Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu

If you've been around the anime community for long enough, you have no doubt heard of the so called "Moe" genre. With a focus on cute girls doing cute things, (usually in a high-school setting) Moe series tend to focus more on comedy and various slice-of-life situations then plot and character (See: K-On! and Lucky Star for two very popular examples). But what happens when a show that has seemingly "Moe" characteristics attempts to delve into deeper themes, such as self-worth, the struggle to become a better person, and the consequences of your actions? In that case, we get a show like C³ (Full title: ... Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu).

To get this out of the way early, the production values in C³ are perfectly fine for this sort of anime, with the art and character designs being nice and unobtrusive, and the music especially being surprisingly good. To be honest, the art isn't spectacular by any means, but given that this show at its core isn't really about the action (or anything else that would be worth taking considerable time and money to animate) the animation does its job well, maintaining a consistent level of quality.

Produced by Studio Gainax, (makers of popular shows such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL, Gurren Lagann, etc.) C³ seems pretty simple at the outset, featuring an all-girls school that our protagonist, Yura Yamato, is just beginning to attend. Yura has had trouble making friends and standing out in the past, and she is determined to change herself and become more outgoing at this new environment, to have a fresh start, if you will. But despite this resolve, she finds herself incapable of following through, failing to speak to any of the other girls that she encounters or to meet any new people.

It isn't until she is scouted by the school's airsoft team, C³ (that stands for Command-Control-Communication, if you were wondering) that she begins to find the determination to change. By participating in these airsoft games, (aptly called "survival games" by the team members) Yura is able to make new friends, discover new passions, and strengthen her resolve to better herself as an individual.

It is through this airsoft team, and the opponents that they face, that we meet the rest of the characters. To be honest, the majority of them are mostly there just to fill up space, but they do this job adequately, adding some comedy and lightheartedness to the series at some points, and acting as good symbols of how people perceive the actions of certain characters at other times.

But more notable than them is Sonora, Yura's upperclassman/roommate, and the leader of the airsoft team. Sonora acts as a sort of mentor to Yura, guiding her through the basics of airsoft and giving her the confidence she needs to join the team, as well as the resolve to continue playing and to make the best of the games. Also notable is Rin, a star player for the Meisei academy airsoft team, and a girl who has some strange ties with Sonora's past. These two characters both have a strong impact on Yura's development as a character, each of them providing various insights that both help or hurt her as she goes along. This technically being a sports anime, the theme of "It's not just about winning or losing" is definitely alive here, but it's addressed in different ways by different characters, and Yura most of all struggles with determining its true meaning, and finding a balance between Sonora's and Rin's methods.

It is this development with Yura's character and set of themes that differentiate C³ from other shows of "cute girls doing cute things", and even a lot of other sports anime, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, Yura's character is also what makes the show's greatest flaws apparent. Yura in the beginning of the show is, as previously mentioned, a rather lonely soul, a girl who craves friendship and affection, but is not outgoing or brave enough to actively seek it. Through C³, she is able to slowly reform herself, getting braver, more determined, and "stronger". But what happens when these changes go to far?

Two things happen: For one, the show becomes quite interesting, as we get to see a show that was formerly about a bunch of cute girls playing airsoft games for fun turn into a character study regarding how Yura's transformation obviously goes to far, and whether or not she can redeem herself. Second, the plot and characters begin to act slightly illogical in order to allow this to happen. Truly, Yura's struggle IS interesting, and it kept me engaged, but there were a few occasions where Yura obviously showed awareness that she was going to far, but did nothing to stop herself. Despite her own realizations, and the pleading of the very friends she wanted so badly, she still continues down a path that can only lead to her destruction, and the show does a poor job of giving us a solid reason as to why.

This sudden transformation in the show's focus also leaves it feeling a bit disjointed, as it practically feels like two different shows between the first and second halves. Personally, I enjoyed seeing the slow buildup towards the sudden shift in tone, but it's disappointing that it falters right at one of the most important moments for Yura's character, and it feels like had the show focused a bit more on the serious side of things, it may have been able to provide more logical reasoning for the events that take place.

