Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge

While scrolling down the Spring 2016 anime list I encountered Tanaka-kun is Always Listless. It seemed like an anime with no presence and no one would've cared about it.

I was wrong.

The anime is actually really good overall and people started noticing it because it was actually good. I feel this is really underrated because of the unusual synopsis and such.

The story is about Tanaka and his friends around him, basically like the usual high school girl with the conflicts with the outside connections between the main MCs. This is the lowest point because, it is extraordinary in a way but the plot didn't really get ... to me. The story is cute though so it's okay.

The art backgrounds were very beautiful in my opinion. Character designs were unique in a way. I really liked the art for Tanaka-kun for some reason, what a relaxing sight.

The sound was also well made. I don't understand Japanese, but the upbeat tune with the cool, jazzy music works well with the anime

I love the characters so much. They are so different from most other anime characters which are bold with no intentions at all. Basically they all have a reason for acting the way they do. This doesn't seem to be a anime with character development but it still does.

Overall I give this a 9 and I enjoyed this very much. Please give this underrated anime a try!

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is a show I didn’t expect to like a lot. Initially, the show didn’t really click with me because it just felt so dull and boring. The refreshing art was the only redeeming factor I saw. I asked to myself, “How can a show about a listless individual be of any good?” I didn’t want to see every episode to be just Tanaka lazing around and ramble on how it feels nice to be listless. There must be more to the premise than this. But as a person who upholds the “no dropping” rule, I kept watching if it gets better ... or worse. A few episodes later, it ended up shattering my initial impression. I misinterpreted the premise of the show. It’s not about simply promoting listlessness, it’s about how others react to it. The main theme is listlessness and the show does a good job of revolving around that theme well. The show gives us situations that puts Tanaka’s listlessness to the test, and make other characters respond to it with such hilariousness and tact. As the show progressed, it kept introducing other characters that became vital in making the show charming. We start with the tall and reliable Ohta who likes sweet things, the hyper and cute Miyano who looks up to Tanaka as her master, the athletic tomboy Echizen who acts like a deliquent but loves cute things, the charming and responsible Shiraishi who everyone looks up to, and the list goes on. Truly, the strongest point of this show is character interaction and how their different personalities mingle in such a fun and amusing manner.

The show really blends the comedy and slice-of-life elements well. It borrows conventional school tropes and clichés but with the listlessness twist that works really well. The laid-back atmosphere was initially too dull to be relaxing but the charming cast breathes life into it. The comedy is easy-going and relies on character reactions whenever an awkward situation happens. The reactions are not extremely exaggerated like in rapid slapstick comedies, they are timed pretty well and are given ample time for the audience to react as well. For example, the show usually starts its episodes with a short situational skit and when the awkward situation kicks in, the characters involved freezes for a while with their respective reactions. Just because they freeze up, doesn’t mean their surrounding does as well. You can still hear background noises and you can see the surroundings still moving despite the situation. Then about 5 seconds after the freeze, the opening sequence starts.

The main protagonist Tanaka is a double-edged sword, he can either make the show better or worse. The show can’t stand on its own if it only focuses on Tanaka, giving less screen-time or even scrapping the other characters. Tanaka is uninspired and his listlessness delusions are absurd, but that is exactly why he works well when surrounded by a reoccurring cast that deals and reacts to his personality. The show is self-aware that listlessness has its problems but as long as you have someone to help you out then it becomes fine. What if Tanaka grows up to become an adult? Will his listlessness ruin his life? That leaves to another discussion, the show could have expanded on that aspect but that might ruin the show’s lighthearted charm by taking itself too seriously.

Overall, the show is fun as a laid-back slice-of-life with a refreshing approach to comedy. Not everyone might find the show appealing due to its listlessness factor, but it’s definitely rewarding to those who just want to watch something relaxing yet hilarious during a chill evening.

We've all felt it at one point during our lives; that lethargy that grips us and doesn't let go, leaving us in a bumbling state where our basic motor functions just don't want to cooperate. The very prospect of moving makes us groan, and every surface suddenly becomes a veritable pillow. Our thoughts drift off into space, and daydreams abound. Whether you're taken in the middle of a class, trying to be productive in an office, or are simply kicking back in the garden with a beverage in hand, a state of listlessness has surely came about at least once. It is the antithesis of ... productivity, yet one can do little in the face of it, for it laughs at those who try to escape its grasp, denying any and all attempts to break free. Once caught, the only course of action is to accept one's fate and go with the flow. But it is that very state of listlessness that serves as the basis for this story, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge (Tanaka-kun is always listless).

