Ranked #864

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

Though I had heard a bit about Kodomo no Jikan and the themes did interest me(not that I'm actually a fan of adult/child love/flirtation/the like), I guess I found the artwork to be a little odd. Considering it's about a 9-year-old girl who's infatuated with her teacher, I expected it to look more dark rather than cute and happy. Anyway, don't be fooled by the show's appearance because it's surprisingly dirty. This was the first show of its type that I'd seen so I'm sure you can imagine my reaction since I'm a conservative American :P

The show is mostly pretty redundant. Kodomo no Jikan basically follows the main characters' attempts to drive their teacher insane by way of harassment as well as teasing him about his likely virginity. Rin Kokonoe(the 9-year-old girl) is very knowledgeable about sex. So are her two friends Mimi, a shy girl with (surprise, surprise) big boobs, and Kuro, a girl who loves to inflict pain on their teacher's crotch. Other notable characters: Reiji, Rin's overly protective guardian & Houin, another teacher at the school who is the resident annoying character. She's just an excuse to have an adult with big boobs in the show.

If you are offended by the subject matter, you will most likely despise this show. Obviously. So I'm only saying this as a warning in case you actually still want to watch it in hopes that it 'might not be that bad'. As I mentioned earlier Rin and her friends are very informed when it comes to sex. It's definitely worrisome how they know so much since there are no clues given as to their source of the information. There's flashing, references to sexual acts(as both visual allusions and thankfully repeatedly brought up by Rin & Kuro), ....boob rubbing, most of which involve children(duh). You get the idea.

The animation is above average and the characters don't look too similar to one another which is a plus. There is actually some imagination put to use in terms of the character designs and the outfits they wear which is nice. The voice acting is good though nothing I was too impressed by.

So why am I giving it a 7/10? To be honest, I felt very guilty watching this at first but then I realized that I was actually enjoying it. The show doesn't go easy on the viewer at all. It doesn't seem to mind that it could possibly offend a huge number of people. Plus, it's actually very funny. This is another show that made me laugh a lot. So, the sense of humor is both dirty and hilarious. How could I resist? There isn't a whole lot of depth until it nears the end and unfortunately, it seems to be a little rushed. There are some touching moments in this show, believe it or not, though like many other shows, it's hard to take them seriously considering a majority of the content.

Regardless, this is not the creepy and screwed up show I expected but a creepy and screwed up show that was actually pretty funny and enjoyable to watch. Just keep an open mind and understand that this isn't promoting anything disgusting. It's about a girl who has no way of expressing her emptiness after her loss(of what? watch the show) other than to act like a harassing pervert.

What's not to love? read more