Ep 1. 1 Bridge
- TV-14
- April 3, 2010
- 26 min
-
7.1 (22)
In the first episode of Arakawa Under the Bridge, titled "1 Bridge," we are introduced to our protagonist, Kou Ichinomiya. Kou is the son of a wealthy businessman and has been taught to never owe anyone anything and to always be self-sufficient. He believes that this mindset has led to his success, as he is now a successful businessman in his own right.
However, Kou's life takes a strange turn when he is almost drowning in the river and is saved by a strange woman named Nino. Nino is a homeless girl who lives under a bridge on the Arakawa riverbank. When Kou tries to repay her by offering her money, she refuses and asks for something much stranger - for Kou to be her boyfriend.
Kou is taken aback by this request, but before he can even process it, Nino's "family" shows up to greet him. They are all homeless people who live under the bridge, and each member has their own unique personality and quirks.
Kou finds himself agreeing to stay with Nino and her "family" for a while to repay his debt to her. However, he quickly realizes that life under the bridge is far from easy. He is constantly being put in bizarre situations and is introduced to a world completely different from his own.
Throughout the episode, we see Kou struggling to adjust to his new life and to figure out just what kind of person Nino is. He is constantly questioning whether or not she is insane or if there is something deeper going on.
As the episode progresses, Kou starts to develop relationships with the other members of Nino's family. He meets Sister, a nun who cross-dresses and acts as the mediator of the group, Recruit, a man who dresses like a kappa and is obsessed with salaryman culture, Hoshi, a man who thinks he is an alien and speaks in a garbled language, and several other eccentric individuals.
Despite all the strange situations that Kou finds himself in, he begins to find a sense of community and belonging with Nino and her family. He starts to realize that there is more to life than just being successful in business and that it's okay to rely on others.
Overall, the first episode of Arakawa Under the Bridge sets the tone for the rest of the series - it's quirky, funny, and heartwarming. It introduces us to a cast of unforgettable characters and sets up the premise for Kou's journey of self-discovery. If you're a fan of offbeat humor and heartwarming moments, this is definitely a series worth checking out.