Shocking Pink

"Shocking Pink" (ショッキングピンク, Shokkingu Pinku) is the sixth episode of the Kyoukai no Kanata anime series. This episode was storyboarded and directed by Taiichi Ogawa with additional storyboards by Tatsuya Ishihara, and animation direction by Nobuaki Maruki.

Mirai is finally accepted into the Literary Club and she gets her Spirit World Warrior ID back. In order to make some money in time for rent, she eyes a peculiar youmu on the school rooftop. What they thought was an easy catch becomes one of their most humiliating defeats yet!

Synopsis
Mitsuki welcomes Mirai to the Literary Club, and helps the shy Mirai to stand out as a high schooler. Meanwhile, Mirai's obsession over bonsai is revealed to the club, and Akihito blames this for Mirai's constantly empty stomach. Fortunately, by this time Mirai has gotten her Spirit World Warrior ID Card back from Izumi.

Mirai continues her part-time job as Ayaka's model for the photo studio. In one photoshoot, Mirai asks for advice on which youmu she can hunt to pay her rent in time. Ayaka points her to a fruit-type youmu, which she estimates to be worth about 500,000 yen, and describes its location on the rooftop of their school. A suggestion of possible competition causes Mirai to rush quickly back to school. Unfortunately, it also leaves Mirai ignorant of a certain detail about the youmu itself. Akihito goes to inform Mirai too late. As Akihito tries to stop Mirai from her sneak attack, the fruit-type youmu explodes, unleashing a torrent of noxious yellow liquid that leaves both of them with a disgusting stench. Mirai and Akihito spend the rest of the day in a second attempt to take down the youmu, only to be left with a bag of filthy clothes and humiliated egos. Later that night, as Mirai dresses up for Ayaka, Ai teaches Akihito some important things about the fruit-type youmu. First, it needs to be distracted from the attacker. Second, it has a peculiar interest in human girls, unusual for a youmu. Mirai and Akihito turn to Mitsuki as their only hope for luring the youmu, but she refuses, only for Akihito and Mirai to extort her into helping using the stench of the youmu's juices on their clothes. The following Sunday, Ai and Mitsuki join Akihito to attack the fruit-type youmu. Mirai is also there, acting as bait, dressed in what looks like an idol's outfit. Mirai's suggestive poses manage to work on the youmu, but a fatigued Yakiimo ruins the plan. The youmu drenches everyone in its juices, although Mitsuki is soaked with a different liquid, with a scent that only she is immune to. Revolted by this challenging youmu, Akihito and Mirai consider giving up, but Mitsuki refuses after Ai says that defeating the youmu will also remove the scent.

Hiroomi tags along to help his ailing younger sister, and he tells her another thing needed to defeat the youmu... that the youmu can be especially distracted by song and dance. Hiroomi plays the song that last helped vanquish the youmu, and although Mirai finds the song "sickeningly sweet" and "embarrassing," Mitsuki pushes through the attempt. Unfortunately, as Akihito belatedly recalls, Mirai is a terrible singer. One big splash later, the friends gather themselves after their defeat and they decide to try again, determined to relieve themselves of the humiliating stench. They spend the next week practicing and polishing their performance. Then, with their new moves, Mirai, Mitsuki, Hiroomi and Akihito take on the youmu, with Ai acting as their secret weapon. As they perform, the fruit-type youmu is completely charmed by the sight. However, when it ends, they realize to their horror that with all of them dancing, no one is left to deal the finishing blow. The youmu explodes again, its juice overflowing the rooftop.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:

Characters in italic are only seen briefly and have yet to make a proper appearance.

Trivia

 * This episode is named after the pinkish-magenta color of the fruit-type youmu when faced when something of great interest.
 * It is stated in Mini Theater #4 that Izumi ultimately defeated the youmu.

Referbacks

 * Mirai getting back her Spirit World Warrior ID card from Izumi was a reference to its revocation in the previous episode after the events of the Hollow Shadow incident.