she both insists upon her high level of youth and maturity. Not that the two are incompatible, but they aren't highly compatible either. Maria seems to have an older woman's mind in a very young body at times.) She tells Hayate that she doesn't have feelings for him and he accepts her statement, which irritates Maria and causes her to decide that she must show him her maturity. We now get to see what the ghostly Father is planning as he has possessed a penguin at the aquarium. He plans to jump up into the arms of Maria so that she will be forced to embrace him due to her kindness. Father sees that she has arrived and begins his run to jump at her, but Hayate comes in next to her and the penguin Father ends up in Hayate's arms. Hayate tells Maria about the penguin and she decides to show her maturity by commenting on Hayate's childishness of being excited by a penguin. Maria decides to move on and Hayate places the penguin, now in a catatonic state, back in the enclosure. Hayate then asks Maria if she thinks the plan will work and Maria says she doesn't know. They both talk about how they had fun even if it wasn't a real date. Their pleasant thought are interrupted when a loud voice comes on the speaker to explain what is in the aquarium. Hina is shown to have pushed a button to start the voice and Hayate and Maria come over and find Hina and Ayumu. Ayumu then asks if Hayate and Maria are on a date and they reply that they aren't. Hayate explains the situation and Ayumu and Hina, relieved to hear the explanation, go to see the dolphin show. As they walk home, Hayate expresses his pleasure that they looked like a couple and Maria thinks about how it would be nice to have a boyfriend. Hayate notices Maria in thought, asks if she is all right, and Maria tells Hayate that he needs to be more delicate. (This segment was inspired by chapters 189 - 191.)
Afterward is the ending theme featuring Maria, of course. It is nice to see that young Maria and Maria in her date clothes shows up.
The season is almost done, but the quality of the episodes doesn't seem to be decreasing in my opinion. This was yet another good episode in my opinion as the material covered is quite good and the animation made some of the scenes better such as the video Makimura had of Maria and the penguin scene. About the only complaint I have is that the two segments weren't really joined together smoothly, but it isn't that bad as there was only one such transition. An interesting thing to note for manga readers is that this episode is entirely made up of pre-Golden Week material. This is in all honesty probably because there isn't really that much material after Golden Week for Maria that hasn't been adapted already, except possibly her and Hayate's trip to the public bath. That is about all I am going to write this time as I thought about a "rant", but it seems more appropriate for the overview post after the season finale.
This marks the end of the write-up for episode ten of the Cuties season. Look forward to the write-up of episode eleven featuring . . . who knows. The preview shows a ringing phone and everybody shown in the intro circle of girls has been shown, I think.
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