REVIEW: ‘A Condition Called Love’ Episode 1 — “Nice To Meet You”

Based on the manga series written and illustrated by Megumi Morino, A Condition Called Love Episode 1 wastes little time in establishing its central conceit. From East Fish Studio, the latest shojo adaptation embraces the will they/won’t they heart at its center. While there are some stumbling blocks along the way, namely a male protagonist whose eagerness to please could read as pushy, the overall effect of the premiere, “Nice To Meet You,” is a lovely introduction to winsome characters.

Hotaru Hinase (Kana Hanazawa) is 16 years old and is witnessing a dramatic breakup. The boy in question, Saki Hananoi (Chiaki Kobayashi), is enormously popular. TallHe’s and seen as attractive by most of his classmates, we quickly learn he’s a romantic. He believes in soulmates and is happy to accept being dumped if it simply means the girl in question wasn’t the right one. Hotaru, meanwhile, is ambivalent about romantic love. She’s happy and content enough in the life she shares with her family and friends. Possessing an open and welcoming heart, she offers her umbrella to Hananoi while passing by him. This small act of generosity and kindness opens up her world and the series in general.

The next day, he asks her out in the middle of class. Stunned, she politely turns him down, but that doesn’t slow his efforts. Stuck wondering why he would fall for her, he shares that her comfort with him strikes him. He’s used to awkward confrontations. Hotaru, comparatively, couldn’t care less about his looks. It’s refreshing to Hananoi. Hotaru, though, is still hesitant about dating, even after Hananoi suggests a trial period. But Hotaru worries that a trial dating period would only leave Hananoi hurt.

This line of thinking opens up one of the most interesting elements of A Condition Called Love. Despite Hananoi’s countless attempts to get Hotaru to like him, she is mainly concerned about his wellbeing. He changes his hair and takes out his piercings, wondering if they’re too flashy. He brings her lunch, which she promptly splits to share, and offers to walk her home. At this point, Hotaru is already worrying that Hananoi doesn’t think about himself enough. But it’s pushed over the edge when he stays after school to dig through the snow for one of her lost hairpins.

Hotaru likes Hananoi as a friend even if she doesn’t yet feel romance. So, seeing him actively hurting himself and disregarding his health upsets her. It’s such a human moment that helps ground Hananoi’s more over-the-top declarations. She yells at him, despite embracing him too, that he can’t just harm himself for her. And when he tells her that all of his actions have been efforts to make her smile, she lashes out at him. If he’s only trying to make her happy at the cost of his own, is love worth it? She tells him she doesn’t want to fall in love if it means only one half of the couple is happy.

It’s a sweet sequence on the whole, especially as it helps humanize Hananoi, who, until now, had been merely a reactive character. But the animation shows how the snow imprints on his jacket and pants as he kneels. It captures the tips of his ear burned red by the cold. He is, by Hotaru’s account, enigmatic. But despite his declarative gestures and bravado, a teenager is making relatable mistakes.

It’s here too where the series will be divisive. While A Condition Called Love Episode 1 is overall charming, it’s easy to see Hananoi’s characterization being polarizing. Hopefully, however, his character will mellow out and stop being as pushy, even if that pushiness gives the character room to grow and develop. This is especially true given his determination to gain Hotaru’s affection often leads to his self-destructive behaviors. But the writing could benefit from toning it down so that he’s less pushy and more deeply infatuated.

Regardless, A Condition Called Love Episode 1 finds beauty in the details. With a gorgeous color palette of striking, soft-lit violets and a sweetly sweeping score by Yamazo, the series has a lot to work with. The premiere moves quickly, going from first introductions to new dating in the span of an episode. While Hotaru isn’t sure she is capable of romantic love or even interested in it, she wants to try it with Hananoi.

A Condition Called Love Episode 1, “Nice to Meet You,” is an engaging debut with charismatic characters. While some character moments are messily crafted, there’s room for growth as we move beyond simple introductions. There’s depth here. It might miss some marks, but there’s no doubt the draw of the series as we continue to explore Hotaru and Hananoi’s relationship and singular development.

A Condition Called Love Episode 1 is out now on Crunchyroll.