I've finished Maburaho (officially) for the fourth time.
This time, however, was very different. This time, it was with new eyes.
Maburaho was the first anime I ever owned.
All in all, I can say, without a doubt, that Maburaho is one of the best shows I've ever seen. It is an amazing story disguised as a harem/comedy anime. Even seeing through it all, right to the very end, I couldn't hate it. There are flaws, sure. (Example: Seriously? Who throws out two main characters in the final episode, just to let them stand there and do nothing?! One of them happens to be my #1 female anime character!)
Maburaho, compared to other anime, stacks up like so:
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The story starts off making you think it will just be a waste of time with a "girl of the week" formula. You watch, as a certain counter ticks down one at a time, waiting for what will happen when it reaches zero. You think a million times that it never will, after all it's the main character who would suffer. But it does, and quite early. Seeing that, you wonder how the show could possibly go on. I'll admit, the plot twist is a head-tilter. But what happens has been seen before in the show, so it's not unheard of or out of bounds. The story continues, deepens drastically, and becomes a personal tale with an ending that still makes me tear up and gives me goosebumps.
The characters, like the story, start of shallow and predictable by appearance. You think one will always be empty-headed, one will be the object of all fan-service, and one will always be quiet. You even think one is a side character. You think the main character is spineless. You are proven to be sorely mistaken. That empty-headed girl really does care, really does notice, but just chooses to ignore it all in favor of the one she loves. That frumpy girl does have shame, does have a heart, but has been so put down she's afraid to ever show how she feels again. That quiet girl is a furious fighter, attentive to her friends, and knows exactly how to say what she thinks. That side character is more important than even two of the main characters, and she knows and has done much more than you think. And the main character? Let's just say he mans up when he's needed, he stubbornly puts others before himself, and he keeps his promises come hell or high water, and even death itself.
The animation is stylized drastically. The magic, explosions OF magic, and ghost effects are very well done. The movement of characters is fluid where it matters and jumpy or cartoony when things get funny. The backgrounds are natural and unintrusive, the lighting can be a bit inconsistent (sunset to afternoon to sunset in one episode, over a few seconds. Just one occasion, I think). Things are a bit shiny, and the anatomy is slightly off in favor of style (eyes, long legs, etc.).
The sound is brilliant, and easily a high point of the show. Music doesn't distract, but it enhances every moment just as BGM should. More than that, there are many memorable tracks you can listen to on their own (Memory Of A Little Girl, Snow Falls, Secret Of Power, I'm Here, I Don't Wanna Lose You, Memory Of Brother, Power Of Love). The opening is catchy, kinda cheesy, and upbeat, while the ending sends you away with soft tones and philosophical love-goo. Character themes are spot on, and all in all the soundtrack is masterfully done.
As for enjoyment, I must say that this show is not for everyone. It IS a harem show, and it there is a lot of joking after all. But this is a harem show with class. No panty shots every thirty seconds and so on. One character absolutely insists on hugging in every scene she appears in, though, and there's nothing stopping her, uhh, physique from being thrown around. There's also ONE part, more than halfway in, with some sudden, brief, and quite unexpected toplessness. One of the women is getting jealous, and we see her thoughts, basically.
I've given the show a 9/10 on my scale. "Unforgettable as an experience," is what that translates to. I can't say it's completely unforgettable because there's always an episode or two I don't remember when I rewatch, so no 10/10 here, sadly.
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I'm so glad I saw Maburaho. It's near and dear to my heart, and it shows. One of the characters remains my #1 anime girl of all time, despite seeing shows even more focused on character development. Maburaho itself remains as one of my all time favorite anime, and I have a feeling it won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
Thanks for reading all that, if you did. I mainly did it to vent, I guess. If this motivates you to see the show, I actually recommend the English over the Japanese dub. The Japanese dub takes stylization too far, making the characters a bit unrealistic and more generic. The English localization breathes more life into them, makes them a bit more distinct, and ultimately allows them to be taken more seriously and be made more memorable.