The story is but a simple and modest one. It follows the life of teenage highschooler Tanaka, denoting his attempts at merely existing each day, and his interactions - or lack thereof - with those around him. Not much is ventured here; it is a barebones premise that, most surprisingly, ends up being highly entertaining because it leaves a lot of room for imagination and creativity. At first glance, it might seem somewhat uninteresting - after all, what enjoyment can be derived from a series where the main character can't be bothered to do anything? The answer to this rhetoric is a positive one - despite his unethused self, Tanaka manages to find himself in many a comedic situation brought about by his nature, in no small part thanks to his friends and compatriots.

It is these very friends - and Tanaka included, of course - that enable this series to stand tall and blast away any doubts one might have about its apparent lacklustre premise. This series is a comedic one, mixing humour with a relaxing air to itself. It is like a constant, slow-burning candle; each episode moves along at its own pace, drawing you in, bringing many a chuckle and smile on the way. Not much happens in each episode, and yet not once does it feel like the 20 allocated minutes are being dragged out. They all centre around the highschool they go to, and so the accompanying events are naturally school-themed, such as participating in the culture festival, or having mishaps with misunderstanding classmates. However, unlike other school-themed comedy series such as Seitokai Yakuindomo or Nichijou, Tanaka-kun does not rely on sexual content and fanservice, or exaggerated ridiculousness. It is mundane to its core, but with a highly positive spin. Cast away your negative connotations of mundane events, because it brings these down-to-earth events to life in a most refreshing manner.

For our main character Tanaka, listlessness is a perpetuity. For his own reasons, it is a state he cannot fight. It dominates his being, and is reflected in his every manner. He doesn't struggle against it - for that would contradict his very nature - but simply approaches life in the most easy and effortless way possible. Much to his chagrin, however, his days of school life are far from easy and effortless. He alleviates this by relying on his best friend Ohta, a man who can only be described as being the broest bro that ever broed. He is - in an almost literal sense - the backbone for Tanaka. He's there by Tanaka's side to help him through whatever each day throws at Tanaka, to the point where he even physically carries Tanaka to and fro wherever he needs to go. Yet not once does Ohta admonish Tanaka; he merely offers encouragement as he stoically goes about his duties. He's the ideal friend, one who accepts Tanaka for who he is and stays by him nonetheless. His abiltiies are such that even when shopping with Tanaka, Ohta attracts the attention of the ladies, resulting in their cries of "I want an Ohta too!"

The dynamic duo aside, there are a handful of other characters who make up the main cast, each filtered into the story episode by episode. Miyano - affectionally dubbed Myaano by her senpai Echizen - is a go-getter who finds herself mesmerised by Tanaka. In an ironically contradictory and humorous manner, she tries her utmost to emulate Tanaka's actions, wanting to be carefree and listless in the same way he is. She's bright, enthusiastic and well-meaning, but also naive, evidenced by her ignorance towards her efforts to be effortless.
The aforementioned Echizen is a girl from another class, who has a fierce and imposing exterior but is actually a kind maiden at heart; this juxtaposition serves as another point of comedy because she tries to act as a punk but can't truly deny her kind side. One can't help but smile when the terrifying senpai berates Tanaka and Ohta but then goes googly-eyed as she gushes over Myaano, the affectatious nickname she gifted upon Miyano.
Shiraishi makes up for the 3rd main supporting character. She's the class-rep, who, unbeknownst to everyone else, has an identity crisis. At school, she's a bishoujo who has top grades, flawless looks and graces everyone else with her presence. Such is her stature that she has a group of followers akin to groupies who dog her around and accost any who would dare converse with their Queen. But when nobody is looking, she cuts loose, tying her hair up, slipping into casual and comfortable clothing and popping her nerdy looking glasses on. She has issues with her self because it's so different to her appearance at school; she isn't vain but merely tries to fit in. She also finds herself enamored with Tanaka, but in a romantic manner, as opposed to Miyano's inspired one.

