Anime Review: Midori no Hibi

A few weeks ago I decided it was time to order some new anime. (Yes, I'm a super nerd I admit it) I hadn't actually bought anything new in quite some time because I've been spending more on manga anyway and because, quite frankly, I haven't had time to watch anything or money to spend. But then my good old government loans came in and I was able to shell out some of my meager TA funds to buy some import anime. Today I'll be reviewing the first series I bought and watched over the weekend, Midori no Hibi (Midori Days). This anime is an interesting cross between shojo and shonen. The lead character is a guy (Seiji) who is cute but doesn't seem to have any luck with girls (fairly typical plot line). He's been rejected by girls more than twenty times and starts to think he's never going to get a girlfriend. The reason the chicks are staying away, however, is due to the fact that he possesses a super strong right hand which he uses to beat up bad dudes all the time. Hence he gets the nickname of "Mad Dog" and is perceived to be a delinquent in the eyes of his classmates who fear being pummeled by his mighty fist of fury. But of course, Seiji is actually a pretty good guy. He fights for the underdog and helps out the helpless.

Unbeknowst to him, there is in fact a girl who likes him (of course). Her name is Midori and she's a shy gal who goes to another high school. She's been crushing on him from afar but is too shy to go up and talk to him. So when Seiji wishes for a girlfriend one day, a bizarre magical occurence happens. He wakes up in the morning to find...his right hand has been transformed into a pint size version of said girl! This whole absurd but hilarious plot strategy really appealled to my warped sense of humor and made me buy the series. The rest of the narrative follows Seiji as he tries to adapt to having a miniature girl for a right hand (with appropriately wacky scenarios that unfold). Midori also conquers her fears and reveals that she's in fact in love with Seiji and tries to win his heart in a typical shojo fashion. While this storyline could have become redundant, at a scant 13 episodes (pretty short for an anime series) it doesn't. In fact, the humor is quite nuanced at points and the love story is cute but not overly saccharine. Seiji is a fun character and one the viewer is immediately made to empathize with (especially once we meet his crazy biker-chick older sister). Midori is really cute and quite funny as well and she's not as annoying as other cutesy anime chicks. The teen angst surrounding unrequited love and unarticulated emotions is well played out and the ending is both satisfying and appropriate.