Volume 4
The cover's main color is pink. The front cover has Miu and Ana enjoying cake and sweet drinks at a table and sitting in chairs with heart-shaped backs, befitting an outdoor café. John is wearing a hat and waist apron, and eating a strawberry. On the back cover, Matsuri is stumbling as she carries a drink and dessert. In the background, Chika eats a round cake slice while Nobue talks to her.
The "Cute Girls Are Back In Town" pages are unchanged.
On an otherwise blank page, Chika is walking Satake, who has apparently found someplace to do his business.
Next page, the preteens are sleeping on a plethora of blankets and things. Miu's sleeveless pajama top has ridden up a bit, exposing the bottom of her bellybutton. Her left foot is on Matsuri's chest. Meanwhile, Nobue is using a stuffed kitty to play with John.
On the table of contents, the girls are walking by Zazacity Hamamatsu. Miu is ahead, Nobue and Matsuri are walking and talking together, and Chika and Ana are walking and talking together.
On to the story for today!
We are introduced to 29-year-old cosmetic salesman Hirohi Matsui. He's wondering where he should start today. He decides that the Matsuoka residence looks promising.
Inside, Miu is trying to decide which of two jackets looks cuter.
episode. 31: Door-to-Door
(The episode image has Ana and Matsuri standing side-by-side, each with their right index fingers near their mouths, as if thinking about something.)
Nobue is finishing up a conversation with one of the girls, and finding out if it's okay if they meet at her (not Nobue's) place. She also says she's going to call Matsuri. Chika asks if they're going to Ana's place. Nobue says they are, and says that her mom said she can drop them off on her way to the department store. Chika says they haven't been out together in so long. Nobue guesses she ought to call Miu. Miu answers the phone, calling herself an Eriko Sato
lookalike. Nobue tells her she's not a pinup, and to come over, as they're going out.
The conversation is just barely over when the Matsuoka's doorbell rings. Miu answers it. Matsui asks her if her mother is home. Miu says she's not, and asks what he's selling. He says cosmetics. She asks to see what he's got. He wonders — unspoken — if she's serious, as she looks a little young to be buying cosmetics, but allows her to look. She sees a product she likes (it looks like a compact), and he tells her it's excellent and made with "blabbity blah blah blah". She asks about price in tiny words. He says it sells for 2400 yen. She asks about a special price... for her. Matsui says it's an excellent price, and deeply discounted.
Miu invites him to remove his shoes and come in out of the entranceway, so he does. Miu closes he's case, pretends she's the salesman, thanking him for his business and hoping he'll let her visit to show him more of "her" very expensive products, and leaves with it. Visible Silence on the part of the salesman. He is soon confused about the sound effects behind him ("garatsu", "garagara", and "pishan", I think; at least I can find "garagara", the sound of a rattling), and even more surprised to see Miu there on the other side of an open door. She yells that a burglar has broken into her home, but he asks how she got behind him, and says she's the thief, asking where his briefcase is, and wanting it back. She asks what he's talking about, but he asks if it's in the room behind her. Miu asks if hewould leave now or if she should call 911. He says he's the one who should be calling 911. Now he really wants to get into the room beyond, and holds Miu's wrist to try to move her over her protests. She pulls away, saying "Don't touch me, child molester!!" He says, "That's no way to speak to — I'm an adult!!" And now he's outside, on his hands and knees, in front of the house. Good thing his briefcase is there, or that would have been significantly more jerky. "This is no way to start the day." He recovers, telling himself that it just happened to be the house from hell. He breathes in and out, and moves on.