And ultimately, this is C³'s problem: It is a mish-mosh of ideas thrown all together, with the focus shifting around constantly, as if in a mad dash to get to the next topic before time runs out. Important events happen, interesting themes are brought up (including a sort of fantasy-realm that ties into the real world), but they are ultimately brushed aside to get onto the next major plot point. Had C³ JUST been a slice of life comedy, it probably would have been a fairly good one. Had it JUST been a show about self-loathing and redemption, it probably would have been pretty competent. But it also would have been something that we've seen in other shows plenty of times before, and likely done better. It's C³'s willingness to play off our expectations and try to surprise us that makes it special, that makes it stand out among all the other slice of life/redemption stories out there as something unique. Even if it could have technically been better had it stayed focused on one theme or genre, it would have been nowhere near as special to me, and I for one commend it for the risks it takes, even if the result of said risks didn't always turn out spectacularly.

Studio Gainax, before this production, was one of the biggest names in anime history. With such works as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, FLCL, Nadia, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, and Panty and Stocking, you would think they would stick around forever, but that ride to fame would be short lived. Some members who made Gurren Lagann would go on to form Studio Trigger (Inferno Cop, Kill la Kill) and some would follow Hideaki Anno and form Studio Khara (Evangelion Rebuild). While Gainax still picks up the pieces of what they used to be, they came out with a show called Stella Women's Academy Class C3-Bu, ... and while this show would seem to be cute girls doing cute things, that is simply not the case.

We follow new girl Yura Yamato as she transfers into an all girls school (go figure) and finds out that her roomate is Sonora Kashima, leader of the airsoft club at the school. While it takes some convincing, Yura joins the airsoft club and finds her place in the circle, the circle of airsoft pistols and rockets. Soon, Yura finds herself wanting more than just people to shoot so she trains harder and harder as she wants to be the very best that no one ever was. She then realizes that while her intentions are good, she takes the game too seriously according to her teammates and soon it comes to the point to where she loses not only her sanity, but her place in the circle of friendship.

Overall, this series was a surprise. It certainly takes a dark turn in some places, and while it CLEARLY WASN'T REFERENCING STAR WARS EPISODE III FOR 3 EPISODES STRAIGHT, it was a good show and a sign that maybe Gainax is not dead after all. The characters are enjoyable, the story certainly turns away from the average "cute girls eating cake and drinking tea (I have no bad feelings about K-ON, I loved that show)", and yes, there's even a couple of GAINAX ENDING clues along the way. If you like cute girls shooting cute girls, this is for you.

Jebus gives Stella Women's Academy Class C3-Bu: 4 YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE's out of 5.

I really enjoyed Stella Jogakuin for several reasons. It wasn't your typical slice of life anime, either.

I will try not to include any spoilers, as I have completed this anime several times.

Shikyubu has followed the tried and true formula of cute girls doing cute things, and I see it as a major twist to the slice-of-life genre. It was entirely and genuinely a show worth watching.

I gave the story a ten, and this can relate to the character also. The synopsis itself can see why its a sore thumb in the world of anime- the main character, Yamato Yura, undergoes through high school, ... hoping that things will change, and her life is turned completely upside down when she is introduced to Survival Games.

Survival games, as in it's damn airsoft. Seriously.

Stopping there, I implore you to sift through the #c3-bu tag on tumblr and see why this art was considerably well more than others. In the survival games that took place, and trust me, in airsoft, the field should feel like a battleground- dynamic in design, flanking routes, cover, foliage- everything. Airsoft is simulation. Tangent there, but still, c3-bu shows the atmosphere of it all. Very good art at no compromise.

As for the sound, the sound engineers have seemed to make the world of Shikyubu come true despite the extremely-rich schoolgirl practices and all-pink campus. The background music wasn't orchestral performances on huge backdrops- it was light and fluffy, reflecting the light and fluffy school.

Then, the survival games kick in. And amidst the fury, the strafes and the BBs flying everywhere, strategy and conquest, objectives and failure. It's all evident in the soundtrack. Honest to all, it is really damn good.

The reason? It's Jazz. An unexpected and amazingly fitting genre of music for the anime's airsoft scenes. It is an unexpected tone and a rush from Jazz- to the slow, soft closed snares acting with the main characters stealthily going around enemies, or the loud, sharp shrieks of brass with the rush of gunfire. It perfects the moment. It made the anime worth its while.

The characters where the low point, but all around good. Even though no one really accelerated and felt flat, it was Yura Yamato that really was the main character. She was, it seemed, the only one to be evolving. Still, the characters are definitely memorable- Sonora Kashima, the babe, the star player, the student that became the mentor. I could continue, but it isn't worth the while.

Rushing on, I enjoyed this series, and combining this with my top statements and ending it on a whim, I loved this anime and will support it to the death. The anime died on its first season, but it died, as it said, "guns blazing."

