+ | N o v a s t o r m | +

Impressions:

I’m not sure what to make of this series. The first episode drew me in very easily, but the second one had trouble keeping me in. I hope the making of the game won’t last many episodes, as the main point of the story should be Misaki helping Satou to rid himself of his current life. The quality of this episode was slightly worse than the last, and I noticed Satou’s face and profiles being drawn badly. There weren’t many crazy hallucinations this episode, and I’m not sure whether they are a good thing to show or bad. The storyline is very interesting, and I’m curious to discover what Misaki’s plan is, and if it really is to cure hikikomori. Misaki seems normal and nice, but who knows? Maybe she’ll turn out to be some murderous, post-hikikomoric psycopath (’hikikomoric’ is so not a word!) Satou’s senapi from high school also seems to be making an appearance next episode. I always love new characters (well, she really isn’t ‘new’, as we’ve seen her in Satou’s flashbacks.) Even there were some not so good things this episode, I still think this series as a great one with lots of potential, so I’ll definitely keep watching.

Summary:

After telling Satou about her ability to cure his Hikikomori, she hands him a hand-written contract. The agreement is to support escaping hikikomori life, with a penalty of one million yen if the rules are broken (this is about $8500, according to the fansub group). She sits down beside him and tries to coax him into signing it. She says she wants to save him, but Satou probably does not hear this as he is too busy avoiding looking at Misaki’s miniskirt. He asks her if she’s fine being with an unfamiliar person like him, as there are molesters around. Misaki asks him if he’s a criminal, which he immediately denies. The girl relaxes, saying it’s fine if he’s a good guy. Her house is nearby too. Satou asks her about yesterday; whether coming with the old woman was missionary work as well. She says it was just a favour for her aunt. She then changes the subject back to the contract and tells him to sign it. Satou says he isn’t a hikikomori and gives the contract back, stands up and begins to leave. She runs after him, saying it might be his last chance. She gets in his way and pleads for him to sign the contract. She gives him the contract and says she will be waiting at the same spot at the same time tomorrow.

When Satou has returned home (and the pururin song is still playing in the background) Satou studies the contract and says he doesn’t get it. Irritated by the music, he jumps up and kicks the wall dividing the two apartments. The music, however, continues to play.

Satou wastes the next day like he does everyday – eat, drink and lie around. After dinner as he is lying on his bed, pondering about where his life is heading, he starts to think about a science fiction novel he had read some time ago. In the future, humanity been wiped out in the world war, except for one survivor. This survivor was captured by aliens, who recreate the world as it had been before the war. The lone survivor doesn’t know the rest of the world is gone. In order to prevent him from finding out, he is made into a NEET and is forced to never leave his house. Satou sees himself as this lone house – living a life in a large conspiracy. The melody continues to ring as he is silent, and soon Satou finds himself singing the song along with the music. When he realises what he had just done, he becomes mortified at the fact that he was able to remember the words, and proceeds to slam the wall again.

Satou studies the contract again. Part of it says that methods resulting in agony, discord and complaints may be used to cure the hikikomori. He sees that the time is three past nine, and Misaki had told him she’d be waiting at nine. Satou chuckles to himself, claiming that a hikikomori wouldn’t go outside two days in a row. He then remembers he had told her he isn’t a hikikomori, contradicting what he had just said. Satou lowers his head in frustration, seeing no more ways out. The more he thinks about their conversation last night, he begins to think about signing the contract. Satou suddenly realises that Misaki might be waiting for him right now, where there are dangerous rapists in the area. He imagines her being raped, the story going to the media and the blame being put on him. At this thought, he runs to the park an sees the girl stroking a cat. Satou is surprised to see her still here, and she explains that she is a kind girl who helps cure hikikomori. Satou tries to reaffirm his previous statement and says he is no hikikomori. However, Misaki has already made up her mind about him lying and says that his encounter with her aunt gave his condition away. She says she knows he almost never leaves the house, which means he must be a hikikomori. Satou meekly tries to counter by claiming he worked at home, but fails to come up with a good job and says he is a ‘creator’. Misaki does not believe him and tells him to bring the contract tomorrow, before running off.

Back in his apartment, Satou tries to relieve his frustration through beer, but the constant puru puru music does not make it any easier. In his delusion, he begins to see strange stuffed animals again, but this time he regains his composure quickly and finally finds the resolve to go next door and demand the music be turned down. He begins banging the door and yelling, until he finds the front door unlocked. He opens it and starts cursing at the guy sitting in the chair, facing the computer. He is surprised to hear the guy say his name when he turns around. The guy cannot believe he is seeing Satou again, after several years apart. Satou remembers the guy as the boy who was being bullied in high school. The guy’s name is revealed as Yamazaki. Satou had tried to help him but ends up getting thrashed by the three bullies. Yamazaki had always been thankful for that. Satou asks him if he had been bullied at school, even now, and that Yamazaki had been crying about it. He gets angry hearing this and explains how stupid his game smaking classmates are. Satou goes back to his apartment, grabs some beer and returns. After some drinks and smokes, Satou notices a programming textbook lying on the floor.

The next night, Satou borrows the book and shows it to Misaki, saying it is proof he is a creator – a game designer. Misaki asks Satou what an ‘object execution’ is, which he obviously does not, and so he changes the topic quickly. He does a horrible job of lying, but somehow manages to make Misaki believe him slightly. He agrees to show him a game after a month. Seeing no use to extend the conversation, Misaki leaves. When she is gone, Yamazaki emerges from behind a poll, having heard everything. He is disgusted at what Satou has become, and especially the fact that he had told a huge lie to Misaki. However, he decides to help him make a game for himself. The game isn’t just to show Misaki, but it might just get Satou out of his NEET life, which might lead to the end of his hikikomori. And the type of game they will make…? An ero…

Popularity: 5% [?]