H2O ~ Footprints in the Sand Ep. 7
Hotaru
Am I really watching this show? At this point in a season, it’s pretty easy with a time investment of less than 3 hours to catch up with something, and that’s the problem. I guess I have no excuse not to watch H2O.
Story
Just to recap, H2O in general concerns young Hirose Takuma, who’s moved out to the country to recover from a mysterious illness that left him blind. You know how I feel about mysterious illness, but whatever. A spirit girl who only he can see, Otoha, kisses him on the forehead and suddenly he can see — but she tells him it’s temporary. Bothered by the tomfoolery and bullshittery in this tiny village, kindly city boy Takuma goes about setting things right between the disenfranchised residents. He’s already brought homeless Hayami from a world of constant beatings at the hands of her classmates to the star seamstress of their junior high.
But the real story now appears to revolve around Hinata, whose mean-ass grandfather has done more to her in his quest to retain power than just force her to stay away from Hayami. I’d spoil it if I mentioned in too much detail, and it’s my unofficial policy not to talk about big drama-bombs until the next week when it’s time to not spoil another drama-bomb. Let’s just say, though, that it concerns her late sister.
What We’ve Learned
If you’re just dropping into this thing, there are surprises all over the place. While I easily deduced at least the general idea of what Hayami’s back story was going to be, and why the village hated her, these developments were a little more unexpected. Most notable is not the apparent main thrust of the week’s story, but the sketchbook that proves Otoha is not a figment of Takuma’s imagination — rather, she’s a figment of Hinata’s. Interesting. It’s very much the standard incidental supernatural element that tends to tie these kinds of shows together, though.
General Impressions
I don’t hate this show. The characters are not horrible, although some are really thin and most don’t act especially like kids. Takuma’s got a long way to go before he’ll win the Okazaki Good-Deed-Doer award, but he’s fairly likable (if drawn way too effeminately) and acts from pretty reasonable motivations.
Episode 4, I believe it was — the obligatory beach episode — creeped me out, not because of cross-dressing but because of fan “service.” I was waiting nervously from minute one for such an episode, though, so I guess I have myself to blame. A show focusing on protagonists of this age has infinite potential to creep me out to begin with, and that’s without little-sister panty shots.
However, I’m digressing into something that rarely enters into the show as a whole, which is pleasantly drawn (especially backgrounds) and forgettably written, but not too insulting. Propped up next to this season’s other dramas Clannad and (my current favorite show) True Tears, it looks pretty anemic but it seems like it’s going to be able to pass me by without offending my sensibilities too much, and the rural setting is a nice change of pace. Incidentally, the old three-episode litmus test was made for shows like this.
So give it a shot if you’re looking for something else to watch, it’s still not too late to catch up pretty easily. The light but nevertheless constantly-dangling mysteries provide the carrot on a stick that keeps you watching through some weak character interaction, but it should be a tasty enough carrot to keep drama fans entertained.
- otou-san out!
