Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki

Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki, despite being a 4-season, 3-minute-per-episode tourism ad for Nagoya, is way better than it has any right to be. Not only is it flashy and funny, but it is also extremely educational. I know so much more about Nagoya now than I otherwise would have known. Part of why I think it came off so well is because, despite being a tourism ad, it doesn't spend the whole runtime praising itself- instead it leans into self-deprecating humor and stereotypes, then explains why Nagoya is great anyway. Beginning with the story, it's a simple little setup, revolving around a quirky girl who is ... fiercely loyal to her hometown, an outsider from Tokyo who just moved to Nagoya, and the photography club they're both a part of, with its varied cast of characters from other regions near and far. Each episode is largely self-contained, with some being two-part episodes, touching on a different part of Nagoya and its culture or history, be it food, sports teams, or local landmarks. It was honestly quite intriguing learning about the city this way, however there were several moments where the frantic pacing of the show left me in the dust, and I had to pause to read the myriad info cards they put on screen explaining various things to the viewer. This is due in part to the fact that, given this is so heavily laden with cultural aspects particular to Nagoya and aimed at a Japanese audience, it is very difficult to correctly translate, though I still feel they did a good job overall. The art is the strongest aspect of this show, which is not only clean, characteristic, and colorful, but extremely good at capturing the character of Nagoya. It provides a window into the soul of that city, and does so in a way better than mere pictures could convey. The people who made this anime obviously love Nagoya, and it shows in not just what they decide to depict, but in how they depict it- full of vibrancy and life. The sound is very strong, with voice work that not only manages to feel natural within the pacing, but also captures and exaggerates various accents, to the point where even a non-Japanese speaker could clearly hear and understand the difference. The characters are a lot of fun, and their strong personalities serve them well, allowing them to stand out even within the confines of each brief episode. Of them, my favorites are our passionate protagonist Yatogame, and her obsessive friend Tadakusa. Yatogame is such a unique character, not only because she is essentially the spiritual avatar of Nagoya incarnated, but also because she manages to strike a balance between the high-octane moe factor inherent in her design, and the loud, stubborn nature Nagoya is apparently known for. Meanwhile, Tadakusa is fun as an obsessive otaku who switches from calm to crazy in an instant. Overall, this anime is a fun, passionate trip into a Japanese city I honestly didn't know all that much about. Give it a watch if you like slice of life, and are in the mood for something short and unique.

Have you ever been out with a group of friends you don't normally hang with and felt like they were talking in another language? They have all these inside jokes and short-hand phrases for things that an outsider just wouldn't get, and it would take entirely too long to explain. You try to decode as much of it as you can as the night goes on, and politely laugh along with them as inside the cogs in your head are spinning at maximum speed trying to keep up. Eventually you realize that it doesn't really matter if you don't understand the joke, because the infectiousness ... of their laughter makes it funny anyway. You're eventually genuinely laughing along with them, not because you get it, but because you're human and that's how we adapt.

That's how watching this show feels as an American who understand next to nothing about the language of Japanese or the geographies and cultures of any of the places they're on about. High praise to the translators and localization team that did the subs I watched this with because it managed to convey just enough information that I was able to get to that feeling where I was laughing along with the jokes simply because I knew they were supposed to be funny and not because I understood why they actually were.

The cute characters and the excellent vocal performances go a long way to making the show enjoyable even if you have no idea what's going on half the time. I think if even a dumb American like me can watch this and have a good time with it, they must have done something right. I'll give it a 7/10

Listen, I'm not gonna go out there and say that this is anything even close to special, because none of these 5-minute short series simply don't have the time required to do justice to their premises anyway. But when it comes to a show about making fun of Nagoya's extremely specific regional culture and all of the odd differences in accent, food, and traditions, Yatogame-chan delivers in droves. It's friggin' hilarious, but only if you are already familiar with some of these weird Nagoya things anyway.

So if you're willing to take a plunge and take the one hour required to watch this entire series, then ... I say crack open your ebi senbei, get your miso sauce ready, and enjoy your virtual trip through Sakae and beyond.