First Episode Impression: "Himote House"

Synopsis

This is a tale that involves five girls and one cat living together in Nakano, Tokyo. First, there are Tokiyo, Kinami, and Kokoro Himote, three sisters whose family manages the "Himote House.” Then there are Kokoro’s classmates Tae and Minamo, and the cat Enishi. Together they spend their days trying to figure out ways to be popular. There, however, is more than expected to these girls as they all possess a mysterious secret power

The Good

The first thing to note is that the episode presented unique points for the series with an interesting build-up for its tone and characters. It felt like the episode gave a different sort of format but it is certainly quirky. The way that it presented the character dynamics was certainly fun. And the way that it tackled the whole thing with the girls discussing the house rules is pretty commendable in how bold it is. To put this simply, the series took a different route than expected and gave a fun little introduction to the characters while presenting a quirky tone.

The Bad

There is an awkwardness to be found with the episode, but it’s not with the animation but rather in the character dialogue. From how they establish certain comedy points to poking at the fourth wall. It just felt like the tone of the episode went different directions for certain scenes because of this. Other than the touch of awkwardness found in the dialogue and the presentation of the comedy, the characters in general feel like they have a rushed introduction. Actually, the second half of the episode, in general, felt a tad rushed.

Conclusion

There is a charm to the series when it comes to its art. The way that it build-up was certainly different but the overall flow in the second half of the episode seemed rushed. Still, the characters showed an interesting dynamic and the overall quirky tone that was presented does well in perking up the viewer’s interest for the next episode. It’s a series that takes a step away from what’s expected and in turn, gives something quirky but interesting.

Rating: 7/10