Midori no Hibi ep.1

April 4, 2004 | 5 Comments

Wow. Now this is what I called an excellent premiere episode. Everything that I wish the producer will retain from the manga are here. They've also added little touches here and there that make the anime a rather new experience for those who have read the manga. The opening theme itself is perfect. I think I've played it for at least 6 times in a row by now. The opening somehow manages to convey all of the important elements from the series: Midori's longing, Seiji's loneliness, the happiness that the two share when they are with each other, and the wonderful supporting characters. It's also accompanied by センチメンタル (Sentimental), a powerful song by CooRIE that makes the opening images even more meaningful.

I also like the fact that the anime adds little bits of scenes to add some humour into the series. I think as long as they don't overdo this and neglect the emotional part of the series, it's fine and works well for the anime. And despite my initial reservation, that tubby cat I mentioned earlier is quite funny after all. You just have to see what sort of role he got in the anime. Something also needs to be said about the selection of nice instrumental background music for the episode. I think I wouldn't mind shelling out a couple of bucks to buy the soundtrack to this series. Finally, the anime looks very neat and clean although obviously not as detailed as the manga. However, this is understandable because they have to simplify some of the drawings otherwise it'll be hell for the animation staff.

Anyway, I'll just summarise the first episode before I say more about the series. The first episode of the anime more or less follows the basic plot from the first and second chapter in the manga. Well, there are some alterations here and there but nothing that is earth-shattering. The series starts with a flashback of Midori standing inside a train station, waiting for something. It turns out she's been waiting for a train that carries Seiji to the station. However, despite the fact that she looks like she wants to talk to him, Midori was unable to do anything but whispers Seiji's name. Fast forward to the present, Seiji is involved in a fight inside an underground carpark, fending off attack from a bunch of bullies who's beaten up his friend, Miyahara-kun. Seiji ends up winning the fight and scares his enemies off.

Seiji is generally feared by his enemy thanks to his lightning-speed right hand punch. However, being feared by everyone has its drawback. Mostly the fact that girls are afraid of him and therefore always refuse when he asks them for a date. It is at this point the anime adds some additional imagery such as what Seiji thinks as he goes through various rejections, his reactions to a bunch of couple in a restaurant and a cinema who are being romantic to one another, etc. Anyway, Seiji becomes frustated and one day asks that he'll be granted a girlfriend. Up to this point, everything is quite similar to the manga including the part where Midori says "Really?" and appears on Seiji's right hand.

Things then divert a little bit from the manga as the anime adds some additional humourous scene where Seiji gets to be dragged around by Midori. After some talking with one another, however, Seiji finds out that Midori has a crush on him and has been watching him for a while. For some reason, the usually shy Midori becomes really brave now that she's face to face with Seiji. Seiji is flattered that Midori has a crush on him but at the same time he realises that this condition is far from okay. They decide to visit Midori's house to find out why Midori is suddenly in Seiji's right hand. At this point in the story, the anime also adds some additional scenes which basically show some of the supporting characters in the series such as Ayase-san, Miyahara-kun, Shuichi-kun, Shiori-chan, etc.

Once Seiji reaches Midori's residence, he realises that Midori is unbelievably rich. However, upon hitting the intercom button, he finds out that he can't see Midori or her parents. The truth is, Midori's parents are on their way to a hospital to find a cure for some kind of ailment that have struck Midori. Meanwhile, Miyahara meets two good-looking girls called Miyoko and Yuka who say that they are Seiji's fans and wish to meet him. Miyahara immediately informs Seiji that he will come to Seiji's house with the two beautiful girls. Seiji, who's excited about the possibility of seeing two girls immediately runs back home and decides that he'll cover-up Midori with a bandages while he entertains his guests. Poor Midori barely able to breath because the bandages cover all parts of her body.

Anyway, the two girls finally arrive at Seiji's apartment but strangely unaccompanied by Miyahara-kun. It turns out the two girls simply want a revenge because their boyfriends were beaten up by Seiji at the start of the episode. Yuka decides to seduce Seiji so that Miyoko will be able to hit Seiji with a big stick from the back. However, at the last minute, Midori manages to move her body and act as a barrier between the stick and Seiji's head. Seiji who realises what has transpired quickly attempts to open the bandages with a knife, unwittingly scaring the girls. The girls immediately run in fear for their life and in the process knock over a garbage bin where they've held Miyahara-kun captive.

After he manages to open the bandages, Seiji finds out that Midori suffers from head wound and bleeds a bit. However, despite her wound, the first thing that Midori asks is if Seiji is okay and not injured from the attack. Seiji is touched by her kindness and decides to ask for her name. He also tells Midori that next time, she should just tell him instead of doing something dangerous. Seiji doesn't care if their 'secret' is found out as long as Midori doesn't hurt herself. Midori then decides to show her appreciation by giving Seiji a big kiss on the cheek, just like in the manga. At the same time, Miyahara-kun enters the apartment to warn Seiji about the two girls but the only thing that he sees is Seiji's running around trying to get away from his right hand. :)

In general, the anime is quite similar with the manga so I don't think the manga readers will be that disappointed with the anime version. There are, however, some nitpicks that I have about the anime. First of all, I wish the series had been in Widescreen 16:9 format instead of TV 4:3 format. Oh well, I hope the DVD release will somehow provide an Anamorphic Widescreen version of the series. I also am not sure if this is due to compression or if it's because of censorship but I noticed that the blood colour in Midori's head is now kind of orange instead of red. If it's the latter, I hope they'll restore it to red in the DVD. I also had to get used to Seiji's VA. For some reason, I've always imagined his voice to be more like Kyou (of Fruits Basket). Well, Seiji sounds kind of different but I'm starting to get used to it. In general, I definitely recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a good anime this spring.

© memento 2003