Arakawa under the Bridge x Bridge 1

Domestic tranquility under the bridge.

Arakawa under the Bridge is back for a second season (Bridge x Bridge, hereafter Bridge^2). Impressively they managed to kick it off not only with the usual random hi-jinx and crazy characters, but also with some strong hints about where the second season is going. For those unfamiliar with the first season, this is a wacky comedy show, with some unusually serious content swimming just below the surface.

Nino-san is back, and this time I want answers.

Three great things about this second season kickoff:

1. We get to see the various residents of the village under the bridge again. There are a lot of fun characters, and this episode gave us an opportunity to spend a little time with almost all of them.
2. The one thing I wanted from Bridge^2 most of all was some information about Nino’s background (and/or mental stability). Right from the very beginning this episode dropped hints that that is exactly what Shaft intends to deliver.
3. Somehow the artwork in this episode looks even better than the art from the first season!

It's good to see that Ric is still having fun with his under-the-bridge friends.

Much of this episode was the usual silliness with the villagers “competing” in a race. Highlights included Sister’s bizarre notion of testing his limits, Stella’s mobile book-making operation, the Mayor’s “evolved form”, and, of course, Ric and Hoshi acting like idiots in a vain attempt to impress Nino.

Look to the skies, Nino.

But the really exciting parts were the ones that hinted at future revelations about Nino-san’s past. These started with the mysterious dream that caused Nino to cry, which was repeated in extended form at the episode’s end. In between Ric finds an expensive-looking child’s dress in Nino’s belongings. At the end in Nino’s dream, she is left alone on the river, shouting, “wait!”, as a rocket ship departs, carrying a little girl that looks like a young Nino, who happens to be wearing the dress just mentioned.

Oh, that hair!

One final note, there was no ED, but the new OP was a visual treat. Musically, the song Cosmos versus Aliens doesn’t seem to be as strong as either OP for season 1, but it was fun to hear, nontheless. Check it out for yourself: