|
 One Week Friends (一週間フレンズ。, Isshuukan Friends.) is a currently-airing anime series by Brain's Base (Baccano!, Princess Jellyfish) based on the ongoing manga by Hazuki Matcha. The following is technically spoilers for episode 1, but it's also kind of the entire premise of the show, so I won't put it in tags. Hase Yuuki, our high schooler protagonist, is fascinated by a girl in his class named Fujimiya Kaori, who is ostracized due to her antisocial attitude. Boldly, he asks her to be his friend, and although she refuses, lamenting that she cannot make friends, he persists in getting closer to her. In doing so, he discovers that she is a good deal more personable and cheery than she puts on, but also learns a startling secret: every Monday, she loses any memories she had of people she considers friends. Despite this, Hase resolves to become her friend again every week. The comparisons to a certain terrible Adam Sandler movie are obvious, but so far this show looks to be much better. The pastel, dreamlike art serves to help create a lightly dramatic tone that suggests One Week Friends will be a weekly dose of sugary sweetness. Whether or not we'll delve into a more painfully human investigation of what friendship means and the toll of accommodating Fujimiya is yet to be seen. Streaming Information The series streams on Crunchyroll every Sunday at 12:00PM Eastern Time. Staff Studio: Brain's Base Director: Iwasaki Tarou (Episode director for some epiodes of Eureka Seven, Dennou Coil) Series Composition: Suga Shoutarou (Scriptwriter for some episodes of Ghost in the Shell: SAC, Eden of the East) Character Design: Yamazaki Eri (Key animation for various series, including Silver Spoon, Space Dandy) Characters  Hase Yuuki (CV: Yamaya Yoshitaka; no other notable roles) Protagonist. Long fascinated by Fujimiya Kaori, he makes an attempt to reach out to her and become her friend, but is rebuffed. Despite that, he resolves to be her friend anyway--and to do it again every week when she loses her memories. Hase is largely a pushover and indecisive, but very insistent about matters regarding Fujimiya. Additionally, he can be very observant and empathetic to others, at times.  Fujimiya Kaori (CV: Amamiya Sora; Liliana in Log Horizon) Heroine. Since she loses any memories of friends every week, she intentionally puts up a cold, antisocial persona in school to ensure that others do not attempt to be friends with her. Despite that, Hase does so anyway, and the two become friends, against her conscious wishes. When not putting up a mask, she is very personable, talkative, and excited to be around others.  Kiryuu Shougo (CV: Hosoya Yoshimasa; Reiner in Atack on Titan, Yasuri Shichika in Katanagatari) Hase's best friend. Kiryuu claims it's only because not playing that role would cause him trouble, and prefers to laze around sleeping and not get involved with people or their troubles. He is frank and not particularly mindful of others' feelings--though this may just be a mask of his own over top of a genuine care for others.  Yamagishi Saki (CV: Ookubo Rumi; Ichimiya Touko in Servant x Service, Yoshikawa Chinatsu in Yuru Yuri) Another classmate. She's very forgetful, regularly failing to remember people's names, faces, even to bring her books to school. She approaches Fujimiya with an offer of friendship, becoming her first female friend. Lives an easy life of just taking it easy, like you should be when watching this show  I will update this post with other characters as they appear. First Impressions Although I don't expect this show to have much in the way of meaningful, thoughtful content, the first two episodes have been pretty drat adorable, and I'll take that. Suspending disbelief about the specificity of Fujimiya's condition can be hard, but having read much of the manga, I can say that its justification isn't anything particularly less believable than other health problems you commonly see in anime--and certainly more believable than some (I'm looking at you, Key). I won't say anything about where the show will go (or indeed, whether it will really go anywhere), but given the first two episodes and the manga, I think we can expect a weekly dose of smile-inducing sweetness, and as long as we get that, I'll be happy.  GIFs    
Outer Science fucked around with this message at 17:43 on May 4, 2014 |
#
¿
Apr 14, 2014 19:14
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 19, 2024 04:47 |
|
|
