Gin no Saji

Add to My List

Add to Favorites

Alternative Titles

English: Silver Spoon

Japanese: 銀の匙

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 11

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jul 12, 2013 to Sep 20, 2013

Premiered: Summer 2013

Broadcast: Fridays at 00:45 (JST)

Producers: Aniplex, Dentsu, Fuji TV, Kyoraku Industrial Holdings

Licensors: Aniplex of America

Studios: A-1 Pictures

Source: Manga

Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Slice of Life

Duration: 23 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 8.15¹ (scored by 83,307 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet aired' titles are excluded.

Ranked: #379²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #538

Members: 177,497

Favorites: 1,957

8.15

Ranked #379Popularity #538Members 177,497

Summer 2013TVA-1 Pictures

Add to List

Episodes: /11

* Your list is public by default.

PV 1 English sub version

play

Edit
Synopsis

Yuugo Hachiken is studious, hard-working, and tired of trying to live up to expectations he just cannot meet. With the ushering in of a brand new school year, he decides to enrol in Ooezo Agricultural High School, a boarding school located in the Hokkaido countryside, as a means to escape from the stress brought upon by his parents.

Initially convinced that he would do well at this institution, Hachiken is quickly proven wrong by his talented classmates, individuals who have been living on farms their entire lives and know just about everything when it comes to food, vegetables, and even the physiology of livestock! Whether it be waking up at five in the morning for strenuous labor or to take care of farm animals, Hachiken is a complete amateur when it comes to the harsh agricultural life.

Gin no Saji follows the comedic story of a young student at as he tries to fit into a completely new environment, meeting many unique people along the way. As he struggles to appreciate his surroundings, Hachiken hopes to discover his dreams, so that he may lead a fulfilling life on his own terms.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Edit
Background

Gin no Saji is an anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's ongoing manga of the same name that has sold over 12 million copies in Japan alone and was honored with a nomination for the 19th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. The series aired in 2013 on the famous Fuji Television noitaminA block, which has aired several prominent anime including Anohana, Nodame Cantabile and Psycho-Pass. Gin no Saji has been licensed by Aniplex of America for streaming and home video distribution in North America. The anime adaptation was followed by a live-action film adaptation, of the same source material, that premiered in 2014.

Edit
Related Anime

Adaptation:	Gin no Saji
Sequel:	Gin no Saji 2nd Season

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

Hachiken, Yuugo

Main

Kimura, Ryouhei
Japanese

Mikage, Aki

Main

Miyake, Marie
Japanese

Komaba, Ichirou

Supporting

Sakurai, Tooru
Japanese

Inada, Tamako

Supporting

Takagaki, Ayahi
Japanese

Yoshino, Mayumi

Supporting

Izawa, Shiori
Japanese

Nakajima, Yoshiyuki

Supporting

Masutani, Yasunori
Japanese

Hachiken, Shingo

Supporting

Konishi, Katsuyuki
Japanese

Principal

Supporting

Mitsuya, Yuuji
Japanese

Tokiwa, Keiji

Supporting

Shouji, Masayuki
Japanese

Ookawa, Shinei

Supporting

Mizushima, Takahiro
Japanese

More staff
Staff

Itou, Tomohiko

Director, Sound Director

Andou, Ken

Episode Director

Deai, Kotomi

Episode Director, Storyboard, Assistant Director

Nogami, Kazuo

Episode Director

Edit Opening Theme

"kiss you" by miwa

Edit Ending Theme

"Hello Especially" by Sukima Switch

More reviewsReviews

Oct 30, 2013

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Darkluigi (All reviews)

117 people found this review helpful

At the start of watching Gin no Saji, I was unsure of what to think about it. I thought it would be just a fun little slice of life anime, but what I got far exceeded my expectations.

Gin no Saji is the perfect example that we each have the ability to set our own path and believe what we want to believe. And even if we face adversity we still stand by our beliefs.

Personally I have never seen an anime in which a city boy was placed in a farming school, so kudos to the maker of the manga for doing it well. The anime read more

permalink | report

Dec 30, 2014

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Objective (All reviews)

104 people found this review helpful

Life is what you make it, if anything, it’s far from perfect.

In order to experience the true beauty of the world, we must accept the unimaginable situations we’ve been placed in, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.

Dive into the world of agriculture ‘Gin no Saji’ otherwise known as ‘Silver Spoon’ in English. Our main character, Yugo Hachiken, who in desperation separates himself from his family and their ever growing expectations, enrolls into the boarding school Yezo High School. Carrying a quirky and half assed attitude, Hachiken quickly realizes that escaping the expectations of not only his family, but others as well without having any aspirations of your own isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. This realization is even further amplified when he is surrounded by peers who seemingly already have their life planned out. If you can relate to this even in the most miniscule way, you should do yourself a favor and give this 11 episode season the time of day.

