The BEST episodes of This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
Every episode of This Ugly Yet Beautiful World ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of This Ugly Yet Beautiful World!
Two young high school boys, Takeru and Ryo, are struggling through teenage angst when a mysterious light in the woods offers forth a young girl practically out of Takeru's dreams. They are promptly attacked by a strange alien-looking monster, which is defeated when Takeru mysteriously and spontaneously transforms into a powerful and strange looking beast himself. Not much is clear about the girl, who they name Hikari (Light), but she is more than a little bit strange. Without a memory or a past, the girl is integrated into the lives of the two boys and their families. She knows only her love for Takeru. Most of the group live in a type of group home, along with Jennifer Portman, a drunken American super-scientist who can't keep her hands off the boys and has her own theories about what Hikari is. The series follows them as they hang-out, go to school, and take trips, and all the while Hikari, and also later her "sister" Akari, learn about the human condition. They are also joined by a shape-shifting robot called Ioneos, apparently loyal to Hikari, and Kuon, a little floating alien. They also encounter more strange monsters on occasion. The series spirals towards a rather unexpected climax questioning the value of human life, relationships, love, and the spirit of survival shown by all life on Earth.
#1 - Prelude to a Kiss
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/13/2004
After the mountains, everyone heads to the beach. They all pitch in to help Takeru's aunt and uncle's beach restaurant. With Hikari making so many mistakes, she and Takeru are allowed to take off. They are attacked by a huge water dragon like thing and Takeru turns into his suped up form to save her.
#2 - School Days
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/29/2004
Hikaru thinks it will be enjoyable to go to school with Takeru so she begins school with him. Soon she finds out that it is really boring.
#3 - Lingering by the Water's Edge
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/6/2004
It's summer break, and they all go to the mountains to camp. Hikari and Akari learn about nature and are happy; Ioneous and Jennifer get drunk, and are also happy. The group decides to play a game in the dark where they're basically supposed to split up into pairs and stake a flag on a rock. Hikari and Takeru wind up together and the rest of the group has fun spying on them, until Ioneous in monster-form starts running around in a drunken fit, making them think they're being attacked.
#4 - Life From Now On
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/22/2004
Ryou takes Akari home with him and soon his little sister Kimi starts to grow fond of Akari in spite of herself, and the three wind up declaring themselves a family, after which Akari moves into the Ninomiya household. Akari is introduced to Hikari and learns that she too came from space. Jennifer suggests that they used to be one being with no body, and then divided into two and gained bodies after they got to Earth.
#5 - Flowing Along With Time
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/10/2004
Hikari shows Takeru why he doesn't really love her and why he cannot truly love. Jennifer tells everyone her theories about what Hikari is and Ioneous confirms it. Ryou and Akari arrive trying to stop Hikari. Ryou shows Takeru why they are different even though they both have had parents that abandonded them.
#6 - This Wonderful World
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/20/2004
It is the time for the Festival of Lanterns where Japanese people honor their dead. Hikari wonders about death and it's reality is presented to her when a cricket she's been keeping dies. Jennifer reports on the ED (Extended Definition) phenomena to her superiors. They wonder about what is to happen with a new extinction on the way, something that's happened seven times before in Earth's history. Hikari is plagued by dreams in which her "dark" half wonders why she's fraternizing with those she's to destroy.
#7 - False Heart
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/3/2004
Mari buys a present for Takeru and is going to tell him her feelings for him. When she get to the garage, she sees Takeru about to kiss Hikari. She gets mad at Hikari and slaps her which triggers the destroyer in her. Now things are set in motion for the Earth to be cleansed for the next wave of evolution.
#8 - You're My First
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/8/2004
Takeru and Hikari explain to his friends and family what happened the previous night. Hikari tells them she came to Earth from outer space because she was lonely, but doesn't know anything else about herself. However, because Takeru saved her he's now very precious to her. Takeru's male classmates go wild with jealousy because he's got a cute babe now.
#9 - Two In the Shade of a Tree
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/15/2004
Ryou is waiting to meet someone, although he himself doesn't really know this until he meets her. Her name is Akari, and she is obviously similar to Hikari in that she doesn't remember her past or have a name. Akari is living in the forest, because she remembers being there when she saw a night where there was a very bright light, and she wants to see a night like that again. Ryou begins going to see her regularly on his walks home, and begins to feel very protective towards her.
#10 - Wish Upon a Star
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/27/2004
Takeru gets a fixer upper bike and spends most of his time working on it. Hikari feels left out and Mari takes the whole gang to a junk yard to find parts for the motorcycle. At the junk yard Akari confronts Hikari about their roles on Earth while Ryou and Takeru talk about their new found powers in the garage.
#11 - My Heart's Song
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/17/2004
Takeru convinces Hikari that he loves her, for real this time. Things have already been set in motion by Ioneous though so they must stop him before it's too late for the Earth.
#12 - Dawn is the Dividing Line Between Light and Darkness
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/1/2004
Takeru has been telling Ryou what ideal woman would be like, when suddenly a bright light zooms down out of the sky, hits a tree, and BAM! Who should appear in the tree but Takeru's ideal woman, naked as a jaybird? She seems very vulnerable and scared and obviously doesn't know the basics of human customs or even speech. Takeru gives her a name and vows to protect her.