REVIEW: ‘Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky’ Episode 1 – “An Encounter”

Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky Episode 1 (Tomei na Yoru ni Kakeru Kimi to, Me ni Mienai Koi wo Shita) starts what promises to be a warm, cozy tale about a quiet college freshman whose chance encounter with a blind woman begins a budding romance. It’s a story that explores relationships through the lens of what can happen when someone least expects it.

Director Jou Yoshizaki sets the tone for what appears to be an enchanting love story between two people brought together by fate. Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky deliberately takes its time while still making characters that audiences will want to see more of.

Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky Episode 1 starts out with Kakeru Sorano (Miyu Irino) being dragged to a party by his friend and roommate, Ushio Narumi (Yohei Azakami). While Narumi is the life of the party and genuinely excited to be out having some drinks and a great time, Sorano is more reserved. He makes it clear that the only reason he’s even there is because Narumi wanted him to be. In fact, Sorano comes off as more than just quiet but even cynical and pessimistic.

Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky Episode 1 introduces us to Sorano and Fuyutsuki’s dynamic.

Eventually, amid all the chaos, they notice two women sitting alone at a table. Narumi finds that unusual, grabs Sorano, and drags him over to meet them. Sorano, who just finished explaining that he wants to go through life without even making a ripple, is now about to create a wave.

They meet Yuuko Hayase (Konomi Kohara) and Koharu Fuyutsuki (Saori Hayami). Much like Narumi, Hayase is energetic and outgoing. By contrast, Fuyutsuki is quiet and reserved. She doesn’t say much, but unlike Sorano, when she speaks, it’s always positive. Sorano is instantly intrigued by her cheerfulness, no matter what she’s going through.

Through the rest of Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky Episode 1, Sorano discovers that he is drawn to Fuyutsuki. Seeing how she travels, learns, and communicates opens up a whole new world to Sorano that he never knew existed. Though their story can’t really be called a love story yet, Sorano and Fuyutsuki have taken just the first step towards what feels like an obvious destination, and it all started with a chance encounter.

The series embraces the slow-burn romance. 

The best part of the way Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky Episode 1 unfolds is that there doesn’t appear to be any rush to force Sorano and Fuyutsuki into a relationship. The series embraces a slow burn that many modern storytellers prefer to avoid in favor of a more immediately gratifying story. The only downside is that it slows the pacing down at times.

Sorano’s draw to Fuyutsuki also feels incredibly sweet and innocent. He appears to be attracted to her for who she is instead of merely caring about how she looks. Sorano never talks about Fuyutsuki in a degrading or objectifying manner. He never even comments on how attractive she is. He fully ignores the standard superficial metrics that society normally uses to base attraction on.

There is a lot of story left to tell, but Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky Episode 1 is off to a great start. Despite some very minor pacing issues, the premiere crafts an endearing romance. Its premiere gives us a reason to care about Sorano and Fuyutsuki. Between the main dynamic and the charming premise, there are plenty of reasons to keep watching to see how the story unfolds.

Love Unseen Beneath The Clear Night Sky Episode 1 is available now on Crunchyroll.