Alternative TitlesJapanese: 荒川アンダー ザ ブリッジ
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 13
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 4, 2010 to Jun 27, 2010
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.871 (scored by 28190 users)
Ranked: #5882
Popularity: #149
Members: 52,161
Favorites: 536 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
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SynopsisKo Ichinomiya's family motto is "Never be indebted to anyone," but after losing his pants and falling into the Arakawa River, he quickly finds himself in debt to his savior, the cutely insane Nino (who happens to live under the bridge). To repay her, he vows to help her with her desire to "experience love." Along the way he'll meet the river's other residents, including a hot-blooded kappa, a Sister in drag, and a literal rock star. Sorry, Ko—when you fell into that river, I guess you really got in over your head!
(Source: NIS America) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Arakawa Under the Bridge
Sequel: Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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cowwart
67 of 93 people found this review helpful
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13 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
From the time we are young, are parents all/ teach us certain things. No matter what these deal with, there will usually be a very common theme: what society wants us to do.
Yes, from a very young age, most of us will be told to continue the flow of society's ideas, and to never question them. But, what makes these ideas right?
This is the question that we are faced with while watching Arakawa Under the Bridge, a story about, well, living under a bridge. A bridge under which almost no laws will ever reach you, with the possible exception of public indecency...
We see a romance that blossoms under this bridge, as Ko, a man whose parents who have installed far beyond just the rule that society is always correct, is pulled into entering a relationship with Nino, a person who claims to be a Venusian, on his belief that anything that anyone does is solely for gain and must be repaid. This belief that his father installed in him, however, quickly begins to fade as he subconsciously begins to reject the notion that society is always correct, and slowly embraces his new life under the bridge.
Our story continues, with him continuing to meet more people under the bridge, and slowly coming to realize, yet again, that he can't really know what exactly is "right" and "wrong". Indeed, our story continues to progress in this vein, with Ko growing to accept the actions of the others all living under the bridge.
All of the residents of this area also have to have a job (with the acceptation of a couple), and they all help each other in whatever sane ways they can, before their actions degrade into insanity, one of the real main sources for comedy in Arakawa Under the Bridge. Indeed, one of the most enjoyable elements of the show was all of our unique characters interacting in unique ways.
All of these unique characters served to bring something special to the show; they all served a function for the community, while also bringing interesting elements the the show. They all have some kind of eccentricity that is very much ingrained in their character, or at least something that would render them unable to live in a regular society. These eccentricities were again, the source of nearly 100% of the comedy for the show, and the main thing that kept it interesting.
However, what really disappoints is how often the characters are left completely untouched in terms of development. We don't get any back story on some of the characters, and on others, we only get tantalizing hints. This is, for some, the most irritating element in the entire show; we can almost never figure out the pasts of some of the most unique characters that we have ever seen. It is truly disappointing.
If lack of characters development holds down the show the most, the next most irritating element is the art style. As it's shaft, we can really expect to see insanity in the rat as well, and so we do. It's really quite irritating to those who don't enjoy the Shaft animation style to b subjected to these incredibly well drawn scenes being forced down to mediocrity by terrible illustrations, which can really limit and interfere with the show for those who are not true connoisseurs of the Shaft art style.
Sound also was only a slight break from the weaker elements of this show. It was really fair: there wasn't anything that really weighed it down , but there wasn't anything that really aided it in this department either. The voice actors were average, the sound effects were average; everything really failed to go beyond the average bound. Our opening and ending were also really, well, average, leaving the anime with average sound.
While sound did not contribute to my enjoyment of the show, it certainly didn't hurt it. This show was highly enjoyable to anyone who liked the style of comedy, wasn't valued away by Shaft's art, and in general likes comedies and romances. I had a great deal of enjoyment from this show.
So, now the question is, will you enjoy it? The best way to determine that is, especially if it sounds interesting, watch a couple of episodes. By that point, you will have gotten a good taste of the random art interferences and random characters that contribute to the general eccentricity of the show. You will have also seen the types of jokes told; if they seem like they'll get old, then you should leave. The jokes will often repeat, especially if the are part of a character's intrinsic personality. In other words, you will like this show if you like the first couple of episodes, aren't thrown off by the random art you see there, like the characters, and don't mind the general premise of the show in this regard. If it sounds interesting, give it a try.
So long Arakawa Under the Bridge. It's been awesome!! read more
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leingodf8
52 of 93 people found this review helpful
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1 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
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Never judge a book by its cover, or in anime's case, never judge an anime by the first episode. Arakawa under the Bridge started out (for me) as a fairly pretentious and rather bland series, and I fully expected that I would be ready to drop it by around episode 5 or maybe even sooner. Now that isn't saying the first episode was bad by any means, it just didn't stand out at all to me, it was a regular opening describing the 2 leads and giving a good amount of exposition. As the episodes progressed, I slowly began to enjoy Arakawa more and more, and began to see something special in this anime.