He rings the doorbell for the Itou home, and hears, in addition to the "pin po-n" of the bell, a "don" and a "batabata", and wonders what on earth that was. Chika answers it. Matsui asks if her mother is home. She isn't, she tells him, but she'll be back soon. He internally blames his luck, but goes ahead and tells her he has a special line of premium cosmetics he's showing in her area. Just then, Nobue enters, wondering what's going on. She's wearing a Kish Kash shirt. Chika introduces her. Nobue asks if it's a door-to-door scam, and Chika says it is. Matsui says no, and starts to talk about his cosmetics, when he hears a "dotadota", preceding the door opening, and Miu coming in! She first asks the girls what's up, then points out the "burgling child molester". Matsui yells that he's not. Nobue asks her what she means. Miu says he came into her house, touched her, and wouldn't leave. Nobue asks him if he's a door-to-door scam artist or if he just uses that as a cover to molest children. Matsui wants to explain, but Nobue tells him not to bother, as she can guess what happened, and says that Miu is completely insane. Miu asks her how she dares, and classifies herself as a "beauty queen". Nobue points to that as proof of her characterization. Chika collapses and shakes with supressed laughter. Matsui asks if she's all right. Nobue says it must have gotten to her because it's true. Miu counters that if you think that's funny, you should see Nobue's face without makeup, and adds that it's funny because it's true. Nobue tells her to watch it. Matsui tries to talk about his products again, but Nobue says they don't want any. Matsui takes that as a reason to excuse himself.
He's had two beautiful strikeouts, and figures that's not a good trend. He shakes it off, and finds a place that looks perfect...
Inside, Matsuri is on the phone, apologizing to Nobue, as she needs to watch the house until her mother gets home. She is, however, sure she'll be back soon. Though I see no katakana, Matsuri gets the idea that she might be home now. She opens the door to greet her mother... but it's Matsui, instead. He asks if her mother is home, and is surprised that he's run into another kid. She's out, Matsuri informs him, but she'll be back any time now. He takes her to be the nervous type, and figures he might get her to buy something so he doesn't have to come back. He offers a special value on his products, and says her mom would absolutely love them. He adds that she could pick out something for her, and says her mom will be so beautiful, she'll hardly recognize her. Matsuri is willing, but has to ask her mom first. He says to trust him (on what basis? He may not be a child molester, but she still doesn't know him. And I'm no expert on cosmetics, but shouldn't she be present anyway if for no reason other than to be able to test the color against her specific skin tone?), and asks if she knows where her mom keeps her certified seal. Matsuri tells him she's not to use it without her permission. Matsui understands, and says they don't run that kind of business. He offers her the option of letting her give her hand signature... but then he notices that he's made her start to cry. Matsui tries telling her they have great prices and easy payment plans. (I'm not sure a cosmetic that needs a payment plan is generally worth the price, but like I said, I'm no expert.) Through her tears, Matsuri tells him that her mom says not to. Matsui tries to comfort her by putting a hand on her shoulder, patting her head, and telling her he's going right now.
It's just not been Matsui's day. He wonders where the big houses are, as he'd like to deal with some rich people. He spots one he thinks is a mansion, so figures he's turning his cold streak around.
Miu is holding a bone and trying to get Frusciante to shake hands in exchange for it. Chika is concerned, thinking Matsuri should be there by now. Nobue decides to call her again, as she'd thought Matsuri had said her mom was home. Matsuri greets her, again through tears. Nobue asks why she's crying. Matsuri doesn't express herself in this state well, so Nobue says they'll be right over, and has her stay. Chika asks what the matter is. Nobue asks Ana is her mother would mind going by Matsuri's place on the way. Ana doesn't think it'll be a problem. Chika (you can tell by backing up to p. 15 and looking at Chika socks) asks if Nobue doesn't think Matsuri's mom isn't home. Nobue (you can tell by backing up to p. 17 and looking at her socks) figures that if her mom were home, Matsuri wouldn't be crying, but with them already. The gatebell rings using English onomatopoeia this time (clever, possibly!), making Nobue irritated with the delays. Ana uncertainly greets the man at the gate. He returns the first syllable to her, then sees the other girls, and finishes the word. It's hard to tell if "Oh, it's the perv" is said by Nobue, Miu, or both. Nobue grabs his ties and reiterates that they don't want any. Matsui says she doesn't live there... does she? The background goes black, and Nobue says, "What was that?" Matsui excuses himself to leave.
