Alternative TitlesEnglish: Okami-San and Her Seven Companions Synonyms: Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi, Okamisan and Seven Companions Japanese: オオカミさんと七人の仲間たち
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 12
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 1, 2010 to Sep 16, 2010
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.441 (scored by 32959 users)
Ranked: #15702
Popularity: #231
Members: 59,175
Favorites: 300 1 indicates a weighted score
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SynopsisOokami Ryouko is a spunky and, by some accounts, rather manly high school girl. She is tall, speaks in a traditionally masculine way and is very proficient in fighting. Ookami-san's best friend is the small and high-pitched voiced Akai Ringo. Incidentally, the two are rather flat-chested, a fact the Narrator (voiced by Arai "Kuroko" Satomi of Railgun fame) is all too eager to point out.
Ookami and Ringo are members of the Otogi Bank, a club in Otogi High School that assists students with their problems in return for their assistance on a different problem at a later date; thus the Otogi Bank is effectively a loan institute for problems where you can take out a loan for a solved problem but you have to repay it sooner or later.
The Otogi Bank is able to solve any problem and will go to any lengths to do so, often leading the members to danger or mayhem. Since most of the members of the club are female, another male is needed for the more dangerous assignments. Thus, the scopophobic (the fear of being looked at) Morino Ryoushi is inducted as a member, right after he confesses his love for Ookami... |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Archaeon
210 of 327 people found this review helpful
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12 of 12 episodes seen
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
Once upon a time there was a series of light novels by Masashi Okita that played around with certain well known fairy tales. Due to a strange twist of fate (or a complete lack of ideas), the series was chosen to be adapted into anime form, and they all lived happily ever after.
Well, not quite.
Directed by Iwasaki Yoshiaki (Gokujou Seitokai, Wagaya no Oinari-sama, Gunbuster, Love Hina), Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi (Ookami-san and her Seven Companions), follows the adventures of Ookami Ryouko and her colleagues from the Otogi Bank as they solve people's problems, right various wrongs, fight delinquents, and generally act as all round busybodies.
Now where have I heard that before?
The main problem with Ookami-san is that it suffers from the same flaw that almost every novel adaptation has - an inherent lack of detail. That's not to say that the story doesn't work as there are plenty of things already in the tale that are interesting enough. The plot, however, is haphazard in its approach, and a number of points never get explained over the course of the series. Because of these two factors, the story never really reaches the level where the viewer can become engrossed, and in all honesty the only reason I finished it was because I was playing "Spot the Fairy Tale".
As I mentioned before, the franchise plays fast and loose with several well known fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood (complete with wolf and hunter), Momotaro (with dumplings), The Hare and the Tortoise (which was changed to a turtle for some reason), Urashima Tarou, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, The Little Match Girl, Puss in Boots, and probably a bunch more. Unfortunately, there's a side effect to incorporating specific elements of other stories into your own and that's exactly what happens here.
If one is able to disregard the lack of focus and detail, there's still the creativity barrier to overcome and it's here where the everything falls down. While the story may have some interesting aspects, the usage of fairy tales places quite a heavy dampener on innovation and it shows in Ookami-san in many ways, from relationships (Usami Mimi and Ryuuguu Otohime are inclined to hate each for example), to character design.
In all honesty, J.C. Staff have produced a fairly decent looking show for the most part. The animation is generally fluid throughout the series, but there are one or two telltale signs of corner cutting during the fight scenes. The backgrounds and settings are pretty standard fare for anyone familiar with high school anime, and while there are no real feats of originality, there are also very few major flaws. The real problem with the overall look of the show though, is the inherent lack of innovation I mentioned earlier.
This is where it all gets a bit tricky. On the surface the casual viewer may consider the design of certain characters to be quite original, for example Akai Ringo is supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood and this reference is prominent in her clothing throughout the series. Certain other characters follow this design pattern to highlight the fairy tale they are based on, while others are a bit more subtle with their reference. One of the main issues with this approach is that it impacts on the relationships between the characters, and the reason for it may not be obvious at first. Once the viewer understands the reference then everything becomes clear, however Ookami-san only really works on that basis.
One point in the show's favour is the sound quality, as the effects are fairly well realised and choreographed. Unfortunately the music isn't up to the same standards. That's not to say that it's bad, no, it's simply that it's all been done before.
Here's what I mean. The OP, "Ready, Go!" by May'n is a boppy J-pop track that doesn't leave any impact whatsoever. The ED, "Akazukin-chan Goyoujin" (Careful Akazukin-chan), by OToGi 8, is a strange mixture of J-pop and chip tunes that is equally forgettable. The rest of the music throughout the series doesn't really add much to the atmosphere of a given scene, and the proof of this lies in the numerous occasions where no music is used as there is very little difference in terms of impact.