Stella C3-Bu starts off on the wrong foot, rubbing me the wrong way and giving me the presumption that the series would amount to nothing in the end.

The first episodes started alright enough. It’s the typical under-dog story, nothing special, nothing new and it was entertaining enough with its little spouts of gunplay.

I should mention that gunfights in Stella C3-Bu are certainly far less entertaining than old-school Gainax, lacking the brilliant execution and delightful animation of an episode like Brittle Bullets from FLCL. The editing tends to be clumsy. Girls jumping and barreling from one spot to another can feel choppy and jumpy and it ... doesn’t help when obvious shortcuts are taken due to a lack of budget. Camera angles close up and remain positioned on the face or on a gun firing so we never actually see the results of the action.

But while gunfights are visually lacking, they’re made up for fun, genuinely clever tactics and a good amount of charm. Sure, there are girls running off the walls and shooting machine guns upside whilst in mid-air, but fights are well thought out unlike something, like say, Jormungand where fights are played out like they came from the mind of a 5th grader.

But even with its entertaining action, Stella C3-Bu was losing my interest fast. A lot of screen time was given to the cast, but Sono was the only character remotely interesting while everyone else felt like they were just there to fill some space and honestly our female lead, Yura, was grazing on my nerves with her wimpy “ERMAGERD! AIRSUFT GUNS!” attitude.

It was episode four when Stella C3-Bu finally showed its real color. In just that one episode, Yura, was both well fleshed out and we got strong personal development as she became a whiny girl afraid of guns, to finally manning up and begin her journey with finding her true self. Unfortunately, I had fooled myself into thinking that this episode would be the game-changing episode when in reality the next two episodes were so below par that I had dropped the series.

Bear with them though, after the hump, Stella C3-Bu is a fantastic watch the rest of the way through.

The series takes Yura’s development farther than I initially thought it would. One second, she’s this wimpy girl and then she’s the cold bad-ass Omega wolf of the pack. Her development is handled flawlessly and her change in character never feels inconsistent or altered on a whim just for the sake of the story. Everything comes gradually and naturally.

We’re given a character who just wants to fit in but is soon corrupted by power and a need for vengeance, and the series carefully places each event that lead up to her ultimate downfall with firm direction, interspersing everything with small segments of the female lead’s own “delusions” and conflictions, all free of any plot devices.

While heavily revolving around Yura, she brings out the best of the rest of cast finally giving us a feel for the rest of the characters. We get to see clashing and drama, and in the final two episodes, we see sincere reconciliation and touching heartfelt mends.

The second half was so good. Seriously, what was up the first half?

Final Verdict:

Story – Starts off with a rock first half, but becomes a simple, but very well told, coming of age story in the second half

Characters – Yura is fantastic female lead. Side characters take a while before we finally get some characterization. Chemistry is well handled and even touching at some points

Setting – Typical high school for girls, but the “battle fields” and gun fights are creative

Production Values – Artwork looks good, but the animation is lacking in a lot of areas. The jazzy soundtrack is simple but effective and catchy

Do I recommend?: Stella C3-Bu doesn’t have a stellar start, but there’s just enough hints of brilliance and charm, so stick with the series and you’re in for a fantastic second half. Just don’t except this to be up with Gainax’s classics.

Rating: 7/10 (Good)

It’s so easy to write this off based on appearance. Then again, a lot of people are fooled by realistic design that an anime is deep. Stella’s Women Academy is simple and doesn’t aspire to much, but hits every target it aims for.

In truth, it’s not just an anime about cute girls who play with guns. The cuteness factor is there (since we in the West are still impressed by macho bullshit, it’s a plus). What drives the series, though, are the characters.

The story is simple because it’s a very humane one. It puts a bunch of personalities and examine them, using the theme of ... competition. What dominates is the characters’ reaction to every situation. Although external events pop once in a while like competitions, it’s not noticeable. They only happen to develop the characters. Feeling like you’re not enough or being narrow-minded or being laid-back are more crucial to the story’s progress.

It draws comparison to Ping Pong. There are even pseudo-artistic moments where the anime tries hard to be taken seriously. Thankfully they vanish quickly. Moments of confrontation, where we see the relationships change are more meaningful and profound than any weird-psychedelic-vision-thing.

The anime is full of such moments. Every episode is a clear progression of Yura’s personality. It is such tight pacing. Even the best anime don’t have pacing that is this focused. The series catches you off-guard when it moves from the cuteness of the first episode to the serious conflicts. It does it only in 6 episodes.

