10 Second Anime - Kuma Miko - Episode 3

Machi is motivated to dance the Kagura but has different reasons than Natsu hopes for. The Summer miko dress contest disappoints Machi.

Episode 3 - "The One Who Upholds Tradition"

Heh.

This show is totally not above going all out for its flights of fancy. I would totally go to Club Trance Kagura!

Obviously, it's Natsu that's the one upholding tradition on the mountain. Machi just hangs out at the shrine with her best friend eating snacks.

That's why Natsu was surprised when Machi suggested they do the traditional Kagura dance, which she's supposed to do much more often. We got a little hint at what she was aiming for when she squeezed her leg and looked like she was worried how soft it was.

And then she confirmed it! She didn't play traditional music! She played an exercise routine!

Mountain weather changes rapidly, so it's not surprising that prehistoric communities would tie their actions to the mood of the local deity. Natsu still believes this. Hey, he's a talking bear, so maybe he's onto something.

Natsu really is a modern thinker, though. He's always looking for some way to apply traditional beliefs to modern times. To help Machi get some exercise while satisfying the mountain god, he decided that she needed to get into a trance by spinning rapidly, which is what the Kagura dance was based on.

You know what that means! Dance Club Trance Kagura!

DJ Natsu spins and lays down those fat tracks!

Too bad it was a bit too much exercise for Machi.

The traditional Kagura looks more her speed.

In another nod toward the maybe-maybe not existence of magic in this show, Natsu recalled how Machi really was able to get into trances when she was younger. It scared the bejeezus out of him!

I have no idea what "Johnny Pamyuu Pamyuu..." is supposed to mean. Natsu said he figured it out, but only recently. He also said Machi had formidable powers when she was younger, especially during the landslide and buried gold incidents. Machi doesn't remember those events at all. Perhaps we'll get a flashback sometime later in the season.

Of course, we found out why Machi has been putting on weight. The old ladies of the village keep baking stuff for the shrine representatives, but since Natsu can't stand whipped cream for some reason, Machi has to eat all the cakes and sweets. Natsu sacrificed his taste buds to give Machi some relief.

Part of what makes this show a joy to watch is all the faces Natsu makes. Most of the time he looks like a talking teddy bear, but then he flashes those sharp teeth and you remember he's a real bear.

Being up in the mountains is boring. That's the message I got from Machi wanting to trim Natsu's hair to beat the Summer heat and Yoshio running the community center for the old ladies and young girls.

His running commentary on the shaky scrawls of the old ladies and the barely discernable crayon scratches of the kids was hilarious to me.

I got a kick out of how he and his mother were on the same wavelength of taking advantage of the Summer Miko Dress Contest. Yoshio stuck in his outfit for his miko idol project. He's been watching too many episodes of Locodol... And his mom stuck in that Summer dress with straw hat ensemble. Yes, it was very cute, but no, it was not miko garb.

Natsu had an interesting reaction to the outfit with bear ears and tail. Was he angry? Was he reverting to his savage nature? He seemed reluctant to admit he liked that one the best.

Machi just wanted something light that kept the Ainu traditional patterns. Oh well. Maybe she'll get frustrated enough for Natsu to find an opening and make her do another modern girl challenge.