One of the main sound problems with Ookami-san though, is the narration. There are far too many occasions where the viewer will be trying to pay attention to what the characters are saying, only to have it drowned out by Arai Satomi pretending to be an old time storyteller. As for the acting itself, the seiyuu are generally pretty good, with Itou Shizuka and Itou Kanae playing the roles of Ryouko and Ringo with a degree of aplomb (one does have to wonder if the casting was purposeful though). Irino Miyu gives a respectable performance as the sociophobe and prospective beau Morino Ryoushi, especially when he switches between coward and manly mode.
The rest pf the cast deliver some good all round performances but, like the rest of the series, the lack of originality means that they simply can't sink their teeth into the roles. The prime example of this is the fact that Ryouko is, yet again, quite literally the "sheep in wolf's clothing".
Now I will be honest here. I'm tired of the typical tsundere loli character and would personally like to see more variety in that department. Surprisingly, it seems as though Ookami-san has made some efforts to move away from the archetype. There are attempts to justify the persona of each character to a degree, and although the results are a bit of a mixed bag, the fact is that this makes the show more interesting than it would otherwise have been. The series takes great pains to delve into the personal history of its lead characters, and some of the resulting stories are handled rather well.
But that's all there is to it. Once their stories are told the characters go right back to how they were before, with the only real exceptions being Ryouko and Ryoushi. But that's not my main gripe where the characters are concerned, no, the real problem here is that there are no reasons or justifications, either in the story or otherwise, for the actions of Hitsujikai Shirou, and the lack of any information leaves the viewer wondering what the hell is going on.
Now, while Ookami-san isn't a truly great show, it's not actually that bad on the whole. The series has a number of interesting aspects and relationships, and is entirely watchable as long as you aren't overly critical about it. Unfortunately there are occasions where there is simply too much going on at once, and the viewer may find themselves going back over certain scenes in order to fully understand what has occurred.
One thing I did like were the cameos from ToraDora! and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun as, while they may not be my favourite shows, it made the anime into something more of a visual game (spot the reference).
It's strange how many shows these days are adaptations of other media, and it does make one wonder if anime studios have hit a creative wall. Whatever the case may be, Ookami-san is a decent attempt at adapting a novel series, and while it does have its flaws, the show is entertaining enough for at least one viewing. Granted it may not be everyone's gingerbread house, but those that like school based romantic comedies won't find themselves too disappointed.
Now can we please find a different character type as I'm tired of of all the tsundere lolis.
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musashi7
19 of 37 people found this review helpful
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12 of 12 episodes seen
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
Translating a book into a movie or show is always a challenge for developers. Why? Because taking all the information contained in a book and trying to cram it into a 2 hour movie is near impossible. So why do developers constantly try and do what seems impossible? Well it is my opinion that books have an uncanny ability to truly capture a readers attention with the use of two things, characters and story. The attention to detail and the ability many authors have to flesh out a character or grab a readers attention with interesting plot twists is what has kept books from dying out for so long. And so we come back to the question, why do developers try and do seems impossible? Maybe it is to try and reach a new demographic in a day and age where reading just isnt "cool" or "in," or maybe developers would just like to create there own interpretation of the original work or maybe they just want to cash in on the success of the book. Whatever the case, developers have tried countless times to try and recreate the magic of a certain book in visual form, and the outcomes range the full spectrum of great and horrible. When it comes to anime, in my opinion, there is one thing that will truly define whether the developers rendition will succeed, time.
Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi is based off the light novel of the same name and follows the adventures of Ookami, Ryoushi and the group they work for, Otogi Ginko (Otogi Bank). This anime's story really had everything going for it right from the start. While the story's structure is by the books, little details kept things fresh and exciting. With a change up of action and romance things were fast paced and while this is not unusual for an anime story line and maybe not original, I couldnt help but smile at parts or notice myself getting drawn in. And yet, this anime's biggest downfall is its story. Why you ask, after all my praise do I say that the story is this anime's achilles heal? It comes back to what I said in my opening comments, time was what brought this anime to its knees.
