Mayuko is a penniless student- when she’s not in cram school, she’s either trying to earn enough to eat from her two part-time jobs, or helping her landlady turn a profit at the Enohama bathhouse where she lives. But as if that wasn’t enough, Mayuko has an added complication in her life- an alien named NieA has taken up residence in her closet! An ‘under seven’� (the lowest class of alien living on Earth), NieA is basically a carefree bum who spends her time building UFOs out of junk and insisting that Mayuko provide her with regular meals. Naturally, Mayuko considers this alien freeloader to be nothing more than a nuisance, but as it turns out, she may have something to learn from NieA’s more relaxed attitude to life.

A predominantly slice of life series, NieA_7 is less concerned with any kind of overall storyline than it is with merely charting the day-to-day adventures of the hardworking Mayuko and her lazy alien roommate. It may be set in a future where aliens have been living on Earth for the last twenty years, but the sci-fi elements are somewhat underplayed- those looking for any kind of deeper exploration of the aliens’ presence on Earth, or their culture and history, will definitely find themselves disappointed. As Mayuko herself states in the first episode, people have come to accept the aliens, and viewers must likewise accept the backdrop to the series without probing too deeply.

That being said, there is much to like about what NieA_7 has to offer. This is very much a character-driven series, and although the two leads are both in the position of being something of a social outcast, they each approach their situation very differently. It is Mayuko who brings emotional depth and even a depth of melancholy to the series; a naturally shy and introverted person, she finds it hard to make new friends or handle complex social situations, a problem that is only exacerbated by the continual stress of staving off absolute poverty. NieA, on the other hand, is someone who seems willing to take life as it comes and enjoy herself on the way. Lazy, extroverted, and never one to shy away from speaking her mind, NieA is a trigger for much of the series’ humour, from the quietly amusing to the outright wacky.

The series also boasts a varied and delightful supporting cast- fellow student and UFO enthusiast Chiaki; Chada, an alien convenience store owner disguised as an oversized Indian and Yoshioka, the gentle boilerman with a slightly unhealthy love of fire, to name but a few. Admittedly, they don’t receive a great deal of development onscreen, but each character is no less interesting and well realised because of that.

The quality of the animation is also something that cannot be overlooked- as expected, Yoshitoshi ABe does a top notch job with the character designs, but even the backdrops are worthy of note. Brought to life with bright, warm colours, the town of Enohama and surrounding region certainly make for a visual treat.

In Summary

An interesting mix of comedy, sci-fi and slice of life elements, NieA_7 is a series that concentrates less on the destination than on the people making the journey. It won’t appeal to those who insist on a definite storyline, but if you’re willing to spend a few hours just sharing the day to day adventures of Mayuko and NieA, you’ll find yourself thoroughly entertained.