WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH MAGICAL GIRLS IN CARDS AGAIN?! (Spoken in a Gavin Free voice)
I certainly would!
Now I can't actually describe every bit of action that goes on with Fantasista Doll because way too much happens at a time for me to keep up, but I'll try to get as much of the action as possible
So the episode starts with Uzuki Manai, Uzume Uno's friend, summoning her Fantasista Dolls in front of her... because, surprise surprise, she's a Fantasista Doll user! CONVENIENCE! And boy, do I hate the designs on Manai's Fantasista Dolls. I mean, yes, they're based on the school activities you get in the school, but a fucking cheerleader? REALLY? Really, anime? Not to mention she has the world's most annoying voice.
Cue the intro sequence and quite possibly the fastest cut from beginning to intro sequence I've ever seen.
Uno decides retreat is the best option because she can't fight Manai thinking that she's been brainwashed or someone's controlling her. Madeleine decides to take matters into her own hands by getting Uno to use Card 585, which materializes... a rare ice cream product from Gadiva. The enemy falls for it and has a little picnic in the battlefield. Wow, not even gonna sort out the stereotypes of girls liking sweet things, huh? Not to mention, Akari pops one of those desserts into Manai's mouth causing the hold to break, much to Sasara's shock and amazement.
Also note the unsubtle panning of the camera to Shimeji when Uno thanked Madeleine.
When Uno asks Manai about the dolls, Tuxedo Mask-- I MEAN Rafflesia, shows up and tells Uno that he was the one who gave her the device and explains about the personal mark. Uno then asks about how Manai was manipulated. She explains that she met this fortune teller and asked her about how she was going to get Uno to join the team. She didn't really remember after that. Rafflesia brings some new information that this may be the work of an organization known as the "Mutual Dream Assurance Group", the arch-nemesis of the "Nations of International Citizens of Earth" (I wish). Uno decides that they should find this fortune teller again the next day, because that's how the laws of logical story progression goes.
Also note the unsubtle foreshadowing of Rafflesia mentioning someone named Mikasa.
Back home, Uno ponders about the fact that her mark looks like a shop that sells eels (what with the Japanese character 'U') and if it's not changed and registered by the designated time, it stays that way. Shimeji decides to volunteer to draw her new master a new mark.
What Shimeji draws next... well, watch the episode, you'll see what I mean. So Shimeji decides to go make it, telling Uno to not bug her. Uno's unsure of this, so she turns to Madeleine, not only praising her for being the reliable one of the group, but asking her for her opinion. Madeleine tells her everything's fine and turns her into her mindless sl--- tells her that she can depend on her no matter what.
Do you smell that? That is the fine air of jealousy.
So cut to the school, in a math class, where Madeleine intervenes in her creepy-faze-in-the-book form to tell her that her equations are wrong, and again during a test where she tells her that her answers are wrong. Goddammit, where are MY creepy-faze-into-a-book friends to tell me all this? I would've passed my exams proper.
Also, there's a weight joke in there but let's not get into that.
Uno decides enough is enough and tells Sasara about it, and then Madeleine gets locked in her room for her own good.
MEANWHILE, IN FORESHADOWLAND.
This random guy talks into his phone, and then goes absolutely mental on his dolls, saying how much they constantly fail and all that.
Yeah, totally not a bad guy at all.
Back to the world inside the device, turns out Manai's dolls are hanging out with Uno's dolls. Apparently since they're so close to each other, the dolls can interact over the air. Meanwhile, Uno and Manai return to the place where Manai saw the fortune teller only to find out she's not there anymore. As they take a break, Uno realizes that Shimeji and Madeleine aren't there with the rest of the team. Katia explains what happened to them.
Just for the sake of convenience, the fortune teller girl shows up to deliver an important message of foreshadowing.
Back in the world inside the device Shimeji finally gets out of her room to find Madeleine's room has been completely locked up. She opens it to find Madeleine really cares about Uno a lot and draws a better portrait to what Shimeji drew (Gee, this is a trend). Shimeji goes on a tangent about how much they both miss their old master.
Meanwhile, the fortune teller turns out to be one of that random guy's dolls and asks Uno and Manai for help to release them from their oppression. Uno tells her to leave it to them.
Cut to the aquarium where the fortune teller girl leads them to a dolphin show. Turns out "IT'S A TRAP!" and the girl pushes Uno into the water and almost dragged down, only for her to fight out of it and get back on the surface. When she finally summons her dolls... apparently they can't swim.
REAL USEFUL, SASARA, BACK UP YOUR BIG TALK YOU DID TWO EPISODES AGO.
Luckily Madeleine comes in and saves Uno from being eaten by a killer whale.
Uzume apologizes for what she's done to Madeleine but she scoffs that by saying it's her duty to serve her master. While Sasara, Katia and Akari hold off the whale, Madeleine proposes that they find the enemy immediately.
Sasara and Akari manage to find the enemy... SOMEHOW... and confront him, but his doll gets in the way. The guy then thundershocks the living hell out of all of them, explaining that he did that for the love of his dolls.
Meanwhile, Sasara and Akari get back out there to take on the whale. Katia doesn't like getting wet, so Uzume decides to... quite literally... put her in a mackerel costume. Riiight.
One fight scene later the bad guys disappear into the land of foreshadowing again, where the young man obsesses over 'Marina'. If that isn't foreshadowing I don't know what is.
Cut back to the Uzume house into a bath scene, Madeleine realizes the importance of friendship. Shimeji comes up with the new mark for Uzume in the shape of a sparrow in a circle and stars all over, because Uzume and Suzume sound the same.
Also Shimeji seems to be in the land of foreshadowing too, as she mentions someone named Aloe.
My Thoughts
I honestly enjoyed this episode, but the fact that a lot of things weren't explained too clearly left me a bit empty. I sure as hell didn't like the main bad guy for this episode, because cruelty to dolls wasn't my forte. The humor wasn't well placed and the fact that Sasara, the one main doll that could destroy nearly everything, was rendered useless in this episode. Granted, the episode was about Madeleine and to a less extent, Shimeji, but the sudden drop in power for Sasara didn't sit well with me. Though I can admit, Katia in a mackerel outfit was funny.
I guess the message was given out well. I mean, being able to depend on friends without being all too annoying, we've been through that sort of scenario. Though I would've loved to see a bit more of the jealousy factor between Madeleine and Shimeji.
Story: 7/10
Characterization: 6/10
Animation: 8/10
Message: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
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