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Japanese Title: 瀬戸�?�花�?
Genres: Comedy
OP: “Romantic summer” by SUN&LUNAR
ED: “Ashita e no Hikari” by Asuka Hinoi
Producers: AIC, avex mode, GONZO
Official Site: http://www.setonohanayome.com/

Probability of watching this: Very High
Probability of blogging this: Very High

Rating: 9.5/10

Opening sequence:

Impressions:

I’ve decided to only blog shows that can bring out plenty of discussion. But I also previously decided that, as long as the quality of this show is ok, I will blog it (having read some of the manga and loved it). However, after watching Hayate no Gotoku, my standards for a good spring anime dropped somewhat, which was luckily a good thing, as immediately after I watched this. And wow was I impressed. Seto no Hanayome does a much better adaptation job of the manga than Hayate, perhaps due to the lack of restriction (being a late night show). I find this first episode a lot funnier than Hayate’s as well. Hmm…I wonder why I’m comparing to Hayate so much…

The concept is a lot more entertaining than Hayate’s, but the amateurish manga art puts it down a little. Here in the anime though, that is beyond fixed, and I can say I’ll more than likely enjoy this show more than Hayate no Gotoku. I know I will definitely be blogging this, unless miraculously the next episode’s quality becomes Yoakena level (which actually could happen…hope not though). The character design style is pretty unique, with the blocky faces, though I like the refreshing change. Like I said before, the anime fixes up the character art from the manga quite well, and now I can say I like the designs.

I like the voices for all the characters. Although I never really thought about it, if I had to make up voices and apply them to the various characters, I would probably get something close to the actual ones. I don’t think I’ve heard San’s seiyuu before, which is nice, as usually you get references to other anime when the seiyuus are the same. The anime has followed the manga quite loyally (animating the first chapter only, as most manga-to-anime shows do). I haven’t read much of the manga myself, only about three volumes. Then again, the scanlations haven’t gotten very far. I wonder how much of the manga this adaptation will cover…

Short summary:

Nagasumi is a teenage boy who goes for a holiday to his grandmother’s house with his parents. However, he almost drowns the moment he tries to swim in the ocean (cramp or just stupid?) Luckily though, he is saved by what seems to be a mermaid. Of course, when he explains this to his parents that night, they don’t believe him. Unbelievably, the mermaid shows up at his grandmother’s house, only this time she has proper legs and feet. However, the face is unmistakeably the same as his saviour. To everyone’s shock, the mermaid (known as San) requests that Nagasumi marries him.

The conversation here is hilarious, as Nagasumi explains that she wants to hold responsibility for what happened earlier, which is mistaken by Nagasumi’s parents a certain act of pleasure. But she really only means how she saved him from drowning earlier. Suddenly, what seem to be the mafia arrives, takes Nagasumi and his parents away and throws them into the ocean. They are then taken to where the mer-mafia(?) live. It seems that if someone discovers the existence of merpeople, they have to be executed. Either that, or they can marry into the family, becoming one of them. And thus, San has decided to take the latter option.

The only problem is, San’s father is a protective an aggressive man, who wants nothing but to kill Nagasumi and his parents. This results in him ordering for his head. Nagasumi escapes with San, but San tells him to escape by himself. Nagasumi realises though, that San will be killed if he escapes, but she insists that she’ll be fine. Before he can run away though, he gets cornered by the mafia. Before he can be killed by San’s father himself, he begs him to marry San. He thinks this will only be a formality, and the don’t need to act as a couple. However, San looks rather shy and embarrassed (and willing…) In the end, despite the father’s spite, they end up getting married anyway.

Preview:

Next episode – #2
And the newlyweds live happily ever after…maybe not (The ending sequence only consists of one image, which is the first one in the group of six below).

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