Pon no Michi

Pon no Michi, a typical CGDCT 1 cour show. Being someone who doesn't normally watch this genre, I found myself wholeheartedly enjoying it more than some of the bigger titles this season.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, or even close to it, but at the same time, it's lighthearted and enjoyable. There have been some reviews complaining about how most of the girls have similar personalities, but it's a 1 cour show (12 episodes), and that doesn't leave much time for background or much development. The characters are likable despite their lack of development (besides them all becoming friends), ... and the designs are honestly, great. While the CGI is a bit uncanny, the animation itself is great.

A good show to watch in the background, or even to focus on completely whether you're new to the CGDCT genre or you've seen many related shows before. This show's been my gateway into that genre, and now I'm thinking about watching other CGDCT shows. Once again, it's not everyone's thing, as the plot is well...slice of life worthy, and somewhat slow, though excellent if you want to zone out. Definitely give the first few episodes a try and see how you feel.

Pon no Michi is an anime about girls playing mahjong. By the way, the only reference to mahjong anime is Saki (which I highly recommend), which was more focused on mahjong. Going back to Pon no Michi, although it's initially presented as an anime centered around mahjong, it's clear from the first few episodes that mahjong is just a pastime for the girls. This approach might be disappointing for those who were expecting a more mahjong-focused plot.

The disconnect with mahjong is evident. Despite the anime being about this game, they barely show the girls playing a match and it doesn't demonstrate how mahjong is an ... integral part of their daily routines. The anime doesn't stand out in either of these areas; it neither focuses on mahjong nor explores the girls' daily lives.

But you know what? I loved it. It's one of my favorites this season. It even made me want to be a cute high school girl and do cute high school girl things (stereotypical, I know, but I don't care). Even though they don't play much mahjong, the girls are always talking about it. They're a lively group. The anime starts with a trio of friends, Nashiko, Pai, and Izumi, who were always together and already had great chemistry. Then Richie, an ojou-sama, joins them and quickly becomes friends with the trio. They do teenage things together and sometimes play mahjong. Richie is good at the game, which catches the attention of Haneru, and the quintet is formed! It's interesting because it's similar to the setup of the go-toubun, but that doesn't matter.

It's true that this anime doesn't deliver on either of the two points I mentioned at the beginning, but it mixes them in the outings of these girls. This anime exudes that feeling of youth and friendship.

There's also a mahjong spirit, which is very cute and plays mahjong, too.. yes.

So you remember doing yakuza 0 completionist, and then came the point where you have to learn mahjong lol. Ye i guess it paid off.
Should always ask yourself why should i care for these people, why are they important, why should i continue watching this series, is the dissapoiting ending going to be worth it?

Uninspiring, lame slop content. With fucking mahjong lol, i mean why would you ever think people watching stereotypic oversaturated anime girls playing mahjong would be entertaining? In basic terms, this is the example of what rich white kids do in new york, absolutely nothing.

We got the hacker, slasher, ... chopper, and the tsundere, the stuid baka, the groper, so on. Lets not forget the upcoming character whom the parents died in a car crash and has to play mahjong because she is only good in mahjong and has to remember that her parents left her and his little brother so she needs money so he can go to school. Also noticing now how unalive these voices sound.

ill leave you with a word from a user that wishes to remain anonymous,

"The more of these shows I watch, the more certain I am that they're propaganda made by companies that sell whatever cute thing the cute girls are doing."