Ep 1. In the Garden Where the Hydrangeas Bloom

In the Garden Where the Hydrangeas Bloom is the first episode of the season 1 of Mahoromatic. The episode begins with a boy named Suguru Misato having breakfast with his maid named Minawa, who he knows as a robot. Suguru's parents left him to live alone with Minawa, and he has grown used to her routine routines around the house. But his regular life takes a turn when a woman named Mahoro Andou shows up at his doorstep and introduces herself as his new maid.

Mahoro is an attractive young woman with a signature red outfit and white apron. Her mannerisms and style immediately make Suguru feel out of place. Suguru's classmates Matsui, Kawahara, and Nakabayashi also become interested in this new maid and follow Suguru home to see her. Mahoro quickly reveals that she is actually a combat android built to fight alien invaders and has only 398 days left to live. She has chosen to spend the remainder of her life assisting Suguru and his friends.

As Suguru and Mahoro begin to establish their new working relationship, Mahoro tries to integrate herself into Suguru's life by tidying up his room, cleaning the garden, and preparing meals for him. This gradually helps Suguru to warm up to Mahoro and builds a sense of dependence on her. During the cleaning of the garden, Mahoro comes across a flower bed filled with hydrangeas that was once tended to by Suguru's deceased grandmother. Mahoro realizes how important the garden is to Suguru and decides to allow him to take care of it with her assistance.

Throughout the episode, Mahoro's background as a combat android is revealed, and she is being chased by a group of aliens. Suguru becomes worried about her safety and asks Mahoro to stay away from any dangerous situations. Mahoro finds it hard to connect with her human feelings and instead chooses to focus her attention on taking care of Suguru's needs.

In the end, Mahoro, Suguru, and their friends come together in the garden and enjoy the beautiful sight of the hydrangeas. They share a momentary bond and Suguru realizes how much Mahoro has come to mean to him in such a short time. The episode ends with Mahoro and Suguru sitting in the garden, looking at the beautiful hydrangeas, and contemplating the future.

Overall, the episode sets the stage for the series' unique mix of science fiction and slice-of-life elements. Mahoro's character is introduced as a powerful yet vulnerable machine trying to understand the emotional intricacies of human life. The plot also hints at the underlying tension between Mahoro's combat duties and her new role as Suguru's maid. The episode leaves viewers with anticipation for what's next for Mahoro and Suguru's unique companionship.