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Nov 23, 2015
The year is A.D. 2030 and this is the time where the mankind's dependence on cybernetics and cyborgs has increased to a tremendous level so much so that the humans have started to undergo cyberization so as to store the memories that they have incorporated throughout their lives in an external medium such that there is a solid proof that they've existed in this advanced and highly developed world. Ghost in the Shell: SAC tells the tale of the Public Security's secretive Section 9 and their battles against the crimes, which are mostly cybercrimes, which come in various grisly and ghastly forms.
GitS is a
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franchise that is weirdly more popular in the West than in Japan itself and as you may all know, SAC is the second installment in the franchise and the first as an anime series. This 26-episode series was then compressed into a single movie - The Laughing Man - so as to focus on the main plot of the series, which occupies only about half the episodes. The rest are all "Stand Alone" episodes that follow an episodic fashion. The laughing man story is spread all around the show and hence it might be a little difficult to grasp the story of that particular arc; I needed to re-watch some of the episodes in order to have a good understanding of the heinous plot that unravels itself before us in a grand manner.
Production I.G. splurged the cash on the 1995 movie and that became a grand hit among the audiences and they didn't disappoint here, too. The animation was good enough to please my eyes and the action sequences were well portrayed. They decided to make the vehicles using CGI so as to bring that 3D feel to the show which was present in both the 1995 and the Innocence movies. The presence of robots, automatons and the heightened level of technology gave a cyberpunk atmosphere throughout the show. The cyborgs and the robots were well animated and the visual effects didn't give me any shred of disappointment whatsoever even though this anime too was the victim of the generic 'distortion of characters when viewed from afar' syndrome.
The plot of the show might seem simple - an anti-crime force chasing criminals and hackers and bringing them to justice - but you'll end up witnessing a plot filled with intricacies and subtle twists that one mightn't expect. To put it simply, the plot, especially the Laughing Man arc, is more than meets the eye. There will be a particular scene, although not that elaborate, that will be a carbon copy of the 1995 film and I was delighted to see that. The downsides of the plot would be that there were more Stand Alone episodes than there were Complex episodes; the latter adapts the Laughing Man arc whereas the former consists of singular episodes. Also, there were the unnecessary fanservice involving the godly Motoko and I felt that these were uncalled for. These scenes were your redundant boobs blurred on the front while the focussed character speaks in the background. It would've been nice if these scenes were pruned to some extent, but, oh well. I was actually gladdened by the absence of Mamoru Oshii (director of the 1995 film and the Innocence film) in the committee since the usage of philosophical elements in his ventures are high. GitS: Innocence was more philosophy oriented than action or mystery oriented and I was genuinely having a hard time understanding the quotes uttered by the characters in the second film.
You can never lay eyes on a more badass female character than Motoko Kusanagi. Even though she is courageous in dire situations, intelligent, graceful when she fights and strong, she has her flaws, too, thereby convincing us that even though she isn't a human, she is also not perfect. Motoko was also portrayed to wield more facial expressions and emotions on her face in the anime.The story almost always revolves around her and two of her five assistants - Batou and Togusa but the rest of the S9 also contribute when they are called into action. The camaraderie between the characters is great and the nature of the characters change as and when the situation demands.
Batou is a strong, a fun-loving and a battle-loving character whereas Togusa is more pragmatic and closest to being considered as a human in the entirety of S9. If I am ever to be given a chance in an alternate cyber-universe, I would like to have my very own sexy time with the voice of Motoko; the voice was oozing with maturity and authority and more often than not, the voice will magnetically attract your attention.
Honestly typing, I am running out of superlatives to describe the brilliance of Yoko Kanno and her wizardry when it comes to background score. As always with her, she doesn't disappoint a single bit.The music, when individually listened, can be great but, to me, what matters the most is that these musical scores must play in the background according to the demands of the situation persisting in the anime. Even though the music might be good to listen to, if the music and the situation aren't in sync, it ruins the experience in watching. Thankfully, no such problems arise when it comes to GitS. The opening, Inner Universe, performed by the late Origa is orgasmic to listen to; so much so that I didn't skip to the episode even once without listening to this song. The visuals for the opening were amazing, too.