So, a couple things. First, the official website now has (ep 2) a page from Fujimiya's diary to read. Someone on Reddit translated it here: http://i.imgur.com/n3m6fmd.png, and it looks fine to me. I expect every episode will have more. Second, I went ahead and read through all of the manga that's been released, including the parts not yet translated (getting Japanese Kindle to work was a bitch  ). There's one pretty glaring issue that had been bogging down the manga in my mind, but I think it'll actually be addressed and resolved--which is big. I doubt we'll get that far in the anime, though.There have also been some interesting changes from the manga to the anime. For example, the crepe store was never closed in the manga. The anime also, if I remember right, glosses over why Fujimiya didn't try keeping a diary. In the manga she mentions she tried it before, but it was too difficult to hide her condition even with it and her friendships fell apart anyway. So it wouldn't have been useful unless someone accepted her condition in the first place, which Hase was the first to do. Anyway, for the people asking about the specifics of how Fujimiya's memory loss works, I wouldn't worry about it right now. We know as much about it as Hase does; when he needs to know more, we'll find out with him.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 16, 2014 05:31
|
|
|
With episode 3 comes a new page from Fujimiya's diary on the website. Here's a translation. Forgive the stiffness, but this isn't really worth spending the time to make sound nice Kiryuu-kun doesn't speak very kindly of others, and seems to look down on people a lot. He can say whatever rude things are on his mind...it's hard to deal with him. It's a mystery to me why he and Hase-kun are friends. But when I tried talking with him, I think I came to understand a little bit why Hase-kun trusts him. Since he always says exactly what he thinks, he feels like the kind of person you can rely on. A bit scary, though. He's usually sleeping in class, and I've never seen him talk to anyone except Hase-kun. Almost like a "lone wolf" of sorts. He really understands our classmates though, that's amazing. When I told Hase-kun that, he laughed and said that Kiryuu-kun was good at heart, if nothing else. He also said that he'd really be happy if Kiryuu-kun and I were to become friends. *Fried egg recipe for Hase-kun* My family prefers the taste of soy sauce, but Hase-kun said his family prefers sweet things. I think it's really fitting for him to have a sweet tooth. Gotta say I'm not really feeling Hase's voice acting though. I get that he's supposed to be kind of pathetic, but in making him sound that way, some scenes that would otherwise be kind of adorable come off as cringeworthy.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 20, 2014 18:13
|
|
|
Another week, another diary entry: Last week, I lost something extremely important to me. But now I have it back, and it's thanks to the tireless effort Hase-kun took to find it for me. After I got home, I took a look inside this important thing. Written there were many things dear to me, and when I finished reading it I felt a warmth in my heart. What happened today has become something I will treasure. And Hase-kun, who found what I lost, is also extremely important to me. I wonder how he even knew that I lost my diary, though? And also that it was so important to me, it's like he knows everything about me. But I'm fine with that. I'd like to know more about him, too. Contrary to what I wrote last week, I really warmed up to Hase's VA this episode. He pulled off awkward kid with jealousy issues pretty well. Kiryu continues to be a great character, in that you can tell that he truly is annoyed with Hase's awkwardness but is sympathetic to him all the same--I'm sure that's relatable to most people and I haven't seen anything else that really manages it.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 27, 2014 18:44
|
|
|
In this week's episode, we meet Saki! I'll add her to the OP in a bit. As for this week's diary entry: After school today, I went around town with Saki-chan. We had a lot of fun, and before I knew it we ran out of time and had to part ways. Saki-chan jokes a lot that she wants to become my little sister. I wonder if that's what it feels like to actually have a sister...I could completely be myself around her. I hope we can get along even better from now on. Oh right, we ended up going to the crepe shop in front of the station. I have to apologize to Hase-kun for that; we were supposed to go together but I went without him. The crepes tasted great though, so I have to be sure to invite him along next time! To me, on Monday: -She's forgetful, but the small girl with the cute smile is your new friend Saki-chan.
