Futsuu no Joshikousei ga [Locodol] Yattemita.

this is hidden gem! I repeat this is hidden gem! before I continue I want to tell to the one who read this that this is not normal review... I'm using this section to let out all of my feeling after watching this anime. so please be aware that there might be spoiler from this.

since i'm not really into moe stuff, it's safe to say that Idol genre is not one of my favorite genre. from what I see, Locodol is really different from any general idol anime out there. one thing for sure what I like from this anime is they not focusing ... on singer itself. this is main reason why I like about this anime...

what I like
- Not focusing on singing, so there is no singing in every episode like any other idol anime
- Comedy is good, and I really like it
- less drama or should I say no drama?
- the character is good, no complicated background or past traumatic story
-

what I don't like?
- no season 2


just to add, one of my least genre is Yuri. but for the first time in my life i really don't mind if it is happening on this anime. I actually don't if it is good or bad things. but for some reason I'm happy if that really happen...sigh

*might be change in the future

Locodol is a pleasant anime. It feels like a breeze of morning air and just like actual morning breeze itself, it passes too easily.

The premise is a bit refreshing compared to most Idol girls out there. Nakaregawa Girls is an idol unit commissioned by the local government of Nakaregawa for the purpose of which to promote the best offerings of the locals. Simply put, these girls must attract the masses without the glitz and the sparkles nationwide idols usually have. The twist here, however, is that what ultimately drives Nakaregawa Girls is not the love for singing or chasing girlhood dreams, but simply showing the ... whole world what Nakaregawa is made of. With such setting, it truly is a delight watching a heroine that is clumsy by nature but never losing her wit once the situation demands it (after all, local idols require mastering the skills of hustling instead of singing and dancing). Moreover, the audience can actually envision such scenario to occur in real life. When Nakaregawa Girls is tasked to report termite extermination, you bet that it is a realistically embarrassing yet hilarious gig, indeed.

That being said, there is always this lingering feeling that something is missing from this anime. Locodol is funny but not hilarious, cute but not adorable, admirable but not inspiring. Lack of commitment in the execution makes Locodol barely pass the passing grade. Last but not least, by the end of the series, the audience does not necessarily feel the urge to look up 'Nakaregawa' on the net-- an urge that had proven to be no issue for local-oriented anime such as Sakura Quest or (if we can point out the most obvious example) Kimi No Na Wa.

Just like Nakaragewa Girls, at least this anime does its job. The quality of the job, though, is another story.

#felixlovesanime

First review on MAL (although I have several anime review blog entries).
Note: The score is adjusted to MAL scales by adding 1pt to the original score.

First of all, this is not the usual idol anime you watch. It's not like shows like Love Live, the The iDOLM@STER etc. Instead surprisingly, the 'Futsuu'(Plain) in the title is what makes this show avoid your stereotypical idol anime.
But on the other hand, it also means that this anime is more close to your usual slice-of-life anime.

The most important feature of this anime is that in many ways, it is not 'idealized'. It depicts the plain-looking work of Locodols ... and how they slowly turn into someone suitable for the job, instead of *cough* turning into a lead guitarist from scratch in one year *cough*.
So let's take a look at the 'not idealized' and 'idealized' aspects:

-NOT IDEALIZED-
>The life as a Locodol, i.e. the main plot. It is more close to real life, but it often becomes too plain and without comedic gags to support. You can't just simply take everyday life onto the screen and make that into an anime.
>Nanako doesn't look as if she can become a Locodol from the start. (Regardless of how it turns out)
>The mascot: it is just a normal mascot which reminds me of the Blue Badger from the Ace Attorney games. Surprisingly, the mascot turns out very good.
>Most songs. Well yeah, usual idol songs are too stereotypical, but here in Locodol, besides the last song they performs(sadly, it sounds like your usual idol track), all we have are some school anthem like songs and the ... mascot-promotion song. This show suffers from a lack of good songs. Explainable since their songs are about promoting things about the town, but poor in sound department nonetheless.
>The town's budget. Kind of realistic, but. In some cases it is rather the producer of the anime who is low on budget.

-IDEALIZED-
>The recognition the Locodols get. Especially: I'm not going to spoil the anime, but in one specific scene, what the Locodols did would be considered 'lame tactics' in real life.
>In one case the Locodols took a job not suitable for usual high school students yet they completed the quest. Common in other anime, though.

-OTHER ASPECTS-
>Fanservice: Usually, when there is fanservice, it's not done very well. For example, Ep01 is rather misleading as it would probably make viewers believe that this show is totally about swimsuit fanservice.
>The comedy: ...Not that good. The stalker thing was meh: what did I say just now... 'lame tactics'?
>The infamous cliche 'I have been happy because you guys/girls are by my side': Still a bit cliched in this show, but overall natural and heartwarming. You would probably not feel that it's cliched.
>The yuri vibe: The problem with the yuri vibe is that it's one of the highlights of the show, so if you don't like yuri you'll find the show less enjoyable.

So how to sum it up?
This show tries to stand out from your usual idol anime, but to avoid bordering on a normal slice of life it tries to support itself with massive yuri vibes.
Overall the show is heartwarming, but still a bit cliched among 'cute girls engaging in activities' slice of life anime. Plus, especially in the earlier episodes, it fails to give us some entertainment value, and it still can't avoid several problems normal slice of life anime usually have.

Recommended for:
>People who are tired of usual idol anime(I'm not a huge fan but far from being sick of the genre)
>People who like some heartwarming story about girls engaging in activities
>People who like light-hearted yuri.

Story: 6
Art: 6
Sound: 4
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 7
Overall: 6

(Stats: Suspicious Ups=0, Downs=0 as of 22 Apr 2015. Calculated with statistical hypothesis)