To sum it all up, this anime excelled in every department possible - whether be it the animation or the story or the characters. It was a very memorable experience and the Laughing Man arc alone will demand a re-watch from us. Sometimes, there might be a feeling of confusion settling upon but with more concentration on the dialogs, complete understanding of the plot is possible. Is this anime worth investing your time? Absolutely. Night time is the preferred time to watch this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 11, 2015
Since many of the members have elucidated really beautifully about Texhnolyze in their reviews, I thought I would drop down a series of short points on why this is a great anime which deserves more attention than it has acquired.
• The trio of Yoshitoshi ABe, Yasuyuki Ueda and Chiaki J. Konaka combine yet again to deliver us, if not a masterpiece, a show which is just short of being a masterpiece. The show has incorporated some of the direst elements like hopelessness, dystopian society, psychological warfare, human conflicts, feral nature of the humans and crime groups very well.
• The Opening theme, 'Guardian Angel' gave
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the anime that cyberpunk-ish feel whereas the ending theme. 'Tsuki no Uta' was more of a peaceful song; the very same peacefulness that was missing in Lux and which the citizens of that rundown city longed desperately for. The background score was crisp and suited the environment and the atmosphere of the anime real well. Utilization of different genres of music proved to be a success as almost all of the tracks were brilliant.
• As always, Madhouse has done an absolutely brilliant and noteworthy job in animating this show. They paid attention to very minor details, the camera angles were exquisite in many scenes and the characters looked realistic and were up to the point without any sort of extravagance involved. The color palette and the hues used were post-apocalypse personified. Different contrasts of sepia, many gray elements and at times the darkness and shadows on the buildings exuded originality and precision. Once you lay your eyes on the first episode, you'll realize that you are in for one dark, malevolent ride filled with virulence.
• This has become a cliche of sorts now but still, it has to be said that this is an anime which will provide the enjoyment for every audience out there. The very slow nature, the cruelty involved and the blatant hopelessness with which the humans are pitted against will most definitely be a turn off for many audiences.
• What I loved the most about this anime is that it had very sparse dialogues for the starting handful of episodes. This allows the viewers to interpret the world and its horrendous living conditions, the state of each and every character and allows us to intake as much of the information as possible through visuals and the beautiful music alone. Also, the attention to detail was terrifyingly great. The tense and the increasing breathing, the subtle footsteps in an almost silent scene, the clink-clanks of the Texhnolyzed limbs are some of the many details that must be paid attention to.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 24, 2015
Have you ever been so elated about a decision that you made which brought you an indescribable elation and great fruition to you?
Well, I, for once felt that joy when I opted to read the novel of Kara no Kyoukai (KnK) rather than watching the movie series first. Right after I read the novel, I watched the films (obviously, the animation just blew me away) and then the thought came to me that if I had watched the films first, then I could not have understood almost the entire story behind each and every incident that occurred in that world.
Story & Storytelling (9/10):
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Totally, there are 7 different incidents that take place in 7 different timelines. These incidents form the crux of their respective stories and the entire plot revolves around these incidents in some way or the other even if you get the feeling that you are being dragged away from the main part of the story. Before you can even realize, you will be thrown into the story and you'll never see it coming. That's how great the storytelling was when it comes to KnK. The 5th chapter here deserves a special mention for its brilliant story narration and plot even though there will be many terms related to magic persisting in that world that we may not be familiar about.
Note that, the entire series takes place in an anachronical manner; meaning, the timelines are all jumbled up but it is safe to say that reading as it is will help in better understanding of the entire plot rather than opting for a chronological order while reading for the 'first' time. The storytelling is really nice and you will get hooked to the story in no time. The monologues from different characters are one to look out for, there were some thought provoking quotes from the various characters, the interactions between the characters were natural and even when you feel that the story is traversing in a roundabout way rather than plunging straight into the climax, you will end up realizing that it was all a necessity and worth the read. The way in which the story was told more than made up for the lack of art since this is a novel and not a manga.
Character (10/10):
To sum it all up in one word, the characterization was just brilliant. All the characters lived up to their roles and fulfilled them thoroughly. The protagonist on the male side is Kokuto Mikiya while the one who helms the role as the female protagonist is the ever-graceful Ryougi Shiki. There cannot be a character in the virtual world that oozes more beauty, grace and serenity than Shiki Ryougi. She basically runs the show in many chapters and just so you know, she is strong. Real strong. Equal importance is given to the people who are behind the incidents, their circumstances being explained thoroughly so as to leave no stone unturned. Like I said before, the monologues and the interactions are to be watched for.
