Shiori may be just another annoying anime brat, but her youthful energy beats Midori's helplessness in the likability department. Despite the fact I'm gradually growing bored with the show, the supporting characters continue to hold my interest. Unfortunately, the story will have to revert back to focusing solely on Seiji and Midori at some point. Hopefully, it'll find a way to make things interesting in the end.

Oh, and it's nice to know the animators have a sense of humor...

I have to say I have to disagree with your assessment about Midori. Midori is hardly what I'd call helpless. If you're referring to her physical limitation, you have to remember that she has, time and time again, physically put herself on the line to help Seiji. Also remember that she is currently somehow debilitated due to her condition as Seiji's right hand. It must be quite exhausting for her to have to perform usual tasks that normally take the full power of a grown up person to do. If you referring to her emotional state, her helplessness is actually a part of the plot. Midori is supposed to be emotionally timid because that's the entire point of this series. The series is meant to show that she has to grow up and stop being timid and start to work hard to get what she wants in life (ie. Seiji). And if I have to compare the two, I find her far more sympathetic than Ayase who likes Seiji but puts on an ice-queen facade which makes her far hypocritical for my taste.

I actually spent several minutes staring at the keyboard, trying to come up with the right adjective to describe Midori's current personality, eventually settling on "helpless" despite the fact it didn't really convey my thoughts. My real point is that Midori doesn't show a wide range of personality, and as annoying as Shiori was at times, she injected a sort of energy in the show that's missing when the focus is on Midori.

In other words, I find Midori to be the least interesting character of the show thus far - which is kind of bothersome when you consider she's the show's namesake and all.

MIDORIS Personallity=.................Helpless..........??????? helpless is a good way to set the cards down. and show the truth. Ohya!

I also think that you're a little bit harsh on Midori, Jeff. Yes, she is totally smitten with Seiji, which is giving her a slightly "simple" and one-dimensional impression, but if you watch closely, she's both pretty smart _and_ sharp. And once the series is turning a _little_ bit more serious (see the end of this episode, where the diary entry was not a happy one for the first time), she will become a much more interesting character.

On the other hand, I absolutely love Ayase. Yes, she puts up an ice queen front, but this is exactly what's making me so sympathetic of her. She's such a great person overall, and then she's got to fall for SEIJI, for crying out loud ^_^

The next episode will be soooo awesome. I already know it.

I must agree about Midori herself; she feels very one-dimensional and her personality, flat. Though I must admit, I though the scene very funny where Seiji was passed out due to the liquor and Midori had ot take care of things... Another problem with Midori is that she has no conflict or problems associated with the character (well, if we don't count being Seiji's right hand as problem; she certainly doesn't view it that way). There is no struggle. She's living her dream come true, so to say, which makes it.... bland.

I'm rooting for Ayase. ^_^ Her dilemma (make Seiji take interest in her) is much more interesting, and not something I've seen too many times in anime shows, outside the obvious harem animes like Tenchi and Love Hina.

Anyway, that's my 0.02 euros... And speaking of Ayase, see episode 7, gives us a good glimpse to her personality... and some other places ;D