Love Hurricane! (ラブ・ハリケーン!, Rabu Harikēn!) is the first episode of the Peach Girl anime series.
Synopsis[]
Being the new girl at school is never easy, just ask Momo Adachi! When your "best friend" spends most of her time trying to show you up you just can't be too careful.
Summary[]
While walking to Tonan High School, first-year student Momo Adachi is solicited by an older man, prompting her to push him to the ground. Everyone, including her friend Sae Kashiwagi, is shocked by this, but Momo continues walking to school. In an inner monologue, Momo explains that her dark skin and bleached hair gives people the wrong impression of her.
At school, Momo notices a bag Sae is carrying and asks about it. Sae says that she bought it yesterday after Momo left their trip to the mall where they saw the bag because she decided she wanted it. This confuses Momo since Sae insulted the bag and her for liking it. Sae responds by saying she was wrong. Annoyed, Momo has another inner monologue where she deduces that Sae only wanted it because she wanted it. She continues by saying that Sae copies her physical appearance but believes that Sae looks better and receives positive attention because of her pale skin and slim physique. Sae then greets Kazuya Tojigamori, causing Momo to blush. Toji, as Momo calls him, gives Momo a photo of him with Tetsuya and Machako.
Momo fawns over the interaction while working on an art assignment. Sae notices, saying that she doesn't interact with other boys. Momo says that she's known Toji for a while before running off to change the paint water. She sees a group of boys talking about how physically beautiful Sae is compared to Momo, speculating about her dark skin. Toji explains that Momo's appearance is due to her being on the swim team and rebukes the boys. Blushing, Momo is happy that Toji stood up for her.
Back in class, Momo applies sunscreen, which Sae disapproves of. Momo says that she doesn't want to tan during the summer and plans to confess her feelings to Toji when her skin color becomes lighter than his. During lunch break, Sae asks Momo if she likes anyone. Before Sae can guess who, Momo lies and points to Kairi Okayasu, a popular boy in their class who is with Aki, Nori and Sango. Kairi notices Momo and winks at her, startling Momo. She then notices Sae having what appears to be a nice conversation with Kairi. Sometime after, Kairi asks Sae about the bag, saying that he was at the mall and heard everything that Sae said about it and Momo. Sae defends herself but Kairi says that he prefers nice, "healthy-looking" girls like Momo and that Sae will end up alone if she continues to act "selfish". Shocked by this, Sae angrily gives the "tacky" bag to Momo. Momo realizes that Kairi turned Sae down and silently praises him.
The next day, Momo, wearing a necklace with the photo Toji gave her, greets her classmates who are gathered at the chalkboard. She notices that someone wrote her and Kairi's name together under a "love umbrella". Suspecting Sae, Momo confronts her. Although Sae denies writing it, she says that it's the truth and that someone must've overheard them, admonishing Momo for not considering that before leaving. Momo angrily stomps back to class.
Aki, Nori and Sango confront Momo about the now-spreading rumor of her and Kairi. She tries to clarify the situation but the girls directly state that Kairi told them the two kissed. Angry at Kairi, Momo starts to walk off to find him but Aki and Nori hold her back while Sango rips her necklace off. Nori then steps on it and warns Momo to back off from Kairi. This causes Momo to lash out at the girls, who then notice Kairi clapping and cheering them on. Momo approaches Kairi and blames him for the situation before sucker punching him in the face. She then asks him why he's spreading the rumor. Surprised, Kairi explains that Momo saved his life two years ago at a beach by giving him mouth-to-mouth CPR, remembering her long hair touching his face. However, Momo clarifies that the other lifeguard- a man with long hair- was the one who gave him CPR. The girls walk off as Kairi reels over this revelation. Realizing that the rumor has spread everywhere, Momo asks how he's going to resolve the rumor. Kairi says to make it true and proceeds to kiss her. Momo is completely frozen in shock and doesn't respond to Kairi. When he attempts to kiss her again, Momo proceeds to knee Kairi's groin. She angrily yells that she should've never saved him and berates him before running away.
In the locker room, everyone gossips about the rumor. As Momo leaves, she encounters Toji, who simply turns and walks away from her. Sae comments on this; Momo dejectedly confirms that he knows about it. Sitting out of class, she internally dialogues about how the rumor has further ruined her already unfair reputation and how Toji is the only guy she ever truly had feelings for. As Momo cries, Kairi hugs her from behind and compliments her figure. Momo punches him and again angrily tells him to stay away. Momo's classmates notices the two interacting with each other. Toji hears them speculate on the nature of their relationship. After class, Toji confronts Kairi about the rumor. However, Kairi dodges the questions. Toji warns Kairi to stay away from Momo, defending her appearance. Kairi intentionally riles up Toji by expressing his interest in Momo and asking Toji if her tan goes below her school uniform. Flustered, Toji punches a hole in a wall next to Kairi's head and threatens him to stay away from Momo.
Sae encounters Toji at his locker. They have a brief conversation before they see Momo telling Kairi to leave her alone. Toji is surprised to hear Momo say she already likes somebody. He then blushes when Momo confirms that she's referring to Toji. Toji and Sae continue listening in as Kairi asks if Momo has ever confessed her feelings. Momo says that back in junior high, her friend told her that Toji didn't like girls with tan skin. While it bothered her, it pushed her to do anything in order to get rid of her tan skin in the hopes of one day becoming Toji's girlfriend. Sae says that Momo said she liked Kairi but sees that Toji is still blushing and speechless.
The next day, Momo reads a note in her locker, which says that Kairi wants to meet her at the pool to discuss their future. Kairi, having received a similar note supposedly from Momo, waits at the pool. He then pulls out an older photo of him and a girl from his handbook but a gust of wind blows it out of his hand. As Momo walks over to the pool, Kairi loses his footing trying to grab the photo from the pool and falls into it. When Momo arrives, she sees Kairi's body floating in the water. When he doesn't respond to Momo's shouts, she dives into the pool and pulls him out. Momo listens in and doesn't hear Kairi breathing. She remembers the lifeguard's advice to perform mouth-to-mouth CPR immediately. Sae tells Toji that Momo and Kairi are at the pool together and alone, pointing to them. They see Momo giving CPR to Kairi. Sae fake panics that Momo is kissing Kairi but Toji notices that something is wrong. When he approaches Momo, she tells him to call an ambulance but Kairi coughs out the water.
Momo and Toji take Kairi to school nurse Misao Aki's office. Kairi thanks Momo and once again expresses his interest in her. Misao and Kairi proceed to have a lighthearted back-and-forth. As Momo and Toji walk home together, Toji admits that he overheard her conversation with Kairi about her feelings towards him and says that he doesn't hate girls with dark skin. He confesses that he likes Momo too. The episode ends with the two of them staring at each other.