The story revolves around Shiki, Mikiya and Aozaki Touko; the Chief of the place named Garan no Dou where Mikiya works and where Shiki is a regular customer. Touko is mainly present to clarify the doubts put forth by both Mikiya and Shiki (same doubts that arise in our mind while we watch/read KnK) where there is heavy involvement of magus, origin, sorcery and otherworldly beings. But, even she is forced into action in the 5th chapter or the 5th movie. Mikiya, who is peace-loving and a man filled with a sense of justice, is there to protect Shiki even at the cost of his life and is even ready to bear the sins that Shiki has committed. Even though the story is set in a non-chronological order, there are visible traits of character development; especially when it comes to Shiki Ryougi. I am forced to not reveal more about the characters as it might end up spoiling the fun and excitement for you but, that said, an extra amount of attention to the dialogues spoken by those who cause the incidents could be paid so as to have a mental experience of what they are undergoing or have undergone. The movie series makes use of this in the best way possible since it becomes a little difficult to grasp the feelings of the characters while reading a novel. This was how it was for me, at the least.
Enjoyment (10/10):
I would be lying blatantly if I say I didn't enjoy this novel and it would also be an understatement to say that both the KnK novel and the movie series were only 'good'. At times, since it is next to impossible to make the brain function with full concentration, some dialogues were difficult to grasp while even if the concentration was high, you cannot just help but wonder what is happening. A huge amount of never before heard words come in play in the 5th chapter and it just won't be enough if you were to skim/glance through all the dialogues if you are in the plan of reading the novel only once (although, sooner or later you'll pick it up again just for the sake of it).
Kara no Kyoukai was more or less unknown to the masses until 2004 wherein Kodansha officially published it. From then on, it went on to become a runaway hit and subsequently got the anime adaptation that it duly deserved to have. All the credits go to Kinoko Nasu and his hard work which is evident in the novel. This was the first work that I read in the much famed Nasuverse and his collection of novels, games etc and it truly was a memorable one.
For those who might be interested in reading/watching KnK in the correct, chronological order, 2 -> 4 -> 3 -> 1 -> 5 -> 6 -> 7 is the correct order based on the timelines.
An extra novel which is a sequel to the KnK series is Kara no Kyoukai - Mirai Fukuin. This too was a nice read and one to watch out for. My personal recommendation would be that, in order to have a good understanding of the story, the novel could be read first and then the films could be watched next. It can be done the other way around also so as to check if the films missed out on anything from the novels. Also, definitely do not miss out on watching the films because, everything about the films oozes with top quality. Be it the animation, the background score or the voice acting, everything has been crafted in such a way that it becomes difficult to detest this franchise.
One of the man trademark Aozaki Touko quotes:
It's a mistake to choose your path based upon the sins that you carry. We don't choose our path based on the sins that we carry, but we must bear our sins on the path we choose.
Overall: 9/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 27, 2014
Gugure! Kokkuri-san is probably the underdog anime of the Fall season along with Bahamut: Genesis. This anime will give you certain vibes that will make you reminisce about either Barakamon or Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun or even both. The entire anime consists of comedies and gags wherein some might enjoy while others might find it ordinary or poor and hence, this anime is not for all of those comedy lovers who have varied opinions when it comes to the genre 'comedy'.
Story (5/10):
There is no general plot or storyline where this show follows. The synopsis, which skims through the first episode in its entirety is the only
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entity that can be called as a plot. Other than that, this anime follows an episodic pattern with no continuity from the first episode. Since this anime is episodic in nature, some might find it boring or might feel like dropping it if they are to watch it in one sitting owing to some repetitive jokes and gags. Sometimes, the gags were kind of predictable and you will get the feeling that what you were expecting and thinking in your mind was going to happen next.
Art (6/10):
Pretty normal with nothing in particular standing out and then there is the obligatory distortion in the characters' eyes that you normally expect to see in every anime that you come across. The backgrounds, especially the buildings and the surroundings including the environment were well animated and rendered.
Sound (7/10):
The OP was performed by the three ghosts viz., Kokkuri, Inugami and Shigaraki and it was catchy with Kokkuri being the lead singer while the other two passing and hurling unnecessary comments in between. The ED by Atsushi Suemitsu, who performed the OP for Nodame Cantabile, was pretty melodious and was pleasant to listen to. Since ancient ghosts were involved in the story, the OSTs at times incorporated some traditional Japanese music using the shamisen and also some spooky tunes. All the OSTs involving shamisen were nice to listen to and the timing of the music were good too.
