Dog Days

Riddle me this; a boy has been summoned to a faraway land full of animal-human hybrids and has become the centerpiece of an on-going war between the kingdom of dogs and the kingdom of cats. This boy is thirteen, small in stature, incredibly gifted athletically, and always believes in the right way, as opposed to the wrong way; the way of evil and immoral purposes. Typically, boys like this are somewhat hard to come by, as thirteen year old boys are usually at the point of transition between childhood and puberty, in which case, their minds begin to wonder, about everything. So, to point out ... the fact that this boy, who was transported to a world predominantly controlled by colorful-haired, big eyed women, is so pure of heart, it's safe to say that there shouldn't be any issues with his likability, as we all enjoy the good guy. Except not everyone does, but that doesn't stop Dog Days from making it the message to be learned from its content.

It wouldn't be very rare to find someone who has imagined leaving their current reality and partaking in a world where mundane tasks and the perils of responsibility don't matter. Whether they choose to escape their current dimension for purposes of necessity or pleasure, worlds such as the one portrayed in Dog Days are typical starting points for those looking for an image of peace and tranquility. This being said, the main character, Cinque, doesn't ask to be saved from his less than stellar lifestyle, he simply follows through on his curiosity and steps into a portal to another land. Unfortunately for him, he has no way back. That doesn't stop him from having a good time, however, as he's introduced to the colorful... colors of the new world and the inhabitants that make it up. Before long, he's deemed a hero by his summoner, the princess of the dog kingdom, Millhiore, and is rushed into battle with nothing but a ring on his hand. This is certainly not a very subtle introduction.

The world in which Cinque arrives in is a bit of a sight to behold. While two kingdoms are at war, it's not the kind of war that one would probably imagine. These two kingdoms are actually on good terms. The princesses (because kings and queens aren't cute enough to hold a position in this world) are childhood friends, and hold each other as dearly as I do with my own pets. These "wars" that their kingdoms' people partake in are simply a giant game. There is no evil intent, there is no killing, no injuries, no marauding. Every purpose of these wars is to make sure that their kingdoms' citizens are all entertained equally. I suppose one could infer that if partaking in war was the most enjoyable thing in this world, some might want to partake in an actual war. Just for fun. The issue with this becomes simple: there is no suspense. If the princess is captured, what of it? They won't do anything to her because this is all just a big game. If your entire army is wiped out, oh well. Those who had fallen in battle are allowed to come back after a certain time limit. It ruins any sense of dread within the plot, and ultimately kills most of the entertainment value for those expecting an enthralling action anime.

The cast of Dog Days is as wide of an array of characters as I've ever seen. We have the hero, Cinque, with his pure intentions and heart of a true warrior. We have the princess of the dog kingdom, Millhiore, and the princess of the cat kingdom, Leo, both of whom are very beautifully designed. We also have a captain of the knight faction in the dog kingdom, Eclair, who is fourteen years old. Let me just reiterate; a fourteen year old girl is the captain of the knight faction in the dog kingdom army. We also have Rico, who looks as if she just came out of her mother's womb and is already smarter than everyone else on the planet. There are many other characters that could be highlighted, but, overall, they don't hold as much importance to the role of the anime as the characters already listed. And with an anime that spans thirteen episodes, it isn't hard to imagine that each character gets a healthy dose of negligence. All except for Cinque, because he's the hero, of course.

Speaking of which, Cinque is as unlikable a character as I've ever seen from a (implied) harem. His constant obsession with meeting everyone's standards and his one for all attitude is enough to cause an uproar among the minds of those waiting for a more original character. He's optimistic, he's everything any person would want in a hero, but what hurts him the most is that he simply doesn't act his age. This boy is thirteen. Why is he so willing to go along with everything that is entrusted to him? Wouldn't someone as young as him think, maybe, the fact that he cannot return to his own world would be somewhat of a hindrance to his mindset as a person who enjoyed their former life? Not to mention, the minute skin shows (and it shows a lot), he's the first to turn away with no desire to look back. Thirteen years old.

Other important characters include the two princesses, Millhiore and Leo; Eclair, and Rico. Millhiore is the standard love interest for the main character and a not-really-original-anymore archetype for the not-so damsel in distress. Leo is among the first victims of this series' desire to show some developed chests, and her personality is the equivalent of a dedicated older sister towards Millhiore, somewhat like the relationship between a dog and its owner, except she's a cat. Eclair is among Cinque's (implied) harem and boasts the most adorable tsundere act throughout this entire anime. Rico, as mentioned before, has the body of a baby and has the intelligence of Einstein. She is solely responsible for finding out how to return Cinque back to his own world. That doesn't stop Dog Days from showing her naked, but that's unimportant to her character. By the way, every character mentioned in this paragraph gets naked at some point during the anime. You're welcome.