What Ookami-san (abr. title) really needed was 24 episodes, maybe even 32. While the story and characters are all very enjoyable, because of this anime's short length, you only seem to graze the surface of everything. You never seem to get the chance to get deep into things, get under the character's skins and see what they see, essentially immerse yourself. Even the story, we only seem to be looking at the tip of the ice berg in the anime, and even the more interesting elements, such as the antagonist only seem to be an after thought, a "reason" given to the "good" guys to fight evil. I have not read the light novels, but I feel as though the story was not given enough thought. With what I saw at the start, there was more than enough material to really delve deep and grab the viewers attention, and yet instead we are side tracked with usual anime shit such as the usual "moe moe" we all seem to want. And while much of the story may seem cliche at times, there was a lot of squandered potential. By the end of the anime, most would have realized that there would be no "real" ending, and things would be left unattended. Which is unfortunate because like I said numerous times, Ookami-san had so much potential, so many more characters which could have been developed more, so much more story to be revealed, so much more plot. It all seemed so rushed. My feeling was the developers were trying to cram as much of the story in as possible, but by doing this they were unable to get to the essence of the plot, and unable to draw viewers in.
Ookami-san does have some solid strong points though. The animation was very well done, with fight scenes that were enjoyable and smooth. The art was also extremely pleasing, with very good character models and detailed backgrounds. The sound was done very well also, with great voice actors for the main characters, and sound quality that while not outstanding, surely stands above other series in the same genre. Really, by the end of this series, it was these qualities that kept me coming back and allowed me to finish the last few episodes. But anime is not all about the quality of its art or animation.
As I stated at the start of this review, Ookami-san's biggest weakness was its time management. This show desperately needed 24 episodes. What started out as a great show, by the end left a bad aftertaste, and not because the story or characters itself were bad, but because of squandered potential. It is not impossible to adapt a book into an anime, as there are many examples of great adaptations, but what needs to be addressed when attempting such a difficult task is time. What amount of time is needed to truly convey what the novels were trying to convey? How much time is needed to truly recreate the story? How much time is needed to delve into the necessary characters and develop them? And unfortunately with Ookami-san, the developers didnt seem to ask themselves these questions. read more
Recommendations
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Ookami-san started to develop into something meaningful other than a plotless comedy over a few episodes. That development focused on romantic struggle of the main couple. Toradora development is pretty much the same, started of funny and increasingly dramatic over time.
Both main characters are tsunderes plus they look and act very similar! Ookami can be seen as an older Taiga =p
Both anime are pretty much slice of life, somewhat comedic, high-school setting, tsundere romance.
Same studio and again a badass tsundere protagonist.
When I saw first episode of Ookami-san my reaction was "Taiga? Is that you?". Both animes are romance, comedy, school and characters are also similar.
Both animes main female main characters are the same, both physically and attitude wise (EXTREME TSUNDERE ALERT), and both have animal attributes in their names ( Taiga= Tiger, Ookami= Wolf). The both anime's art are also extremely cute and while Toradora is based upon legend, Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi is based upon fairy tales.
- the main heroines have a similar character design.
- both main heroines are tsundere and know how to kick ass.
- both focus on comedy-romance ( but , at least in my opinion , Toradora! does a much better job ).
- both are adapted from light novels.
The main heroines act, look, and think alike. The "men" of anime both have a completely different personality to what they seem to be on the surface. plus, they are both hilarious and a good show to watch.
ryoukou and taiga look alike but one is tall and one is short
ringo and minori also look the same but short and tall
ryoukou has that tsundere type to her sort of just like taiga is tsundere
ringo is also there to support ryoukou like minori for taiga
they both have great qualities, the animes itself is somewhat different
Both Ryouko and Ringo have the same sort of relationship as Taiga and Minori, not to mention they look pretty similar too.
the main female character between these two anime is somewhat similar and both are a tsundere... BUT, ookami (meaning: wolf) is taller than taiga (meaning: tiger)... :)
The main female character is extremely similar to the main female character of this show character and looks wise (except for being taller)
The two main girl characters in these 2 stories are very similar in looks and personality and they are both tsundere
They both have the same type of humor, both main heroines are compared to beasts (Taiga = Tiger, Ookami = Wolf), both Taiga and Ookami are violent Tsundere. The animation is also very similar. The only difference between the anime romance-wise is that the guy fell in love with the girl on the 1st episode in Ookami-san, whereas in Toradora; they fell in love with each other part way through the series.
Basically, i saw in them much familiar things. Of course, they are not he same, cuz Toradora is romantic novel, but Okami is little bit more fighting one. I think, you'll enjoy Okami.
-both main heroines are tsunderes and look similar
-both shows are comedy/romance
-both have the same type of humor
Aisaka and Ookami are really similar, Tsundere Power! They both are comedy/romance and focus on the main couple.
The main female character in both anime are tsundere and both characters' best friend are hyper, fun, and playful, yet care very much about the main female character. Both contain a growing romance between the main male and female character.
The main female characters don't only look alike but have a similar personality. (some sites even claim there it's the same character only grown up). Both have great humor.
Both animes are romance, comedy, school and characters are also similar.
Art is similar.