Character (9/10):
This is where the anime excels the most. Characterization was way too brilliant and perfectly suited the theme of the anime. Kohina's character is very intriguing and the things that she says with such nonchalance and straight face are always amusing to watch. Each of the three ghosts have their own quirks while the other side characters' antics and the trouble they got themselves into were also a joy to watch. The interactions between Kohina and the three ghosts were so natural and felt it was realistic to a certain degree. Do take note of what they are saying and you'll laugh out loud in many instances.
The voice-crew had great extravagance and experience and each of the characters' voices perfectly suited. I felt that Daisuke Ono (Kokkuri-san) was performing too flashily at times and was exaggerating with the reactions. Yukari Tamura's blissful voice was in charge of the narration part while the veteran Jouji Nakata voiced Shibaraki. Takahiro Sakurai and Chiwa Saito voiced Inugami.
Enjoyment (8/10):
Cannot really say that I did not enjoy the anime while watching it. The purpose of many comedy anime is to make us enjoy with their gags and witty jokes and Gugure! did just that. Felt that sometimes the jokes were repetitive and were way too predictable but other than that, this provides us genuine laughter.
Overall (7/10):
Nice jokes, great characterization, decent animation and virtually no storyline; all these combined to give Gugure! Kokkuri-san. This is the anime for you if you want to just pass away the time while enjoying it at the same time. The episodes where Shibaraki gets involved is are always a joy to watch and he gives us some good quotes regarding life. Wherever there is Shibaraki, there is drama involved in the anime.
PS: Shibaraki is the best among the three ghosts.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 23, 2014
What happens when two people, who befriended themselves just recently are pitted against each other in a pool match in order for them to survive is the whole concept behind Death Billiards. Death Billiards is a part of the Anime Mirai project and for me, this was the first anime that I watched from this project; and I did not even feel a sliver of regret after finishing it.
After reading the synopsis, I had my doubts if this show can accomplish what it set out to achieve within a solitary episode but I was proven wrong. The story meted out almost all the conditions; trying
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hard to not leave any loopholes.
Since the animation was done by Madhouse, I had high expectations and it did not let me down one bit. The animation was brilliant and the attention that they paid to bring out many minuscule details showed how meticulously the team had planned so as to please the eyes of us viewers. Sound... well, I paid only partial attention to the music aspect since the story made me incline towards it for the most part.
Yuuichi Nakamura, Asami Seto and Tomoaki Maeno form the crux of the voice-crew and all did their jobs very well, especially Yuuichi Nakamura. Characterization was very good and the emotions depicted by the voice-actors made it even more outstanding.
"Life is never fair" - Bartender.
This above saying epitomizes the entire concept and the entire episode of Death Billiards
Overall: 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 20, 2014
For those shoujo manga fanatics who love only the purest of shoujo manga and who got lured in by the shoujo manga art, this may or may not be the manga that you might want to read. For the people who love comedy, please do not judge this manga based on the shoujo-ish art as it has got some real rib-tickling stuff that is absolutely enjoyable. In other words, when it comes to this manga, the saying 'Do not judge a book by its cover' holds good for both the above mentioned criterion.
PS: Do not be perturbed by the mention of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun (GSN)
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and in no way I am comparing this manga to that.
STORY (8/10):
I randomly came across this manga a week back and the enjoyment eclipsed some of the vague and intermittent disappointments by a large margin while reading it. Oresama teacher is a manga which has a female mangaka drawing shoujo arts but has a good amount of shonen related stuffs including delinquents, action and some heart-warming comedies. The first dozen chapters or so moves in its own pace and undertakes a more episodic route rather than having arc based storyline. This probably was done to lay the foundations for the characters and their developments so that the readers get acquainted with their behaviorism. At some points, the story was dragged and you might start to wonder 'when this chapter is going to end?'. Some people, while reading this manga, will find it irksome about the myriad of flashbacks and how the manga suddenly jumps to the characters' pasts. Even though it will test the patience, the pasts will actually be funny but sweet and emotional at the same time.