Where Dog Days shines brightest is in its character design. Every single female character in this entire series is incredibly attractive. All of them. Whether their designs range from sexy to adorable, they all have the same sort of aura about them that makes them pleasurable to the eyes of the audience. And not just that, but the creatures (which, randomly, aren't human hybrids) that reside within the world of Dog Days are also laced with creativity from beak to claw. Unfortunately, a single drawback from this is that it may come across as completely disgusting. A kingdom full of rainbows and fuzzy animals and colorful characters and big-eyed freaks and chibi balls of what once were normal cat and/or dog-human hybrids; it's all a little much. Perhaps this kind of animation and character design would be completely lost on the color blind. Regardless, if being dazzling was a profession, Dog Days would be its CEO.

What Dog Days does best, in my eyes, is being committed to its audience. Because of this, I simply couldn't enjoy it. There are multiple signs of fan service prevalent throughout this entire anime. Characters with colorful hairstyles and big eyes, and the fact that their combined with basic domestic animals. Sexual fan service. A majority of the characters are female and attractive, with impressive figures. The main character, excluding his can-do, pure attitude, has no personality. War within this series is a game, so no one gets hurt and everyone is happy. And when conflict finally does arise, it's taken care of in a flash, with no explanations of where it came from in the first place. Characters that appear youthful are actually well over a hundred years old. The fact that men don't hold any importance outside of the main character. Combine these points with a plethora of cliches (if what was listed wasn't cliche enough) and you have the world Dog Days hopes to embody. Nothing but fun and fantasies, through and through.

While Dog Days isn't anything extraordinary on the surface, the possibilities that are thrown away along with most of the male characters are a troubling thought, and leaves me with a feeling of regret. The series tries its very best to sugarcoat the series and squeeze every possible cliche it can in order to appease its audience, but underneath it all, it's basically a rehashed fantasy/adventure story that lets itself get far too out of hand. If only heroes existed in the world of literature, so stories like this could be given a fair chance to flourish with multi-dimensional characters and an effort to create instability within the fun world that Dog Days creates.

Our adventuring days are coming to a close as the season finale approaches. Oh Dog Days, to quote Eclair, “I have no confidence that I’ll remember you.” With that in mind, let me quickly give my final thoughts while I do still remember.

There’s not much to say about the actual final episode. If you’ve watched the entire series, it’s all pretty clear what will happen at the end. Some personal back story and my final thoughts.

The reason I even watched this is my love of the fantasy genre. If it’s got swords and magic (specifically RPG like elements) I’ll give a shot. I have to ... assume that the traditional ‘western’ high-fantasy fiction (think LoTR), isn’t as popular in Japan as they have their own set of myths and fantasy-tales, which are pretty defined it their own right. But that’s left this anime fan wanting.

With that in mind, I’ll watch any fantasy themed anime, so watching Dog Days was an easy choice. The show overall had some good things going for it. At times the action was ok and of course the characters were cute. But for me, the overwhelming characteristics of the show were its blandness and lack of identity.

More than anything else the show really needed some personality. After all the time spent introducing the characters (way too many for a 13 episode series), and showing the little wars/athletic events they finally reveal the plot. That’s right, there are about 5 1/2 episodes of set up time. During which, I was constantly complaining about it and was wishing for something to happen.

When something did finally happen (Leo’s prophetic stargazing), it felt out-of-place. The show definitely did need some sort of conflict beyond its “athletic” events, but I thought the original plot they came up with wasn’t the best. Or even very good. Ok, it was pretty bad.

The characters were fine, it not completely standard. The only character I thought was better developed was Princess Leonmitchelli who had a more complex situation to deal with. The hero Shinku himself was pretty lame. I was on a harem-style anime kick a couple of years back and Shinku reminded me of all the empty-headed guys featured in many of those. I wouldn’t have been surprised if, during some duel Shinku got his face cut open only to reveal a robotic skeleton underneath. The ShinkuMatic-2000, if you will.

