Ranked #1419

Kodomo no Jikan

Kodomo no Jikan is a heavily controversial title, and with good reason. But like most controversial titles, its subject matter is not exploited in vain, and the end result is something that can be credited, at the very least, as a decent series in its own right.

No series has dared to tell the story KoJikan tells and gotten away with it, but for all the underage fanservice it provides, the heartwarming drama beneath the disturbing ecchi comedy ultimately shines. Had KoJikan been solely about the fanservice, this series would deserve all the negative criticism it has received, but there's a heavy dollop of character-driven drama and unique relationships, the context of which have never been explored up until now. One of its more important plot aspects is the recognition of children as having the same emotional needs as the rest of us. It's a touchy subject, but handled with precision and never crossing the line, though toeing it on occasion. Though KoJikan still handles issues it brings up head-on, it does so in an abrupt and awkward presentation, constantly and abruptly switching between drama and comedy. It may flawed in its execution, but its heart is in the right place.

Likewise, no series has dared to have characters like KoJikan's and gotten away with it. This is in great part to the main character being far more than she appears on the surface, especially when her laudably deep and complex emotions are explored. Unfortunately for most characters, they are relegated to often insulting cliche traits substitued as personalities, though this may change in future seasons. For now, the only real depth is in Rin and her cousin Reiji. However, the series should be commended on portraying 8-year-old girls with relative intelligence while acknowledging that they are still physically and mentally children. It's territory anime often skips in favor of taking the "moe" way out and its nice to see a series that portrays kids as kids.

The art is bright and cute, though the character designs are a little off-putting, especially Rin and Mimi's hair. Outside of this flaw, everything looks nice and neat. It's a slightly above-average job all around.

The music didn't stick to me but I don't remember it intruding in any way. The OP is one of my favorites, not for being a good song, but because the lyrics fit the tone of the series to a T. The ED is a hyperactive J-pop number that the audience this kind of show often attracts will enjoy greatly.

For me, KoJikan was a mixed bag. It is not anywhere near the horror that it was constantly advertised as prior to its release, nor is it entirely redeemable due to its abrupt swings between the drama and its uncomfortable brand of comedy. The end result is quite commendable though, assuming one watches this without a die-hard need to find as many disturbing details as they can.

Overall, I give Kodomo no Jikan an 8 out of 10. read more

After being recommended by a friend, I decided to check out this series during a lull in my hectic anime watching schedule. I wish I could’ve come up with a better introduction, but I’m writing this in between clacking away in a race against time to finish a 4,000 word creative piece about a magical girl forced to defend a town in Ukraine from radioactive zombies by Monday. I would wait, but I have a feeling that if I did, these thoughts would just poof from my head and wouldn’t come back nearly as easily.

Kodomo no Jikan is a show that raises several interesting points through a superb blend of drama and comedy about the nature of children’s emotions, and how they tend to be rather hyperbolic in nature. As we all know, children don’t learn self constraint on their own. By age 8, which is the age of the main children in KodoJikan, emotional control hasn’t fully developed, and there are still tendencies toward feeling strongly one way or the other that can sometimes overlap into precocious infatuation.

Kodomo no Jikan is a show that follows Aoki Daisuke, a third grade teacher fresh out of college, eager to teach his new class. He has to deal with all the frustrations of fostering learning in elementary school students still in the prime stage of emotional growth: Complaints, balancing friendliness and strictness, spoiled brats… and a precocious girl with a Lolita Complex, named Kokonoe Rin, who lusts after him.

Yes, from that synopsis, you will likely gather that KodoJikan is an ecchi-fest of monumental proportions that will make lolicons the world over cheer in jubilation. However, before you write it off as nothing more than pointless fanservice, I’m going to take away your pen and smack you hypothetically for making presumptions based on that overly simple synopsis.

You’d be correct in assuming that this is heavy on the fanservice, but there’s an entirely different point to be made here: Not only does this series relish in the comedy of such an uncomfortable situation, but it does well at analyzing all the factors involved. And, happily enough, Daisuke doesn’t eventually fall for Rin. Not going to spoil anything here, but it ends on a very happy note, and Rin turns from a manipulative little succubus into a wholly sympathetic character with a tragic past, whose lust is somewhat justified.
Notice that I only said somewhat, since it’s still a little creepy how much she likes Daisuke.

The story is wonderfully told and occasionally heart wrenching, the events of Episode 6 even more so, and there’s hardly ever a lull, even in some of the fluffier episodes.

The only complaint that I have with KodoJikan is the censorship. In order to get the series aired, quite a lot had to be censored, through use of Rin kicking a giant ‘No’ symbol round and round and various animal noises. Strangely enough, some lewd things got through that were a little worse than what was censored. If at all possible, find it uncensored somewhere or read the manga to catch what you missed due to the irritating bird cheeps blocking things out.

Aesthetically, the series is functional. The art style doesn’t impress, though the opening and closing songs are amazingly catchy, especially the overly-energetic J-Pop number at the end, so we’ll call it a wash.

Of course there’s objectionable content; it’d be weird if a show about a girl eager to sex up a teacher 15 years her senior didn’t have any. However, it’s done with a purpose. There’s plentiful fanservice, but it isn’t done just for the sake of doing it. I’m going to likely get odd looks for this, and I don’t blame you, but I actually believe the underage fanservice helps drive the point home at times in ways that it wouldn’t if fanservice were avoided. It’s a main element, but it’s an element crucial to developing the plot to its fullest.

To wrap things up, Kodomo no Jikan is a good series that elegantly makes the point that children have as many, if not more, complex emotional needs as adults do, and they need to be nurtured properly in order to grow up emotionally healthy. If you enjoy a show with a moral that isn’t beaten into your skull, even if it’s stated in a way that’s hard to bear at times, I couldn’t think of a better series to watch. It may just surprise you at the end by the depth and breadth of the matter covered. read more