Watch This Ugly Yet Beautiful World

TV-14
2004
1 Season
6.0 (328)

This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is an adventure and romance anime series that aired on TBS from April to June in 2004. The series revolves around a young boy named Takeru who finds himself caught up in the world of the unknown after he meets two mysterious girls, Hikari and Akari. Under the direction of Hideki Okamoto and written by famed writer D Jigounov, this anime series is an emotional and captivating tale of friendship, love, and facing the unknown.

The series starts with Takeru who is spending his summer vacation with his best friend Ryo. During their adventure, they encounter a strange light in the forest, which leads Takeru to meet Hikari, a beautiful and mysterious girl. After witnessing Hikari's magical powers, Takeru becomes fascinated by her and insists on seeing her again. The next day, Takeru finds himself in another unexpected encounter with Hikari, which leads to Akari, Hikari's best friend, revealing that she and Hikari are from another world.

Takeru's life takes a dramatic turn as he becomes involved with Hikari and Akari's struggle to save their dying world. The girls are on a mission to collect powerful entities known as "fragments" that will help them restore their world to a better state. The fragments are hidden among humans and can only be uncovered by a special power that Hikari possesses. Takeru finds himself caught up in this mission, and the three of them embark on a journey that brings them closer together.

The anime is filled with stunning visuals, beautiful music, and engaging characters. Takeru's character is particularly interesting to watch as he grows from a typical teenager to a mature individual who must confront the darker side of the world. Hikari and Akari's characters are both complex, and their bond is integral to the story as they balance each other's strengths and weaknesses.

The series also explores the theme of love in various forms. Takeru develops a close bond with Hikari, and their relationship grows as the series progresses. The mystery surrounding Hikari and Akari's origins adds to the tension and raises questions about the possibility of true love transcending different worlds.

The supporting characters in the show are also well fleshed-out, with each having a unique personality that adds to the richness of the story. Ryo is Takeru's best friend, who doesn't have magical powers but supports Takeru in his mission. Mari, a girl who befriended Takeru early on, is optimistic and full of life, adding a touch of humor to the story. Mizuki, a girl who is jealous of the relationship between Takeru and Hikari, adds a bit of conflict and a side plot that keeps the story interesting.

The series climaxes with some unexpected twists, including a dark turn that adds to the emotional intensity. The finale is satisfying, bringing closure to the storylines that were introduced throughout the series. The conclusion wraps up loose ends, providing a satisfying resolution for fans of the show.

Overall, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is an emotionally engaging anime that is worth watching. The series is a perfect blend of adventure, romance, and fantasy that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Whether you are a fan of anime or new to the genre, this series is one that should not be missed.

This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is a series that ran for 1 seasons (13 episodes) between April 8, 2004 and on TBS

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Seasons

12. My Heart's Song

June 17, 2004

Hikari explains to Takeru that she does not want to destroy the world. But is it too late since she's given the order Ioneous is busy messing up the planet. Hikari, Akari, and Takeru try to stop Ioneous.

11. Flowing Along With Time

June 10, 2004

Hikari tells Takeru that he's no different from the other monsters who've attacked her. Then she reminds Takeru of all his distressing memories of his mother leaving him. He freaks out, which appears to be her goal. Hikari decides to destroy the world. Akari freaks out and vows to stop her. This leads to Hikari and Takeru's predestined showdown, except that neither of them are trying to kill each other.

10. False Heart

June 3, 2004

Hikari has dreams that push her further towards full awakening. Mari decides to confess her love to Takeru but when she walks up to him to do so, she finds him in the garage about to kiss Hikari. She accuses Hikari of betraying their friendship. Then Mari slaps Hikari which makes her freak out about having hurt someone without meaning to, and something inside her shifts. A new monster then comes after her.

9. Wish Upon a Star

May 27, 2004

Ryou and Takeru talk about their powers. Akari and Hikari figure out themselves. Jennifer reports that the bringers of great extinction are doing what they do to make sure that evolution follows the "correct" path. Takeru gets a cheap junker bike which he promptly falls in love with it. Akari explains to Hikari that they used to be one being, but now that they've split into two, Hikari is the one who argues to cause mass extinction on various planets and Akari is the one who argues against that.

8. This Wonderful World

May 20, 2004

Jennifer thinks Takeru and all the monsters that attacked Hikari are EDs. She describes them as monsters with abnormally extreme and single-minded aggression. However, she says that Takeru hasn't figured out who/what he is yet and is protecting the one he should be destroying. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang goes to the Bon Festival and has fun. But afterwards, Hikari's other personality starts talking to Hikari, and tells her that she'll bring as much death to this world. Hikari begins to awaken to her role in the universe.

7. Prelude to a Kiss

May 13, 2004

The group all goes to the seaside to make money selling food. Hikari tries to get Takeru to kiss her. Then another monster comes after Hikari. After Hikari is torn away from him by the monster and he almost drown, Takeru transforms and begins to kill the beast.

6. Lingering By the Water's Edge

May 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.

5. School Days

April 29, 2004

Hikaru transfers to Takeru's school thinking it will be fun. During an emergency drill, she turns into her other personality and destroys part of the building to get at a blue crystal. Later she doesn't seem to remember what she's done, but it turns out the blue crystal is Ioneous, a robot-looking dude who refers to her as his "master."

4. Life from Now On

April 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.

3. Two In the Shade of a Tree

April 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.

3. The Two Silhouettes

May 13, 2009

Ryou continues his visits with the strange girl in the forest. Kuon gets caught stealing watermelons.

2. You're My First

April 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.

1. Dawn Is the Dividing Line Between Light and Darkness

April 8, 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.

Description

Where to Watch This Ugly Yet Beautiful World

This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is available for streaming on the TBS website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch This Ugly Yet Beautiful World on demand at Apple TV.