Settle in folks, it is absolutely past time for another dash of Doremi. I’m currently sitting near the end of a long and stressful workday, but my spirits have legitimately been kept high all day by knowing I’ve got a new Doremi episode waiting at the end. This show’s world is so inviting, cast so charming, and stories so suffused with empathy that it’s hard not to smile while watching. Doremi is a genuinely thoughtful and often dramatically creative children’s show, but it’s also just the most inviting comfort food of all time, and I’m always happy to return.

The show wasn’t really in comfort food mode last week, though – in fact, Aiko’s failed reunion with her mother was another of Doremi’s signature tearjerkers, and its nuanced, dramatically somber finale felt like one of the most painfully real moments of the show so far. After having her trust betrayed by her father and finding herself incapable of greeting her mother, Aiko ended up simply reflecting on her childhood memories, her friends by her side. Life can be frustrating like that; we’re often burdened with feelings that demand some sort of cathartic, coherent resolution, but the real world rarely offers neat conclusions for our personal stories. We’re often forced to find solace much in the way Aiko did; by accepting that the past is the past, our stories are still being written, and we can always rely on the support of our friends.

Anyway! Last episode was a truly great one, but given we just passed a big dramatic highlight, I’m guessing we’re in for some also-welcome farcical nonsense this time. Let’s get right to it!

Episode 35

We open on… the grill of a truck that has an actual music note on it? IS DOREMI’S OVERARCHING MUSIC MOTIF FINALLY GOING TO MAKE SENSE!?!

Oh right, I believe they mentioned last week that a famous pop idol was going to be joining their class. It looks like we’re being introduced to her now, with her manager’s dialogue giving her profession away. And then there’s the inherent mystery hook of Majo Rika just sitting there on her lap

Majo Rika curling and drying her non-hair is an extremely good gag

Apparently there’s a “super talented new apprentice” who’s been racing up the witch rankings

“The Transfer Student is a Witch Apprentice!?” That doesn’t leave too much room for ambiguity, huh

“I have prepared signed photos of the famous actress, Tamaki Reika.” I am sorry you exist as a continuous living punchline, Tamaki, but I thank you for your service. Go with god as you yet against step directly on top of another rake

We’ve reached the point where all of the class clowns now immediately start riffing on Tamaki whenever she says anything. I mean, she’s earned this, but how the mighty have fallen

Apparently Segawa Onpu is the new girl

Tamaki profoundly miscalculates her classmates’ enthusiasm for Segawa Onpu

It’s a little hard to convey a uniquely graceful character with Doremi’s minimalist, leg-noodle designs, but the show does an admirable job of portraying Segawa as a visually self-possessed person

“Don’t treat school like showbiz.” So she’s a permanent performer

And only Tamaki realizes it! Amazing. What a perfect use of Tamaki’s character – the one person who’s always desperate to be the center of attention is the only one who can see a fellow performer playing a crowd

Just using Tamaki to create an initial conflict with Onpu seems smart in general. Tamaki is one of Doremi’s most useful dramatic resources – she’s never “solved” as a person, she’s a perpetual source of friction who can be applied to almost any situation. Not all characters need to experience clean growth and stable resolutions, and Tamaki is a funny, endearing, and dramatically convenient character as-is

“How do you know our names?” “I heard from Seki-sensei.” Oh man, is Onpu actually the apprentice of Rika’s old rival or something? She’s definitely plotting something

“Since you’re an actress, do you eat steak every day?” Doremi with the important questions

Onpu continues to play the crowd through lunch

“Is your audition for ‘Love’s Call,’ perhaps?” No Tamaki no! You’re just setting up the next rake!

Oh my god, this extended ojou laugh from Tamaki. She is truly a force to be reckoned with

“Showbiz is not so simple as you think.” Onpu literally schools Tamaki on the complex mechanics of film casting, leaving Tamaki nothing but a dejected “ara ara ara” as response

Onpu skillfully employs some charm to get out of cleaning duty, prompting Aiko to begrudgingly admit “she’s pretty good, huh”

Of course Oyajide is in Onpu’s fan club

I appreciate that Oyajide pretty much only exists now for the girls to briefly consider bringing him along, and then think better of it the moment he starts talking

It’s a public audition? Huh. Is that actually a thing in Japan?

And of course Doremi accidentally finds herself auditioning, and immediately runs into Tamaki. This episode is fantastic

I really appreciate how adding a third party like Onpu immediately makes Tamaki even more sympathetic. Tamaki has always come across as more sad and desperate than genuinely threatening, but seeing her square off against an actual professional actress with genuine self-confidence makes her own vulnerability that much more clear

“A lot of people get scouted to become idols when they accidentally join their friends’ auditions.” Doremi, I have to at least admire your optimism

This slow motion sequence of Doremi inflating her head through over-inhaling is wonderful. God, this show just lets itself get so strange and silly in the greatest ways

Doremi looks very convincingly nervous here. We’re getting a lot of strong, unique expression work this episode

We actually engineered a situation where Doremi must do her best to convincingly pretend to eat steak for a studio audience. Amazing

I’m not really sure why there’s like, a talent component to this. Is the audition process itself part of the promotional engine for some Japanese films? I’ve heard that a big part of the Japanese film industry is basically just TV stars doing soap operas, so this would definitely work for that sort of thing

All three of our heroines make it to the next round, leading into a wonderful montage of them demonstrating their “talents.” I like the contrast in their dance styles – Tamaki does a graceful dance with a fan, Onpu does an energetic breakdancing routine, and Doremi just does that noodle-limb thing she does whenever she’s nervous

Doremi’s reaction to passing is amazing. This show’s character acting is so friggin’ good – even when the expressions are highly exaggerated, they’re suffused with such clear and universal emotional intent

Now they need to put on their favorite costumes and act out their favorite roles, meaning Tamaki at last gets to OHOHOHO in an actual ballroom gown

Doremi decides to be Princess Kaguya for some reason, and now she’s running down the hall in her endless robes. Wonderful

I like that it took until the final three for them to finally design a test that actually assessed their acting ability

Onpu comes out just straight-up dressed in the witch uniform

“Why didn’t you vote for me, Dad!?” “Onpu’s just too cute.” “Reika’s going home.” Very earned, Tamaki

Yep, she’s Majo Ruka’s apprentice. And of course, Ruka’s apprentice is willing to do stuff like cast “you all vote for me and I win forever,” because there are in truth no actual laws in this world

“Girls, I hope we can still be friends.” Onpu you fiend!

And Done

Whew, that was great. Viewed entirely as a self-contained episode, this was one of Doremi’s better pure farce adventures, and once again made great use of the rivalry between Doremi and Tamaki. Onpu’s presence actually made Tamaki feel a lot more sympathetic than usual here, and both the early bickering and dramatic escalation of the audition were excellent. As for its implications regarding Doremi’s overall structure, I didn’t expect to actually welcome Majo Ruka back, but pairing her with Onpu goes a long way towards selling her return. Having an antagonistic witch who can engage with Doremi and her friends on their own level is a fundamentally exciting turn for this story, and I’m thrilled to see a cunning, morally ambiguous heroine add some new wrinkles to the group dynamic. This was a fun episode, Onpu is a welcome addition to the cast, and I’m eager to see where their battle goes from here!

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