Hatsumi & Hatsuki
Fansub Anime: 13 episodes
Original Air Dates: 2003-10-02 to 2003-12-25
Page at Anime News Network
Rating: All Right
Hatsuki
You know the standard plot device where boy loves girl, boy loses girl, so boy goes in search of girl? Well, this 13 episode anime has a similar plot basis, except that the girl is actually "Eve," the trans-dimensional mother of all humanity, & she has been traveling the universe for some time. The plot is complicated by Eve's sister being annoyed at having to watch the "Library", where every book is a world, while her sister plays. Another complication is Gargantua, who killed Eve when she was on his world and who has dedicated himself to capturing her as the supreme source of eternal life. Oh yes, the final wrinkle is that the boy doing the searching as actually a girl named Hasuki. Evidently, Japanese lesbians are just as angst ridden as Japanese men.
Hatsumi
This anime is another adaption from a game. The translator's notes explain that the anime can be difficult to follow without the background information. Thankfully, it then gives the background info. I did not find it very compelling for the first 5 episodes. I enjoyed the artwork and the story was good enough -- or perhaps it was because it was the Yuri -- so I persevered. Episode six is where it all gelled together, the plot threads unified and I found that I had to finish watching the anime (by staying up until 2:30 am).
The synopsis is fairly simple, it is derived from a game after all. A force called Adam created reality. Riseru was created to manage it. Adam wanted people so he created Eve who caused people to populate the dimensions. After this, the gods arose and started warring, so the great library was created to preserve the worlds. Each book in the library is another world. Yami was created to care for the library.
Hatsuki
Evidently, Eve became bored and left the library to incarnate in the various worlds. Being the source of life, she imprints each world rather strongly. Her older sister Riseru is upset at having to work while Eve is playing and sets out to force her to return. Eve is only present in each world for 16 years. At midnight, when she turns 16, she dematerializes, unless she is killed before that, in which case she dematerializes when slain.
The adventure starts out with Hatsuki trying desperately to show her love for Hatsumi, who is Eve's incarnation in her world. Her frustration causes her to act erratically at times. Later episodes show that both characters are having troubles admitting to the other how much they love each other. Hatsuki is present in Hatsumi's bedroom when midnight strikes and sees Hatsumi disappear. Shortly thereafter a fat parakeet, who is Riseru's agent, appears. Thus begins the quest across dimensions for Hatsuki to find her lost love, Hatsumi.
The Kiss
The other thread involves Gargantua who desired Eve's power of life. He knew her as Jira. While acting rashly, he stabbed Jira, thus ending her life. He deals with his guilt by dedicating himself to capturing the source of eternal life (which he later discovers is Eve/Jira). He and another girl, who was present when Jira was slain, have a form of immortality. In his pursuit, he offers a soul to Riseru (who has the hots for him). She promised him Eve, but since she cannot give him that, she gives him a "blank book" which is a dimension that he can create from his imagination. From here he searches for Eve.
Redemption, re-evaluation and the like figure prominently, as does the idea of love for that which is unattainable. The ending was odd, a bit unsatisfying, but not overwhelmingly so. All Right.
Falling
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