ART (8/10):
A shoujo manga consisting of delinquents will necessarily consist of handsome guys that the female readers can fawn over countless amount of times and this manga, just like your typical shoujo manga does not shy away from doing just that; and the smiles, flowery backgrounds and screentones just accentuates the delinquents to a whole new level. The art is good and you can actually witness changes in the style with which the characters are drawn as you keep on reading the manga - meaning, the art kept on improving as the chapters kept on increasing. One vital point to note is the characters' facial expressions to express the emotions. It actually felt close to reality while witnessing those expressions and weirdly it was reminiscent of GSN (which coincidentally is another work of the mangaka) and was like watching it with only the settings and the premise differing. Since delinquency is involved, do not expect those over-the-top action sequences and fight scenes as this manga shies away from that big time.
CHARACTER (8/10):
A former yankee trying to live and strive to achieve a rose-colored high school life is what the synopsis points to, but with the amount of quirky characters and their weird and unique personalities (including Mafuyu) that is endemic only to them, she is thwarted almost every time from achieving her goal. Gekkan Shoujo's main + was its tremendous amount of exposure given to the characters and it seems it just harnessed that trait from Oresama Teacher just like that. Characterization is really great and when the art and story is compared to the characterization, the latter eventually prevails. The jokes and comedies put forth are filled with realism for the most part and the misunderstandings and the dense aura that some characters give off makes reading this manga even more merrier and worthwhile.
ENJOYMENT (8/10):
Like I said before, this manga sometimes takes the slow approach and almost certainly has a myriad of jumps to the characters' past. It might get irritable at many instances, but those moments will definitely not force you to put this manga on-hold or drop it. The timing of the jokes are so perfect that you will not see them coming albeit you will feel that at that situation, only a joke would have been a warrantable option. Considering this is a shoujo manga, it is an obligation that the girls must be beautiful and cute; with their cheery and gentle smile and the blushing and flustering. All these including action, comedy and delinquency are mashed up to provide us Oresama Teacher.
OVERALL (8/10):
At the moment, there is substantially only one major arc in the manga and it is still continuing. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, the romance and shoujo-ish scenes are very scarce. Do take note of the interactions between the characters. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that some of their interactions and conversations will be natural without any external forces acting. It was a delightful read to say the least.
One regret is; I watched and followed GSN on a weekly basis before reading Oresama Teacher. Many a times, you will reminisce about the characters from GSN while reading this manga if you had done what I did. I felt that the facial expressions of the characters from GSN was incorporated from Oresama. It is advisable that you read this and then follow it with GSN as this is purely golden.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 11, 2014
A mermaid (Lotte) longs to witness the humans and the world they live in but interacting with the human race is considered a taboo among their race and hence an iron-clad rule arose wherein; only when the mermaid reaches a particular age, she is allowed to rise to the surface of the ocean. Lotte, after fulfilling this condition rises to the surface and from then on the story takes a turn for both the good and the worse.
NOTE: The entire Erotic Fairy Tales series contains explicit scenes involving characters making love. Considering that the phrase 'erotic' is present, it should be expected but for those
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who think otherwise, this is a timely reminder.
STORY: 7/10
At a first glance, the story would seem to be a normal fairy tale transformed into the manga format but with the introduction of genuine erotica, things change a wee bit and provides us with good entertainment and a pretty nice storyline. At times, the story seemed to be dragging along just to fulfill the sensual pleasures and desires of the characters but other than that, this manga has got a normal but entertaining plot.
ART: 8/10
Considering that this manga has been drawn by a female, the art slightly inclines towards the shoujo side but still, the art was really nice and was well rendered. The backgrounds were well done and the sex scenes were pleasant to say the least although there are traces of NTR in the latter stages of the manga. No particular qualms regarding the art.
CHARACTER: 6/10
This is where the manga sometimes loses its plot. There are 3 main characters viz., Lotte, the mermaid; Abel, her human love and J, the demon who makes his obligatory experience in all of the Erotic series. His motive is still unknown but it is he who at times, singly changes the direction in which the story proceeds. Then there are 3 supporting characters viz., Deo, Abel's elder twin brother; Kaya, a woman who is beautiful but has maleficent behaviorisms and Nanami, who is a 'milk sibling' to the brothers and who takes care of Lotte.