Poor Matsui. He doesn't know what's going on. He finds it creepy and depressing that he keeps seeing the same "scary little girls" everywhere he goes. I can understand that, though really, Miu and Nobue are the ones who've been scary to him, what with Miu's willingness to take off with stuff he's trying to sell and make accusations when he wants them back, and Nobue being about as big as he is and looking quite willing and able to do something about it if she believed Miu... At any rate, he decides to return to the Sakuragi place, as her mom might be back by now. He has a good feeling about this.
Meanwhile, inside, Nobue has found out that it was a salesmen who upset Matsuri, and doesn't think that would be worth getting upset over. (Well, normally, if he hadn't tried to pressure her into buying something when it's been made clear she can't without her mother's permission, which is really the worst thing he did.) Matsuri says she couldn't take the pressure. Chika wonders if it's the same salesman who came to Ana's. Miu refers to him as the "door-to-door burgling molester". Matsuri is shaken a bit by this. Miu claims that he stormed into her house and touched her. Chika asks Matsuri if he did anything weird to her. Matsuri recounts that he put his hand on her shoulder and petted her head. Nobue is shocked by this, and figures he really is a burgling molester. Matsuri starts to explain why (Really, it was a nice gesture, but ill-advised, as he's already been accused in the presence of two other girls... though really, how would he know she hangs out with the other three girls he'd encountered by that point?), but is interrupted by the arrival ("Tadaima!" probably) of her mother. Nobue is relieved, as they can say hello and take off.
The man sees two cars, and deduces that Matsuri's mother must be home. He reaches for the bell, grateful for the chance to sell something, but before he reaches it, the door opens, startling him. And who's opening it but Nobue, saying what she's going to do if she sees him again, but not getting to that part in word.
One panel, a close-up of his face.
Next panel, same close-up. but now he has a shiner and broken glasses hanging from one ear.
Later, Miu is ordering something with an extra cherry. She's clearly eaten something already. Chika wants one, too. Nobue tells Miu she doesn't have to order everything on the menu.
Elsewhere, the president of Matsui's company is asking if he won't take a little time to reconsider. Matsui says no, he quits. Apparently, he's left his broken glasses dangling there since the encounter.
Q & A: Everyone, please be seated.
The intermissions for this volume are a Q & A of the five main girls of Ichigo Mashimaro. Five stools have been set up. The five girls, with the exception of Miu, are walking in.
Nobue calls it a pain, and asks what they're supposed to be doing.
Chika says they're asking some questions, and they just have to answer them.
Matsuri is getting nervous.
Ana is making sure they're to just be themselves.
Miu, who's kneeling on a stool, tells them to come on, it's serious.
Q1: What are your birthdays, zodiac signs, and blood types?
(Since the only other anime or manga series I have to tell me characters' blood types or even birthdays so far has been Lucky Star, I'll be telling you when a character's answer is the same as one or more of those characters. Don't worry, they haven't been telling us this information for characters introduced after volume four, so no list should be too long.)
Chika was born May 11th, meaning she's a Taurus, and is type A. In this English translation, she expresses this in almost as few words as possible, though none neglect to say the word "type". (She shares a blood type with Konata, Yui, Yutaka, Minami, Nurse Amahara, and...
...her sister, Nobue, born October 17th, making her a Libra. She adds "blood" to the term. (She shares a sign with the aforementioned Yui.)
Ana speaks in complete sentences when she tells us her birthday is June 18th, that she's a Gemini (like Hiyori and the aforementioned Konata) and that her blood is type AB (like Ayano).
Matsuri nervously (yay redundancy!) tells us her birthday is January 25th (like Sakuraba-sensei), making her an Aquarius (like Sakuraba, Kou, Kuroi-sensei, and Akira), and has type O blood (like Miyuki, Soujirou, Hiyori, Patricia, Yukari, Akira, Kuroi, and, again, Sakuraba; I wonder if they have the same Chinese zodiac animal... :D ). She also tells Miu she's facing the wrong way.
Indeed she is, but at least she seems to be sitting properly now. She was born September 8th, and is therefore a Virgo (like Minami and Amahara), and has type B blood (like Kou, Kagami, Tsukasa, and Misao).
Next time: Episode 32!
