Ichinomiya Kou has always lived according to the creed of his wealthy, successful family: never be in debt to anyone. But one day, under the Arakawa Bridge, his life is saved by a homeless girl named Nino. In order to pay her back, Kou promises to be her boyfriend; and thus begins his new life under the bridge.
I truthfully didn't know what to expect when I started downloading this series: the blurb and reviews provided were intruiging but brief.
As mentioned briefly by another reviewer, the first episode is interesting, but it gives you only a faint idea of what an awesome concept the show develops into. During the second episode the series really picks up pace; by the end of E02 I was convinced I'd stumbled across something great.
I think that if you enjoyed Zetsubou, for instance, you're likely to enjoy this; at times it features a similar vein of breathless ranting monologue (and generally events move very quickly), it focuses on comedy and the exploration of its deep and characterful environment over single-mindedly force-feeding you plot. I found it to be very funny indeed, with fantastic dialogue and often unexpected moments of humour. The characters, too, are wonderful, with even the supporting characters easily able to keep your attention.
The animation was good, easily watchable but not really noteworthy. Arakawa isn't really trading on its looks but on its substance, after all.
I wouldn't hesistate in recommending this show to anyone, particularly to those who enjoy comedy and who are willing to take their entertainment in slightly bizarre packages.
