NieA_7

The show begins with a young girl, Mayuko. She's 18 and she's happy living her ordinary life. She lives in an apartment building, she goes to work every day; she's not that much different than the average young woman. Except, perhaps, for her living situation. Her roommate is Niea. And, well, there's no other way to say it, but Niea is an alien. As such, she behaves rather strangely, and is curious about things which most of us would find rather boring and ordinary. And, of course, like many great anime characters, she has a voracious appetite and is a bit of a troublemaker.

There are two types of aliens, the elite kind, which have these antennae things on their heads, and the "unders," which don't. Niea is of the latter type, and so, at least in her alien society, she is of the lower-class. But that doesn't really seem to matter much in the early stages of the story.

The show is mostly about the lives of Mayuko and her strange roommate Niea. One of the more interesting subplots revolves around Mayuko's friend, Chiaki, who is a UFO buff. She's one of those fanatical types who documents her experiences on her website. So, needless to say, Mayuko really isn't all that keen on her finding out that her roommate is an alien. And the scene where they try to hide Niea's spaceship in their room is incredibly funny.

    The show ranges from quiet and almost boring to fast-paced slapstick comedy, mostly with Niea at the center. Mayuko is often the straight man in these jokes, and finds herself being blown up, thrown in a river of flammable oil, and eaten by giant plants.

    The central story here, of course, is of Niea and Mayuko, and it's one that develops slowly. But then again, friendships develop over time.