First Impressions / Series Introduction / Snapshots

Summary:
High-schooler Tsukuda Mina is late to her first day of work at the Luna Television station, but she manages to stumble onto the set wearing her costume in time. Because her debut ends up getting high ratings, she finds out the next day that she’s going to be interviewing baseball star Nikaidou. In looking for the dressing room, however, she gets lost and ends up finding a room that she hears Nikaidou’s voice coming out of. Inside, however, she sees a body on the ground and also a person resembling Nikaidou but with alien eyes. The alien looks like he’s about to attack her, but Mina is saved by a woman in a black bunny costume who introduces herself as Ootsuki Mina of the Rabbit Force. Turning into a pink goo, the alien seeps into the ventilation system and reappears on the baseball field. It takes on the form of a giant robot baseball player and starts fighting Ootsuki Mina, but her attacks can’t seem to hurt it. Meanwhile, Mina is paid a visit by a floating baby with rabbit ears who forces her to eat a carrot – the one food she hates – and transform her into a member of the Rabbit Force: Tsukishiro Mina. She’s also sent her weapons – a pair of giant carrots – from the Rabbit Force base on the moon. Using these, she fights together with the other Mina and manages to defeat the alien, which then takes on a small, rabbit-like form. In the aftermath, Mina gets her interview with the real Nikaidou, but she still hates carrots.

ED:

ED: 「ビューティフル・ストーリー」 (Beautiful*Story) by 井上麻里奈 (Inoue Marina)
Watch the ED! Mirror 1 Mirror 2 (10.6MB, XviD)
No OP this week, but the ED sung by Inoue Marina was really catchy. The animation was a bunch of still shots, but it was made more amusing by the presence of dancing bunnies. Ok, I admit that “Dancing bunnies” is just a fun thing to say.

I’m not sure this show will have any substance, but it seems very apparent that this features all the things that fans of Densha Otoko that made Mina popular would be looking for in terms of fanservice and magical girl-type transformations. I found it amusing that her breasts got bigger when she transformed, and then they had that shot of the bar between her carrots weapons pushing on them. I guess you could look at it in a very parody-ish way. Production-wise, GONZO did a pretty good job animating the first episode with plenty of CG, and I thought Inoue Marina did well with Mina’s cute aspects.
I have my doubts about whether I’m going to keep blogging this, but this first episode was amusing enough to watch at least one more, even if I don’t end up writing about it. Plus, I want to see what the OP is like.

20 Comments

  15. Hey, it’s a little cutsie show. My first reason for watching it is because it’s a spin-off to Densha Otoko, my favorite drama. This episode reminded me of FLCL and Sailor Moon of all things (and Yuu Yuu Hakusho for the taking baby.) The show’s a bit weird but I’d most definately give it a shot myself. I rate the first episode a 7/10.

    Eric
    Reply

  17. Judging by the screenies, this looks like a show I might enjoy as it does seem to have some elements of FLCL with its off the wall characters, parodies upon parodies, and silly, nonsensical plot complete with aliens from outer space! The very last screenshot of Mina spitting out carrot juice looks like a SD shot in the FLCL style. That and the fan service. 🙂 Now all we need is a Vesper bike, heads-smashing guitars, and a robot with a TV set for a head.

    Ryuma
    Reply

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