From the very first episode, the very nature of our (presumably) lead protagonist is a far cry from the usual female anime lead. She is melancholy, sulky, self-absorbed and strays into the rude when required. A far cry from the typically genki+++ female leads we often see in anime (though this is becoming less and less apparent).
Hagino's first appearance in this epsiode, and the show, is spectacularly directed, and quite beautiful artistically. Needless to say the first meeting of these two characters is about as atypical as you can get. I almost expected "instant attraction, blushblush" but instead we have the beautiful and regal school idol take a leaf out of "Village of the Damned", and tries to strangle Mari. I already have my own thoughts about why Hagino did this--indeed, she appears just as confused as Mari--but it would be nice to see if we get an explanation out of the writers or not. Either way, there is enough material to fuel many suppositions, which is often a nice way to maintain interest in a series after it has finished airing.
In any case, the 'relationship' between Mari and Hagino is intriguing to watch. In the early episodes, it is clear that Mari is intrigued by this 'perfect' girl, and Hagino is equally intrigued by the girl she saved 5 years ago. With Mari's tsundere tendencies, and their complicated past, it is rather interesting to see how they develop from strangers into comfortable friends to lovers???
One gripe with the show, was the presence of two filler episodes (around 5-6) where not much happened in the way of either plot or character development. In a 13 episode series, this seems like a little bit of a waste. I'm not saying to dump the whole thing, but maybe shortening it might have been a more effective option. Another source of slight annoyance is how often characters blush.
"How are you?"
::Blush::
"Are you going to eat this?"
::Blush::
Gets a little bit much guys...
Onto the side characters:
- Micchi: The loyal-friend type. I must admit she annoys me. Sorry Micchi supporters, but I find her personality dull and doormat-ish.
- Akane: The girly tomboy. An interesting character, and always fun to see her interact with Mari.
- Funatsumaru: The larger than life dorm leader is always a source of amusement. She had my interest at "Itadakima~aaammmnnngh"
- Tsubael: Hagino's only other surviving shipmate and friend. Seems to be suffering from a rather nasty case of unrequited love towards her "Commandah".
- Azanael: Alpha-female anti-hero? Not a favourite, but she often earns my empathy.
- Mastah Commandah: You gotta have a bad guy in these shows. Sadly she seems to be of the "vindictive evil biotch" variety. Hopefully we will find out more about her motives in coming episodes.
Music:
Perhaps one of the most subtle but powerful tracks I have ever heard. The music does not dominate the show, but provides gentle back-up for emotional scenes and the talent of the seiyuu.
Seiyuu:
Many props to Sawashiro Miyuki (Hagino), Yajima Akiko (Mari) and Goto Yuko (Tsubael) for some brilliant work. It is nice to see Yuko in a non-cutesy role, and she really spreads her wings with Tsubael. Needless to say, some brilliant work from both Miyuki and Akiko in the most recent episodes, particularly Ep10 where we see Hagino having a minor breakdown trying to stop Azanael from bringing to life her greatest fear.