Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction

Episode 8

It'd be easy to say that this show lives or dies based on the relationship between Kadode and Ouran. And, in this episode, it doesn't just “live”—it “thrives.” The girls have hit one of life's biggest milestones: high school graduation. Suddenly, they are no longer kids. Now they are adults expected to do things like live on their own and pursue their dreams through college study. But, of course, there isn't some magical change that happens when you graduate—and Kadode feels like she's still the same kid she's always been.

So much of Kadode's life is in flux. She's going to a college she didn't plan on attending. Her mom is moving out of Tokyo with her boyfriend, leaving her without direct parental support. Her teacher-crush is giving her signs that he's now down to have a romantic relationship. And then there's all the alien-related stuff. Japan is breaking off treaties with America and building super lasers to shoot down UFOs. There are constant protests in Tokyo and, oh yeah, thousands of dead alien bodies are raining from the skies.

Yet, despite all this chaos, there is one thing in Kadode's life that is stable—unchangeable and inviolable: Ouran. Has anyone ever been more of a bro than Ouran? Kadode wants to seduce her teacher? Ouran's there with literal signs cheering her on like it's a WWE event. Kadode is moving? Ouran is there to see her off at her old station—and then peddles her butt off to meet Kadode at her new station to help her move in. Ouran's main goal in life seems to be to cheer Kadode up—and in those rare times when Ouran needs support too, Kadode is there to provide it. It's easy to see how much they love each other.

The other main point of this episode is the introduction of Makoto and Futaba—two young people from the same small town moving to Tokyo. For Futaba, moving to Tokyo is a way for her to experience the world for herself. She's heard many things about the aliens and the state of the nation's capital but she feels the need to do more than just blindly parrot what she has been told.

Makoto, on the other hand, is a young man who prefers to wear women's clothing. He isn't gay nor does he seem to feel like he's a woman on the inside. He just likes dressing cute—likes the attention that cute things bring and the feelings stoke inside him. Of course, the conservative countryside isn't exactly the place for him to explore this side of himself. He hopes that in the big city, he'll find open-minded people who can accept him for who he is.

And honestly, in Futaba, he finds someone who fits that description. Sure, she, as a small-town girl, is somewhat shocked by his cross-dressing—but the surprise is not the same as rejection. She is determined to be open-minded—not only about the aliens but everything her upbringing has told her is bad. It's a shame that in the middle of them making their heartfelt connection, their plane finds itself on a collision course with a UFO—and is soon after being pelted by the aforementioned rain of alien bodies.

So while the government may have been hiding the existence of the aliens from the general populous, it's pretty safe to say the cat's out of the bag now. We'll just have to wait till next week to see the fallout.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• The Akihabara shopping scene really shows that Kadode and Ouran's friend group are two separate pairs of friends with completely different interests. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if they grow apart during college.

• I wonder how many humans died thanks to the rain of bodies and fiery debris across Tokyo.

• Does the Prime Minister know he's a powerless figurehead?

• Most egregious dubtitle issue of the week? The countdown numbers don't match up with the Japanese voice at all.

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Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.