Lotte is indecisive at times and always sheds tears which is somewhat irksome while Abel is not honest with himself and the misunderstandings between the trio of Lotte and the brothers causes some trouble which is predictable as and when it arises. J is the only interesting character who always provides timely twists in this tale.
ENJOYMENT: 8/10
Even if the characterization was only above-decent, there is a fair amount of romance and enjoyment which will definitely catch your eye. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and you guys can too, provided if you overcome some obvious change of direction in the storyline. The 'lovemaking' scenes were not over the top and absurd. It was normal at times and it can be felt that the characters were really in love with each other during those scenes rather than having sex motivated by lust, incest or immorality. The unyielding love between the 2 main characters and the romance between them was a joy to read.
OVERALL: 7/10
Nice art, decent story, thorough enjoyment, above-decent characterization, good romance and above all, a nice dose of happy lovemaking combines together to give rise to the Mermaid-Princess saga of the Erotic series. This manga might not please everybody and it definitely will not be everybody's cup of tea. For those who like ecchi mixed with some authentic romance, this manga is worth a read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 8, 2014
This manga is a refreshing read and a deviation of sorts for those who constantly read all the shonens that release weekly. The connections between the history of the land and the implications it has on the fairy tales are extremely intriguing. It is a breath of fresh air if all you read are the typical genres and want some diversity. For those who like mythology and ancient history, this manga provides quite a beautiful insight.
NOTE: This manga progresses in an episodic manner and it does not provide any connections between chapters although, 2 or 3 characters make an appearance in more than 2
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or 3 chapters. Also, it is just pointless to look for character development and action sequences as this manga is mostly all talk about history and various myths around the world and how the anthropologist connects the other countries' myths with Japan's.
PROS:
1. The myths surrounding some famous Japan folklore are well explained.
2. The manga is intriguing to say the least and is interesting too.
3. Highly educational and provides us with some nice knowledgeable facts about the history of many countries that we might not be aware of.
4. Explanations regarding the myths were very well rendered and at no point you will feel any boredom creeping into you while reading this.
5. The 3rd volume is the best of the lot with nice explanations put forth.
6. The backgrounds were very well done and the amount of research that the author has made is truly evident in the content of the manga and each chapters.
CONS:
1. Art might have been better but it suited the entire premise of the manga.
2. No particular ingenious deductions were made and the mysteries were not that much good.
3. The 2nd volume was the poorest of the 3 volumes that have been released till now. Wonder where the mind of the author was wavering while he crafted the 2nd volume. So, prepare your mind for what is ahead of you while reading the 2nd volume.
4. The characters often seem to 'suddenly' discover subsidence in the earth. Hope that stops in the future chapters.
5. The chapters needed more pages for thorough explanation and the amount of Japanese names in each chapter will confuse the shit outta you.
Story: 9
Art: 7
Character: 6
Enjoyment: 8
Overall: 7/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 20, 2014
If you get reeled in by seeing the word ‘romance’, then you probably would be the first person to drop this anime as the romance aspect of this anime is pretty much scanty and one-sided in all possible ways. Fret not, as this anime still provides one of the best comedies that will entertain you to the very last episode. When I saw the anime’s name, the very worldly presence of the word ‘Shoujo’ didn’t fit well with me and hence didn’t bother to watch the first episode. Then, as usual, I was proven wrong once the news floated around in the internet that the
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first episode was promising and hence with no real expectations, saw the pilot episode and the interest levels were growing at an alarming rate. Note that this anime progresses in an episodic manner except when the all important ‘new character’ introduction takes place.
The entire plot is filled with alarming but comical misunderstandings and the way the characters jump to conclusions by playing it in their mind were hilarity personified. Although the presence of romance is very less, there are still some romantic scenes that take place only to be followed methodically by obliviousness and screw-ups. This show also depicts how a shoujo manga can possibly become either a hit or a dud. A worthy thing to consider is the interactions between the editor-in-chief and the authors. The main character Nozaki Umetaro researches quite a bit for his manga and his research; which consists of the interactions between the 7 characters that helm this show, makes up the 12 good episodes.
The art and the animation had the usage of vibrant colors and vivid backgrounds. One nice point to be taken note of is that, the manga which Nozaki draws. The 2 main characters of the manga, Mamiko and Suzuki-kun have their own voices and it was a different experience. The artwork of the manga was of a typical shoujo manga and the details regarding shoujo manga were neatly analyzed even though they did not delve deeper into the topics related. The OST was good and the timing of the music was good with the music accentuating the situation persisting over in the anime. One piano sonata caught my attention and the OP and ED are normal but catchy, especially the ending.