|
|
#
¿
May 4, 2014 17:36
|
|
|
This week's diary entry: Today, Hase-kun, Saki-chan, and Kiryuu-kun all came over to my house. My mom was surprised I had called them over all of a sudden, and got all flustered saying she should make a cake for them. Today I discovered several things: Saki-chan really likes melon bread, and Kiryuu-kun is a fan of shoujo manga. I didn't expect that at all--but if he likes shoujo manga he might not be all that scary... Thanks to Saki-chan, it's gotten a bit easier for me to talk to Kiryuu-kun. Thanks. I was so happy to have friends over! This, too, is all thanks to Hase-kun. It's because of him that I was able to make friends with Saki-chan and Kiryuu-kun, and I can't thank him enough for that. There is one thing I'm worried about : Hase-kun doesn't remember the math he was taught in freshman year. I wonder if he'll be okay for tomorrow's test...
|
|
#
¿
May 11, 2014 17:31
|
|
|
Sorry for the delay on the diary translation this week; I graduated college today so I only just got to watch the episode  Today I went to buy a present on the way home from school. Tomorrow, July 14, is Hase-kun's birthday, according to Kiryuu-kun. Despite how blunt he usually is, I think he's a good guy to take care to remember his friends' birthdays. I took way too long trying to decide on a present. I wondered what his favorite color was, what he'd most want right now...And as I kept thinking, rereading this diary, before I knew it the shop was closing. I was lost on what to get him--but I'm truly blessed to be able to think about a friend like that. In the end I just bought some pastry ingredients and made some sugary cookies for him. It's not much, but I hope he'll like them. Oh my god this show is so cute.
|
|
#
¿
May 19, 2014 01:02
|
|
|
Diary entry time: Today, I went to the beach with Hase-kun and all my other friends. We didn't get to actually go swimming, but it was a lot of fun! After the rain let up, we lit a bunch of pretty fireworks. And I went to an arcade for the first time. Kiryuu-kun won adorable animal plushies for Saki-chan and me in a crane game. He said he was just lucky, but he grabbed two prizes in a single play, I can't believe it! Saki-chan was happy about it, too. Hase-kun never managed to win, and he was clearly mad about that. I'm just happy that kept trying so hard. When I thanked him for it, he just said "When we come back next year, that thing is mine!" He's truly a wonderful person. It's been a while since I read this part in the manga, but I don't remember it being quite so melodramatic on the whole front of Hase and Fujimiya confronting their feelings for each other. Probably helps that it's a 4koma, since it's hard to make those seem dramatic. I'm curious what all your thoughts are on the post-credits scene and the title of the next episode.
|
|
#
¿
May 25, 2014 17:40
|
|
|
Hahahaha today's diary entry is incredible. Today was the last day of summer vacation. Hase-kun, Kiryu-kun, and Saki-chan all came over to do our summer homework together, it was really fun! I learned a couple new things too: Saki-chan and Kiryu-kun were friends in elementary school, and Kiryu-kun finished all his homework on the first day of break. Hase-kun really puts a lot of effort into his struggles, trying to finish all of our work in one day. It's not really something you can finish that quickly though, so...oh, there's just so much I want to write in here and I can't fit it all! Hase-kun said that he would have liked to do something more fitting for summer than homework, but I'll treasure the experience just for the fact that it was with my friends. I've written so much in this diary today that my fingers are beginning to hurt, so I'll just say that every day has been amazingly fulfilling. As long as I'm with Hase-kun, I'm sure that there will be even more fun things to do waiting in store for me. I'm really looking forward to what the next semester holds! Thank you, Hase-kun. Please keep being my friend from now on. Now this is the episode that makes me wonder how the transition from manga to anime is going to work from here on. I mentioned before that the original manga is a 4koma, and it generally doesn't have a lot of drama associated with what are otherwise dramatic situations. There are occasional bits, usually at the end of each volume, but other than that, things tend to stay pretty lighthearted, especially due to the art style. But mood whiplash like that probably doesn't translate well to the anime, so I'm curious what kind of tone they're gonna go for. You can read the latest translated manga chapter (17) to see what I mean. This episode covered up to the end of chapter 14 (also the end of volume 3), and the intervening chapters don't have any particularly plot-relevant spoilers going on. I think I figured out where the show's going to end, too.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 1, 2014 19:40
|
|
|
Diary translation is gonna be late this week. I'm on vacation at the moment and won't be home to watch the episode for a couple days.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 8, 2014 21:25
|
|
|
