While I like harem series in general, I am opposed to mindless ecchi fun which the first part of this ep bordered on. I'm not against ecchi fun per se (I understand it has its place in anime) but rather its mindless form which does nothing to propagate the plot or character development. In fact, concrete character development is sometimes sacrificed in the name of mindless ecchi fun, creating character inconsistencies which may lead to the audience's inability to connect with the character (a non-credible personality even within the context of the anime series). Ichigo has too much at stake to make this mistake (the wonderful Ichigo girls!) and I'm glad it has not thus far. Madhouse must remember that ecchi fun is one of the means to unleash that immense latent Ichigo charm and not to detract from it with excessive ecchiness.

Warning: Self-righteous rant on the harem male. Read at own risk!

On another note, I thought Junpei embracing Satsuki is the highest degree of cruel kindness (CR: Zyl) especially if he's got his eyes fixed on Aya. There is nothing worse than sending false messages (even if it's motivated by a sincere gentle kindness) and giving false hope to a longing/vulnerable shoujo no kokoro. Most harem males make this mistake and later lament their 'cruel' fate of having to make a choice between the girls. I have this to say to you harem leads:

. ) Remember that a moment of tenderness can cause a lifetime of bitterness.

Indeed, the wonderful wonderful Satsuki has zero chance of getting her love. All my hopes are on Tsukasa now. (Thanks to Mentar for supplying that hope.) Looking forward to better animation AND artwork in 06.

Disclaimer: The author is in reality insanely jealous of harem leads and all that is mentioned in conjuction with them should be taken with a huge spade of salt.