Akebi-chan's sailor-fuku

Body odour, spanking

One theme dominates this episode: the sailor-fuku itself. It represents Akebi's achievement of enrolment, a metamorphosis.
It adds new significance to every action -- it's the device obfuscating the meaning of 性癖. It also carries a meaning of nostalgia, a bitter chord of which permeates the anime. Last I heard, the sailor-fuku is falling out of use in favour of contemporary options. In "Akebi-chan no sailor-fuku" it's no different. Times have changed and Roubai academy adapted.
The Shouwa vibrance of the Sailor-fuku has been replaced by the subdued Heisei formality of the school blazer.

A sailor-fuku among blazers. This is Akebi's debut into society and she sticks out like a sore thumb in an environment infamous for hammering down the nail that sticks out.
The pressure to conform, to leave behind the sailor-fuku custom-made by her own mother, her dream and her Conviction, is enormous. Despite the principal allowing her to wear a sailor-fuku, she'll be the only one wearing it. Akebi falters.

Kao spanks Akebi's butt back in place. The whole point of her hard work was so she could wear the sailor-fuku.
She got what she wanted. What lies ahead depends on her: is standing out a difficulty or an opportunity?
Whatever the case may be, she has made her decision.

Akebi's Chuunibyou Spirit awakens and she takes charge,
becoming the main character of her story.

Full speed ahead from home to school, Akebi rushes to the classroom.
Before entering, she senses someone already inside.
After a final touch of uneasiness, she steps inside to find...

Akebi meets Erika Kizaki, who may be considered the second protagonist of this anime. They hit it off and become fast friends.
The credits roll as other people make their way inside the classroom.

The play-by-play is over.

Although the sailor-fuku is given significance in this episode, I wouldn't call it the principal fetish. That distinction goes to Kizaki's inclination at the very end of the episode, as she smells the nail clipper after doing her toenails. And herein we get a first glimpse of the boder between 「inclination」 and 「fetish」 which this anime dances around. Kizaki is not finding particular sexual satisfaction from the act of smelling her toenails. But who knows where this pleasure will lead her in the future. Akebi is much blunter, for the understanding of the lowest common denominator: smelling her own foot, she comments she understands how someone can get hooked to it.

Make no mistake about it -- we will see more of these 「inclinations」 as the anime progresses.