As we journey deeper, it is Gin no Saji’s extremely strong cast that truly allows this anime to shine. With an episodic-like structure and an array of unique supporting characters, the awkwardness that is the situations Hachiken is thrown into, know no bounds. Through the eyes of the beholder, we are initially shown the ugly side of the agricultural world, filled with the squirms of Hachiken as he collects fresh chicken periods, becomes overly attached to baby livestock and witnesses the butchery of countless animals. But ever so slowly, Hachiken begins to settle in his new found home, and the beautiful side of this world begins to shine through. As previously stated, the supporting cast Gin no Saji is exceptionally strong. The unique personalities of each character are truly showcased, whether it’s Tokiwa’s eternal struggle with studying, the tit loving Holstein Club, or the iron will of Komaba. Each have their own aspirations which become evident throughout their daily interactions which creates a heartwarming tone.

A-1 pictures generally have a high standard when it comes to artwork, and Gin no Saji is no exception. The vast majority is animated cleanly without any majorly distracting blemishes, characters are easily distinguishable, the scenery is drawn beautifully and the food is at a tantalizing level of animation. Heck, even the eggs fresh out a chicken’s bum looks delectable.

If there was anything worthy of complaint in Gin no Saji it would be its background music, which more often than not doesn’t benefit the atmosphere the scene attempts to create. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a poor soundtrack by any means… it just doesn’t add much to the premises most of the time. It simply exists at an acceptable standard. Both the opening and ending themes give off a light hearted, rural feeling which compliments the themes of the anime quite well. When taking the above elements into consideration, the soundtrack as a whole is presented to an above par standard.

In conclusion, chances are you’ll most likely enjoy this series even if you have absolutely no interest in the world of agriculture. Put plainly, Gin no Saji is a warm hearted slice of life filled with plenty of comedic and relatable moments, with an exceptionally strong cast of characters and beautiful visuals. Gin no Saji portrays its story in a simple, yet enjoyable fashion. So what are you waiting for? Take the plunge into the world known as Gin no Saji, and who knows? Maybe you’ll fall in love with the world of agriculture just like Hachiken did.

Helpful

permalink | report

Aug 3, 2013

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

pakoko (All reviews)

104 people found this review helpful

“Because of the life they were born into, they are immediately stuck as an existence that can’t even choose their own life and death.”

Such is the life of livestock. Chickens are killed to be eaten if they don’t lay enough eggs; horses are immediately retired or put to rest if they don’t win any competitions or get injured; and pigs and cows are sold at a really cheap price if they do not eat enough. Behind the scenes of our farms and their livestock, the idea of the “survival of the fittest” is more clear-cut and harsh than it is in human society. However, humans read more

permalink | report

Sep 19, 2013

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Stark700 (All reviews)

87 people found this review helpful

Everyone has dreams. In fact, dreams can come in all shapes or sizes. It be as simple as getting an A+ on a math exam or to something as difficult as winning a gold medal in the Olympics. The problem with dreams is though is that not everyone seems to be able to follow all the way through. It’s from dreams though that people learn about the world and about themselves. In Silver Spoon, we follow a main male protagonist named Yugo Hachiken as he embarks on a road for his future but one that he never expected to turn out to be.

Gin no Saji (also known by its English name Silver Spoon) is anime series based off of the manga of the same name written by Hiromu Arakawa. She is known already for her previous work, Full Metal Alchemist that has achieved universal praise for both its anime and manga creations. As a brand new series, we get to see an insight on her new work from a different perspective. This time, we get to witness the life of a farm boy in the field of agriculture as opposed to the military bases and struggles.

For starters, this anime is influenced by the author’s real life childhood because she used to grow up on a dairy farm in Hokkaido. Therefore, we also get to see the author’s reflection of her past life in a sort of way. However, this time we step into the shoes of Hachiken as a student and see how his life is like.

Hachiken is one of those character that seems to be unmotivated from the beginning. This is evidenced even from the very beginning in which he tries to get take an easy route by enrolling in an agricultural school. This might sound easy but it’s a lot harder once he opens his eyes to reality. The backstab comes to Hachiken’s part as he quickly finds out that all the students there are motivated by their desire to actually make a professional career out of their time spend there. For Hachiken though, this is more like a time of struggle.

The various characters of this show makes it quite appealing since almost all of them seems to have a mind set on the future; that is almost everyone except for Hachiken. These goals ranges from inheriting a farm business, to become a veterinarian, or owning a chicken farm. At the same time, these characters all have their own style when they make their appearances. Take Shinnosuke for example. He seems to play a struggling role (although not on the same level from my perspective) in the series. Shinnosuke wants to become a vet but often fears at the sight of blood or animals. Then, there’s also Aki, a girl that is sometimes stereotyped as the pretty girl next door. In fact, she even fits this role literally with her love of horses. (a possible reference to girls’ love for ponies)

The plot of the series follows a more slice-of-life format where it visualizes and presents how a person’s life is like as a student in the agricultural field. Surprisingly enough, it does make its sense of realism strong through the portrayal of its actions. These include cutting chickens’ heads off, milking cattle, cooking corns, and just an every day style of what is like to be a student at this agricultural school. For viewers however, it can be frustrating in the beginning to witness Hachiken’s life style because he shows little interest in the activities. This is especially true when he realizes how hard life can be on the farm. At the same time though, Hachiken progresses with his effort and learns more about his new life through experience. These experiences puts him in the driver’s seat for the first time on his road for a future. It is also in someway inspirational to see how he progresses throughout the show that might make people realize that dreams can come true.

