Admired Maiden (憧憬乙女, Shoukei Otome) is the fifth episode of the Tasogare Otome × Amnesia anime series. It was released on May 6, 2012.
Synopsis[]
In the midst of the Seikyou Academy Festival, a girl dressed in the clothes of a French maid laments over her fate.
Several minutes before that incident, Kirie Kanoe walks uneasily through the festivities inside Seikyou Academy. Today is the first day of the school festival, and she admits that she is not used to having such an event. She soon notices a simple sign on a hallway, with the words "Paranormal Investigation Club Haunted Mansion" scribbled on it. She decides to go to the Old School Building to check out what is preoccupying the Paranormal Investigation Club, and she thinks that a haunted house is quite fitting for the club's interest, especially with a real ghost as one of its members.
Kirie walks in to see the clubroom now decorated to fit the mood: dark curtains cover the only window, different objects hang from the ceiling, and a makeshift coffin can be found inside. And the star of the show, none other than Yuuko herself, is how dressed in the white robes of a stereotypical Japanese ghost. Meanwhile, Momoe, the only member in the club who cannot see Yuuko, prepares herself to face the ghost who will help them in their exhibit.
As Yuuko proceeds to tease Teiichi, a disgruntled Kirie is soon asked by Momoe to help her out in getting more things to use in decorating the clubroom. With Yuuko and Teiichi getting steamy on one side of the clubroom, Kirie storms out of the room with Momoe, with Momoe's request as her alibi in going out.
Yuuko clings to Teiichi in her Japanese ghost outfit during the school festival.
Kirie manages to calm herself down after experiencing a certain feeling a while ago, and she assures Momoe that it's nothing important. Soon, however, Momoe notices that they are in unfamiliar territory.
They are lost.
Back inside the Haunted Mansion, Teiichi recalls that nearly everyone is unable to see Yuuko. Yuuko assures him that there's still a way for her to scare their visitors, and it is through using the environment to instill fear into the visitors; this way, Yuuko can manifest into the thing they fear most, and making their booth an effective horror booth.
Soon, Yuuko inches closer to Teiichi and uses the time alone to be more intimate with him. As she loosens the sash on her robe, Yuuko prepares Teiichi for "you - know - what".
Momoe and Kirie continue walking around the Old School Building, trying to return to the Paranormal Investigation Club. However, they end up in the Science Preparation Room, one of many old school facilities inside the Old School Building. Kirie thinks that the room might have something they can use in the haunted mansion, but Momoe anxiously stops her, mentioning a "heartless anatomy model" inside. Kirie knows that an anatomy model literally has no heart to begin with, but Momoe tells her that the "heartless" in the "heartless anatomy model" actually pertains to its ruthlessness.
Nonetheless, Kirie steps inside, much to Momoe's shock. Meanwhile, Yuuko pretends to be a top spun around by her sash by Teiichi.
inside the Science Preparation Room, Momoe continues her story of the Heartless Anatomy Model". According to her story, the anatomy model continues to roam the school to this day, seeking its missing heart. There are rumors that one of the janitors was killed by the Heartless Anatomy Model, his heart ripped out from his chest. Momoe's story slowly breaks down Kirie's confidence, until...
...Momoe finds the Heartless Anatomy Model right beside her.
Momoe suddenly froze in place as fear overwhelms her. Kirie goes to pull her from where she stood and while embracing her, convinces her that the Heartless Anatomy Model would not harm her. At that moment, Momoe admires Kirie's courage over the fear of the Heartless Anatomy Model's presence and proceeds to praise her in her other aspects. Kirie, in response, humbly tells that her other traits are not as admirable.
Then, as she was speaking, something goes scurrying beneath Kirie's feet. She lost her balance and ends up falling to the ground, toppling a skeleton model nearby. As Momoe shoos away what turns out to be just a rat, she notices that Kirie is on a corner, her eyes filled with tears.
Momoe realizes that she has quite seen the two sides of Kirie, and helps her up. They later leave the Science Preparation Room, taking with them the Heartless Anatomy Model.
On their way out, Momoe decides to take the lead, going back to where they went earlier. Meanwhile, on the Paranormal Investigation Room, Yuuko and Teiichi finishes another batch of visitors to their Haunted Mansion, leaving behind a very intense scare for them. As Yuuko momentarily teases Teiichi yet again, she mentions the other two having fun themselves.
Momoe and Kirie visit the school festival booths together... With one other guest.
