Episode 3: Alien & Radio Noise Bath

Mayuko has once again dozed off while studying and is awaked by NieA babbling in her sleep. Although still tired, she knows it’s time to do her paper route, so she drags herself downstairs. But, as she opens the door, she is greeted by a sight that shocks her fully awake: outside stands a short, dark-skinned man who is wearing a turban on his abnormally large head. Convinced he’s a pervert playing dress-up, she screams in terror and flees back to her room.

NieA doesn’t believe the early-morning visitor is a pervert--she’s convinced he’s a bill collector. As Mayuko arms herself with a baseball bat, NieA bravely strides toward the door, but pushes Mayuko out to face the weird visitor at the last moment. While Mayuko is panicking and the turbaned visitor is vainly trying to explain himself, NieA recognizes him as Chada, a fellow alien.

With Mayuko reassured that Chada is merely an alien who has adopted a Hindu appearance, the three return to her room. Here, Chada explains that he has come to invite NieA to a meeting of all aliens in the Enohana area. He also gives the girls a flier advertising his latest business venture—the AM 11 PM 7 convenience store, which he has just opened near the Crater. Mayuko remains openly suspicious of Chada and his store… until he gives her a coupon for a free boxed lunch to celebrate the grand opening. NieA immediately starts fighting her for it, but Chada has something for her, too: a sign-up sheet and the news that the new location for the alien meetings will be held above the convenience store. NieA is fairly emphatic in her intention to not attend until Chada tells her that free lunch will be provided for those who attend. As Chada prepares to depart, Mayuko tries to give him some pointers about more effectively fitting in as a human. Chada is at first mortified that she (or anyone) would think he was a pervert, but when he tries to flatter Mayuko by telling her she has “nice jugs,” he makes her point for her.

Now late for work, Mayuko hurries to pick up the newspapers. The weather is pleasant and her mood is good—and its improved even more when she notices that a new grocery store has opened and that maybe the redevelopment plan for Enohana is starting to pay off.

As Mayuko works, NieA is dozing on the bathhouse roof, listening to the morning show on a portable radio. The broadcast is disrupted by static and a high frequency whine. NieA sits up and stares toward the distant shape of the mothership with a bemused look on her face. It turns to thoughtfulness as the whine fades and the music can once again be heard clearly.

Later, Mayuko leaves for school. As she gets on the bus, an alien wearing dark glasses and a black trench coat gets off. He walks to the Enohana Crater and gazes down upon the Under Alien village, a feeling of nostalgia coming over him. He wonders what might happen if the media discovered that although he claimed to be a Class Five Elite alien, he is actually an Under alien who started out in the Crater.

At the cram school, Chiaki shows Mayuko the pictures she took of the mothership during her visit in Episode #1. Chiaki asks to visit again some other time, perhaps on a day when she can get an even better look at the giant craft, and also asks Mayuko to tell her if NieA makes another UFO. Mayuko remains bemused by Chiaki’s excitement over all things UFO and alien related, but she tries not to let on.

Meanwhile, back in Enohana, Chada is opening the 53rd alien meeting. Only four are in attendance—George, Bobby, Oldie, and Karna. Chada’s first order of business is to stage a taste-test of a special curry dish featured at his store. The three male aliens are content, but Karna becomes angry and breaks the table in half with a karate chop. She is upset by the poor turnout at the meeting and is offended both by Chada using it as a venue to test his dishes and the quality of the aliens in attendance. She believes the meeting should be used to discuss how to advance the standing of aliens in society but feels that none of them are taking the situation seriously enough. Her tirade is interrupted when her antenna picks up a stray transmission and she momentarily zones. Chada seizes the opportunity to have his three friends taste his “loss leader”: curry-flavored milkshakes.

Karna recovers just as NieA arrives in search of her free lunch. Karna launches into another tirade, this one about how the unemployed, lazy NieA is giving all other aliens a bad name while NieA replies that uptight, loudmouths like Karna are the ones besmirching the image of good-natured aliens like NieA. Karna’s rage grows hotter as everyone ignores her, and NieA scarfs down curry dishes. The two girls trade insults--Karna attacking NieA for her low social status and lack of antenna, NieA belittling Karna because her antenna receives weird signals that causes her to black out. Ultimately, NieA insults the appearance of Karna’s antenna, which causes the vain upper-class alien to seize one of Chada’s bubbling curry pots for use as a weapon. NieA grabs another pot. They throw them at each other, but just as they do, the black-clad alien from before enters with an apology for being late. He is caught in the crossfire (just like everyone else in the room). A mortified Karna tries to save some face by asking him—Mr. Hongo, a top elite alien from the Enohana Crater area—for pointers on improving the social status of aliens. He unhappily responds that they should try Kokumaro brand curry.

That evening, Mayuko returns to find Yoshioka closing the bathhouse early, as all facilities have had to be used for “them.” Bemused, Mayuko goes inside and is almost overwhelmed by the stench of curry. NieA and Karna are continuing their fight on the women’s side, while the other four male casualties of the curry battle bath peacefully on the other.

As Mayuko ends her day, she finds herself wondering about the nature of alien society and how she doesn’t understand… except for the fact that NieA doesn’t seem terribly troubled by the fact that she doesn’t fit into it very well.