I thought that when I grew up, I could reach more and more.
The fruit beckoning from the highest branch.
The beautiful shell hidden in the sand. If I could only stretch out my hand a little more...
But... As everyone passes through the junctures of their life,
they no longer stretch their hand out to the sky, or crouch to the earth.
Embarrassed, they ignore what they'd desired for so long.
Will you reach out and grab me, grown up as I am?
Come on, everyone's watching Cosmos vs. Alien
Their battles are always marvelous
He commands a fleet, but he's really been an alien since before he was born
The distance between "micro" and "macro" is so important
At least when it comes to misunderstandings in space treaties
If it's this or be the second coming of Adam and Eve
Everyone's probably better off how they are now
Come on, take a closer look
Come on, be a little more eager
Come on, let's hold hands gently
Come on, put a smile on
Talk and talk, gossip up a storm
But soon it's more than just a joke
Cross the mountains, cross the valleys
Get to the planet he lives on
Come on, everyone's watching the captain, the queen, and the ace
Yes, the missile counterbarrage is ready
But the man aiming has really been an alien since before he was born
Now, the cosmos is space
It's just one wide sweep
The cosmos's sugary taste
It's just one sweet
Just a pinch of magic when you're together with her
Just a pinch of sugar and you can have her
Radius of the base
Ric's open-air classroom has become a part of everyday life on the riverbank.
And that's how it works.
Do you get it, Nino?
Yeah, I get it!
Come on, call on someone other than Nino!
You student-fucker!
You need to forget anything Star taught you.
Anyway, if you have any questions then go ahead and ask.
Teacher! I have a question!
Let me hear it.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Radius of the base
Why are you asking that kind of absurd question?
Jeez, why are you so serious?
Amazoness!
Episode 157 "The New Student is Amazoness"
So this is the amazoness you met in Saitama?
A black ship!
See!? I Told you she was real!
And look, the tengu are here too!
She's so big!
Awesome! She really does exist!
There really is an amazoness!
Great...
You're glad I'm here?
Yeah, I guess, in an rather positive manner of speaking.
I see...
You're the man who drew a winner from our treasure, Master Softee, in one try!
Wow, you type fast on your phone!
Huh, a text? That's unusual...
Sending...
Hi, this is Amazoness!
You're soooooooo awesome!
Let's go out!
I may look like this, but I hunt my own food!
No, looking like that makes it obvious!
And I always turn a lot of heads when I go for a stroll!
I'm more impressed with the guts of anyone whose head you don't turn!
C'mon!
Go out with me!
No way!
Uh, I mean, I already have a girlfriend!
See? Her!
Her blowgun!?
Stop it!
I won't let you hurt—
A lace handkerchief!?
She's crying!?
Sorry!
Oh man, she may look tough, but that was way too harsh!
Don't apologize...
Can I keep coming to school?
Amazoness...
This girl... Maybe she's a lot more feminine than she looks?
Now that I've fallen for you... I want to be with you..
Once I've got my teeth in you, I'll gnaw you to the bone!
Like a piranha!
All right, see you tomorrow, Teacher.
That's a damn scary example!!
Episode 158 "Love Borne on Song"
Thus, we find that...
She's here again today.
She even brought the tengu along.
Deep distress Gathering clouds Touch-and-go Gasping for breath Forsaken
Hey, Ric, she seems pretty hot for you.
Why don't you take her out?
Quit joking around! I have Nino!
Deep distress Gathering clouds Touch-and-go Gasping for breath Forsaken
Plus, she's not my type!
I don't really like women that big...
Amazoness, are you texting me again? I told you, no phones in class!
Amazoness! Amazoness! Cute, sweet Amazoness!
What's wrong with you guys? Quit it with that weird song!
I'm... scolding... Amazoness...
Scolding me? About what?
Your... phone...
No, wait, isn't your skirt a bit short?
Her skirt? You mean that snake skin armor?
Really?
Deep distress Gathering clouds Touch-and-go Gasping for breath Forsaken
Don't worry, Teacher! When I'm in front of other men I cover it with my shield!
Idiot! Stop making fun of your teacher!
Wait, he's going along with it?
Hypnotism successful!
I see. That must have been rough on you.
So you've been too ill to attend school until now?
I understand. Just looking at your delicate form...