The tonal shift isn’t jarring. It adds depth. Life isn’t monotonous except in some circumstances. It’s mostly ups and downs. These tonal shift add realism to an anime that at first seemed only comic. It makes all the drama later believable and engrossing.

It’s an impressive feat. The characters shouldn’t work. They’re neither psychological portraits nor exaggerated oddballs. They still manage to feel real. This thanks to the work of the voice-actors. Most of the attributes – Ren’s gentleness, Honoko’s mother-figure, Karila’s toughness is expressed by these voices. Even when the characters all react positively to something, the voice-actors add their little touch to create distinction.

Yura is the highlight of the series though, and part of what prevents it from being brilliant. Going back to the comparison with Ping Pong, that anime explored every character it had. It wasn’t satisfied with just giving them distinct personalities. They each had their own journey.

Stella’s Women Academy is more narrow. Yura is the only one who goes through a major change. She’s a more believable and realistic character than Ping Pong‘s Tsukimoto, even if she’s less psychological. The changes in her are more apparent and clearer. The anime doesn’t rely on inner-monologues or visions (Okay, there are a few of them but not too many) to show us who Yura is. It’s the constant interaction with the cast.

Why make the decision to have such a narrow focus? Knowing your limitations is important, but great characters were the strength of the show. Everyone was flawed in a way and could be improve. The writers know how to develop a simple character, and using their talent only for one character is a waste.

Since there are guns in the anime, there are also action scenes. They’re the least flashiest action you will see, but somehow they work. Again, the simple and low-key approach is an advantage. The scenes are clear and easy to follow. They’re made of set-pieces which progress to a conclusion. Some tactics and strategy are involved, but they’re complex enough to be interesting and simple enough not to drag the anime down.

The overall message of ‘real winning is having fun’ may seem simplistic, but it actually goes deeper than that. It doesn’t pretend the world doesn’t have conflict. The message is that we need to understand when we’re in a serious conflict where we must win, and when we’re in a fun activity.

That’s the fault of both Rin and Sonora. Sonora just wants to have fun, so she doesn’t fight when she has to. She lets people leave freely even though it harms both the club and themselves. Rin sees everything in terms of conflict. For all her victories, her existence is joyless. She can win all she wants but what does she has in the end?

is not a huge anime. It’s a simple story about a person with no confidence getting drunk with power and then waking up. It works. Its focus may be narrow but nothing is missed, no idea is undeveloped and no moment is wasted. The only thing that prevents it from being a classic is that it never tried to be. Still, even the greatest of anime don’t hit their target dead-center like this one does.

Are you a fan of moe? Have you ever participated in airsoft? Well, I guess if you answered no to the first question, it's a given that you will probably not find much enjoyment from this show.

The main attraction to this show (besides the kawaii moe desu blob) is the "sport" of airsoft. Now, I use the word "sport" cautiously, but that subject seems to be the base model that this show follows. Basically, you will get more out of this show if you've ever participated in airsoft. At least, if you have enjoyed it. You will reflect the thrill, joy, and excitement of ... the characters onto your own experience. This is what makes it fulfilling to watch each episode. As expected from an anime, this one makes airsoft look 10 times more awesome than it really looks. These girls make it look incredibly flashy and stylish. Also, there's the fact most of the characters are girls playing airsoft. HAHA no, not in real life indeed. So if you're gonna enjoy the show, you better hang that suspension of disbelief right on that coat hanger next to the door.

There are many good things to say about the characters, but there is also one glaring weakness that drags the show down because of them. Overall, each character of the main cast seems to stand out in both design and personality. To further complement them, each even have their own distinct playstyle and use different types of weaponry. Unfortunately, it all goes to waste since they don't really get fleshed out at all besides the main character Yura. The show entirely focuses on Yura, overseeing her complete transformation in character. She's basically the cliched rookie that exceeds everyone's expectations. At one point during this transformation, she crosses a line into one extreme and becomes very unlikable to the audience for awhile. To conclude, it is a shame that most of the main characters were thrown to the sideline in favor of giving Yura most of the spotlight. Perhaps a second season may be able to amend this flaw. Maybe some day...

As for the music, well it's fantastic! When the jazz kicks up, it just really seems to flow along really well with the action happening on screen in an odd sort of way.

For the most part, Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu seems to follow a formulaic sport/action plot, but contains a few surprising twists here and there to keep it interesting. Not the best anime ever for sure, but if you're like me it may rekindle some old feelings if you have ever played airsoft before.

