3D Kanojo Girl - episode 1 (summary)

Tsutsui (male lead) and Iroha (female lead) come to school late and their teacher orders them to clean up the trash around the pool as a consequence. After Iroha's remark about Tsutsui's long bangs (as gross), Tsutsui takes offense and thinks that she's only trouble. He does not want to associate with her saying that Iroha has all the qualities of the 3D girl that he would immediately avoid. In class, Ito talks to Tsutsui saying not to mind about Iroha's comment nor his bangs and that it's perfectly okay for them to live in their own worlds. Yet Tsutsui is rather surprised that his friend is wearing a nekomimi or 'cat ears'.

When it's time to clean up the pool, Iroha hands Tsutsui a broom, but she slips into the pool along with Tsutsui. While attempting to dry himself, the drenched and annoyed Tsutsui gets off to another bad start with Iroha thinking that she only cares about her appearance and hanging out with different guys instead of her studies. Iroha coolly leaves Tsutsui alone saying that he should keep up being a respectable wizard (referring to video games).

After school, Tsutsui and Ito are hanging out and playing games in a fastfood. They meet their old classmate girl and her friend. She expresses her disgust about how Tsutsui is still an otaku gamer which brings down Tsutsui and Ito's self-esteem. While hurling insults at them as being gross, Iroha shows up and 'pretends' to be Tsutsui's friend. She stands up for both Tsutsui and Ito and bluntly says that they couldn't possibly have 'fugly' friends. Tsutsui, Ito are thankful at Iroha, and they finally have a more productive conversation; Tsutsui's opinion of Iroha improves.

The next day, Tsutsui sees a guy kissing Iroha in the school hallway. Tsutsui stops and hides thinking that he shouldn't involve himself with Iroha. Another guy shows up and confronts Iroha about how she's a two-timer, but Iroha bluntly replies that she's not going out with neither of them. The guy who confronts Iroha slaps her which prompts Tsutsui to charge at this 'karate' club member. Iroha exclaims that Tsutsui has no chance of fighting him, and Tsutsui admits he has no chance indeed, but he said he couldn't just walk away, and he's merely buying Iroha the time to run away. In the end, Tsutsui gets beaten up on the floor. Although Iroha stays with him. And she kisses him.

The next morning, Iroha walks directly to Tsutsui into the classroom and immediately tells him to go out with her. Thinking that she's only messing around and that she only said such delicate words out of pity, Tsutsui becomes upset and tells her to go away. The next day, Tsutsui leaves the hospital cleared from his facial bruises, and he sees Iroha crying on the bench. He secretly follows her throughout the town until they end up in a library. A clerk accuses Iroha to be a shoplifter, but Tsutsui steps between Iroha and the clerk to stand up for her; he explains what she has been doing in the afternoon and that she was merely reading the book in the library.

Rain falls and both of them take shelter. Tsutsui offers him an umbrella; Iroha refuses it, but Tsutsui tells her that his home is nearby; Iroha accepts it confesses once more that she did not have any ill intention when she asked Tsutsui to go out with her. The following morning, Tsutsui gets a cold, but still goes to school anyway -- although he was late again. This prompted both Iroha and Tsutsui to clean up the pool again. Iroha says she was late, because she was worried about Tsutsui. She kisses him saying that she wanted to take his cold from him and said that she would clean up the pool instead for him. Tsutsui is still confused on what to do next with this girl, having a dilemma whether it's okay to fall in love with her or not. Ito convinces Tsutsui that she might be a good person and that he shouldn't underestimate the resilience that they have after all this time. Tsutsui runs to the pool and asks Iroha out instead. Iroha agrees to go out with him only to drop the news that she'll be transferring schools after six months.

Impressions: I've been looking forward to watching this series ever since it was announced, because I enjoyed the manga. Fret not for I won't give out any spoilers, but I'll say that this story is has its charm. Tsutsui is not a mediocre character, but he is a like-able character who might appeal to some people, especially to those who simply wish to stay about themselves. He admits about his difficulty in dealing with other people while enjoying his interests; he doesn't want to sacrifice his happiness just to please someone else; but he does try to appeal to other people and understand them despite his 'awkward' perspective toward the 'real world'.

Iroha is a refreshing female lead, that I think gives hope to the fact that there are other people out there who would invalidate someone's general assumption -- in this case, a beauty who accepts an 'otaku' as a person. One might attribute Iroha's attraction as a Suspension Bridge effect, but the whole matter is deeper than this hasty observation (as we find out throughout the story). Iroha sees Tsutsui as a good person, and she sees his worth for who he is early on, and we see that she's attracted to him -- a romantic idea that there's still hope for people who looks down on themselves for being 'geeks', 'nerds', ugly, or 'abnormal' despite that they're people too who have their own feelings (and emotional quotient) like everyone else.

Art-wise, I see no problem. It has a bright misty look that reminds me of a little bit of Honey and Clover and Itazura na Kiss. However, let me state it now that what I'm after in watching anime is the story and its philosophy (underneath the romance and yes, I always go after romantic stories). It doesn't have the high quality such as Key's Violet Evergarden animation, but it gets the job done nor it is mediocre.