This Ugly but Beautiful World: A thorough review of the fascinating story and character depth

This ugly yet beautiful world -KONOMINIKUKUMOUTSUKUSHIISEKAI-

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

April 1, 2004 - June 17, 2004
BS-i April 1, 2004 to June 17, 2004 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Thursday 24:30 to 25:00

■Broadcasting station

TBS BS-i

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

GAINAX

■ Director

Akishi Saeki

■ Production

Animation production: GAINAX, SHAFT

■Works

©GAINAX/Ugly Beauty Committee

■ Story

Takemoto Takeru, a high school student living an ordinary life, encounters a mysterious light while on a motorcycle delivery as a part-time job. When he stops to look around, a cute girl named Hikari appears from a shining cocoon in the forest. Takeru falls in love with Hikari at first sight, but suddenly a monster he has never seen before appears at the scene and attacks her.
Takeru and his friends have fun every day with the mysterious girls Hikari and Akari, his cousin and childhood friend Nishino Mari, and their classmates.
Her ordinary yet irreplaceable daily life is vividly depicted through Hikari's eyes.

■Explanation

This is a completely new original TV animation from GAINAX, the studio behind many hit anime series such as "The Wings of Honneamise" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion." The production staff will be reuniting with the staff who worked on the TV anime series "Mahoromatic."
Many beautiful girls drawn by Kazuhiro Takamura will appear. It will be packed with scenes that everyone has been waiting for.
We aim to create a work that is packed with beautiful girls, science fiction, action, heartwarming stories, and more! Look forward to it!

■Cast

・Hikari/Ayako Kawasumi・Akari/Ai Shimizu・Takemoto Takeru/Mizushima Hirotaka・Ninomiya Ryo/Takimoto Fujiko・Nishino Mari/Sanada Asami・Kurebayashi Yuka/Kikuchi Yumi・Urushijima Sakurako/Mizuno Aika・Asakura Shinichi/Waichi Jun・Matsumura Daijiro/Ogiwara Hideki・Ninomiya Norimi/Kobayashi Emi・Nishino Kazutoshi/Matsumoto Dai・Nishino Sumie/Kotani Tomoko・Jennifer Portman/Takada Yumi・Aionios/Noda Junichi

■ Main staff

・Original work: GAINAX
・Director / Saeki Akishi・Series Composition / Saeki Akishi, Yamaga Hiroyuki・Character Design, Chief Animation Director / Takamura Kazuhiro・Original Mechanic Design / Suzuki Mei・Monster Design / Yoshinari You・Art Director / Kuwabara Satoru・Color Settings / Hibino Hitoshi・Director of Photography / Ozawa Tsugio・Editor / Seyama Takeshi・Sound Director / Iwanami Yoshikazu・Music / Watanabe Tsuyoshi・Executive Producer / Minamoto Tetsuo・Producers / Sekido Yuichi, Jinguji Tsuyoshi, Sato Hiroki・Animation Producer / Kubota Mitsutoshi・Animation Production / GAINAX, SHAFT
Produced by Ugly Beauty Committee (Geneon Entertainment, TBS, GAINAX, Movic)

■ Main Characters

・Hikari A girl who appeared from the universe. She wakes up from a shining cocoon that Takeru found in the forest. From the moment they met, she tried to get involved with Takeru and they started living together. She has a cute appearance that was just like Takeru's ideal.
Takemoto Takeru is a high school student who lives and works at his uncle's motorcycle courier business. He leads an ordinary life, but when he meets Hikari, his daily life changes dramatically.
A girl who appeared from space with Akari Hikari. She looks up to Hikari, who is in a similar situation, as an older sister. She develops feelings for Ryo, who protected her, and they begin living together.
A childhood friend and classmate of Ryotakeru Ninomiya. He has no parents and lives with his sister in a mansion on the outskirts of the forest. He finds Akari in the forest where Hikari appears and brings her to his house.
Mari Nishino Takeru's cousin and childhood friend. A bright, considerate and reliable girl. With the appearance of Hikari, she begins to see Takeru as a member of the opposite sex, instead of just a childhood friend.
Jennifer Portman A scientist who came to investigate the forest where Hikari appeared. She stays in town and stays at Takeru's lodgings. She always wears a white coat, but underneath it she has a nice body.
Yuka Kurebayashi A classmate of Takeru and his friends. She lives next door to the Nishino family. She calls herself a fan of Ryo along with Sakurako. She's quite a fangirl.
A classmate of Takeru and his friends. An active girl. She calls herself a fan of Ryo along with Sakurako, but she is also at the mercy of Yuka.
Takeru's classmate. A playboy who loves girls. He gets into trouble with Daijiro and is mocked by Yuka and Sakurako.
Daijiro Matsumura Takeru's classmate. He and Shinichi are looking forward to a new girl coming along. They make a good pair.
Ninomiya Kimi: Ryo's younger sister. A reliable elementary school student who manages the household affairs in place of her unreliable(?) older brother.
Nishino Iccho and Nishino Sumie Takeru's uncle and aunt and Mari's parents. They run a motorcycle courier business together. They have looked after Takeru since he was a child, and even after Hikari appears, they are generous enough to accept him.
Aionio was sleeping in a pillar in the school building at the high school Takeru and his friends attend, but he wakes up in response to Hikari. In order to be close to Hikari, who he once served, he decides to live with the Nishino family.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Dawn is the parting of light and darknessEpisode 2: You are the firstEpisode 3: The shade of the trees for twoEpisode 4: The life to comeEpisode 5: School DaysEpisode 6: Standing by the waterEpisode 7: Prelude to a kissEpisode 8: What a wonderful worldEpisode 9: When you wish upon a starEpisode 10: A false heartEpisode 11: As time passesEpisode 12: The song of my heart

