Tejina-Senpai – Episode 5 – Senpai Has Layers

Assistant-kun gets used to being in the Chemistry Club and still doing magic with Senpai.

Episode 5

Hmm.

Now we see the real importance of Tejina-senpai’s Oneechan-sensei character in Magical Sempai – she’s the one who makes all the sexy outfits we see in the opening and closing credits. Oneechan also provides the otaku connection through her cosplay hobby. With how well she uses flesh-colored sheer material, I could totally see her making ice-skating costumes in addition to stage costumes. A good magician needs an Assistant and a costumer, so Senpai is gathering her team to become a great magician. Madara the Chemistry-senpai may become her magic trick designer, which is another key member of a magician’s crew. This makes me curious to see what the last two characters will add to the magic. Still, Senpai needs to get over her performance anxiety to take advantage of this magic team assembly. If she can just do one magic trick in front of Assistant-kun, she’d be making a huge step.

Speaking of Assistant-kun, he does one of the things I hate in anime: talking to himself out loud. I know it’s an anime convention and a dramatic device, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with its verisimilitude. People who talk to themselves out loud are crazy. It’s hard to tell these days since almost everyone has a phone and a Bluetooth connected device, so talking out loud might just mean having a conversation electronically, but what’s wrong with just thinking thoughts to yourself? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. From an anime perspective, we’d shut off huge amounts of possible misunderstandings! Drama and comedy in episodic format need tons of misunderstandings, and if you can’t listen in on one half of a conversation, at least you can listen to the ravings of an insane person talking to a fabric covered spring! Ahem.

One thing I did appreciate about the episode was spending more time with Madara. Her soft heart is why Assistant-kun gets to keep ogling Senpai in revealing outfits and why Senpai even hangs out in the chemistry prep room to begin with. It’s halfway to satisfying my questions about Senpai’s club membership, which is good enough for being halfway through the season. I’m hoping there’s a comedic or cathartic payoff to Senpai finally making an official Magic Club, or at the very least finding out who cares enough about her to let her be a ghost club member while she has fun with magic.

Heh.

Chapter 1 – “Observers and Senpai”

Ha! Serious problem for Senpai – observers! The girls in Assistant-kun’s class know there’s a weirdo in their clubroom, but who are they talking about? Assistant-kun has a overly positive self-image and just assumes it’s not him. Senpai declares him “cringey.” She’s not wrong.

Oof. The animators offer no frills with the faces of Assistant-kun’s classmates. That trick went better than expected. It was important to show the storm outside the school before we got to this point. Nice show! Assistant-kun weeps over the hit to his perceived reputation.

Chapter 2 – “Onion Senpai”

Uh oh. Oneechan-sensei is wearing the magician’s hat. Ah. She’s the one making all the sexy outfits for Senpai.

I’m making the same face as Assistant-kun. Wow, Senpai! She’s totally covered up! That’s flesh color fabric. It’s not really better though… Darn you, Blur Effect! Assistant-kun’s stare is definitely not affected by the blur. I’m jealous! See? Oneechan is peeling layers off Senpai like an onion!

Oneechan-sensei has a wild imagination. “Thank you, Sensei,” says Assistant-kun. Me too!

Chapter 3 – “Chemistry Senpai”

Finally, the Chemistry girl, Madara-san gets a proper introduction. 斑 (madara) means “mottled, blotchy, spotty,” possibly referencing the stains she leaves from chemicals. Oh ho. She has a complex against magic because it obscures scientific principles.

Ah. She’s the one who let Senpai stay in the chemistry prep room. But did she sign her up as a ghost member of the chemistry club like Assistant-kun?

Ha! Miru Tights isn’t over yet! Things will have to get complicated to get that long skirt out of the way, though. Assistant-kun will find a way!

Chapter 4 – “Unexpected Senpai”

Senpai is in the Box, again. Showing us her panties, again.

Ha! Because Senpai covered up all the chairs with her mess, Assistant-kun sat in the one open spot – on top of the Mystery Box. She can’t play her trick on him and it’s all her fault, again!

Hee! She is cute, but Assistant-kun is talking about Behemoth-kun. Yes, Senpai. You are very soft. In certain places.

There it is! A love confession that is totally not a love confession! He’s gone! Now Senpai is going to have an even harder time redoing that apology.

Chapter 5 – “Inviting Senpai”

Woof. Small drop in animation quality here.

Senpai’s room is a magic mess like the club room. Eating all the cookies in one go is a trick of some sort. Senpai needs a few attempts to introduce the love topic.

She just dumped all her panties on the coffee table! How do you even get that wrong? Shouldn’t the magic handkerchiefs be in a different drawer? Nice! Pigeons with top hats! Um, Senpai has shown him her panties many times already! That embarrassment ship has sailed long ago.

Misunderstandings cleared up. Good. Aw. She’s still embarrassed before going to sleep. It’s a big one to get over.