CHARACTERS: This is where the entire anime excels the most and where this anime became a runaway hit among the audiences. Each and every character portrayed in this anime is unique and have its own quirks that are very much necessary for the progression of each episode.
Nozaki is the protagonist. He is diligent, intelligent but highly oblivious. He is unable to detect the easiest of advances by the only normal and level-headed character, the female protagonist, Sakura Chiyo. Sometimes, it might seems hilarious but at other times the ‘I’mma gonna fucking punch the screen’ feeling arises. Next, Mikoshiba (Mikorin) who thinks he is a playboy (actually, he is, in a way). Wakamatsu, a first year, he is like Kise Ryouta without basketball and handsomeness. They both have the same voice-actors too. Hori is a third year student who is bullied by his underclassman prince(ss) Kashima without her knowledge that she is bullying him. One of the wonderful traps provided to us in recent times is Kashima. Then, finally another oblivious freak who speaks her mind without knowing that she lacks the utmost delicacy, Yuzuki Seo.
All these whacky characters come together in various episodes and the unbelievable incidents that these characters get entangled into duly forms the entire body of the anime. When any one of these characters is missing, this anime would not have thrived like it did. Unlike many anime where the focal point is either the extravagant plotline, animation or the music composition, Nozaki-kun’s engine is the characters. Without the characters’ interaction, this anime would not have become what it is now. The comebacks (tsukkomis) and retorts provided by the characters are magical and seem to be realistic but at the same time it felt as if with each passing episode, the retorts became somewhat predictable, at the least to me. Maybe they should or should not have toned down on the retorts. Note that, the extravagance of the voice-crew for this anime is unmatched by any other Summer ’14 anime excluding Nobunaga Concerto; another vital reason why the characters’ speeches and interactions looked lively.
To sum it up, a hilarious anime that employs misunderstandings to narrate a great story regarding on how to and not to craft a shoujo manga is the gist of this show. Animation, music and plot all seemed normal and maybe this is where the anime comes good owing to its normality although there were some instances (only scanty) that seemed not believable. Animation could have been improved, so could have been the music but even still, it was good. DAT ending to the final episode might not have been the perfect one, but the aptness of it was impressive.
Overall rating: 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 9, 2014
At a first coup d'oeil, this anime might be reminiscent all over of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo with many similarities viz., boarding house, a male MC looking forward to a rosy school life filled with fun and frolic, a busty but beautiful lady, romantic scenes and what not but when you start watching this anime, it will be very much patent that it is nothing like Sakurasou. Do take notice that I am not comparing both these anime. Even though one might find Kawaisou to be similar to Sakurasou when you see the plot and the genres, you will be proven wrong that, though
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they may have similar themes and genres, they are anything but similar.
The storyline is the one that you come across in many romance-high school themed anime where the MC (Kazunari Usa) is looking forward to attend his first year in his high school hoping that his life will be filled with fun and joyous incidents and at the same time nicking a girlfriend so as to lead a colorful school life. He hopes to have a peaceful but skylark day-to-day life after his traumatic and fun deprived junior school life. Even though this is a high school romantic anime, the most part of the anime takes place in the boarding house Kawai Complex where Usa finds the very same senior, Kawai Ritsu, who is the daughter of the owner of the Kawai Complex, that he has a crush on when their eyes first met at their school’s library. He hopes to get closer to her and know her better so as to develop his typical teenage crush into genuine love. This is when both good things and bad things happen to him when the Complex’s quaint and queer people with whacky personalities to boot butt in. The daily life in this Complex is how the story progresses with a little dash of high school life added in-between certain episodes.
The main disappointment was how there were scanty scenes of romance in the entire course of the anime. Even if this is a RomCom anime, the scenes revolving around the romantic relationship between Usa and Ritsu were limited although, I do realize for once that it is mighty difficult to add every possible entities in an anime that follows their particular genres. Also, Kawaisou lived up to its expectations as a RomCom anime when it comes to the comedy part. There was abundance of comedy with the characters cracking jokes that ranged from normal retorts and tsukkomis to adult jokes to situational comedies and to masochistic jokes. The teemingness of jokes and puns was totally enjoyable and is guaranteed to provide you hearty laughter in certain episodes.
