Episode 1 starts off with a surprising, abeit shocking, note. While one episode will definitely not be enough to judge how good an anime is, I’d say this one has got off a rather good start.

[Overall Impressions]

To start, I would like to say that I will not be posting the whole story here. This is meant to be an episode review, not a summary.

This episode essentially starts off with an introduction of the characters in the show.

From left: Maki, Hamaji, Hirose Takima, Kagura Hinata

Tabata Yui and her goon squad

Kohinata and Otoha

Alot of interesting things about the characters are revealed to us over the course of the episode.

[Kohinata Hayami]

In the start of the show, we are already treated with a scene of her being beaten up by two guys. This harsh treatment seems to be applied by everyone on her, including the class teacher, who only relented because of Hirose’s intervention. She seems to have some kind of hidden past (from Hirose at any rate) that warrants this treatment, since she mentions that she hated her surname after rescuing Hirose from falling down the stairs. She also seems partially resigned to this kind of treatment since she lets the goon squad pretty much beat her up without fighting back much.

Getting beaten up

Getting scolded by the teacher

Bullying

Accused of food stealing

[Hirose Takima and Otoha]

Our main character Hirose, he is quite the mysterious guy as well. For starters, he’s blind. But there are hints that his blindness is not a physical condition but rather a psychological one. Nothing much is given yet on why and how he is blind. However, that scene with the train in his nightmare could be hinting at something. He mentions that he wasn’t always blind and that it happened after a certain event. Also, he was able to “see” after his encounters with Otoha in the middle and at the end of the episode.

Otoha is the girl we see with Hirose while being chased by the boar in the beginning. She calls herself a spirit and certainly acts like one. She appears and disappears mysteriously and so far, only to Hirose. Twice, she was able to make Hirose see again. Once while he was at the infirmary, and twice at the end of the show. How she does it remains a mystery to me, although she does it with kissing ^^. She helps Hirose regain his sight at the end of the episode but tells him that it would only be temporary.

Train nightmare

“I’m blind and there’s nothing you can do…”

“I can make you feel better!” <3 chiu~

“ZOMG! I can see!”

“Body Slam!”

*appears mysteriously in Hirose’s bedroom*

Gift of sight…

Yeah..I’ll go see pretty girls too if I could suddenly see again…

[Kagura Hinata]

Our required Student Council President and part time dojikko, she calls Hirose”Hirose-sama”. While that might sound like nothing much, the fact that her grandfather also refers to Hirose in the same way changes things. It seems there is something more to Hirose’s background than revealed thus far and it obviously involves Hinata. Hinata also shows signs that she doesn’t appove entirely of the treatment of Hayami but isn’t willing to do anything about it, even as president. Seems Hayami’s past must be quite the big thing. On a side note, Hinata is also our source of fanservice ^^.

she just looks away each time…

“He is the one oji-sama…”

[Conclusion]

In all an intriguing episode. I’ll most certainly be following this. I hope the drama will follow the same level as Ef - A tale of memories. With the title of the next episode being [Hayami] and that last scene at the end of the episode (see last picture under Hirose and Otoha), looks like we will get to see more of Hirose and Hayami in action, and most certainly Otoha as well. That would depend on how temporary Otoha’s gift is. And btw, H2O apparently stands for 3 of the character’s names, Hayami, Hamaji and Otoha. 2 H’s, and 1 O. Get it? Nevermind…..

Now, for a few random shots ^^

nice position

*touch*

what you can do with a stick

more fanservice

What you can do at your nearby chemistry lab…Cook cup ramen…

Cute eyecatch