TV Special
Description
Ryōko Mendō, younger sister to Mendō conglomerate heir Shūtarō Mendō, attends Seiran High School for Girls as a second-year student. Outwardly proper and well-mannered, reflecting her affluent upbringing, she conceals a deeply sadistic and manipulative nature. Ryōko actively seeks amusement by orchestrating chaotic or painful situations for those she professes to care about, especially her brother and Tobimaro Mizunokōji. Her methods involve elaborate schemes, physical traps, psychological torment, and deploying explosives or dangerous animals without warning—actions like delivering a spoiled bentō to Shūtarō after two days of ox-cart travel or planting bombs near targets while eerily composed, only to feign distress at their harm.
She commands a dedicated retinue, the Kuroko, who efficiently execute her orders—a stark contrast to Shūtarō’s often incompetent Black Glasses Corps. The Kuroko handle tasks from transporting her in ornate palanquins or horse costumes to setting traps and deploying ordnance. Though primarily serving Ryōko, they occasionally assist Shūtarō in stories where she does not appear. Her interests extend to occult practices like black magic, hypnosis, and voodoo. She creates effigies to inflict remote pain, as when one entrusted to Ataru Moroboshi caused Shūtarō unintended suffering through Ataru’s mishandling. She also collects bizarre artifacts, such as a sakura tree treated as a pet, fed sake and severed octopus legs sourced from Shūtarō’s pets.
Her relationship with Shūtarō blends paradoxical affection and cruelty. While harboring genuine love for each other, Ryōko relentlessly torments him, exploiting his protective instincts to lure him into humiliating or dangerous scenarios. Shūtarō remains wary of her schemes but never retaliates physically, often becoming an unwitting pawn, especially when her games align with his rivalry against Ataru. Her fixation on Tobimaro began in childhood, subjecting him to traps, strandings, and physical mishaps under the guise of affection. Tobimaro openly despises her for making his life miserable; her true feelings toward him remain ambiguous—potentially genuine attraction expressed through brutality or another layer of manipulation. She also manipulates Ataru’s lecherous nature for entertainment, coaxing him into absurd or destructive acts and reveling in the resulting friction with Shūtarō.
In the OVA *The Obstacle Course Swim Meet*, Ryōko monitors Shūtarō’s participation via surveillance. Perceiving him in danger during escalating pandemonium—triggered by Benten’s aerial conflict and Oyuki’s malfunctioning alien devices—she mobilizes private military resources, including helicopters and tanks. This intervention inadvertently worsens the situation, contributing to large-scale destruction at Tomobiki High, showcasing her vast resources and tendency to exacerbate crises under the pretext of protection.
Physically, Ryōko possesses long brown hair typically tied back with decorative bows, straight bangs framing her forehead, and brown eyes, contributing to her deceptively innocent appearance.
She commands a dedicated retinue, the Kuroko, who efficiently execute her orders—a stark contrast to Shūtarō’s often incompetent Black Glasses Corps. The Kuroko handle tasks from transporting her in ornate palanquins or horse costumes to setting traps and deploying ordnance. Though primarily serving Ryōko, they occasionally assist Shūtarō in stories where she does not appear. Her interests extend to occult practices like black magic, hypnosis, and voodoo. She creates effigies to inflict remote pain, as when one entrusted to Ataru Moroboshi caused Shūtarō unintended suffering through Ataru’s mishandling. She also collects bizarre artifacts, such as a sakura tree treated as a pet, fed sake and severed octopus legs sourced from Shūtarō’s pets.
Her relationship with Shūtarō blends paradoxical affection and cruelty. While harboring genuine love for each other, Ryōko relentlessly torments him, exploiting his protective instincts to lure him into humiliating or dangerous scenarios. Shūtarō remains wary of her schemes but never retaliates physically, often becoming an unwitting pawn, especially when her games align with his rivalry against Ataru. Her fixation on Tobimaro began in childhood, subjecting him to traps, strandings, and physical mishaps under the guise of affection. Tobimaro openly despises her for making his life miserable; her true feelings toward him remain ambiguous—potentially genuine attraction expressed through brutality or another layer of manipulation. She also manipulates Ataru’s lecherous nature for entertainment, coaxing him into absurd or destructive acts and reveling in the resulting friction with Shūtarō.
In the OVA *The Obstacle Course Swim Meet*, Ryōko monitors Shūtarō’s participation via surveillance. Perceiving him in danger during escalating pandemonium—triggered by Benten’s aerial conflict and Oyuki’s malfunctioning alien devices—she mobilizes private military resources, including helicopters and tanks. This intervention inadvertently worsens the situation, contributing to large-scale destruction at Tomobiki High, showcasing her vast resources and tendency to exacerbate crises under the pretext of protection.
Physically, Ryōko possesses long brown hair typically tied back with decorative bows, straight bangs framing her forehead, and brown eyes, contributing to her deceptively innocent appearance.