He's calling that delicate?
What the hell is he talking about?
I can't believe she's luring Ric in by pretending to be sickly!
It must have hurt so bad.
But don't worry.
Teacher is on your side.
Teacher...
Come on, Ric! Get back to teaching!
Don't be so rude, P-ko!
What shall we do if she's blown away on the wind like a dandelion puff!
A puff?
All right, if you're so weak, then why not wear warmer clothes!?
What are clothes!?
The things you're wearing on your body.
But this is all I have...
Don't you at least bundle up in winter?
No! I can't stand that!
It would so totally tear me apart...
I want to protect you...
Walking around barelegged in winter just isn't healthy!
Episode 159 "Surging Love"
Girls' Emergency Meeting
It's just weird!
Look at Ric's eyes when he looks at Amazoness!
Really? Doesn't he always look like that?
Nino!
That's why it's weird!
When he looks at me or anyone else like that, he's usually—
Like this!
Or that!
He's looking at her the same way as he looks at you!
Plus he's spending all his time with her lately!
That's not true. He always comes to me for dinner.
Really?
Oh, Ric!
Good timing!
I was just about to bring you dinner...
Oh, sorry, Nino.
One of my students made me something today .
Will you look at that? It's full of stuff from Saitama.
We were laughing about it earlier. Isn't it so totally super-neato, though?
Oh, whoops, I'm talking like her.
Oh, well then.
Teacher! Eat up or it's gonna get cold!
Sorry. See you later!
C'mon! I'm gonna eat it for sure! Don't get so worried!
But it's awesome!
Oh well. I can't do anything about it.
Nino?
Okay, Ric's dinner. You can go back home.
Nino, didn't you already cook that?
Anyway, if you can't take it, you don't have to hold it in!
Huh? A date at the river mouth?
Yeah, we haven't done it in a while.
All right! Let's go!
How about this afternoon? I'll come get you around one.
Really? I'll be waiting!
See you!
Come on, I know you're happy, but—
A date with Nino! I'd better not be late!
Hello?
Amazoness has been arrested for shoplifting OOPARTS, and she's being held at Amazon County Jail?
Yes. At Machu Picchu—
What about her parents?
Her father died when she was young, and her mother's never home because she's busy hunting.
Then she's all alone in jail?
Yes, but it should be fine. Maybe a night there will teach her a lesson.
I just thought I'd tell you, since you're her teacher.
Wait!
She only shoplifted because she's lonely!
I'll be right there!
One o'clock...
Amazoness! Why did you do it!?
I thought that if I shoplifted maybe someone would pay attention to me!
Amazoness! Don't be so silly!
I'll be there your whole life!
Then... I want you to promise me...
Seven o'clock.
Nino!
What's wrong? You're late!
I have something important to tell you.
Today...
At Amazon City Hall.,.
We got married!
Love shouldn't be a roller coaster.
A ninth-grader who attends Madoka's school. The helpful, sisterly type.
CV: Kaori Mizuhashi
Kaori Mizuhashi
That was a close one.
But it's all okay now.
Episode 160 "Expressions of Love"
I see. You're late because two got married.
Milk
Milk. Chair.
Chair
Milk
Chair
Marriage
That's a great idea.
This poor girl is all alone. I have to protect her.
So I can't be with you anymore.
Nino! Break up with me!
She's going to slap me!?
I don't care! If this is how I need to atone...
Nino! Slap me as many times as you want, my body will endure!
Man, you're crazy.
I... have received... Nino's feelings...
Like that's enough to show you how I feel.
If I wanted to express all my feelings with my fist,
I'd have to punch you like that at least a hundred more times!
Well, well, I thought there was a fuss over here.
A fight? Are Ric and Nino breaking up!?
I can't believe you'd be so violent!
Plus, didn't you hear him? We're already married.
So what!?
So what?
You've got some guts.
All right, let's see just how much you care.
It's a duel!
Perfect!
Nino!
You can't fight a warrior race like that! You'll get yourself killed!
No! Nino!
This is how much I love Teacher!
Oh yeah? Well this is how much I love him!
Then I love him all the way out to here!
I love him all the way out into the river!
Then my love for Nino is as big as a hundred Tokyo Domes!
Thus began the girls' earnest battle, intense enough to give Star flashbacks to Kameari's disease.