Having finished watching this anime, I'm quite surprised this received a fairly low MAL-rating, compared to some other mary-sue/gary-stu-spawning anime out there (eg. Mondaiji-tachi).

Nowadays, a lot of anime fans [and otakus] are so hard to please. While saying they're "hard to please", they're [NOT all, but a lot] irrationally being close-minded, afraid to go out of their comfort zones in watching anime. A lot prefer their own dose of anime: if it's moe, it's moe; or if it's action [eg. so-called "anime-veterans" want the old-anime back], then they want it action. Combining different elements and formulas in making a plot and character, and all it ... gets is a MAL rating of below 7 [while worthless anime full of fanservice gets an 8 and above? that's BS.].

And thing is, as sad as it is, MAL rating is very opinionated.


STORY = 7
Although it has the scent of K-On! on its story, juz that it's all about airsoft guns rather than music, but Stella Jogakuin was able to pick up its own cues and story later on.


ART = 7
good as it is.


SOUND = 6
moe OSTs. Although Ai Kayano and Miyuki Sawashiro are also seiyuus in this anime, but somehow the entire sound feels 6 for me.


CHARACTER = 8
The anime industry has tried various formulas more than what literature structure can offer. Character-wise, various anime studios (and even manga) were able to create better characters than the traditional Hollywood-ish stereotypes.
Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C3 Bu is of no exception: blending the moe-factors with plot and unlikely characterization, yet still retained a fairly slice-of-life take. So far, only Puella Magi Madoka Magica made a successful 10/10 blending of moe+seriousness, IMO though, with Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (excluding the OVAs) trailing 2nd [and something like Chaos-Head failed on this attempt], but all in all, Stella Jogakuin characters were able to have the conflict and resolve stitched up and going until it reached ep.12 (ep.13 is already the denouement).
Somehow, there were some minute elements that needed stitching, interactions that were needed to be revised on the manuscript before releasing the final output, but all in all, the characterization was able to create an interaction of characters, attached to each other, and moe~~here it is.


ENJOYMENT = 6
needs a little more work up, or maybe I'm juz not a fan of airsoft. Lacks more of the adrenaline-rush needed for airsoft battles; and the moe-ness kinda did not compensate the enjoyment.


OVERALL = 7
As said, anime fans and otakus are hard to please; not that they're setting the bar high enough, but because of their own subjective, opinionated whims. Though we can't blame 'em, they watch what they want [and one ep. costs about 25mins]; and slams without a care of "experimental" or "attempted" anime like Stella-Jogakuin here because of their own insights.
However, if one were to write a review here in MAL, shouldn't it be MORE objective than subjective? You don't just go
"I hate it, don't watch it----because I said so",
is that all the reason? A review like this won't get you anywhere.
Writing a review should be objective.
And yes, the factors I've said made up to my rating of 7 here. All in all, Stella-Jogakuin is a good anime, it lacked some aspects to it probably because of the "attempted" or "experimental" combination of moe+action+drama being pressured into its 13-episodes, but hey, this is what the show is all about.

Before taking a look at the entire review, I'd suggest you'd watch the main arc -- basically the entire thing, besides the epilogue as it doesn't add much. Binge-watching a thirteen-part anime is easy, anyways. Right?


Stella C3 baits its viewers charmingly. To those who were lured in by the idea of moe girls shooting firearms in a "convincing" environment, they were in for a surprising well-established plot; focusing on the development of characters through the relatable aspects of the lost sense of belongingness in between social terms and themselves, and all the way to metaphors of the horrors of war, statements on abandonment on the ... field, loss of self, and real self-guiding philosophy.

All of those elements slowly start leaking in menacingly and worryingly, keeping viewers interested in the tone it takes next. It's very fun to predict the next unnerving moment in the anime slyly pretending to be moe. It should be noted the ingenuity behind the direction of the OP and ED, with the OP hinting to the show's hidden nature with a menacing guitar rift you can hear near the beginning and the end. The ED is playful and cheery by nature, and it is almost a relief to hear it after some of the show's cliffhanger endings. It's definitely annoying at first, but it'll grow on you in the most unexpected of ways.

Some great scenes were when the world was literally replaced by imagined or illusionary areas. The anime doesn't explain itself here, not out of laziness or because it is doubting itself, but because it doesn't need to; and in doing so, adds to the atmosphere of Stella C3, and the concept and dreamyness of finding things you need in desperate times.

