Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora ep.1

January 12, 2006 | 22 Comments

Opening theme: 「青い幸福」 - Aoi Koufuku by Nobuko (Widescreen, 9.16MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Ending theme: 「記憶のカケラ」 - Kioku no Kakera by Nobuko

Alternate title: Looking up at the half-moon. I actually like this episode but I have some reservation about the animation style, which I think looks rather bland except for the opening and closing theme. I've actually seen the cover of the light novel from which this series was based upon and I think they look really good. It's a shame that the anime doesn't follow that style. If the rest of the episode had employed similar style as the novel cover or the opening, I think the series as a whole would look a lot better. As it is now, however, I think it was a good first episode mostly due to its story, which has a rather melancholic feel to it. Music-wise, I really like the opening and ending theme. The background music are also the kind of music that I love so I have no complains about them. Anyway, the next episode won't be until two weeks later so don't be surprise if there is no review for the series next week.

The episode begins with a boy called Ezaki Yuuichi trying to sneak out of a hospital. However, before he manages to cross the Nurse area, a scary-looking Nurse called Tanizaki Akiko catches him. Yuuichi tries to weasel out of his problem by claiming that he's only walking around but the nurse doesn't buy it and tells him that she knows that he was away from his room as soon as the lights went out. She then proceeds to abuse the boy with her slipper and tells him that if the new girl sees this, he'll be embarrassed. Yuuichi is surprised to hear this but before he can ask anything else, an old man walks by and grabs Akiko's ass. Akiko screams and begins to scold the old man for being a pervert. This allows Yuuichi to run away from Akiko and back into his room. Later on after receiving a visit from his two friends, Tsukasa and Tamotsu, Yuuichi narrates how it's been two to three months since he suffered from Acute Hepatitis.

While walking around the hospital, he notices a girl out on the hospital balcony. Much to Yuuichi's surprise, Akiko volunteers some information about the girl. Apparently her name is Akiba Rika and that she came to the hospital around 3 days ago. She is 17 year old so that makes her the same age as Yuuichi. That night, Yuuichi tries to get out of his room but is surprised to see the door to his room blocked with a stretcher. Akiko tells him that this is to ensure that he doesn't sneak out. She then gives him a pot in case he needs to go to a toilet. Is this hospital or torture house? Anyway, the next day Yuuichi tries to visit Rika's room but doesn't have the nerve to knock on the door. Because of this, he ends up going to the hospital roof and is joined by Akiko who asks him what he intends to do after he graduates from junior high. Yuuichi thinks that he'll probably go to high school in Tokyo or Nagoya.

Akiko tells him that she's jealous, prompting Yuuichi to ask her why she doesn't just go there then. Akiko tells him that unfortunately it'll be difficult for her. She then changes the subject and asks Yuuichi to do her a favour and talk to Rika. She gives him a book authored by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, who is supposedly her favourite author. Yuuichi eventually gets to meet Rika after he accidentally bumps the door to her room. At first Rika is excited to see Yuuichi because she gets the impression that he's read her favourite book but she becomes disappointed when she finds out that he doesn't know a thing about it. She, however, said that she’d forgive him on the condition that he goes to a library and fetch a book for her. Despite his sickness, Yuuichi agrees to go to the library. Unfortunately Yuuichi picks the wrong book and upsets Rika. She orders him to go back to library and do it one more time.

Yuuichi tells her that it's kind of cold today but Rika cruelly dismisses it and asks him what's wrong with it? So Yuuichi has no choice but to go back to the library to fetch the book. Rika, however, feels guilty about this when Yuuichi starts coughing as he exits her room. Yuuichi eventually returns at night with the book that Rika wants but it seems neither party said anything to the other. A few days later, however, the two begin to spend time together. At one point the two go to a hospital rooftop where Rika reveals that she will probably die from a heart failure just like her father. She also tells Yuuichi that she used to go to Mt.Houdai with her father and thinks that she'd like to go there again. That night, after visiting Tsukasa's house, Yuuichi returns to the hospital and finds out that the lecherous old man has died and left him his ero magazines. This seems to serve as a catalyst for Yuuichi to fulfil Rika's wish.

Because of this, he comes into Rika's room and tells her that 10 years ago, it was her father who took her to the mountain. This time, however, it'll be him who takes her there. On their way out of the hospital, however, they are caught red-handed by Akiko again. But thankfully, Tsukasa then appears in a wrestling mask and stalls Akiko so the two run away using Tsukasa's motorbike. Upon reaching the mountain, Rika thanks Yuuichi for taking her there and tells him that now she's prepared to die. She then begins to cry as she remembers her father. Rika then asks Yuuichi why he took her there and he tells her that is because his father told him to treat girls nicely. Rika thinks that Yuuichi's father is a nice one but he said that on the other hand, he's a drunk who died because of alcohol. Upon hearing this, Rika thinks Yuuichi brought her here because neither of them has a father now. Yuuichi denies this but before he can say the reason, he falls unconscious due to his sickness.

Impression:

At this rate, I don't think I'll be able to know which one of the two will actually die. Sure, Rika said that she suffers from heart failure but surely she can get a transplant. On the other hand, Yuuichi's disease seems to be one of those dangerous ones, which appear okay on the surface but can strike in a deadly manner if the sufferer is not careful. I know that Hepatitis patient usually is not supposed to move around a lot. Yuuichi is rather hyper and that is a cause for concern. Having said that, I'm rather puzzled upon seeing the ending theme since it seems both are portrayed as getting married. Maybe I'm cruel or maybe I just want an over-dramatic and melancholic series but there better be a death on this one. I also wish that there will be some sort of crossover with Shinigami no Ballad because I think that will be neat to see. I can't remember watching two anime series where the characters crossover from one show to another.

© memento 2003