They could have easily slipped a love story into the show, or even easier a love triangle. But any feelings the characters may have, especially the blank-eyed Shinku, are pretty much ignored. They tried to sprinkle some in towards the end, but it doesn’t feel very natural. This “not feeling very natural” can be applied to much of the series, from the fan service to the magical powers some of the characters wield. Not very natural and completely predictable.

Every character reacts exactly how you think they will, in every situation, all the time. But oh man, were they cute or what? Ricotta’s Harry Potterish outfit was my personal favorite. The voice acting was fine, although with so many characters, some of who get very little screen time, no one gets to really shine (with maybe the exception of Eclair who I liked). The opening song was fun and I’ll admit it, I always timed the ending so I could yell, “Scarlet Knight!’ along with the singer. You did too, right?

I guess it was what it was. It seemed to want to capitalize on anthropomorphic cuties more than anything else and if that’s your cup of tea I would tell you to check this out. Otherwise I couldn’t in good conscience, not even to a fellow fantasy fan, ever recommend Dog Days.

[Thoughts about final episode removed due to spoilerish tendencies: go to http://moemonster.com/2011/06/26/dog-days-episode-13-finale/ for full unedited review]

(This has been adapted from my reddit thread)

What's interesting about any medium designed for entertainment is its ability to figuratively transport us to another world. Television, books, and anime all have this capability; we watch the drama unfold, read the words, and enjoy the antics, so much so that we feel as if we are somehow placed in this newfound creation. At times, we are also presented with the literal form instead of the figurative. That is, the story involves leaving an old world to be brought to a new one. Dog Days Season One is such a "tail," (I had to!) but is almost ... nothing more.

STORY

The story begins with Shinku, a middle school boy who is seemingly summoned to the distant land of Flognarde to fight as the country of Biscotti's "hero" to help them win their battles.

...And that's it.

Joking aside, the meat of Dog Days literally does not go past this point. The focus is on the battles; showing off the characters fighting one another, the commentating of powerful moves, and the misplaced fan-service throughout it. Interspersed are idol concerts, loose drama, and minor world-building, but they are in no way the most prominent portion of the show.

Something that Dog Days suffers from is what I deem "School Days Syndrome," where the entire conflict could potentially be solved by uttering a single line. Or, at the minimum, politely detailing the current situation in order to avoid any missteps along the way. Instead, the overall goal of the antagonist, while done with good intentions, is ultimately so roundabout and silly that it borders stupidity. The resolution brings about perhaps the most interesting aspect of this new universe, but it isn't explored this time or into much detail afterwards. This isn't so much a fault, since it more than likely will play out in later seasons, but the rest of what was presented does not compare to its scope.

It's important to note the (all being women) fan-service brought up earlier, for what it is is highly unnecessary. It serves no overall purpose, feeling misplaced due to the nature of the show.

Finally, the ending. It is perhaps the most convenient plot device I've ever witnessed from a show to date. Words cannot describe how perfectly the stars align to grant such a happy-go-lucky conclusion. Now, I'm not averse to jubilant endings, as long as they are done right. However, with absolutely no pretext or reasoning, the way it all goes down happens. Sure, the point of the show isn't to be overly dramatic, sad, or melancholy, but it would have been nice if Dog Days could have at least tried to make the realization/answer to the problem relevant.

ANIMATION

The art style for the show is, more or less, generic. It has this "kid's show" vibe that it never loses. The characters stand out from the everyday villagers due to the way they are drawn; civilians are given severely less detail compared to their main cast counterparts.

Dog Days does one thing right: actual animation. While not astounding, the animation involved with many of the moves Shinku and the others perform is at least above average. The colors and easy-to-follow attacks are done nicely, making the duels and fights fun to watch.

The character designs themselves are nothing amazing. They mostly follow a "this person is this color" pattern, making it easier for the audience to remember people's names. There is some detail when it comes to the outfits, such as Milli's pink royal gown or Leo's lieutenant attire, but for the most part, the characters look quite boring. This also applies to the environments and battlefields the characters find themselves on.

CHARACTERS

Dog Days has characters, but just barely.

The most glaring issue lies with Shinku. It's not that he is a "Gary-Stu" so much as it is that he is just so plain. His voice, his actions, his demeanor; everything screams normal. It's almost off-putting how boring he generally is. He's never funny, charismatic, interesting, or passionate. The only thing he has going for him is being nice.

The Princess, Millefiori, suffers from the same illness. Outside of being a pop idol and royalty, her only saving grace is her extreme kindness and delicacy towards her people. Her role makes more sense given her position and how she goes about her everyday life.

