A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 9 starts with a recap of the last episode‘s attack, and in case you need a trigger warning, this episode contains some depiction of sexual assault and violence. While walking out of school, Mikio pulls a knife out and holds it tightly against Isaku. Keiya responsively pulls out his gun but Mikio threatens them to get into a van. They arrive at a warehouse; Keiya is handcuffed to a pole while Mikio takes his attempt at Isaku. He reveals that he’s tired of being watched and is doing this because he finds them interesting to play with. However, Isaku manages to kick him in the crotch, causing him to roll over in pain. Keiya also escapes from the handcuffs and attacks the other people with a piece of metal. Isaku runs to Keiya, who pulls his gun at Mikio. Isaku stops him though, explaining they still need Mikio to play the role of Romeo in their school festival play. In the end, they decide to let Mikio go.
Wait, so you’re telling me that they let him go because of a school play? Are they okay? And Isaku… are you alright? If it was me, I’d be traumatized for the rest of my life. I am also sorry for the people who experienced that situation in real life, and I wish the best for them. But wow, did they really let him go free because of a play? That’s just crazy.
Afterward, Keiya asserts that Isaku is his woman and he won’t let anyone hurt her. Keiya even calls Mikio’s person who was supposedly watching them through Mikio’s phone and warns them to watch themselves or face the consequences. Later, Isaku and Keiya have a discussion where Isaku says she isn’t too scared because she trusts that Keiya will protect her.
The festival begins and they’re preparing to set up for the play. Apparently, Mikio has been missing for a week since the incident. While deciding who will play Romeo in his absence, Keiya offers to do it, citing his familiarity with the character and the ease of finding a replacement for his original role, which had fewer lines. They agree and when they are about to proceed, Mikio finally appears for the play. He explains that he was delayed because he got beaten up by his grandfather, and then took some time to recover. However, later, he pulls Keiya aside to share something important.
As the performance begins, everyone realizes that Mikio and Keiya have switched roles, with Keiya becoming Romeo. Mikio had discussed this as a part of “Operation: Lovely-Dovey,” in an attempt to push them closer as Isaku plays her part as Juliet. During the kiss scene, Keiya stops midway to avoid making her uncomfortable, but Isaku takes the initiative and kisses him. After the successful play, everyone celebrates and congratulates each other. Outside, Keiya and Isaku sit under a tree discussing the play and the kiss. Isaku claims it was all for the act, but Keiya continues to play the role of Romeo, kneeling down and kissing her hand while repeating a line from the play.
This show is good if you want to completely turn off your brain. Before watching this episode and writing this article, I had watched the recent episode of Jujutsu Kaisen, in which I shed a few tears. However, after this anime’s episode, I feel somewhat better.
All in all, A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 9 was a wild ride because Isaku was kidnapped and in a threatening situation, only to continue with their school play, and then experience her first kiss with her first love. It’s quite a wild scenario to imagine, but it’s also just a lighthearted show. Isaku is making some progress in understanding her feelings, even though she still brushes it off. Their relationship is slowly developing and the first kiss just happened. Despite Isaku insisting it’s just an act, it’s evident that she’s happy to have shared that moment with Keiya, her first love.
I’ve been consistently concerned about animation throughout the series, but for this episode, it was okay. There are still instances where Keiya looks different in multiple scenes, and there’s a group picture where he doesn’t look very good. Despite these observations, as always, I hope the animation improves in the remaining episodes.
I give this episode of A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 9 a 6.5/10. If you enjoyed the episode, vote for it in the weekly polls.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Hatsuharu, Kodansha / A Girl & Her Guard Dog Production Committee