Lets start with the characters. Arakawa has a vast array of characters, adding new ones almost every episode to add to the viewers pleasure. Every character is, at first glance, rather one dimensional. As is standard with most comedies, every character will have some sort of "gag" around them that is generally hyped upon every time you meet that character. For example, the main character has an issue with owing people favors, and as such, there are many scenes in which he will need to rely on someone and will go to any great lengths to repay the favour, and really almost every character is like this in their own way. Now really, for a comedy this isn't a bad thing, the laughs may be a little obvious but its still always funny to see the guy freak out at having to pay back Nino for saving his life or whatever the favor of the moment is.
That being said, there is something peculiarly special about the cast of Arakawa. As the series progresses, little "hints" thrown about a lot, about the past of the character in question. This is especially prominent in Nino, the heroine, but is noticeable in many of the side characters as well (Sister's apparent past war ties, or the school kids apparently being experimented on). Whenever I notice one of these hints, I like to imagine what was it that brought this person to live under a bridge. What was his / her past life truly like? Was it a long journey to finally find this home? These questions build up and will probably remain forever un-answered but that's just part of the charm. The bit of mystery surrounding each character really helps build a strong connection with them, and greatly increases the viewing experience.
One final thing that really showed me a better side to Arakawa is the plot of the thing. Now you could say, "But how is watching the daily lives of some quirky characters living under a bridge that exciting. As far as anime goes, its not exactly revolutionary." And while this is true, the plot isn't going to wow anyone, does one thing right, and that's make one reflect on their own life. As you sink into this show, you begin to see that a lot of it is comparing normal life to the random lifestyle that the folks under the bridge follow. This is particularly emphasized by the fact that the protagonist is a Rich boy at the head of society. When comparing the two, one starts to realize that maybe this insane, random lifestyle of weird people in funny masks is really the less "insane" of the two. It shows us, that really, life should be lived how you want it to be, not whats necessarily best for you. We see that Kuo is at the head of the world, rich, handsome, with a silver tongue, he seems to have it all. And yet, which does he enjoy more, teaching under this god forsaken bridge, or following in his father's footsteps. Well its only 7 episodes in as I write this review so only time can tell, but I can be certain that this is the main message of the anime: Look at yourself and decide what you want to do... then do it!
Now no show is perfect and of course Arakawa is no exception. The music isn't that exciting, and the art is a little weird at times (but still pretty decent). While the cast is many, the amount does bite it in the behind a little bit due to being only 13 episodes long, meaning that each character doesn't get quite as much screen time as one may like. The humor for the most part is funny, with a few exceptions, but most likely you'll get a good few chuckles out of it by the end. If I had to hate one thing about this anime, I'd say its the constant cuts to a close up of Kuo's eye... seriously its kinda unsettling whenever they do that.
Anyways, enough rambling from this coot, I'll finish off by saying that I will always recommend this anime no matter how bad the ending may turn out to be. Its funny, the characters are lovable, the premise is interesting, and overall, it holds together extremely well. Enjoy read more
Recommendations
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Both series start with the meeting between the protagonist and an odd yet characteristically deadpan girl he forms an arbitrarily romantic relationship with and follow up with his dealings with various increasingly odd people and their problems. Having the same production studio, director, and lead seiyuu, they often feel quite similar, despite Bakemonogatari possessing a seriousness and sequential arc structure Arakawa consistently avoids.
Same feeling. Art style, plot, the way they talk...
both main characters are similar in both animes...
Both main characters get caught up in very unusual circumstances, are voiced by the same actor, and think way to hard about everyone/thing.
On another note Shaft animated both series.
both have cool ,demanding grilfriends ..
Main characters and art are similar in both animes.
It is obvious that if you liked Bakemonogatari you should watch Arakawa Under the Bridge. The main character of the both series is voiced by the same actor, which gives the impression that we have to deal with the very similar story.
Another thing that is in common is the way the story is being told. It is almost the same. The key factor is the fact that Bakemonogatari was made by the studio that has also made the Arakawa Under the Bridge. Both series will rather not be liked by the most of the viewers because the storyline is made for more intelligent people.
The only difference is shown using the art style, which is rather similar to the standard anime shows in Arakawa Under the Bridge. But it should make it easier to watch for non otakus.
Both are done by SHAFT, hence it's shafty. When, Bakemonogatari focuses on very little amount of characters and analysis them in depth using clever and witty dialogues, Arakawa under the Bridge raises the madness of the characters by far and the number of the cast is significantly larger with bother-line retarded and nonsensical conversations. Still, they are very similar in the fact that both focuses mainly on dialogues of individual characters. Oh, and eye rolling scenes too.
