Amagami SS Episode 01: So ronery

Amagami is the second series that I have started from the new season. It’s the show I’ve been looking forward to the most due to my experience with it’s predecessor Kimikiss. Right away it’s evident that the two anime are pretty similar both being romance series from the same developer and having familiar character designs. However the drama of Kimikiss focused on the twists and turns of first love. The protagonist, Tachibana Junichi, has already passed that stage…for the worst.

It’s Christmas Eve two years prior to the beginning of the story. Junichi has finally convinced the girl that’s he’s been after to go on a date with him. In his excitement he goes to the meeting spot an hour early and is so happy that he can be just like any of the other couples waiting for their dates. Soon night arrives, everybody leaves and snow starts to fall. She never shows up.

Having been stood up and experiencing the roller coaster of anticipation and disappointment, Junichi has basically been scarred for life. He has this extreme fear of rejection and is quite depressing really. He makes a planetarium IN HIS CLOSET so that he can lock himself in when he’s feeling down. The first scene that takes place in the present involves him sleeping in his closet while adamantly refusing his sister’s pleas to get up. It’s kind of impressive that he made a planetarium but still it’s oh so saddening.

His condition is not so extreme that he can’t interact with girls at all or has turned gay. He clearly has an interest in girls but lacks the confidence to pursue romantic relations with any of them. He blushes whenever he sees pretty girls but at the same time the expression on his face is of a person who has already given up. He helps them when in need though he clearly has a massive anxiety problem.

Oh God, I can see forever!

Since the story is being presented in an omnibus format each of the heroines gets her own route. The first is Morishima Haruka, the school idol who’s a little on the quirky side. Morishima sees one of Junichi’s acts of kindness which peeks her interests. However Junichi views her as unattainable imagining that he’ll get rejected in the same way. As he gets to know her better as they continue to interact though, he starts thinking that maybe things will be different. Tired of two years of depression he decides to give it one more chance.

He musters up the courage and confesses to Morishima. She’s quite surprised and impressed that he has the guts to do that since he doesn’t seem like that kind of person. Just as he’s most excited and thinking he’s managed the impossible, Morishima flat out rejects him for not being the type of guy she’s looking for. Trying to convince himself that that disaster really wasn’t a true confession he heads home, goes to his dark room and crawls back into his planetarium.

At the end of the episode I was sad. Two rejections in one episode? Poor guy. We all know that the arc will end with the two in a relationship but what road is paved to reach that? Will he somehow break out of his shell to confess again? Will he fall into a bout of depression until Morishima takes pity on him? My guess is that he’ll continue to be friends with her until it becomes something more.

It’s hard to judge from only one episode but it looks promising. With 26 episodes to tell 6 routes, each story arc will be quite fast paced in a good way. At the very least Amagami may be the most visual novel-like anime adaptation I’ve ever seen. I also like how all the girls have more or less been introduced to the audience without introducing them to Junichi. Makes it seem as if he really has been mulling over his rejection for the past two years giving it a little more believability. The music is pleasant, the art is nice and the voice cast is true to the game. It’ll be a pleasure to watch Amagami for the next two seasons.

(PS: Morishima’s hair is wonderful though I like Kaoru’s a little more.)