Hello Ghost
Summary
Someday my prince will come... but not on a motorbike!
Jiro: We all attempted to avenge our respective honor against Taro Momoi.
But Taro, just by being Taro, proved to be one or two steps ahead of us.
But Taro, just by being Taro, proved to be one or two steps ahead of us.
When a worker tasked with removing a phone booth is attacked by Engine-Ki, the Donbrothers quickly find out that the Hitotsu-Ki doesn't have a physical body! In the midst of this, Haruka sees a girl named Minako Sagiyama in the phone booth. She soon finds out Minako is a ghost and is waiting for a call from the one she loves, unable to move on because of her unresolved feelings. To help her out, Haruka asks the guys if they can go on a date with Minako.
Tropes
- Bait-and-Switch: Minako's "date" with Kaito sees him arrive at the park in spectacular fashion, decked out in stylish wear and a cool motorbike. Cue a sea of other women running up to him for autographs instead, without so much as a passing glance in the ghost-girl's direction. Minako vanishes from the area spurned.
- Brick Joke: Earlier in the episode, Yuriko reminiscences about how back in her day, girls used to call their boyfriends on the phone instead of chatting online, hanging up in a panic when their families picked up. At the end of the episode, Haruka snappily calls Hanamura to demand that he stop spamming her with messages begging to get back together, only to realize to her horror that it's his mother on the line.
- Call-Back: Shinichi recalls Tokumei-Ki's unique physicality from #9 when the team runs into the same problem with Engine-Ki.
- The Cameo: Kazuhiko Inoue makes his appearance here as Shinzo Tadokoro, Minako's crush from 50 years ago.
- Cuteness Overload: Upon learning Minako likes dogs, Tsubasa transforms into Inu Brother in front of her to invoke this.
- Don't Ask: In her narration, Minako says Tsubasa told her "not to ask about the specifics" of his transformation into Inu Brother.
- Draw Aggro: Jiro goes to help the others fight Engine-Ki, only to be provoked by Don Murasame instead.
- Dual Boss: The primary team has to deal with Engine-Ki. Jiro rushes to help them only to end up assailed by Don Murasame instead.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Minako happily passes on after getting her phone call from Shinzo, thanking Haruka as she ascends.
- Filler: The episode itself doesn't develop anything plot-wise, but it makes up for it with an incredibly touching storyline.
- Invisible to Normals: The only people that see Minako are Haruka and the people that remind her of Shinzo (Taro, Tsubasa and Kaito). Shinichi and Tsuyoshi can only see her if they hold their breath and Haruka's aunt and the workers trying to remove the phone booth can't see her at all.
- Meaningful Background Event: Overlapping with Unusually Uninteresting Sight. This is technically the first time we've seen Tsubasa officially sitting in (albeit away from everyone else) at Cafe Donbura,note yet it's paid no mind.
- Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Just like Tokumei-Ki, Engine-Ki is intangible; and therefore immune to damage. It's also the first Hitotsu-Ki able to evolve straight into its Hitotsu-King form without a prior defeat.
- Reunion Vow: Of a sort, as while Shinzo says he can't give her that date now since Minako is dead and he's now an old man, he promises to find her in the afterlife when he passes as well, which given his age will be sooner rather than later.
- Talking the Monster to Death: Minako's undeath renders Engine-Ki invulnerable to all damage. Shinzo's talk with Minako allows her to finally pass on, giving the creature a solid body Don Onitaijin can destroy.
- Weirdness Censor: Shinzo doesn't so much as bat an eyelash to the revelation that his first love is a ghost. In fact, he calls Minako to see her off to the afterlife.