Thus, both looks great.
same art and strange plot
a pair of superb anime. with abe atsushi's super tsukkomi technique and the general air of "how can people really be this crazy?", there's really never a dull moment. just a tense build-up to every comedic apex.
Arakawa Under The Bridge follows the legacy of Bakemonogatari with exactly the same style, same director, same elite main voice actors. However, this show is one or two notch(es) down from Bakemonogatari on romance, plot, and characters. Afterall, good learning material for funny Japanese chatter.
Same animation, art and wacky dialogue
• Both have similar art styles
• Both have the same style of humor
• Both even have the same type of scenario and characters
• Even the OST music sounds similar.
Both are random-esque animes that tend to shift from situation to situation, involving comedy or general mishaps between the protagonist and his girlfriend or friends. While Bakemonogatari does have a more concrete ending, Arakawa has a much more lighthearted feel to it and will keep you laughing for quite a while. The happy-go-lucky feel is present in every single minute of the anime.
-the same atmosphere
-main characters are very alike & have the same voice actor
Similar humor and character developments. Emphasis on a very small area of the anime's locale. The person that voices the main character in Arakawa (Kou) also voices a main character in Bakemonogatari (Hitagi), and does an amazing job. The all around feel of both anime's are very similar, funny, and enjoyable.
When i started watching Bakemonogatari it almost instantly reminded me about Arakawa. Art and characters, their humor and actions, and random plots. Both are really good and funny.
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Similair humor and randomness.
Characters are almost the same. Feeling and tons of iuseless talks...
Almost the same humor, randomness, story (life of a guy surrounded by a bunch of weirdos) and all
Similiar in humor and randomness and lot of weird people
just replace the classroom with riverbank
Same producers, art and voice actors. Both of them are good and funny.
The same random humor and voice actor.
It got a really similar feel to it!
Same absurd kind of humour and the main characters have a similar feel to them.
Let's not beat around the bush - Arakawa is Zetsubou Sensei with a fresh coat of paint. If you've run out of SZS and need more, you should be watching this. You might just end up liking it more.
Both are presented in quite similar style,and filled in comedy,the seiyuu of both main characters are same so if you really enjoyed the comedic expression of Ichinomiya Kou a.k.a Recruit in Arakawa,u will surely enjoyed the same from Itoshiki Nozomu in Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.
Similar humour and random out there dialogue.
Both extremely random animes, and both happen to be done through the lovely people down at SHAFT (and directed by the same god: Akiyuki Shinbo).
If you enjoy one of these titles, I'm sure you'll enjoy the other!
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Opening Theme#1: "Venus to Jesus (ヴィーナスとジーザス)" by Etsuko Yakushimaru
#2: "Title nante Jibun de Kangaenasaina （タイトルなんて自分で考えなさいな)" by Maria (Miyuki Sawashiro) (ep 5)
Ending Theme"Sakasama Bridge (逆様ブリッジ)" by Suneohair
Fansubbing Groups
Which fansubbers do you like the best? Click + to approve of their subs for this show. Click - if you don't think they did such a great job.
Zettai [Zettai] (Brazilian Portuguese)
Related Clubs~ Ecchi 4ever ~, ♥ Sister x Maria ♥, Tetsujin Twins, SunLink@AnimeManga, Tomokazu Sugita Fanclub, P-Ko [Fanclub], Chiwa Saito, Nino [Fanclub], Trinisete Scanlator - Brasil, Arakawa Under The Bridge, ♥Yuuichi Nakamura Fanclub♥, Dark Legends fan club!, The All-Over Otaku Club Okawari, *Twins*, ~11 Keys - Ice Cream Kingdom~ x3, Ryoko Shintani Fanclub, ★Pictorial Culture Miscellany★, Anime Experience, ~~ANiME MANiACS~~ \(>w<)/, [HIATUS] The World of the Member Cards Alliance~ (W.M.C.A.)Anime and Manga Romance Club, Maria FC♥, MangAnime Temple, SHAFT~'<3, Kamiya Hiroshi fanclub, HURRAY BOOBIES!!, Maaya Sakamoto fanclub, ~ONII-SAN... Big Brothers club~, Miyuki Sawashiro Club, Studio SHAFT, Good Graphics/animation club, Sister FC, Watch Anime Together Club Headquarters, Card Collectors Guild ( C.C.G. ), Omigawa Chiaki Fan Club, Characters out of space fan-club, Missile Punch, Sadomasochism in Anime/Manga, Nino♥Kou [Fanclub], Kingdom of Insanity, Anime Dimenzija, Character Manager, Hoshi Fanclub, Kou [Fanclub], 3 of Hearts Family! see all
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