Ryouko looks a little like a taller version of Taiga.
Both have near to no story at the beginning but develops into one(torradora does a much better job)and Ookami-San has many references to torradora and their are many similar characters. Torradora has alot of romance while Ookami-San has alot of comedy and parities.
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The underdog fight for you. Underpowered protagonist help the heroine overcome her past by kicking some ass.
Ookami-san's past was kept safe along the series, until the protagonist beat up the bad guy and end the shows altogether.
In MM!, the hero simply beat the living hell out of the bad guy and help the heroine overcome it in a few chapters, leaving the rest of the season for comedy, or a new drama.
The tension of the shows however are kept lukewarm along the story, as both show has mixed both dramatical and funny contents in no formal pattern. It's pretty difficult to guess what you will have for each episode, maybe both.
Is that a good thing? Your call.
Both anime are about overcoming odd fears as well as taking place mostly in a club setting. The male lead is forced into the club. Both animes' episodes are episodic, until the end.
in both the main female character violent,and the main boy character is average.
and there are more similar characters like Tatsukichi Hayama looks like Liszt Kiriki.
Both have, one person who is afraid of something Yuno, Arashiko is afraid of men and Morino, Ryoushi is afraid of being confronted by other people. They both also have a "club" that wishes to help people with various things, and they both have a slight romantic atmosphere in it, and both have a humorous side to them.
Both give a similar feel, simple plot. The male leads are actually very similar when they are ''normal''. Both have a lot of fighting, and ''being a man'' kind of thing. If you liked one of them, you'll 95% like the other one, and if you hated one of them then it's the other way around. :D
When the show gets those serious moments I think Ryoushi cuz he's a total bum when people stare at him but is freaking awesome when he serious, while Taro is a full on masochist who also is freaking awesome when he's serious
Well, both have male characters whose butts always gets kicked by a female character, except one is avoiding while the other is asking for it, there is also a situation where the love interest of the male character is a victim of sexual harassment by the main villain which devastated the other while it made the other one stronger
Both animes are similar as they have a main male character that likes to help people while having problems of his own. The style and flow of the anime are very similar.
There's no surprise that both of these series shares many similarities. When watching these two anime b2b, it's hard not to think about them. First, both series takes place at school life setting where the central protagonist needs help. The club that helps him also tries to solve everyone's problems.
Both series has a strange cast of characters with a variety of personalities that spice up the story a bit. They bring in the comedy and entertainment to the viewers.
There's also a main female character in both series that fits within the role of the classic tsundere.
Both series have a ton of comedy, drama, and some romance.
Both of these anime have a central male protagonist which needs help solving their social problems. MM! is based around comedy whereas Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi has more of a romantic feel to it, though both involve some romance as the tags suggest.
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Opening Theme"Ready Go!" by May'n (eps 2-12)
Ending Theme#1: "Ready Go!" by May'n (ep 1)
#2: "Akazukin-chan Goyoujin (赤頭巾ちゃん御用心)" by OToGi8 (eps 2-11)
#3: "Akazukin-chan Goyoujin (i-pop ver.)" by OToGi8 (ep 12)
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Related ClubsOtaku Crazed, Sayuri Yahagi Fanclub, Kanae Itou Fanclub, Akai Ringo Fanclub, Watch Anime Together Club Headquarters, Ryoushi x Ryouko ♥, This Uselessly Long Series Name Can't Be This Cute And Make My Heart Go Doki Doki, HURRAY BOOBIES!!, Romance, !~~tsubasalover's Friendships~~!, Claim a tsundere!, Yuuki Kaji Fans., Miyu Irino Fans!!, Tsundere is Not Annoying , Anime and Manga is awesome~, English Dub Fanclub, Usami Mimi FC, Ookami-san fanclub, Anime Revolution ♡, *~*~*~*We love tsunderes! :D*~*~*~*DNAnime, Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi, Anime Night, Ryoushi Morino Fanclub, Anime Girls Fan Club [A.G.F.C.], Anime Yokai, Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi, CLOSED, Simulcast Support Group, Minako Kotobuki FC, Arabic Yuri/ Shoujo ai Club $~(•.•)~$, ♥ Ryoushi Fan Club ♥, Manga Anime League (MAL), ookami san to shichinin no nakamatachi, Romance Bit*hes, Hayami Saori Fanclub, Ginka X Ayeka + Ryoshi X Ookami, Fairy Tales Abound, Dark Legends fan club!, J.C. Staff, Horie Yui Fanclub, Ryouko Ookami FC, May'n Fanclub, Tarou Urashima Fanclub!, ~~ANiME MANiACS~~ \(>w<)/, ~Majolika Le Fay FC~, Anime Otaku Corner see all
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