Most aspiringly, it does all of this while staying true to anime's typical tropes. Juggling its defined story with Naked in your room, Running during credits, Beach Episode, etc. I should note that only the Beach Episode felt forced -- while other tropes I've spotted were mostly decent to absolutely well-handled at best. In general, the anime takes itself seriously, in which it succeeds completely (and I grin hugely at such feats), and puts to shame the massive hordes of shows that desperately try to.

In a technical scale, Gainax shows their renowned prowess, but like all animes the animations seem to cut corners during mid-season episodes. It's still respectable; and it's fun to see the OP and ED change every other episode until the show's plot has fully revealed itself.
The sound direction in Stella C3 is superb for what it has been ordered for. The airsoft guns sound powerful and authentic, and give a satisfying "bang" to the ear. The impacts from rolling and flattening yourself against a wall to take cover sound like they take real effort (until it is shattered by the monkey character). And the clicks and shuffles of the firearms sound tactile and make me want to shake my backpack around.


I discovered Stella C3 when it was related to a video game called Spec Ops: The Line. While obviously not like Spec Ops in many ways for many reasons, watching Stella C3 in Spec Ops' perspective and watching Stella C3 AS ITS OWN, has been an uninhibited flat-out wondrous joy.

Things aren’t always what they seem. Despite featuring an all-girl ensemble at a high school club, Stella Women’s Academy (otherwise known as C3-bu) is a deceptively heavy anime in familiar lighthearted trappings. It’s easy to dismiss it as ‘K-On! with guns,’ and easier to be hooked to a surprising degree.

The story follows the fairly normal Yura Yamato, who joins Stella Women’s Academy in hopes of changing herself to be more outgoing and confident. After being charmed by Sonora, the thrill of battle, and Sonora, she joins the club C3-bu. C3-bu dedicates itself to survival games, which you can think of as laser tag with air ... guns instead of lasers. Air guns aren’t as fancy as lasers, but we get a decent variety of weaponry from pistols to sniper rifles.

That’s some pretty involved design for what’s essentially a Nerf battle, set over the top in charming fashion by the way Yura sees the world. Early on, she has what I like to call ‘war vision,’ where every survival game takes on the appearance of a real battlefield. I recognized ‘storming the beach’ and the rubble pile adobe houses of the middle east, but there’s assuredly more references to real locales I’m not aware of. Though the ‘war vision’ is in her head, it’s a great way to show how much fun she has in survival games.

Maybe a little too much fun.

Yura joined Stella Women’s Academy in hopes of changing herself, and then joined C3-bu because it’s a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the fun she has playing survival games never addressed her self-esteem problems, and that’s how the anime really takes off. To say she takes quite a turn in the story implies she suddenly switches personalities, but there’s a deliberate effort to show her changing little by little (the cowboy scene comes to mind). The result is a strong character arc for what is essentially Yura’s coming of age story.

Unfortunately, nearly everything else about the writing isn’t up to snuff. Rento, Karila, and Honoka are little more than accessories to Yura’s development. The good thing is the anime rarely pretends the former three are relevant. It knows C3-bu is Yura’s story, though the club itself is lead by the rambunctious tomboy Sonora Kashima. Sonora foils nicely with the aloof and prideful Rin Homu—er, Haruna, and they both make up for what the other three lack.

If there’s two more things to fault the anime for, it’s a plot element that shows up at the halfway and endpoint of the series. It’s little more than a really out of place plot device to force the story forward. Because the author had writer’s block, I guess, but the second iteration of it leads into the last problem, the ending. C3-bu’s ending suffers from extreme convenience and WTFery, nearly neutering the strong story it built for Yura.

…it’s a Gainax ending.

On the other hand, the ending song, ‘Shoot ‘em! C3 Club!’ by Stella Women’s Academy (this is the actual group name) is an energetically catchy bundle of lyrics and vocals that marks as one of the few endings I never skip. It perfectly reflects the anime’s more fun side, making a nice contrast with the opening song. ‘Shape My Story’ by Anno Yano is a more thoughtful piece dedicated to the more serious moments in the show. There’s a few tracks within the show that are noticeable, but they’re overshadowed by these two numbers.

I just wish there was a music track that blended the serious and the silly the way this anime did for its story. But between a lot of accessorized side characters, forced progression, and Gainax ending, the story itself was far from perfect. But in my occasional fits of chuunibyou, it DOES make me want go out with guns blazing; C3-bu was a fun little distraction, and that’s all I was really looking for.