The World God Only Knows Season 2 - Episode 11

As its final story arc proper comes to an end, things aren't looking great for student teacher Nagase as she continues to fall into the same old problem which inflicted her youth, seeing her early exuberance turn into a tiring and forceful affair in the eyes of the students.  Still, at least she has a ticket to a nearby pro-wrestling show to cheer her up.

Indeed, cheer her up it does to some degree, despite the fact that Katsuragi has (of course) conspired to use this as an opportunity to further his own agenda and conquest by ensuring that he "double books" (or rather, creates a duplicate ticket for) Nagase's seat, forcing her to sit right next to him throughout before he delivers his killer blow as she admonishes him for not listening to her attempts to drag him away from the world of games.

Even Keima's harsh words aren't enough to change Nagase from her path however, as she then goes on to sign up the entire class in her charge to run a marathon as a "bonding exercise" - a decision guaranteed to push her students over the edge, as it inevitable does.  It's here that Keima pulls a complete one-eighty by allying himself with Nagase instead and assuring her that she is on the right path and that she should continue to do with what she thinks is right, while also manoeuvring the students into a place where they start to sympathise with her.  The only question which remains is whether this is sufficient to have Nagase fall for Keima... well, I'm sure you can guess the answer to that part.

After such a promising start to this particular story arc, The World God Only Knows has again falling into its old ways of Keima manipulating everybody around him to get his way while even contradicting himself to push Nagase in the right direction - something which continues to make me feel a little uncomfortable somehow as he works his "magic" by fooling girls into falling for him.  Yes, I know it's the point of the entire show and its core concept, but given that this arc started in such a different way with hunter effectively becoming hunted, I just expected a little bit more than a return to the norm within the very same arc.  It isn't a complete disappointment, but it leaves me with the feeling that this particular section of the series could have brought so much more to its proverbial table.