Characterization was apt and well suited with the appearance of many weirdo characters. Many examples include the tenants of the Kawai Complex viz., Shirosaki, a masochist who was once a writer but now enjoys stuffs including bondage and masochism. His entire character background is shrouded in a thick mist of mystery. Mayumi is a busty, beautiful lady who has the poorest of luck when it comes to men and is a drunkard. Sayaka is a sly, conniving college student who with the help of her predatory instincts and personality woos men so easily on a whim. Ritsu, the female protagonist is a bookworm who is kind of a loner in her school and noticing this Usa tries to make her feel less lonely. With all these weird-ass characters in the Complex, Usa is bound to have a hectic life.
Brains Base who gave us some good slice of life anime like Natsume Yuujinchou, Isshuukan Friends, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun and Oregairu and many more are once again responsible for the animation production of Kawaisou. The second main talking point of the anime was the animation. The weird and funny faces made by the characters were a joy to watch and were placed at the right moments with apt timing. The animation had a shoujo vibe whenever Ritsu smiles, with all the sparkly stuffs and stars illuminating her already bright face. The tone and choice of colors used when the characters blush was up to the mark. Two of the main attractions of the anime regarding the animation were the eyes that shimmered and sparkled whenever there is an exciting and heart-racing moment for the characters and the lips of the female characters which were endowed with a pale peach hue. It was always a delicacy to watch the characters’ glistening eyes and the rosy lips. Overall, no qualms when it comes to the department of animation as the job was crafted well except for the fact that Usa resembled like a girl when he got shy.
I definitely didn’t pay any attention to the music playing in the background as I was too engrossed in listening to the honey-sweet voices of the characters. The opening Itsuka no, Iku Tsuka no Kimi to no Sekai by fhana was good while the ending, My Sweet Shelter was even better owing to the fact that the three main female voice-actors; Hisako Kanemoto, Rina Satou and Kana Hanazawa, sung this collectively. Watch out for Kana Hanazawa’s verses.
There was a reason why I mentioned that the animation was the second main talking point for this anime and that is the near flawless performance of the voice-crew especially from the female characters. From the beginning to the end, no wavering or quivering could be noticed in their voices as they strived for perfection. Ritsu is voiced by the ever popular and young Kana Hanazawa (CV of Kosaki Onodera, Gokou Ruri, Sengoku Nadeko etc.). HanaKana, as she is affectionately called performed perfectly. Knowing that Ritsu is a quiet-spoken character, the variation in her voice was evident. Next up is Hisako Kanemoto (CV of Kotoura from Kotoura-san) who voiced Sayaka in this anime. Since Sayaka’s nature is sly, she uses the cute side her voice to entrap men under her clutches and at the same time she is dark natured and loves to tease Mayumi. This personality was well portrayed by her voice-actor and was a total joy to listen to. Finally, the best performance in terms of voice comes from Mayumi’s voice-actor Rina Satou (CV of Misaka Mikoto). Hands down, this is the best character that Rina-san has voiced till date. The amount of variations that she had to make to her voice in the very same episode on many instances was sky-rocketing. At one point, she is this uber-beautiful lady who is going on a date and the very next instance, she becomes this drunkard after coming to know that she is being three-timed and at another instance, she is this dark devilish person who wants all the couples in this world to end up in eternal misery. Mayumi shares this beautiful repertoire and camaraderie particularly with Shirosaki aka Shiro with whom she accompanies on jesting all the other characters. Their relationship and friendship is a noteworthy one. Overall, a flawless performance by Rina Satou who always provided ear sex in voicing this unbalanced, multi-personality carrying bombshell of a crazy-ass character. I always tend to drag a paragraph to a huge extent when it comes to the voice-acting part and this is no exception as I am very much interested in voice-crew for almost all the anime that I watch. Apologies, if you felt that this paragraph was too long to your liking.
Overview:
An enjoyable, fun loving anime that never shies away from jokes and comedy. Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou also consists of some proper romance scenes even if the scenes in itself are scanty. There are episodes that provides a secernment that it also carries slice of life in its 12 very gratifying episodes. Some disappointments include less romance, less number of episodes and inconclusive ending. Other than that, this is a very good Spring ’14 anime that can be watched by all audiences except for those who detest RomCom and slice of life.
Overall: 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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