Ep 9. Umaru and Valentines

Umaru and Valentines is the ninth episode of the first season of the slice-of-life anime series, Himouto! Umaru-chan. The show follows the life of Umaru Doma, a high school student who is a perfect example of the so-called "Himouto," a Japanese term that means a girl who acts like a spoiled little sister at home but transforms into a hardworking and well-behaved student outside. In this episode, Umaru and her group of friends prepare for Valentine's Day, a holiday where girls in Japan give chocolates to their crushes or other special people in their lives.

The episode starts with Umaru and her friend Kirie Motoba walking home from school when they see a big sale sign outside a grocery store. They decide to check it out and end up buying snacks and other sweet treats for themselves. They also come across a Valentine's Day chocolate making kit, but Kirie refuses to buy it, saying that she has no one to give chocolates to. Umaru, however, insists that they should still buy it as making chocolates is fun.

Back at home, Umaru has a dilemma on who to give her chocolates to. She spends some time trying to decide between her brother Taihei and her crush Sylphynford Tachibana, but she eventually decides to give the chocolates to her brother as she feels indebted to him for taking care of her. She then spends the rest of the night practicing how to make the perfect chocolate.

The next day, Umaru and her friends visit a special chocolate café in the city where they can make and decorate their own chocolates. They also bump into Sylphynford, who is there with her friends. Umaru and Sylphynford have a brief conversation, but Umaru becomes discouraged when she realizes that Sylphynford is giving chocolates to everyone in their class. Umaru thinks that her own chocolates will be insignificant compared to Sylphynford's, and she starts to feel frustrated and jealous.

After making their chocolates, Umaru and her friends decide to head to Taihei's workplace to surprise him with their homemade treats. However, when they arrive, they find out that Taihei has already received chocolates from his own coworkers. Umaru becomes even more discouraged and upset, feeling like her chocolates are unimportant and inadequate compared to everyone else's.

The episode ends with Umaru feeling down, but her friends remind her that the most important thing is the effort and thought behind the chocolates, not the chocolates themselves. Umaru realizes that her chocolates are still valuable and decides to give them to Taihei anyway. In the end, Taihei is grateful for Umaru's chocolates, and Umaru learns an important lesson about the true meaning of Valentine's Day.

Overall, Umaru and Valentines is a heartwarming episode that explores the themes of friendship, love, and the value of effort and thoughtfulness. It also showcases Umaru's growth as a character as she learns to appreciate the important things in life. The episode is full of fun and adorable moments, especially during the chocolate-making scenes. It's definitely a must-watch for fans of the series and those who enjoy light-hearted slice-of-life anime.