Okay, I'm back and watched the episode, so first, the diary entry: The boy I wrote about in this diary, Hase-kun, came to talk to me today. I wonder if I really made all those lunches and ate with him...My diary says so, but... I understand now what I meant by all those times I kept saying he was a good person, but, Hase-kun... Well for now, I'll just see to it that I keep writing in this diary every day. So this is how the show is going to deal with the tone clashing I mentioned before. If you read the manga chapter or two following Kujou's appearance, you can see that there are a few changes and omissions--in particular, one funny scene where Saki tries to figure out what happened between Fujimiya and Hase was completely cut in order to maintain the melancholic tone. That's a little disappointing, one of the things I really like about the manga is just how well it can swap between lighthearted humor and heavy drama while still feeling genuine, but I'll take what we've got here happily enough.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 13, 2014 21:25
|
|
|
This week's diary was a little bit harder to translate, and there might be some mistakes: Today I remembered exactly what happened when I lost all my memories, but nothing else. That alone is enough for me to understand why it happened: it's still so sad, it still hurts so much. I'm scared, all I can do is stay withdrawn like this. I just want to run away, to disappear somewhere. Those feelings have never truly left me. But now things are different. I have friends to support me. Hase-kun, Saki-chan, Ai-chan, Maiko-chan, Kiryu-kun, and even Kujo-kun. With their help, maybe... I have to diligently write down everything that happened today. The things that hurt me, surprised me, the things I talked to Saki-chan about, what happened at the restaurant. And on Monday I must tell Hase-kun, "It's alright. You don't have to worry." Others have harped on Hase already, so I'll just add one thing I noticed myself. I think one of the reasons this show feels so genuine despite its melodrama is the relationship between Hase and Kiryu. That bit at the beginning of the episode, where Hase buys Kiryu a drink, regrets it, and Kiryu motions to pour the drink on him resonates so perfectly with actual friendship that it startled me. That is exactly the kind of thing close friends do, and almost no attention was drawn to it. Little touches like that litter the show, and really make it clear that these two are friends, far more than the usual harem protagonist and his wacky sidekick who stick together for some reason.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 15, 2014 20:47
|
|
|
Time for the final diary entry  Today, I finally told Hase-kun what I'd wanted to for a very long time. It was so embarrassing with all of our classmates watching, my heart was pounding, but I committed myself to saying it. Hase-kun approached me first, so I was finally able to encourage him back. Hase-kun is truly amazing. Every single week, he keeps saying it: "I'd like for us to be friends." I'm sure that back at the start I looked so unapproachable...I'm sorry. He's very brave. Just like his name--Yuuki--though they're written with different kanji. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, and it's thanks to Hase-kun that I can think that way. Thank you, Hase-kun. Until I see you tomorrow, good night. That was a reasonable ending. The beginning of the episode highlights one of the problems that had been kind of glossed over the entire show: we always see their friendship as Fujimiya being Hase's friend (the possessive there being important), and not necessarily the other way around. Hase concerns himself with Fujimiya's feelings, and largely absolves her of any responsibility for his, making their relationship very one-sided. Which is one of the reasons this last episode was powerful. It's a common pattern, yeah, but Fujimiya breaking Hase out of his slump, and them now asking each other to be friends as opposed to Hase doing it himself is a strong symbol that their relationship has progressed into something much more equal. It's definitely an evolution, fitting for a last episode. Since the anime is supposed to promote the manga sales, there was no chance of a romance ending, but the whole thing would have felt flat if there was no climactic progress at the end. The ending we got did a good job of avoiding both of those problems. So from here on we can expect the manga to continue going on. I've read up through volume 5 but I can't get access to the magazine it's published in, so I haven't been able to get any further. Volume 6 comes out a month from today, though. For those interested: there are a few interesting divergences from the manga early on (I mentioned that the crepe store was not closed the first time they went), and much of this last bit after Kujo's arrival, while including manga elements, was overall quite different.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 22, 2014 21:12
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 19, 2024 04:47 |
|
|
I may have glossed over it, but I don't think the manga even shows him having a diary at all. As far as I can tell, the anime used it only to create a common trait between the two.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 3, 2014 20:31
|
|