New Anime Series: Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun episode 1

Did you know yesterday was Columbus Day? Apparently it was. Not sure why we celebrate someone getting beyond lost and labeling a group of people the wrong term but yes. Holidays for all. This probably explains why the husband was home yesterday…..

Welcome to the new anime season folks!

So putting aside that I am Rip Van Winkle and have no idea what day it is..anime blogging time. I made a list of all the anime episodes I am behind on and the count is at 7. X___X How did this happen?! Lets hurry up and get stuff done folks! And by folks I mean me! Up first is Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun episode 1. Spoilers for more crazy high school kids in need of therapy.

Being helpful usually never works out.

Episode Summary: Our main character Shizuku explains there are a lot of new people in her life (including a chicken) but she should really start at the beginning. Shizuku explains that she is in the first year of high school and her classmate that sits next to her has been absent since day one. She claims that it doesn’t matter to her but he was put on suspension after beating some people up. After not caring and explaining this Shizuku talks about how she is only focused on her studies so she can get a good job and be rich. She is asked by her teacher to deliver her classroom neighbor his handouts which she does after some monetary compensation. When she arrives at Haru’s home (which is a game center as well) he jumps out of a window to avoid her and later pushes her to the ground thinking she is a school spy. After explaining her presence Haru smiles and declares them friends. Disturbed Shizuku leaves. The teacher asks Shizuku to talk to Haru about returning to school which Shizuku declines. After school Haru kidnaps Shizuku (using some questionable language) so she can help him take care of a stray dog. Shizuku thinks back to when she was younger and the class rabbit died and she had no feelings about the matter. Turns out the dog has an owner and Shizuku helps return the dog. They go out for burgers where Haru continues his yelling and soft behavior. He shows interest in school but doesn’t want to go because no one will like him.

Friends is the word of the episode folks.

A few guys show up asking Haru for money which he gladly gives since they use the friend word. Shizuku isn’t down for that fake friendship and tells Haru her opinion on the matter. That leads to a soda on Shizuku’s head and a milkshake all over Haru. The two part but the teacher tells Shizuku that Haru will be expelled if he doesn’t return to school. She goes to his house but only sees the person overseeing the game center there. He lets her play some baseball (probably to let off some steam) but she hears Haru’s friends talking about how they are only using him for money. Shizuku starts to smirk knowing she was right but then sees Haru listening in too. She goes to leave but decides to confront the boys on being honest with Haru. One boy tries to get rough with Shizuku but Haru steps in. He walks Shizuku home and cries about how happy he is that Shizuku did that for him. Haru decides that he must be in love with her. Shizuku almost chokes to death and says Haru is confused since he has no other friends. Haru promises to go to school and make more to prove her wrong. Haru does end up going to school but continues to get in fights and scare people. He is even rough with Shizuku until their teacher steps in and gives Haru a book (probably a shoujo manga) on the matter.

And then the Grinch's heart grew 10 sizes that day.

Haru bothers Shizuku all the time to go out and be friends but all she wants to do is study. She is still upset that she was not at the top of the class when they started school. She then realizes the person who is/was at the top of the class was Haru and declares him her enemy. After some time Shizuku is “kidnapped” by some people Haru beat up (in self defense). While Haru frantically tries to find her Shizuku calmly does her studying. Haru eventually shows up and Shizuku tries to get him to leave quietly. Haru is too pissed to hear her and ends up smacking Shizuku in the face. Shizuku gets fed up and declares them over. Haru starts skipping school again while Shizuku only focuses on studying. She ends up getting top of the class but thinks it is an empty victory. She goes over to tell Haru to tell Haru the good news and that she doesn’t really hate him. They start hanging out again, with Haru being quiet and respectful…sorta. When Shizuku questions why he says he is being quiet so she can study. Shizuku is touched that he is showing her that he cares and decides to go to that restaurant Haru wanted to go to. On the way Haru grabs her and forces her into a kiss. He decides it wasn’t really amazing like he read it would be but loves Shizuku anyway. Shizuku is red and unable to function which goes unnoticed by Haru. THE END!

My head is SPINNING! Maybe from this better working medicine but I think it is from the fast pace nature that is this show. I am not sure what I was expecting with Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun but I don’t think I was expecting an entire manga volume worth of material in one episode. Which I am sure isn’t the case but it felt like that. And viewer perception is all that matters.

Friends? With me? No thank you!

Shizuku….I don’t know if I like her or not. Maybe that is the point. Usually in situations like this we would feel bad for the person dealing with the crazy person but Shizuku isn’t all that normal or nice either. Not that she deserved some of the things that Haru did to her but…well I guess that is the end of that sentence. She is just different than we usually get in terms of female protagonist. Either they are too nice or they are “cold/indifferent” and maintain that personality throughout the series, at least on the outside.