These 5 make up for the main cast, and it is their hijinks which are the source of the great entertainment Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge has to offer. They all interact with one another in different ways, bringing their own uniqueness to the table. The persiflage between Echizen and the rest keeps them on their toes; Myaano's adorableness mixes well with her go-getter mindset. Shiraishi finds solace in the group since they accept her for who she really is - even if that itself is based on a highly comedic misunderstanding. All three of them would appear as oil to Tanaka's water on the surface, but they flow together surprisingly well, and Tanaka is better off for them; he does occasionally try and make an effort for their sake.

Where the art is concerned, it fits very well for the series' tone. The character designs are all fairly simple, without overly much detail to them, yet they still manage to capture each character and their personality, from Tanaka's large eyes which look dull and tired to Echizen's imposing and intimidating features which make her look like someone you shouldn't mess with. They all look distinct, and the colours are all light and cheery. It is a colourful series, one filled with brightness that lifts your spirits. It really shows that you don't need the intricate detail of Berserk or the gorgeous and endearing art that KyoAni is known for in order to bring characters to life. The listlessness of the series is perfectly encapsulated with simple designs and bright colours. I'll also add on a personal note that Shiraishi's design quickly became one of my favourites; there's just something about her that makes her stand out in my mind.

With all that in mind, I can safely say that Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruga is a series that subverted all of my initial expectations. I only picked this up in the first place because I like to watch the vast majority of seasonal anime. I really can't say that I was overly interested in it or had any high hopes for it to be decent. It seemed rather droll at the onset, but I can quite confidently say that this quickly became one of those anime that I was most looking forward to each week. It is a testament to the writing of the series that such an uninteresting premise could end up being so funny. It is entirely a character driven show, and it is those very same characters where this series shines. The cast is varied and all bring something different to the table. This is an anime to be put on after having a bad day, something where you can really relax and have a laugh all the way through. Stress is relieved by the smile that will inexorably find itself on your face.

Out of nowhere, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge appeared and surprised everyone.

Yes, it's another school SoL comedy like hundred of others, so, what makes it so good? It's simple, it completely succeeds in what I think is the key aspect for this type of anime: the characters.

In anime like Tanaka-kun, it's expected to see little to no character development during the whole story, so it's a must to make them likeable and fun to watch, and just from the first episode, with the fantastic interactions between the two protagonists, Tanaka (incredibly lazy, just wants to live calmly and without troubles) and Oota (always taking care of ... Tanaka, that includes, for example carrying him from one place to another, yes, I'm serious), I was already impressed for how much I enjoyed watching them just doing their everyday life. After that, every episode presented a new character, and this anime never failed in making them fun to watch, memorable, and leaving me with the need to see more of them in the future, and they came back again lots of times, and after every episode I liked and laughed with them more than before.

Another thing I liked about said secondary characters is that the anime never forces them to be there, while they befriend Tanaka and Oota, they still have their main group of friends, or another secondary character that prefer to stay with, interacting with the duo protagonist in other moments, while minor, it's a detail that I really like, because they feel a lot more real and less like that this anime forces them to orbit around the protagonist just for comedic purposes.

The art style, simple with the characters, but detailed and beautiful in the backgrounds (the school they are in looks so good in special), fits perfectly with the anime and it's overall good to look at.

For the sound, both opening and ending are pretty good, while they might not be of my personal taste to become one of my favourites, they do an amazing job in setting the tone of the anime, for the background music, I really like the song that plays most of the time during the episode, the others are quite average, but never fail to correctly set the tone of the moment accordingly to the situation.

The VA's work is fantastic and fits great with the characters, I specially like Kensho Ono's voice for Tanaka, and Natsumi Takamuri for Miyano, they make the voice that I totally would expect from said characters.

In conclusion, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge caught me completely by surprise and ended up being the anime I looked forward the most every week while airing, if you're doubting in starting to watch it, really, just give it a try! If you already did, I'm sure that at this point you will be influenced enough by Tanaka to be too lazy to do anything else but watch more of this anime!

"Well, of course, the inappropriate curiosity all boys have is present in me, but not enough so that it's worth the effort to act upon it."
- Tanaka

A simple, sweet, and refreshing comedy,with a straight-forward and simple plot line.It is a series that follows Tanaka listless adventures (or should I say nonadventures, really, I mean tanaka was like:"I don't want to be the main character of my own life.") with his amusing ensemble of adorable and lively friends.

There are no twists and turns with dramatic climaxes or anticipating cliff-hangers that make you pull out all your hair. None of those. It is a pretty calm anime ... with a lot of hilarious,”LOLs” and facepalm moments.

