Customer Reviews

Midori Days - Handheld Collection

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3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

If a girl replacing your right hand does not count as one of the most unique plot twists in anime history, I don't know what will. And to convey a plausible story around that premise would be a monumental task!

However, in Midori Days, this bizarre occurrence is never really explored, thereby keeping it in a high school love story setting; boy meets girl (in shocking fashion), boy and girl starts bonding, climatic period, & *ending*.

The two main characters: Seiji & Midori, are likeable characters set in a short series that explores their strange union, and make best of the situation. One might think scientists, aliens, or perhaps magic might come into play somewhere in the series. However, it does not, and the story always remain somewhere in high school territory.

About half of the series can be considered "filler" episodes that do not directly dwell with Seiji & Midori's growing relationship, but the situation and people around them.

Ironically, after having completed watching the entire series, I have come to the conclusion that if I were to suddenly find a girl replacing my right hand, apparently, there would be only a slight deviation from what I normally do daily!

Basically, do not take Midori Days seriously. Instead, suspend your beliefs!

Please note: There is nudity in this series, and while it is not overly emphasized, I would not recommend this show to children.

I was unsure what to expect from this anime because I had not read the manga. The premise sounded like one that would be either so screwball that it would be enjoyable, or so totally wacko that it would end up being inexplicable and unwatchable. Happily, the former turned out to be the case!

The premise is this: Seji is a high-school age punk who has a terrible reputation for getting into fights. He always seems to win against impossible odds because of his "demon right fist". He has also had terrible luck with girls, having reached the junior year in high school without ever having a single date except, as he puts it in the first episode "with his own right hand". After getting turned down for a date on his umpteenth try (I didn't keep count but Seji does), he implores Heaven to send him a girl friend. Midori is a girl attending a private school and a complete innocent. Seiji and Midori's train trips to school every day cross paths at a particular station where they both layover to change trains. Midori has a major crush on Seji and has been secretly watching him from afar, hoping he will ask her out, but lacking the courage to approach him herself. She is the only one who notices that Seji's bullying is always in defense of the helpless, and loves him for his secret soft side. Then, inexplicably, the morning after Seji had prayed for a girl friend, he wakes up to find his right hand missing and a miniature Midori attached to his right wrist. Hilarious and offbeat hijinks ensue! Just trying to use a urinal becomes an epic event for poor Seji once Midori replaces his right hand. Oddly, now that Midori and Seji have become one, other girls start paying attention to Seji for the first time in his life, though Seji seems unaware of his change in fortunes.

The art quality is good, the music is good, the dialog is good on both English and Japanese tracks. The anime is rated 13 and older for some partial nudity (mostly boobie shots) and implied references to masturbation. A full cast of screwballs fills out the cast. The last few episodes become emotionally entralling as Seji has to decide which girl he likes the best. And although the mystery of Midori's transformation is never explained, the story works better because it isn't explained. I recommend this anime to anybody who enjoys an offbeat comedy. This is about as screwy as they come, but enjoyable nonetheless. Jerry Lewis might have made this if he had ever made anime.

Midori is an even more frightening version of Bella Swan. I couldn't stand her. She takes stalking to a level of frightening that's only mitigated by the fact that there are some anime bewbies. That's not any kind of consolation prize!

Seiji, on the other hand, is awesome. The English voice acting of his character is exceptional.

This is a kind of romantic, slice-of-life with a frightening stalker twist. It's meant to show an evolution of true love by two people being forced together to grow on one another (no pun intended), but ha! It fails miserably. Don't let her sweet voice and aren't-I-so-nice-and-innocent attitude fool you for one second. It's meant to be cute, but the only saving grace of this entire show is Seiji, and even then, by the last 2-3 episodes, I was really struggling to finish watching it. The longest 22 minute episodes of my life.

Borrow it from a friend if you're desperate for something different regardless of quality, of if you're desperate for really, really good English voice talent, but otherwise this is poor value for money unless you find it in a $5 bin somewhere. It would have been a great show if it had just been Seiji and his high jinks and they had skipped Midori completely.