That was some fine iyashikei.
Ponko continues to be a great character and Yachiyo is definitely growing as an individual (and not just with the va-va-va-voom upgrade). And it was nice to see the rest of the Tanuki family applying themselves.
And we got more aliens, and now Yachiyo can talk to them.
Just nice and heartwarming all around.
It told me to not expect anything original - to just settle in for the same insipid, contrived edginess they've already beat to death in the Monogatari series