With Mairimashita! Iruma-kun’s first season recently wrapping up, we’re taking some time today to chat about one of our favorite characters the series introduced us to: the unstoppable force of chaotic random energy that is Clara Valac! We’ll be highlighting some of our favorite Clara moments throughout the anime as well as more general characteristics and mannerisms that make her so loveable!
Rolling!!
Getting things rolling is, well, rolling. This is arguably Clara’s most recognizable trademark, her Sonic-like ability to rapidly roll into a whirling circle of craziness. True to her juvenile nature, this is equal parts entertaining, obnoxious, and completely braindead silly in a way that really suits her character as she barrels her way through life with the frenetic energy of a hyperactive child. It also seems to be something of a knee-jerk reaction for Clara, showing up throughout the series which has cemented it as a memorable part of her character.
Dimensional Pockets & Vending Smash!
Clara’s other most notable ability can be found with her pockets, out of which she can amazingly pull out literally anything she has ever seen before (is she secretly the most powerful character?). Like rolling, this is often used for gags and easy plot convenience problem solving but it is also an important way her character is expressed in the story. In her introductory episodes, we learn that a group of students have basically been using her as a free drink and snack machine while making fun of her behind her back and that even after Clara discovers this she keeps doing it out of loneliness and desperation for interaction. After becoming real friends with Iruma, she finally gives the bullies their “just desserts” by dropping a whole vending machine on them in one of her best early character moments in the series. This ability, and even that same vending machine, make more appearances in later episodes and its limits, if any, have yet to be seen!
Succubus Struggles
Another, somewhat strangely, endearing part of Clara’s character has got to be her enthusiasm for trying to enchant Iruma through the art of seduction despite her general cluelessness and “2% erotic” measurement by succubus professor Raim, which is apparently 1% lower than babies. Hmm... In any case, episode 8 was definitely a Clara highlight both for her hilarious misunderstandings when applying advice from the seduction guidebook and the heartwarming conclusion which saw her rate rise to 10% by her own personality coming through which even gave Iruma a little doki-doki. This comes up again a few times, mostly for gags with her trying to get more seduction lessons, but also gave us one of the most genuinely sweet moments in the series so far. We’re rooting for you, Clara!
Of Family, Feet, and Familiars
Getting into the smaller details of her appeal, we have some more of Clara’s silly companions with her musically inclined family, apparently sentient slippers Connor and Murph, and loveable familiar (master?) Falfal. The Valac family is just as over-the-top as Clara and stand out most with their bursts into silly musical numbers that are somehow, at least partially, diegetic. More importantly, these songs are hilarious and a very memorable and well-utilized aspect of the series. While her living shoes and inscrutably derpy familiar aren’t quite as prominent, they are nevertheless great gag material, especially seeing Iruma and others’ reactions to Connor and Murph’s eyes suddenly moving and Falfal throwing frisbees that Clara catches like a dog.
Mt. Sabnock & Azz Airways
One other obsession of Clara’s appears to be high places which manifests itself best with her interactions with her tall and mighty classmate Sabro Sabnock. In many scenes throughout the series, Clara gets completely fixated on one thing and is performing some sort of silly activity in the background while other characters talk. The best of these scenes are arguably with Sabnock where she is seen measuring his height and climbing all over him when they first meet with Clara basically ignoring everything but his height. This persists throughout the show with her often seen sitting on his head or shoulders and is a cute recurring behavior we liked from this series.
In a similar vein, another one of our favorite gags is her riding on the back of Asmodeus Alice, instead of flying herself, which ends up getting them caught up in a bunch of trouble but ultimately lets her literally piggyback her way to second place in the race. Her rivalry and friendship with Asmodeus, in general, is another highlight, particularly their iron-chef style duel in the final episode.
Final Thoughts
Altogether, Clara was a huge part of what made Mairimashita! Iruma-kun such a surprisingly solid and enjoyable series for us with her larger than life personality and antics paired with some sincere moments that showcased her character growth. We’d also like to give a shoutout to seiyuu Asai Ayaka for giving a great performance that really brought Clara to life! What are your favorite Clara moments? Is she your best girl? Let us know in the comments section below and be sure to stick around Honey’s for more of all things anime! See you in Season 2! Until next time, let’s roll~