Umi no Monogatari Episode 01

Umi no Monogatari Episode 01: “Heart of the Sea, Heart of the Sky”
Director: Sato Junichi (Aria, Kaleidostar, Pretear, Sailor Moon)
Studio: ZEXCS (Da Capo, Canvas2, Sister Princess)
VA: Asumi Kana (Shugo Cara’s Ran), Kotobuki Minako (Hatsukoi Limited’s Dobashi Rika) and Horie Yui (Da Capo’s Kotomi and II’s Yume)

Summary: Marin and her little sister Urin are sea people. They live under the sea and refer to humans as sky dwellers. While swimming, they find a beautiful ring, and Marin decides to go return it to its owner. The two of them visit land during a festival where they encounter Kanon. Kanon threw the ring into the ocean because it was a gift from her boyfriend, who dumped her.

When they return it, she throws it again in anger. The two girls decide to go find it and look all over the area for it separately. Kanon catches up with Marin later as she’s looking when fireworks start. These initially scare her and she realizes that Urin must be scared too. Urin has run to the shrine and finds the ring there. In the process she rips the seal on a stone casket. A voice tells her to open it so she does, causing a dark energy to escape and cover the city. It enters the ring as well. Urin takes the ring and runs off.

Thoughts: Yay, a new mahou shoujo show! The animation is great and I’m really looking forward to it. It seems like a friendship, coming-of-age, possibly love story with fantasy elements. The main character seems a little dumb but she’s endearing and cute in her own way.