Not sure what this conversation was going to accomplish since they already admitted the truth.

But Shizuku was all over the place. She wants to make good grades to make lots of money. She has no friends. People do not matter. Yet she kept going over to Haru’s and stood up the Haru’s “friends” when she didn’t have to. She talks about how she has no feelings for the dead rabbit but is handing out hugs to a person she thinks is violent. She gets “kidnapped” and decides to study. I do think she handled being smacked in the face and drink poured on her head correctly but then she went back to Haru after a while.

Sure know a lot for someone who doesn't care.

The point being Shizuku was not very consistent with her reactions and behavior. I realize that anime characters are supposed to be relatable and human like but it seems to me that Shizuku has been a cold person for quite a while. That if she was going to warm up to someone maybe it should have been to a nicer person, not Haru. It just made no sense that Haru with his hot and cold personality was able to touch Shizuku and make her feel things when clearly he was having his own issues. I think I would have rather have Shizuku stay a little stronger in her current personality before she let someone touch her heart. Would have made her more believable. Now I just think she is as crazy as Haru.

So romantic!!!!

But maybe that is the point. That HEY both these characters are crazy so they deserve each other. Only Shizuku thinks she is a normal person and Haru is too crazy to see that he is crazy. A roller coaster of crazy emotions. And these two people are going to make other friends during the series? Run away chicken!

I was just trying to help someone out...with my fists....

I have focused a lot on Shizuku and her dreams of being rich and friendships. Lets talk about Haru. I thought maybe he got a bad rap on the first day of school for rescuing his schoolmate from bullies. But it appears that he has not really had friends or can’t function like a normal human being outside that situation. Again…interesting. Or not typical.

Can't get that image out of my head. X___X

I am trying not to let Haru’s….roughness with Shizuku cloud my judgment of Haru. I know the smack to the face was an accident but it was still jarring to watch that he didn’t acknowledge the situation. My husband accidentally tipped me over in the computer chair a few weeks back and while it was an accident was very apologetic and made sure I was okay. Haru just does what he does and doesn’t seem to understand or care about the consequences. He just…..is special.

Clearly he has SOME feelings but the rest of the time? Crazy.

Which makes me wonder who the heck raised this kid? Was he raised by gang members or something? Robots with no feelings. I feel as if I have to ask these questions even though it is only episode 1 because so much happened. Maybe it will be revealed that his parents were abusive and he never saw acts of kindness or gentleness. But grabbing people by the shirts to talk to them? Barely being able to talk to someone without screaming at them? Someone says something harsh but true and you dump a drink on their head? Yeah Shizuku really should have had her heart warmed by this behavior.

Because you are a genius!

But then Haru was flip floppy too. Mention the word friendship and Haru almost sparkles. He has no idea how to interact with people normally but decides that he is in love with Shizuku after very brief interactions with her. He seems to rely on books to find out about friendships and what not yet hasn’t learned that saying oh that kiss wasn’t heart racing worthy. Oh and Haru is a genius. Like just slide that in there.

End of the show folks,

So yes….Haru and Shizuku are weird. Do they deserve each other kind of weird? It seems that way. Again things were very rushed with already a kiss and a confession. I wish there really had been more build up instead of all this choppiness. Like Haru has been back at school for a month, look at all the insane things he is doing rush rush rush. Shizuku is an ice princess but stood up for Haru when he was being hurt by his “friends” and came to his house after scoring the highest on the exams.

You just look weird to me folks.

There were other characters in this episode but they really didn’t have a chance to stand out against all the weirdness. The person running the game center (where Haru lives I guess) seems like the kind of person who watches over Haru but doesn’t really get involved. Maybe he could have taught Haru some manners. Haru’s fake friends are probably all out of the picture besides the one with the horrible hair cut. He gave Shizuku a weird look, like he was sizing her up or something. The teacher needs to grow a spine and take care of her own students and not bribe others to take care of her problems. According to the opening theme song the girl Haru barely talked to in class when Shizuku was kidnapped is going to be a main character but you wouldn’t get that by this episode.

Ah yes...the chicken.

Oh and the chicken. I thought that Haru was going to get himself a pet dog but that sorta fell through. But there is a random chicken and an empty lot near Haru’s house so..yeah. A chicken. And in Shizuku’s opening statement he will become a main character. Long live the chicken.

I feel as if I didn’t talk about the episode much and mainly focused on the characters themselves. I am not sure how I feel about Haru pushing Shizuku to the ground one second and declaring them friends the next minute. It is almost like this episode was rushing through all the background stuff as fast as possible so we can get to the insanity faster? Just…it was a lot to handle. A lot folks.