OP Sequence

OP: 「深呼吸」 (Shinkokyuu) by Splash Candy
Watch the OP!: Mirror 1 Mirror 2

Summary:
Kyou and Asu are a pair of poor sisters who live by themselves in a one room apartment. Their mother died the year Asu was born and their father disappeared on them after running up a gambling debt. Kyou works an early morning newspaper route to support them while Asu handles the housework. On this day, the fireworks festival is going to be held and Asu has been saving her money so that she and her sister can have treats there. She even visits the festival grounds in the morning to check everything out. However, when she gets home she finds that her piggy bank is empty. Her sister returns soon after with a yukata she bought for Asu with the money. Asu doesn’t want it and runs out crying, calling her sister an idiot. With the intent on returning the yukata, Asu runs through the streets towards the store. Kyou doesn’t chase after her but she does become concerned when it starts to rain. She’s remembers a previous time when she had braved her fear of thunder to bring Asu an umbrella at school.
Asu, meanwhile, arrives at the store and the owner tells her about how Kyou had spent the day searching for a matching Yukata for her. Asu also remembers when her sister had brought the umbrella to her. It had stopped raining shortly after Kyou arrived, but Asu insisted on using the umbrella anyway. Thinking about what her sister has done for her, Asu starts crying again. She decides to put on the yukata and show it to Kyou, but she can’t find her sister. Kyou is actually already at the festival grounds. She learns from the candied apple vendor that Asu was here earlier, making her realize how much planning Asu had done for this for her sister’s sake. Both sisters are now feeling guilty and both search for the other on the festival grounds. Kyou finally takes a high position and calls out for Asu, who spots her. The two make up and watch the fireworks together. The next morning, Kyou gets up early again for her delivery route. This time however, Asu follows her and brings her a warm drink. Asu tells her sister that she wants to work too, but Kyou says that Asu doesn’t need to worry about money because Kyou is going to work harder. But what Asu is really worried about is Kyou leaving her like their father did. Kyou hugs her sister, telling her that she’s not going anywhere. The spirit of their mother hugs them both, saying that she’s keeping a promise of protecting them and protecting the bonds between them.

ED Sequence

ED: 「そよかぜらいふ」 (Soyokaze Life) by 酒井香奈子 (Sakai Kanako)
Watch the ED! Mirror 1 Mirror 2
I really like the opening song, though I’ve never heard of Splash Candy. I like the way the ending song starts, but it goes downhill from there (at least to me).

I forgot to mention in my summer preview that this show has Kaneda Tomoko voicing Asu and Sakamoto Maaya voicing Kyou. Those two names get a lot of people excited, though I think a lot of those same people probably already knew these two seiyuu had these parts.
Overall, I thought the first episode was alright. It is entertaining, but a bit over-the-top with the dramatic moments, such as when Kyou realizes that Asu had come to the festival grounds earlier that day and that dramatic wind blew her hair up right at that moment. They’re trying really hard to show the bonds between these two sisters, especially with the appearance of the spirit of their mother at the end there. The animation wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either; it felt a little spotty at parts.
This turned out to be pretty much exactly what its description made it sound like – a slice-of-life take about two poor, but loving sisters. They took three or so chapters of the manga and tied them together for the episode. I probably won’t continue following this series, though it is noteworthy that this will only go for 10 episodes total.

16 Comments

  1. This is what happens when Haruhi’s dad remarried, had another baby girl, and run away after the death of his wife and leaving behind a mountain of debts (which he prolly used to buy makeups). Tsk tsk..

    I ABSOLUTELY love the manga, but the seiyuu for Asu sounds too much like Chiyo. In other words, her voice sounds really weird and unnatural, if not comical. While I think her voice fits the characters in Azu and Magikano, unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Asu’s character. I wish she’d tone down her voice-acting a little. In fact, I think Fumiko Orikasa or Chiba Saeko would’ve been a better choice. While they may not sound as young or high-pitch, at least I think they’d sound more natural.

    On the other hand… Sakamoto Maaya… hehe, so she’s now in TWO series where she plays a binbou girl, eh? :D:D Anyway, I think she is the perfect Kyou: mature, yet still have a silly, childish side. Definitely following the series (until Asu’s seiyuu finally drives me nuts. But I’ll still love the manga whenever wherever)

    JoshieJosh
  2. This is the great anime. But Toei Animation planned 10 episodes of this anime.
    Hardships, Sisterhoods and togetherness of this 2 poor sisters to keep their spirits alive.

    LouAndy

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