Kodo Iwamoto, a student from a military academy, is sent to investigate a strange rumor: a village that allegedly experiences black snow. Upon arrival at the village, he begins his investigations, which lead him to a beautiful garden with an odd variety of flower. When he picks one of them, the ground gives way beneath his feet, and he is injured. But just before he blacks out, he sees an unknown young man approaching him… He awakens to find his pain is gone, and the village leader credits this to their nigh miraculous local pharmaceuticals. Iwamoto remains unconvinced, however, even (or especially) after seeing a man’s pain seemingly relieved simply by painting a stripe on his chest. Is this medicine, or something else? He finds another entrance to the underground cavern, whereupon he meets the same young man, whom he discovers has a unique condition: He causes flowers to bloom around himself, and said flowers release chemicals that relieve pain—but also cause hallucinations (like the aforementioned black snow) and even death, depending on the amount ingested. Against the will of the other villagers, Iwamoto invites the young man to join a school of individuals who, like him (and, as it turns out, Iwamoto himself), suffer from supernatural conditions that put themselves and others at risk. Though the townspeople threaten violence, in the end they let the young man go, and Iwamoto provides a recommendation for him to the school, thereby becoming his senpai— Ooooh! So that’s what the title is about!

Recommendations has nice visuals, a fun opening, and an intriguing premise—the eponymous Iwamoto traveling around to find individuals who are dealing with supernatural “health conditions.” It’s a rather open-ended concept, one that could lead to either a wandering set of loosely related anecdotes or something more coherently woven together. Possible symbolism abounds: It’s hard not to read the young man’s condition, and various attempts to use or regulate it, as analogous to various drug epidemics of the modern era, for example. There are some suggestions of possible BL themes in the future, though nothing certain in this one episode. While I can’t say this is a groundbreaking work, those interested in supernatural stories in a late historical setting will probably enjoy it.

Recommendations from Iwamoto-Senpai is streaming on Crunchyroll.