Ep 1. Part 1: Everybody Sounds So Weird

As a young girl, Cece Bell is diagnosed with meningitis, which results in her hearing loss. She's fitted with a hearing aid that is hard to handle and frequently malfunctions. Even as a first-grader, she has to explain her condition to her classmates, some of whom don't quite understand what deafness means, and assume that Cece's voice is also different because of her hearing aid.

Cece's family moves to a new neighborhood, and she attends a new school where she feels like an outsider as the only hard-of-hearing student. Her parents assure her that everyone will learn to accept her, but it's easier said than done when Cece struggles to communicate effectively with her peers and her teachers. She's isolated and frustrated, feeling like a misunderstood oddball.

Cece soon discovers a different way to communicate with her classmates by inventing a "secret code" with her best friend Laura. In this way, Cece can understand information relayed by Laura via their own personal code language. With Laura by her side, Cece begins to feel more confident about navigating her new environment.

Despite her insecurities, Cece is a naturally curious girl with a vivid imagination. She spends hours in her room drawing comics and imagining herself as a superhero named El Deafo - with advanced (and humorous) hearing abilities. She starts to feel that her deafness isn't a disability, but a unique characteristic.

El Deafo's adventures become a way for Cece to cope with everyday situations, such as feeling left out during a game of tag or facing her fear of speaking up during class. Cece starts feeling more empowered through her imagination and her own resourcefulness.

Later in the episode, Cece's hearing aid malfunctions during a school-wide presentation, and her classmates start giggling at her distorted-sounding voice. This triggers her to feel embarrassed and self-conscious again. Instead of wallowing in her misery, however, Cece comes up with a creative solution to make her hearing aid work better.

The episode concludes with a poignant moment in which Cece's mom reminds her that she is strong, beautiful, and capable in her own way. It's a reminder that resonates with Cece and underlines her newfound sense of self. This is part of a great new series perfect for fans of graphic novels and slice-of-life stories.