Among other interesting factors of the series includes the character interactions. For Hachiken, it’s important for him to make new friends in order to adjust. Thanks to his intellect though, he is able to earn the respect of his peers and possibly even the affection of his classmate, Aki. In fact, there are hints of romance in the series occasionally between Hachiken and Aki. This can be viewed as a more innocent factor of the show and often times or not, we get to witness the silly moments (sometimes misunderstandings as well) between the duo. The sparks are there though but usually Hachiken plays the role of the dummy. On the other hand, Aki’s cheerfulness makes it all more the worthwhile to watch. What might be more scary to watch is maybe her overprotective father as he plays the role of a dad who seems to care about her daughter more than he probably should.

The series also brings a delightful doses of comedy to the show. In fact, it sometimes barely tries and succeeds in this field. This usually involves Hachiken and how he deals with the various farm animals with various results. In the beginning, most of this is almost absurd but later on spells out more hilarious moments as he gets first hands-on experience with the farm life. Trust me though, it’s a lot harder than what you see with your naked eye. It doesn’t end there as other characters such as Tamako even has her humorous moments and little gags that makes the show of a spoonful of comedy.

Visual wise, Silver Spoon takes on a realistic approach but with rich artistic visuals. The backgrounds is portrayed almost lifelike with a sense of naturalism in terms of its farm animals, buildings, and simplicity. Speaking of simple, most of the characters are designed as such without any fancy outfits, makeups, or battle gear. There is some similarity with its character designs in comparison to Full Metal Alchemist although this should be taken as for granted.

The soundtrack of the series is decent with a simple and straight forward way of presenting its rhythms. The OP song "kiss you" by miwa has a silly way of presenting its song with humorous sequences and character montages. On the other hand, the ED song “Hello Especially” by Sukima Switch has this sense of calmness as we witness characters walking down a road that can be interpreted as walking down a road towards the future.

Overall, this show might not be for everyone but it certainly should be worth giving a shot. You don’t have to enjoy agriculture to watch this. If you don’t believe me, just ask Hachiken. He started out as the new kid at school but now has earned the respect of not just his classmates but me as well. The realism this series focuses more than just the farm animals but also on Hachiken’s progressive development as his new life begins. It might not be the dream he originally wanted to follow but it sure is something enjoyable to watch. Living a life on the farm might be tough but for me, enjoying this show was simple.

Helpful

permalink | report

More recommendations
Recommendations

View All

More news
Recent News

Q4 2016 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 12/23]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of anime and manga licensed in the fourth quarter (Oct-Dec) of 2016. Fall anime which were licensed before the ...read more

Sep 30, 2016 2:11 AM by Snow | Discuss (44 comments)

North American Anime & Manga Releases for July

Here are the North American Anime & Manga releases for July 2014 Week 1: July 1st - 7th Anime Releases A Certain Scientific Railgun S Part 1 Cat's Eye Seaso...read more

Jul 1, 2014 4:27 PM by Snow | Discuss (26 comments)

More discussions
Recent Forum Discussion

	Poll: Gin no Saji Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Sep 5, 2013	86 replies	by YamEnele »» Mar 1, 6:34 PM
	Poll: Gin no Saji Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - Sep 12, 2013	122 replies	by Shuichi2 »» Jan 18, 8:20 PM

Gin no Saji

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Edit
Synopsis

Edit
Background

More Videos
Episode Videos

Edit
Related Anime

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

More staff
Staff

Edit Opening Theme

Edit Ending Theme

More reviewsReviews

More recommendations
Recommendations

More news
Recent News

More discussions
Recent Forum Discussion

More featured articles
Recent Featured Articles

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Gin no Saji

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

EditSynopsis

EditBackground

More VideosEpisode Videos

EditRelated Anime

More charactersCharacters & Voice Actors

More staff Staff

Edit Opening Theme

Edit Ending Theme

More reviewsReviews

More recommendations Recommendations

More newsRecent News

More discussionsRecent Forum Discussion

More featured articlesRecent Featured Articles

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Edit
Synopsis

Edit
Background

More Videos
Episode Videos

Edit
Related Anime

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

More staff
Staff

More recommendations
Recommendations

More news
Recent News

More discussions
Recent Forum Discussion

More featured articles
Recent Featured Articles