Episode 161 "Resilient Emotions"
This much!
You won't beat me!
I love him twice as much!
Man, what does Nino like about this retard anyway?
Who'd dump her for that she-ape, anyway?
Nino..
What, change your mind again?
Cute, cute Amazoness!
Delicate, beautiful Amazoness!
Amazoness... You're the goddess of beauty...
You must be the ones doing this to him!
Whoops, looks like you saw through us.
But you'll keep it a secret, right?
I mean, it is lucky for you.
If our "Plan to Support Amazoness in Love" pays off, you'll end up with Nino.
Amazoness, Amazoness! Delicate, cute Amazoness!
I'm so happy I can be with you...
My ex, Nino... She's plenty popular.
Even without me, she won't be alone. I don't have to protect her.
What's that annoying noise?
What's this big circle...
My love can't just be measured by size...
Judging by height, it's this big!
Then... Then I...
Amazoness!
Don't overdo it! You mustn't run like that!
Wait, what, she's really that weak!?
Are you okay!?
What? You're too healthy!
If you were a little more sickly, maybe Teacher would want to protect you!
Ric's sickly with asthma.
So I protect him.
Elsewhere...
In the red corner! The Kappa Wall!
In the blue corner! Recruit Fuji!
All right! I won't lose!
I'll have you tapping out in a second!
Do your best, Teacher!
Ric's dreams turned to the Spring sumo championship.
Episode 162 "Echo! Song of Love!"
Mayor... Don't treat me like I'm just practice...
Hey, his dreams are getting pretty weird.
The breadth of Nino's feelings, times the height of Nino's feelings, equals...
The volume of Nino's feelings.
I see.
Hey, you! You're a pro singer, right!?
Help out with our hypnosis song!
That's right! You're better off if Ric hooks up with Amazoness!
So help us—
Help you? Fuck that.
Love isn't just some botamochi falling off the table!
Nino's busier than either of us...
It's lonely here with just the two of us.
Then I'll make more of me, Teacher.
Wow, awesome! A hundred Amazonesses!
Now there's more going on over here.
But...
What, shall I become legion?
No...
No... What I need...
What I need is—!
Not a legion of Amazonesses, but one Nino!
Die in a fire!
Wh—what!?
I've been having a terrible nightmare!
He broke the hypnotism with his own strength!
Really!?
Teacher...
A bridal dress...
So it was all true!?
Amazoness!
I'm sorry! I said I'd be with you for the rest of your life, but really, I love—
Stop it! That's enough!
I understand... I lose...
Amazoness...
But...
Thanks for today, okay?
Amazoness!
Did... Did I...
Did I just think she was cute for a second!?
No no no no! I have Nino!
Ric!
Nino! I'm sorry, I've done something horrible!
It's okay. Don't worry about it.
Just... Why don't we get married?
Nino?! Really!?
Come on!
A wedding!
Ummmmmmm...
Does this determine our future?
What?
It's our wedding!
Um. No.
And, upstream on the Arakawa...
Feel the burn!
It's working!
What hard work!
Billy-ish Boot Camp
Amazoness, unwilling to give up on her love for Ric, bought a Billy-ish Boot Camp to increase her strength.
Looking back at the end of my journey,
as the days I long for pass
I see you wrapped in your red coat,
playing without waiting for winter
Farewell, mazelike days , I'd thank you if I realized days
Oh, oh, goodbye days
Looking forward at the beginning of my journey,
I take a deep breath so I won't have to stop
We're both swimming upstream toward tomorrow,
Swaying side to side like fish
Pain? No thank you days, sadness? No thank you days
Oh, oh goodbye days
Episode 163 "Arakawa Gag Contest"
The Kappa wizard!
Appears!
Kaaaa—
Ppa!!!!!
Wait, you did it!?
What the hell are you doing!? You blew the platform to smithereens!
Why did you do it, Mayor!?
Why? I'm sick of gags.
Mayor! Can we get sick of school and quit?!
Ooh, me too!
What's the difference between "love" and "weird"?
The bottom part of "love" is a heart, and the bottom of "weird" is—
Wait, don't people normally compare love and romance!?
Next time, 9 Bridge×2!
People get weird when they fall in love!
When did you become so mature!?
Illustration: Kinu Nishimura
Come back next week~