One thing which I've noticed since I started actually being a part of fandom, identifying myself as an anime fan, is that I appear to have a higher than usual tolerance of the more saccharine parts of anime. Reading reviews which slam a series for being "too cutesy" or "too sweet", I have to stare in confusion and bemusement, since I often enjoyed the parts which they do not like.

As for originality, it is a commendable ideal, but when all is said and done, it is not that essential to me. I can happily watch twenty six episodes of regurgitated cliches, assuming these cliches are something which are Relevant To My Tastes. It is as though I am presented with a portion of my favourite food, with the option of getting more of it as I please. I don't really see a downside to this.

Then again, seeing as how I'm used to grinding in games, online or otherwise, I'm perfectly happy with repetition.

Nanatsuiro Drops is, from the first episode (and technically the second, but that's skipping ahead), a rather unoriginal series. Based on an eroge, the show nevertheless feels as though it is aimed towards the same sort of audience Card Captor Sakura was, in all sorts of ways: there is that veneer of Bishoujo Harem Comedy, but thus far the primary focus is on a more pure interpretation of the magical girl genre than we've seen in a while. ("Pure", in this case, meaning Not Ecchi, rather than anything about faithful adaptations.)

In this, I'd say that anything it does (so far), Card Captor Sakura does better, and this might not even be all that biased. CCS has more likeable characters, and overall better story progression and direction. Nanatsuiro Drops just doesn't have anything eye-catching that would make it stand out against the "deeper" shows this season.

But yanno, with all the new "dark" and "edgy" types of magical girls, not even counting the more ecchi variations, it's kind of refreshing to have something that's simple and sweet. Something with bright colours and designs, with laughter rather than tears. Something happy.

Which is why I'm hoping, oh so very much hoping, that this trend will continue. If it turns out to lean more towards the Bishoujo Harem Comedy side of the spectrum, I'd be disappointed, but not too badly. If it turns out to be Dark and Angsty, I will feel very, very betrayed.

This is Sumomo Akihime, our magical girl in question. She's a shy girl, easily flustered, who happens to have a crush on our main male lead, Masaharu Tsuwabuki. Tsuwabuki is a (presumably) regular high school student, except rather antisocial and standoffish. He is gamely willing to learn to be more friendly, though, but is at rather a loss about how to go about doing so.

Upon which Sumomo bumps into him, accidentally spilling water all over him. A Standard Misunderstanding occurs, involving Sumomo's friend Nadeshiko Yaeno, and Tsuwabuki ends up joining the Gardening Club due to teacher Natsume Kisaragi's interference.

This is setup. It's not that important in the long run (I think), but it's necessary to explain why Tsuwabuki has a reason to be anywhere near Sumomo, as well as introducing the primary cast.

A note should be made that Kisaragi-sensei is fairly bishounen, of the Smooth Know-It-All variety seen before in characters like Itsuki Koizumi (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). He does seem to have his goofy side, which puts him closer to what I see as one of the original archetypes, Xelloss from Slayers NEXT (and TRY).

Seriously, bishounen, almost stereotypically so. He's probably a hit with the female students, especially if he keeps giving mixed signals.

In any case, Tsuwabuki gets press-ganged into service, for no reason that he can understand save for the Hand of Storyteller. After setting up a sprinkler system for the flowers, he goes off for a drink, and bumps into a suspicious man. Said suspicious man was carrying an armful of canned drinks like the one Tsuwabuki was about to partake of, and everything goes flying. The suspicious man quickly gathers up his drinks, presses Tsuwabuki's into his hands, apologizes, and runs off.

The following scene should be patently obvious.

Tsuwabuki finds himself as a plush stuffed sheep doll, and predictably freaks out, albeit without being able to move or speak. Sumomo discovers him in this state while looking for him, and understandably fails to recognize him. After she leaves, Kisaragi-sensei wanders over and confiscates plush-Tsuwabuki.

