This was a series that I was really interested in watching, but never really got around to it until the summer of 2014. The title by itself was interesting enough, but after I had read the plot summary and saw that it had received good reviews, I decided to watch this series. I enjoyed watching it so much that I decided to re-watch it last week, and while I didn’t get the same amount of enjoyment from the first time I watched it, Problem Children was still a really fun series to watch.
Story:
Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They (Problem Children)’s story revolves around three humans with extraordinary abilities. These abilities make everyday life extremely boring or unfulfilling for these individuals. That was until, one day, they each received a mysterious letter that said that if they gave up all of their friends, family, and worldly possessions, that they would have an opportunity to test the limits of their powers. They are then transported to the world of Little Garden, a world inhabited by several different types of creatures, and run by a series of supernatural events called “Gift Games”. The three humans run into Black Rabbit, the being who summoned them to this newfound world. They quickly discover that Little Garden isn’t just fun and games. Little Garden is the home of several different communities, each having it’s own name, flag, and status in the world. Black Rabbit is a part of the community known as the “No Names” because all of their status was stolen from them during a Gift Game against a demon lord. She brought these three problem children to Little Garden hoping that they would join the “No Names” in their quest to recapture their lost status.
While I enjoyed Problem Children’s story, it definitely had its flaws. The first issue I have the story is how many things weren’t fully explained or explored. The biggest question I have about the story is about the world of Little Garden itself. You’re not really given much information about Little Garden other than the fact that it exists, and while they do mention something about a “Parallel World Intersection Theory” it is never explained. Little Garden also seems to have elements from several different works of literature and religions. It showcases characters and tales from Shinto to the Brothers Grimm, and they never explain how any of this works. Also, Little Garden is massive, it was estimated to be about the size of the sun, and so much of the world isn’t shown or explained to us. They mention that there are several communities and races within the Little Garden, but we don’t get to see a whole lot of them. Which is definitely a shame, because the world itself is extremely interesting and I would’ve loved to learn more about it. The final issue I have with the series involves one the series’ main plot points. That being how exactly did the demon lords forced the now “No Names”, and others like them, into a gift game where all of their status was on the line. It’s another thing that was never explained in the series.
The story also doesn’t come to a very satisfying conclusion. While the last episode does wrap up the events of the conflict that was taking place, the journey of the “No Names” was far from over. The characters had even set goals that they wanted to accomplish earlier in the series, and we never got to see those fulfilled. Overall, even though it was a good ending to the arc they were in, it wasn’t a good ending for the series, so lets hope they decided to make a second season.
As for the OVA, extra fanservice aside, it just felt like more of the same, which was a good thing. But, it just served as another reminder that the story isn’t over. It’s never specifies whether the events in the OVA take place during or after the events of the first season, but either way it only makes you want more.
Animation:
There really isn’t a whole lot to say about the animation other than that it’s good. Everything in the series is animated really well. The character models, background scenery, and fights scenes are all done really well. While there is nothing spectacular here, it is definitely good, quality animation.
Sound:
Problem Children has a vast and varied soundtrack with songs that can compliment any scene in the series. If the scene is tense and a little creepy, a tense and eerie song will compliment it. If the scene is lighthearted and upbeat, the soundtrack provides us with a lighthearted and upbeat song to compliment this as well. The soundtrack features songs that have a good amount repeatability, and is complimented by a solid opening and incredibly catchy ending.
Characters:
This series stars four main characters, the three “Problem Children” You Kasukabe, Asuka Kudou, and Izayoi Sakamaki, and the person who summoned them to Little Garden, Black Rabbit. As mentioned earlier, all the three of the problem children have special abilities that made their lives boring or unfulfilling, which is why they were invited to Little Garden. During the course of the series, you’ll start to understand why each of the characters decided to come to Little Garden, and see them start of growing as characters. Initially, the characters might just seem like incredibly basic and one dimensional characters, but as the series progresses you’ll start seeing that there is more too them. That being said there really isn’t a massive amount of character development, especially for Black Rabbit and Izayoi. Those two characters are also the ones who we get the least amount of background information about.
All of the characters are likeable and enjoyable to watch. The characters deferent personalities worked well together and made their interaction entertaining to watch. For example, Black Rabbit is easily flustered, and even though the You, Asuka, and Izayoi are taking on the huge responsibility of rebuilding an entire community, they are still problem children. The are constantly doing things that Black Rabbit doesn’t approve of, and that creates some very funny moments during the series.
There are a decent amount of side characters in the series. For the most part, they are all given a decent amount of screen time, and at least a little background information.
Enjoyment:
I really enjoyed watching Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They?. The story was interesting, the animation and sound were really well done, and the characters were very likeable and enjoyable to watch. I’m really hoping for a second season so that I can see how the story ends.
Verdict and Breakdown:
Story: 3.6/5
Animation: 4/5
Sound: 4.3/5
Characters: 3.7/5
Enjoyment: 4.1/5
Verdict: 3.9/5
Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They? is a very good series that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.
