Initial Impressions: RDG Red Data Girl

Ouch, being told that you're destined to be a manservant for life, by your own parent no less, must feel terribly insulting.

Despite not being a very gripping premiere, I'm pretty sure that RDG makes the cut to be on the schedule for Spring. While the plot and characters are rather unestablished so far, there is at least one huge check in this series' favor, and that's atmosphere. P.A. Works (fun fact, they did in-between animation for E7) usually gets some very beautiful visuals into their series (think Another, another series rife with atmospheric presence), and Red Data Girl is no exception. It doesn't hurt that so far our setting seems to be rural, because it allows for some gorgeous backgrounds and depictions of the shrine our protagonist lives in. The music, the emotions evoked by the beautiful imagery, the mysterious premise, even the protagonist's quiet voice; all of this adds up to one hell of an atmosphere builder, one with dark undertones and rife with secrets.

This being the case, I'd argue that this series has quite a bit of potential to be at least good and at most great, and the deciding factor lies in characterization. Right now, all we've been given is the bare bones of the characters at the center of this story: Izumiko Suzuhara (Saori Hayami) is a quiet and extremely shy girl who doesn't seem to fit in very well with her peers while Miyuki Sagara (Kouki Uchiyama) is hotheaded and outraged to find himself offered as a servant to this meek teenager. We also get a look at Miyuki's father, an ascetic named Yukimasa Sagara (Jun Fukuyama) who isn't below child abuse for the sake of his job (something that seems like a cross between bodyguard and devotee) and at Daisei Susuhara (Kazuhiko Inoue), Izumiko's father who wishes her to transfer to school in Tokyo against her wishes.

We don't learn much about these characters other than these few details, but in exchange we are given quite a bit of intrigue as to the truth behind the events that occur. Izumiko is no ordinary girl, and from the moment she cuts her hair in a desire to change, it seems that everyone is mortified about it. She's driven to and from school and seems to hold special status there, were students taunt her for being unable to do things herself. Of course, all of this (including the helicopter) pales at what she seems to be capable of doing when she comes in contact with electronic devices. When she touches them, strange things happen and they apparently break soon after. Yukimasa goes further to explain that Izumiko is a vessel for a goddess, and that as a result, Miyuki is destined to be her guardian for the rest of their lives and kept at her side at all times.

Neither Miyuki nor Izumiko seem to be all to happy about this arrangement, and Miyuki especially feels bitter at his fate and his lack of choice in the matter. That's understandable, considering that his father is forcing him to transfer schools and goes so far as to beat him when he refuses, but it seems that he's not a very pleasant fellow either. From the moment he sees Izumiko, he's rude and hateful, and Izumiko herself remembers being bullied at his hands when they were children. However, her reservations are less about his personality and more at the fact that she's the reason he's being forced to do something he hates. It seems that she just wishes to be a normal girl and stay out of everyone's way, but clearly she doesn't have that option.

In short, I really believe that RDG has potential to be a strong series this Spring. Since it's based on a novel, it can seem a little more difficult to delve into than something specifically made for television, though that may not be a bad thing in the long run. Regardless, I do feel that the pacing and atmosphere fit quite well, especially because of the novel format, and characters will surely be filled in at least a bit more over the next few opening episodes. Even if they aren't, however, the premise is at least interesting enough to carry its own weight for a while, and considering the synopsis says this takes place in Tokyo, I expect something to happen to make Izumiko change her mind about where she goes to school, and soon.

N.B.: Thanks so much to Ivan for taking the time to cap this; I live in a dorm this year so I can't download anything (thanks to policy) and have to find other ways to cap in decent quality, so I really appreciate the help!

OP "Small Worldrop (スモルワールドロップ)" by Annabel