Leo, the leader of Galette, and Eclair, leader of the Biscotti Knights, are a step in the right direction. Eclair is the classic "tsundere" type, but she is able to hold her own in battles and isn't afraid to do what is right. Leo could have been a great character. Her battle-hardened outer shell when fighting on the battlefield contrasted nicely with her playful and defenseless way of acting when around Millefiori. Even her actions were admirable and held good intentions. However, her overall lack of communication sparked the entirety of the season, making her seem less like an intelligent war captain and more like an emotionally charged buffoon.

Arguably the best characters from the show are actually the ones we know the least about, namely Yukikaze and Dalkian, the demon fighters. We are given slight insight into who they are and what their pasts entail, but not much more. Again, this type of development was almost inevitable given the show's focus, but I hope that the later seasons aim to incorporate the ideas these two presented further.

Given the amount of characters, there is absolutely no way that every single one can be thoroughly explored. And that's okay; sometimes a show doesn't need to have tons of exposition or inner-monologues to describe a character for us. But as it stands, Dog Days doesn't do a very good job of making one fall in love with the characters. Sure, all of the girls are cute, but they have been seen time and again, and have been done infinitely better elsewhere.

SOUND

There is not much to say about the OP besides how exceptionally generic it is. Okay vocals mixed with boring drum beats and pop-like tracks is not a good combination.

The ED is a minimal step up from the OP. It maintains the same boring tracks, but opts for a softer tone and therefore softer vocals that fit more with the anime itself.

The rest of the soundtrack is largely forgettable.

As for VA work, I would go so far as to say that Shinku's voice actually doesn't fit his character at all. It sounds as if he is five or seven years younger than he sounds. Every time he talked, it was rather monotonous and unappealing to hear.

ENJOYMENT

For the most part, this show doesn't try anything new. It's a show about dog-like creatures participating in fun little skirmishes, with flat characters, sub-par world building, and decent duels. No themes are explored, the drama itself is misguided, and the conclusion is a storybook ending.

Being a romance guy, the romance elements at play from multiple parties was the most fun to watch. I wouldn't call it a harem, but it is evident that multiple girls fall for Shinku, and seeing them interact with him, with the blushing, smiling, and tail wagging, was usually able to make me smile.

If one is looking for an okay show where you can just turn your brain off to watch a bunch of dog-like creatures fight with swords and offer a bit of fun along the way, then Dog Days fits the bill. Otherwise, there are much better anime out there to be had. Hopefully the second season can prove me wrong.

SUMMARY

Story: Terrible, "School Days Syndrome"

Animation: Fine, nice actual animation but art style is uninspired

Characters: Bad, flat, one-dimensional, and forgettable

Sound: Bad, OP and ED are way too generic, Shinku's VA does not fit

Enjoyment: Fine, dog-like creatures and romance work out okay

Final Score: 3/10

Let me tell you a quick story of a man who was bored one lovely, chilly evening. He sat in front of the shining monitor as the dark of the night surrounded him, and thought to himself 'What should I watch now?'. To the dismay of his heart and mind, he hath stumbled upon the wonder of a simple name: Dog Days. And now, two days later, he whimpers in despair and cursing his past self for ever being bored.

TL;DR - pros/cons

+ Some great action scenes
+ Good sound effects
+ Not the worst thing ever
- Story
- Dialogue
- Characters
... - Plotholes galore
- Ending

Dog Days opened up as a chill, action-packed light adventure with colorful cast of characters and endless possibilities within its world, only to end up as an over-bloated mess that's so full of itself it makes most of the things you've seen seem coherent. Maddeningly, the idea of such descent is taken to the high ground here, and pummeled through like a wench in a brothel, day in and night out. Let's dive right into it.

Story of Dog Days is not only an incoherent mess, but it dares take itself seriously with the premise of wars where literally no one dies, and people are fighting just for fun. The moment you set up your story and world in such a way, you have lost any possibility of tension so - please - just take the idea and run with it. Half of the anime is about bubbly fun and laughter, while the other half tries to get you pumped with random events that someone's ass shot straight out, pretty much destroying itself in the process. Not only is the story full of plotholes and deus-ex-machina (for anyone still wondering what those two terms mean, watch this show and then try to put all pieces together), but it also makes unnecessary tonal shifts in the process that demean its entire purpose. It turns from a light-hearted adventure into a painful mess, and it does so with pride. Unfortunately so, because this could have been so much better if it had simply stuck to its premise, and showed us some cool stuff instead of trying to evoke "the feels".

