Arakawa Under the Bridge

Accidents happen, right? Tiny accidents, that aren't such a big deal, happen, but eventually snowball into something way more serious.. Like getting your pants stolen, which are tied up to the top of a bridge , which results in you falling off the bridge, trying to get them back. Oh, and you fall into the river, almost drowning. But you don't drown, instead you are saved by a cute girl in a tracksuit. You think your troubles are over. Of course not, you begin to get an asthma attack because you are now indebted to that girl for saving your life.(You get asthma attacks whenever you think you owe someone something, FYI). You attempt to offer her money and other things, but she isn't interested in your offers. Instead she asks you to love her in return. You accept of course, so you could finally start breathing. And thus begins your life under the bridge.

This is the predicament of Kou Ichinomiya, a 22 year old university student who is set to inherit his family company. He was taught to never be indebted to anyone, which ends up with him living under the bridge. Of course, he soon finds out that there is a whole society living under the bridge, and it is far more crazy and bizarre than what he could ever think of.

For instance, his rescuer and proclaimed lover, Nino, is a girl who claims to be a Venusian with an uncanny ability to swim and catch fish. Not to mention her odd quirks, like sleeping in the drawer under her bed. Then there is the village chief, a man dressed in a kappa suit, who claims he is a 620 year old kappa, even though it is blatantly obvious he is just a man in a kappa suit. There is Hoshi, or Star, who is a musician in love with Nino, who wears a star mask. Then there is Sister, a large British war veteran dressed as a nun who is in love with Maria, who runs a nearby farm and is a sadist giving extremely harsh insults. And that's not even all of them.

Arakawa Under the Bridge is an extremely unusual anime that is light hearted and fun. Its one of the few comedy anime that doesn't require excessive fanservice and innuendos in order to be funny. It just relies on the craziness of the cast and their bizarre activities. The interactions between the characters, especially Nino and Kou, can be very deep and serious, despite the craziness of the show. The animation is quite good, the plot (whatever there is of it) is simple and easy to follow, and the music is quirky and great. If you are patient for something insane, in the need for something light and brainless, then Arakawa Under the Bridge is definitely for you. It's the perfect break from "normalcy".