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Metamorphose
Lyrics: Kiyomi Kumano Composer: Toshiyuki Omori Arrangement: Toshiyuki Omori Singer: Yoko Takahashi

・ED1
・Fragments of Summer Colors・Lyrics by Kiyomi Kumano・Composition by Tsuyoshi Watanabe・Arrangement by Tsuyoshi Watanabe・Singer by Yoko Ishida

・ED2
・Kiminiaete・Lyrics by Kumanokiyomi・Composition by Tsuyoshi Watanabe・Arrangement by Tsuyoshi Watanabe・Singer by Ayako Kawasumi & Ai Shimizu

This Ugly But Beautiful World - Reviews and Recommendations

"This Ugly But Beautiful World" is a 2004 original anime series jointly produced by GAINAX and SHAFT. This work depicts the story of Takemoto Takeru, an ordinary high school student, who meets Hikari, a girl from outer space, and his daily life changes completely. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and features of this anime, as well as the recommended points.

The appeal of the story

The story of "This Ugly But Beautiful World" begins when Takeru meets Hikari, a mysterious girl from outer space whose presence changes Takeru's daily life dramatically. The story unfolds through the interactions between Takeru and his friends and visitors from outer space, such as Hikari and Akari. The extraordinary elements that suddenly appear in the midst of ordinary daily life are what draw viewers in.

Of particular note is the depiction of Takeru and friends' daily lives from Hikari's perspective. This is Hikari's first time living on Earth, and the world seen through her eyes is fresh and beautifully depicted. The everyday scenery and interactions between people seen from her perspective will bring new discoveries to the viewer as well. The relationship between Hikari and Takeru is also at the heart of the story, and their growth and deepening bond are depicted in moving episodes.

Character Appeal

Each character in this work is unique and leaves a strong impression on the viewer. The main character, Takeru, is an ordinary high school student, but it is fascinating to see how he grows through his encounter with Hikari. Hikari has a cute appearance and a pure heart, and influences Takeru and those around her. Akari is like a younger sister to Hikari, and her actions and emotions also add depth to the story.

Takeru's childhood friend Ryo Ninomiya and his cousin Mari Nishino are also important characters. Ryo is Takeru's good friend, and his attitude of protecting Akari shows his humanity. Mari adds a romantic element to the story by starting to see Takeru as a member of the opposite sex. Other unique characters such as Jennifer Portman and her classmates add excitement to the story.

Visuals and Music

The visuals of "This Ugly But Beautiful World" are characterized by the character designs of Kazuhiro Takamura. Many beautiful girls appear, and their beauty and cuteness make it a visual attraction. In addition, the animation produced by GAINAX and SHAFT is carefully drawn down to the smallest detail, providing visual satisfaction.

Musically, the opening theme "metamorphose" and the ending themes "Natsuiro no Kakera" and "Kimi na Ete" are memorable. Yoko Takahashi's powerful singing voice and the beautiful singing voices of Yoko Ishida, Ayako Kawasumi, and Ai Shimizu add to the atmosphere of the story. In particular, the ending theme "Kimi na Ete" is sung by Ayako Kawasumi and Ai Shimizu, the voice actors of Hikari and Akari, further deepening the emotional impact of the story.

Production background and staff

This work is an original anime series produced by GAINAX, and the director is Akishi Saeki. GAINAX is the studio that has produced hits such as "The Wings of Honneamise" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion", and their production skills and creative ideas are reflected in this work. SHAFT is also involved in the production, and the cooperation of both studios has resulted in high-quality animation.

The series is written by Akishi Saeki and Hiroyuki Yamaga, with character design and general animation director Kazuhiro Takamura. The original mechanic design is by Mei Suzuki, the monster design is by Yo Yoshinari, the art director is Satoru Kuwahara, the color scheme is by Hitoshi Hibino, the director of photography is Tsugio Ozawa, the editor is Takeshi Seyama, the sound director is Yoshikazu Iwanami, and the music is by Tsuyoshi Watanabe. This work, produced by this team of staff, boasts a high level of perfection both visually and aurally.

Recommended points

"This Ugly, Beautiful World" is a work that combines beautiful girls with science fiction elements, and has both visual appeal and narrative depth. In particular, the extraordinary elements that suddenly appear in ordinary daily life and the beauty of the world depicted from Hikari's perspective are appealing. In addition, the episodes that depict the growth of the characters and the deepening of their bonds leave viewers in awe.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• A fusion of beautiful girl characters and science fiction elements
• Contrast between ordinary and extraordinary
• The beauty of the world depicted from Hikari's perspective
• Character growth and deepening bonds
• Character design by Kazuhiro Takamura
• High-quality animation from GAINAX and SHAFT
• Impressive OP and ED themes

This work is recommended for those who like beautiful girl anime and science fiction anime, those who seek extraordinary elements in their daily lives, and those who like stories that depict the growth of characters and the deepening of bonds. Please give it a watch.