Ep 9. Miss Sakaki

Miss Sakaki is the ninth episode in the first season of Azumanga Daioh. The episode focuses mainly on Sakaki, the tall and quiet girl in the protagonist group. Sakaki is a reserved girl who loves cats and has long been trying to pet the wild cat who so often stalks around the school.

The episode opens with the girls getting ready for sports day. Despite Sakaki's height, she struggles with any sport that involves running, and her team usually loses. That day, Sakaki's team runs the three-legged race first, and her partner happens to be the ditzy Chiyo. Despite their height differences, they manage to complete the race without falling.

Later on, Sakaki spots a cat in the school grounds and tries to pet it, but it runs away. She confides in her friend, Tomo, about her long-standing love of cats and how she wishes that they would warm up to her. Tomo, sarcastic and self-absorbed, decides to tease Sakaki and uses her love for cats by bringing pictures of different cat breeds but none of them matches the actual cat Sakaki wants to befriend.

Soon after, the school organizes a field trip to the zoo, and Sakaki is excited to see the animals. However, the animals draw back from her. In one instance, she tries to pet a goat, and it kicks her. Later, she tries to pet a baby tiger, but it hisses at her playfully.

Throughout the episode, we see different glimpses of Sakaki's personality and her relationship with the other girls. In one particular scene, she is sitting aloof from the other girls as they chatter away. Her classmates notice her distance and try to engage her in the conversation by asking her opinion about something, and she smiles for the first time genuinely.

Later that day, Sakaki gets lost on her way home and spots the same cat she's been trying to pet all episode hurt and trapped in a storm drain. Using her long arms, she manages to reach over and help the cat out of the drain, almost getting stuck in the process. Despite the struggle, the cat jumps to her arms, and they finally bond.

The episode ends with the other girls excitedly asking Sakaki to show them the cat she saved, but she shyly refuses. The group heads home together, and Sakaki smiles, happy with the silent friends she's made in the quirky cast of characters.