Neko Sensei's
Ballet lesson of love
Neko Although it is the end of the year, Ahiru-san is late again, it seems.
Lilie The end of the year doesn't really have anything to do with Ahiru being late, does it?
Pique Even now, she's probably still asleep!
Neko Ahiru-san.
Ahiru Yes! Um, um... Happy New...
Neko It's a little early for that.
Ahiru Ah, that's right! But we're almost there, aren't we?
Neko Yes, the new year is nearly upon us.
And today's marriage with me...!
Now then...
This is the end of the year special.
Neko As a change of pace for today...
I will talk a little about how to watch ballet.
I often hear people asking how they should watch ballet...
Ahiru-san, what do you think is a good way to watch ballet?
Ahiru Umm, umm, looking at the pretty dancing or the cute costumes?
I'm wrong, aren't I?
Neko However, that is a good way to handle it at first!
It's a rare treat to hear you say something worthwhile, Ahiru-san.
Ahiru No, that's...!
Neko It's about time for marriage-
No, let's leave that alone for today.
First period
How to watch ballet
Neko First, let us take a look at this.
The motif in episode four was one of the most prominent romantic ballets.
The masterpiece, "Giselle."
It is a tale that paints a story of love between a noble man and a village maiden.
Ahiru Right, right.
Neko In this story, there is a certain legend that makes an appearance.
Marriage... marriage... MARRIAGE!
Ahiru That's the girl who died?
Neko Excuse me.
If a maiden dies before getting married...
...she will become a Wili, a spirit that dances with men who get lost in the forest until they die.
Mytho The one who was calling me...
It was you.
Neko What the Wili used was a sprig of rosemary.
Rue Giselle's rosemary?!
You can't take it!
Ahiru Rue-chan!
Rue She'll take you with her to the world of death!
Neko This tale was influenced by that legend.
Ahiru Rue-chan!
Rue Dancing to the point of death...
I don't have enough strength!
Neko So if you know the story behind it, you see the ballet a bit differently, right?
Ahiru Ahhh! Just as you'd expect from sensei!
Lilie Someone will marry you!
Pique But we can't say it will be a human...
Recess
Our pleasant guest characters
Ahiru Time for a short break!
The different animals that show up each episode!
But there are some characters here that you probably didn't know about!
How many do you know?
Level 1
Ahiru First, the proverbial level one!
Arikuimi-san from episode two!
Lilie If you don't know this one, you're disqualified!
Pique But she was a little scary, you know.
Arikui Frustrating, frustrating!
This is my ballet!
Ahiru The next character appeared in episode six.
The ballet troupe's leader, the electric eel.
Lilie Their performances have their own private power generation!
Pique It's temperament might be the best of the bunch!
Ahiru Leader?
Paula Hey now, keep a steady supply going!
Level 2
Ahiru Next, the proverbial level two!
We're gonna blaze through here!
The penguin pianist who appeared in episode four!
Pique A calming personality, huh?
Ahiru Chihuahua-o-kun from episode seven! [The "o" means "male"]
Lilie He loves to gossip!
Chiwawa Well, you never could tell what Mytho was thinking anyway!
Ahiru Iguanada-san from episode eight!
Pique He seems so real!
Ahiru An iguana...?!
That was close...
Ahiru And the last one, Waniko-san from episode ten!
Pique Oh, blink blink blink!
Ahiru Well, these characters, at least...
Lilie Everyone knows them, right?
Waniko I smell a delicious duck here, Neko-sensei!
Level 3
Ahiru Now, it's getting a little harder!
The proverbial level three!
P&L If you knew these, say something!
Ahiru First is Anaguma-san from episode three! [anaguma=badger]
He's only here for a second, so don't overlook him!
Pique Where is he?
Lilie I missed him!
Ahiru Let's look once again!
Pique It really is just for a second.
I don't remember seeing him.
Ahiru And now, Mareeguma-san from episode eleven! [mareeguma=sun bear]
Lilie Huh? She was in that?
Pique I certainly don't remember her.
Kuma Excuse me...
Could you please take this for me?
Edel It is quite pretty.
Kuma This jewel's name is "Love."
Edel Love?
Pique That's it?
That's just her hand!
Ahiru She had something to hide, so she doesn't show her face!
Hiding her face wasn't a problem or anything, okay?
Level 4
Ahiru Now, the last one you definitely haven't seen! Level four!
Mandrill-san from episode five!
Lilie Definitely haven't seen? Was she even here?
Pique Well, it's just a peculiarity of the creators, right?
Lilie Where, where?
Pique What, this?
Lilie Even if you make it bigger, you can't tell!
Pique Well, it's just a peculiarity, after all.
Neko Recess is over, everyone!
Gather around!
The second period of the ballet course will begin now, so make haste and depart!
If you're slow about it, you will have to marry me!
Pique Yagiko-sensei seems to be being slow about it...
Lilie I guess you'll have to marry her...
P&L We forgot one, didn't we?
Second period
The presentation of ballet
Neko Yes, let us next think about the presentation of ballet.
The subject will be Swan Lake, the motif of episode thirteen.
In ballet, there are no spoken lines...
So movements of the body become replacements for words.
For instance, the pose that princess Tutu takes with her hands rotating above her head...
This means "dance."
And extending your hand out to someone, palm up, means "you."
These two actions together mean "Let us dance together."
In this way, feeling is presented through movements of the body.
Tutu I cannot speak of my love for you, but...
...I have the ability to dance.
Surely this can convey my feelings!
Kraehe By passing up words and conveying your love through dance...
...you're saying that you won't disappear, huh?
How interesting.
Ahiru Right now, I am princess Tutu!
I won't give up.
I would just turn back into a duck.
Kraehe Hmph, doing that now...
Neko A male and female dancing together is called a pas de deux...
It is said to be quite difficult.
Kraehe She's dancing a pas de deux by herself...
She couldn't be doing that...
Ahiru Although Tutu was able to dance one by herself...
It's better to dance one with a partner, really.
Tutu I want you to dance with me.
I want you to support me, firmly, yet gently...
Kraehe Dancing a pas de deux by yourself suits your pitiful state right now.
But what will you do about the parts that you can't dance by yourself?
Tutu The real me is just a powerless duck.
But with you here, I can change!
Kraehe What a powerful jump!
Neko In this world, wonderful dancing that goes beyond words...
...transcends national boundaries and makes its way into people's hearts.
Yes, as princess Tutu does.
Tutu The feeling I get when I see you is what turns me into princess Tutu.
I want to protect you!
I'm sure that you never wanted to lose your heart.
Smiling, crying, loving someone...
In order to protect someone's happiness...
...you threw all of that away.
When you had such a kind heart...
...that was the real you.
I love you that way.
Pique That was a wonderful story!
Lilie How heroic! Enough to make you cry!
Neko And that is the allure of ballet!
And so, from now on you will learn to dance more movingly...
Dance into marriage!
Ahiru So we end up there after all?
P&L That's the end of this episode! See you next year!
Ahiru That's...!