Dialogue is another thing in this anime that is absolute garbage. Times like this I wish MAL would implement a separate category for dialogue alone, because here it's by far the worst thing. "Even though I may not be able to hold onto my memories, I'll never forget you." - in which seamless hell does this sentence make any sense, I do not know, but Dog Days is full of them. And it's not like they can just slip your eyes - they're usually those climax moments, and they stick with you, damaging your brain beyond repair. If any two humans talk in the ways characters within this anime do, I fear for humanity.

When I first said that the anime should have stuck with its premise, I meant it - because in the terms of art and sound, it really is above average. It has some great, and I actually mean great, action scenes here and there, and it looks visually pleasing despite the designs of the characters. While it may be stiff at times, and certain things (like first concert) obviously lack any detail, I was positively surprised at how well the action scenes played out - from special effects, choreography, angles and even rhythm of battles. Definitely a high point of the anime and, if you're someone who enjoys good action and doesn't mind everything else being shit, you'll love Dog Days.

Sound, on the other hand, is more of a hit-and-miss; I never managed to get used to the voice of the main character, and a few others, and yet some gave superb performance. There are very few memorable songs, but one will stick with you. In addition, sound effects were another surprise, because for the most part they fit near perfectly; it's obvious studio put a lot of effort into production, and it shows, so it's a shame the source material had to be dog shit.

From high to low, we come to the characters - while not as bad as the story, there are about 2 characters that I even barely enjoyed through. Our main character, Hero-kun, is your every shounen lead ever, spouting one liners about "protecting", "saving", and god-knows what not. Although he does have a few cool moments (most during the fighting sequences though), he's about as interesting as me - meaning not at all.

Anime boasts a huge, HUGE, cast of supporting characters, none of which are really that impressive. The main drive for the entire story was a supposed smart leader, Leo-sama, trusting the "foretold future" while it's established within the universe of the anime that it's far from reliable. Other than that, you can find just about any stereotype you can think of here - cute, innocent princess, hotheaded mini-tsundere, cute super-hyper loli, etc. etc. While the characters weren't horrible, they're things you've seen many-a-times before, and unfortunately, because of the size of the cast, we learn jack-shit about any of them. We learn more about a character that appeared halfway through the anime than the MC's 2nd love interest. Talk about priorities.

All in all, Dog Days is pretty much dog shit, neatly packed with cool animation. But, soak shit into gold, at the end of the day it's still shit. I'll probably pummel through the rest of the seasons, if for nothing but those cool action scenes and some decent humor here and there, but unless you're really dried out, you have no reason to pick up Dog Days. If you're hoping for romance, there isn't any; at least there isn't anything I consider to be romance. There's a confession at the end, but like the rest, it's shit, poorly executed and it makes no sense.

Hmm ... that describes it perfectly actually: Dog Days makes no bloody sense.

[This review is spoiler free!] TL;DR: Interesting isekai concept (for 2011) ruined with the continuous stripping of underage girls.

When I was 12 or 13, I had loved Dog Days. I thought the cute animal ears on top of everyone's head were the cutest thing ever. I binge-watched all three seasons in a day and enjoyed every second of it. Now that I'm 19, the show is too uncomfortable for me to watch. Conceptually, Dog Days is a fresh take on the Isekai genre.

It follows a middle school protagonist who is summoned as the hero of the Kingdom currently fighting in a long war. However, the ... "war" is nothing like you'd expect and is instead more like a Wipeout obstacle. In the end, no one gets hurt or dies. Because of this, I thought it'd be a fun, light-hearted anime to watch. However, I could only make it 3 episodes before I decided enough was enough.

In 3 episodes, 2 underage girls were stripped (full and partially) nude. Thankfully, the important bits were covered up with their arms. But the fact that someone thought it was a good move to 1) have a 14-year-old's clothes ripped off and 2) have a shower scene with a 13-year-old is more than enough to make me want to drop Dog Days and never touch it again. Does it get better? Probably. But I'm not going to sit through an hour waiting for it to come.

By 2011 standards, Dog Days is a decent anime. However, I believe it definitely falls short of the 2021 standard of anime. I don't recommend Dog Days, and I think anyone would be better of watching a different anime.

03 ❁. Bad but enjoyable in some way. I wouldn't recommend though.