Kisaragi-sensei proceeds to apply MAGIC to plush-Tsuwabuki, allowing him to move and talk (with a different VA). He reveals that the Mysterious Suspicious Man is a "figurare" (or something along those lines), and that the town has something to do with being close to the stars or something.

The gist of it is that to turn back into a human, Tsuwabuki needs to help a certain girl collect seven "star drops", all while never revealing his true identity. I get the feeling that this may be the actual requirement due to MAGIC, or it may just be Kisaragi-sensei having some fun at Tsuwabuki's expense. The world may never know.

Tsuwabuki is sent on his way via a pitch and a hit from a magical baseball bat, right into Sumomo. As in, smack between the eyes.

Sumomo seems rather unsurprised at the reappearance of this talking plushie, and names him Yuki-chan, mainly because he's white, small, and fluffy (presumably she's talking about snow). She readily accepts her role as a magical girl, and receives from Yuki a book (purpose to be revealed later) and a ring, which acts as a sort of homing device for the star drops, and would probably not look out of place in CCS. (Remember, Sakura is not allowed to own anything if it does not have wings.)

With that, Sumomo rushes off with Yuki to capture this star drop. Exactly what these star drops are, or why they even exist, are left as mysteries to the viewer. After all, they're MAGIC.

Yuki provides a clue that star drops are attracted to "beautiful water", which I suppose means stuff like the sparkling ocean or a misty waterfall, rather than a random glass of water. The sort of water which is featured in scenic postcards, or which can at least cause passers-by to stop for a moment and go "wow, that's really pretty".

This means an old water fountain that certainly did not have as much water as it is now putting out, or look as deep as it currently does. Sumomo wonders how they're going to get the star drop out, when her ring suddenly transforms into her requisite Magical Girl staff, which looks like some sort of long-handled spoon.

Sumomo attempts to scoop the star drop out with this spoon, but cannot quite reach it. Yuki remembers Kisaragi-sensei's instructions that apparently they need a magic phrase, and summons up some impressive-looking runes.

Yuki flips through the book quickly, checking the Japanese translations for the runes. The net result is "Pu Lu Bu La Di", which I'm not sure is supposed to have any significance other than sounding cute. Upon saying the words, the star drop exits the fountain, and starts floating away. Sumomo gives chase, but trips and falls, losing her quarry.

Yuki remembers when he (as Tsuwabuki) set up the sprinkler system, and guesses that the star drop will be heading there next. The two rush to the garden, and sure enough, the star drop is sparkling in the flowers. Sumomo chants the words, and catches the star drop in her spoon-staff. One of seven GET.

Sumomo stores the star drop in a specially-made bottle (which, it must be said, had no indication given of its existence prior to this), where it turns into a red liquid. I suspect they'll be using a ROYGBIV system with the star drops, although I wonder if one of those layered cocktails might be a better analogy.

Meanwhile, a Mysterious Figure high on the roofs (along with a Talking Dog) witnesses this, and vows never to lose to "Prima Plum", which I would assume is Sumomo's new magical girl name.

Overall, it's not a particularly groundbreaking show. It introduces nothing new that the experienced anime watcher cannot guess, drawing from either experience with Magical Girl Plot Coupon shows, or the Bishoujo Harem Comedy which eroge conversions usually turn into. And, as has been mentioned by others, it's very sweet, perhaps to the point of being saccharine.

But I like sweet. I'd welcome more pink, more sparklies, more shiny magical girl tropes. It's just been so long since CCS that I've watched such an innocent magical girl show that I was about on the verge of writing my own overly cute magical girl story.

And so I have to place this show, even more than Moetan, even more than Code E, even more than Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi, on the top of my "most anticipated show" watchlist. It's certainly possible that the rankings will change as more episodes are released, but so far, Nanatsuiro Drops has the number one spot.

I have to note that one of the background music, notably in the first gardening scene and the next episode preview, sounds almost exactly like the first five notes of AIR's "Tori no Uta".

This entry was posted on Friday, July 13th, 2007 at 9:47 am and is filed under first impressions, nanatsuiro drops. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.