Seiji “Mad Dog” Sawamura is your typical bad boy high school student, often found daydreaming and staring out of the window; his grades aren’t the best in class. He is also an impeccable fighter with the help of his “devil’s right hand” and has the habit of attracting trouble. Being rejected after confessing your love is never a good thing (after 20 times I may add) and things don’t look any better for our underdog hero Seiji as he wakes up one morning to find Midori Kasugano in place of his right hand. This inseparable couple forms the basis of the 13 episode series and covers the many everyday adventures as they struggle to keep their secret from being discovered.

The characters in Midori No Hibi are varied and somewhat predictable for your standard romance anime. Seiji is the double edged sword, on one hand he is seen by his peers as a fearless and intimidating fighter with no respect for anyone while those that somehow get the opportunity to get closer see him for the caring and intelligent person he is, always thinking of others before himself. Midori in her right hand form is cute and loveable. Unlike her full bodied self she is full of life and straight to the point in telling Seiji her love although as the series progress you can see at times this love is one sided.

Some of the other characters include Rin Sawamura, Seiji’s older sister who only returns home when she runs out of spending money. Like many older siblings in these genres Rin enjoys teasing Seiji and drinking vast amounts of Sake (she is also the only person that can defeat Seiji). Takako Ayase is Seiji’s class rep and as the series develops one of the other love interests, but with Seiji being stubborn all of her moves fall short, much to her disappointment.. There is also a great little under story about the fat cat which can be seen roaming around the streets.

The story is nothing new and the writing won’t win any awards but the thing that makes Midori Days stand out from the rest is the execution and delivery. The comedy will make you smile, if at times it becomes tedious and predictable. However there is also enough serious material to be able to consider it a romance anime, but I’m happy to say it isn’t serious for the sake of it nor does it take it too far. One of the strong points is Midori’s cuteness and anyone will find it hard not to laugh at some of her more energetic moments.

Animation is stuck between a rut of being very good and mediocre. The character designs are somewhat generic and there is nothing really that stands out in terms of finishing either. The fight scenes use cut animation and sometimes the overblown emotions become annoying as they are usually the same drawings rehashed. However where this anime does shine is in the background department. From the opening to the ending there are wonderful bright brush stroked backgrounds which add depth and character to the surroundings. Some of these really pull the story along and tie in perfectly with the emotions that are being portrayed.

Along with the art the soundtrack is also one of the finer points. Yoshihisa Hirano (Death Note, Air Master) has done a great job with the score and it does deserve some merit, as you watch more and more you recognize the songs and pieces that have been implemented and the emotions tied to them which again sucks you in and gives Midori Days that extra something that is usually not seen in this genre.

The catchy, upbeat, opening song along with the fantastic artwork appeals to the shows happier side, while the closing sequence is slower and carries the more dramatic feelings felt by the characters. The music really helps amplify the emotions and in the very last episode I found it hard not to smile when I heard "Sentimental" by Coorie as the credits rolled across the screen.

Looking back Midori Days is not going to win any awards, but in a market filled with titles claiming to be romantic and funny it is nice to find one that breaks the mould so to speak and delivers. The way in which the story is put across is refreshing and enjoyable while some episodes add little to the series there is still enough material there to keep you interested. The ending, while predictable, is satisfying and gives you a nice warm feeling. This is a lot different from some romcom anime which towards the latter episodes become too serious and feel rushed. One of the most pleasurable things for me to watch was the development of Midori and Seiji; the characters we see in episode 13 are different in many ways from those that we first encountered and it is a delight to watch.

In Summary

With an overall score of 7/10 Midori Days is a great watch for anyone that likes romance and a laugh and one of my personal favorites, but don’t expect to be bowled over by the overall finish on the show. There is no R2 version on the market yet so if you want the dub version you’ll have to import from the US. However it is worth the money and even if you don't import from the US the original voice cast still makes this show very entertaining.