In fact, they are. Momoe and Kirie end up visiting the many booths in the festival, including the game booths and food stalls, where they enjoy alongside the Heartless Anatomy Model. Initially, Kirie is still uncomfortable to the festivities, but she slowly warmed up to it.
During their break, Kirie hesitantly tells Momoe that she can just call her Kirie as she still thinks that her surname still makes her connected to Yuuko in a way. However, before Momoe could properly respond, her friends Manako and Hitomi approach Momoe. After an exchange of greetings, Manako and Hitomi suddenly fix their eyes at Kirie before talking with Momoe from a distance.
As the three have a quick conversation, Kirie becomes melancholy for a moment as she looks at the school festival from inside the school building. Momoe soon calls her... and Kirie ends up taken inside the costume cafe booth, where Kirie is stripped down and changed into...!
Kirie as a cat-eared maid.
A French maid wearing cat ears and a tail!
Momoe, Manako, Hitomi and the Heartless Anatomy Model watch as their creation unfolds in front of a crowd. Kirie manages to pull off the "Good morning, Onii-chan" greeting that is part of the theme of the cafe, and she soon enters the cafe as a temporary waitress. Although not very used to being this feminine, Kirie manages to serve the customers well, and even attracted the attention of boys and girls alike. Meanwhile, Kirie also appears to be enjoying being a "maid-for-a-day".
The first day of Seikyou Academy Festival soon draws to a close, and Kirie goes for a rest. As Momoe gets something to cool Kirie off, Kirie sees herself in the mirror. She appears to be liking how she looks right now, and even suggests letting her hair grow out too. However, she suddenly remembers that she would end up resembling someone if she pushes through.
A comparison of Kirie and her great aunt.
Kirie storms out of the cafe and runs to the Paranormal Investigation Club. Although tired from the long run she had, she enters the room, and in front of a mirror inside, she realizes that she hated that face... the face of Yuuko Kanoe.
Suddenly, Yuuko emerges from behind her and she points out that she is contradicting herself as she knows she Kirie admires her. Kirie continues to deny Yuuko's claim, but Yuuko continues to break Kirie down, to the point that Yuuko used Kirie's own image against Kirie. At that point, Kirie storms out of the clubroom, and collides with Teiichi on the way out.
Teiichi notices Kirie's flustered face and asks if Yuuko did anything to her. Kirie dodged the question and instead, asks Teiichi about what he liked about Yuuko, whether if it is her eyes, her hair or her complexion. Teiichi, in response, points out that there is something else that makes him like her, and being a ghost or not doesn't matter.
Kirie teases Teiichi for having feelings for a ghost.
Thinking that she might still have a chance, Kirie bursts into laughter and pushes her finger on Teiichi's chest, teasing him about having a relationship with a ghost. Teiichi, however, noticed that Kirie dress unexpectedly gives him a chance to take a peek at her humble chest, and Kirie quickly turns away in embarrassment. However, it doesn't take away the happiness that she had at that moment.
Yuuko soon emerges from the clubroom entrance, and to the surprise of Yuuko and Teiichi, Kirie touches Yuuko's breast before closing the clubroom.
Yuuko is quite happy to find out that Kirie has finally touched her for the first time, and Kirie is surprised herself at her achievement. Kirie then realizes that she did not see Yuuko per se, but merely the thing that she fears the most, and upon the thought of Yuuko hearing everything from that time, she feels somewhat embarrassed.
Kirie takes off her wig and watches as Yuuko shines the clubroom's resident skull. Meanwhile, Momoe finally
Momoe and Kirie chat as friends.
discovers that the Heartless Anatomy Model has a heart after all; she thinks that it entrusted her and Kirie the task of taking him to where his heart is, and Momoe is quite amazed at how the story went. Kirie, however, is quite spooked at the thought of the story actually becoming true.
As Kirie and Momoe continue their banter, Yuuko appears to be impressed that the two are now closer than ever.
Characters[]
By order of appearance
New Characters[]
Adapted from[]
This episode is based on the first two chapters of the School Festival Arc of the manga series, covering Chapters 19 and 20.
Trivia[]
Cultural References[]
- A school festival or school fair is an annual event which transforms a school becomes an area where several booths, often prepared by students themselves, are set up.
Quotes[]
- "...falling in love has nothing to do with them being ghosts or not, does it?" — Teiichi's statement on falling in love and ghosts
Gallery[]