It is a very character-driven anime, and the characters have unique personality quirks which make their interactions really fun to watch.Especially the bond between the main characters Tanaka and Oota (the friend that we all need in our life lol); the main duo is the score and the backbone of the show.

As for the art, it was the cutest. I mean simple art style which follows closely to the style of the manga. They use bright and soft colors which really compliments the tone of the anime. The backgrounds, as well, are really pretty and well done.

The music, like the series, was very charming. There’s a cheerful piano piece that’s used pretty often in the background. Its scales, while simple, match the lighthearted tone of this school/comedy/slice-of-life series perfectly.

The best part were the voice actors chosen as they portrayed the characters really well.

To summarize:
-Story: 10/10
-Art: 10/10 (A huge thumbs up for the studio on that.)
-Sound: 10/10 (The OP and ED was pretty calming, they fit the anime’s atmosphere)
-Character: 10/10 ( All were funny and cute)
-Enjoyment: 10/10 (I had such a blast watching it)
-Overall: 10/10 (it was a light and funny anime, great to watch when you want to rewind or have a chill day.)

Now if you excuse me...."Yawn" I'm going to sleep so don't try wake me up.

It’s a shame that an anime like Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is getting overshadowed by many so many anime this season, and some of those anime pale in comparison to what Tanaka-kun has to offer. This series is one of the many slice-of-life anime that’s airing this season, but this is the best slice-of-life of the season. It’s relaxing, relatable, and most importantly, fun. With an immensely loveable cast of characters, this series manages to be both sweet and funny. The only flaws in this series is the general flaw a slice-of-life anime brings – a lack of a main story. Other than that, Tanaka-kun ... proves that even without a story, as long as you have great characters, you’ll succeed.

~{Story}~
The premise of Tanaka-kun is quite simple. Our protagonist, Tanaka, is the most listless character you’ll find. He always dozes off, never wants to do physical work, and always finds the easy way out. And he’s got a friend named Oota that helps him with whatever he needs. Tanaka-kun is about Tanaka and all the characters that surround him and the series focuses on his relationship with other characters. As it already seems apparent, Tanaka-kun is a character heavy anime. There’s no main story (which seems to be a case for most slice-of-life), however, the episodic stories are quite nice. There’s not a single episode in Tanaka-kun where I felt bored like out protagonist. Every episode always has something, and that’s all that matters. The series has moments that seems typical of a school anime, like a cultural festival episode. But all of these moments feel so much fresh due to the characters, especially Tanaka-kun. It’s always fun seeing how a listless character like him would react to situations that require energy.
Story: 7/10

~{Presentation}~
Tanaka-kun is exactly what a slice-of-life series should be. It needs to be relaxing, but not boring, exciting, but no overly energetic, and focused, but not precise. Its episodic stories of different situations Tanaka-kun has to go through is what makes this series so good. It’s not story-driven like most anime, nor is it atmospheric-driven like many slice-of-life, but its character-driven. None of the characters feel lacking, at that’s vital for a character driven anime. And the comedy it great in the series. It’s subtler than most comedies, and that’s perfect for a series like this. For example, Tanaka would abruptly enter a room and enter an awkward situation. There will be several seconds of silence with both characters making no movement. Then Tanaka, without a word, would walk away, only to make the moment feel awkward than it originally was. That’s the comedy in Tanaka-kun. It may not be over-the-top enough for some people, but Tanaka-kun was never out to appeal to a large audience in the first place. It sure as hell isn’t doing that right now, but hopefully they will in the future.
Presentation: 7.5/10

~{Character}~
The best thing about Tanaka-kun is its characters. They ended up being so good that they were my favorite cast of characters for this season. Every character is unique from one other, each having some cliché characteristics, but those characteristics are used as a foundation. The characters evolve to be something more. And when the characters interact with one another, that’s when the series shines. Our protagonist, Tanaka, is a breath of fresh air, even for the slice-of-life genre. Very rarely does an anime decide to have an apathetic and listless main character, as it’s easy to make your character forgettable, boring, and worst of all, irritating. But Tanaka-kun is never irritating. Instead he is extremely likable and ever relatable. Some of his insight are interesting and they make sense. He’s not Hikigaya Hachiman, but he’s a relatable guy. Our deuteragonist, Oota is everyone’s dream best friend. He’s perfect and he’s always there for Tanaka. His loyalty is what makes him fun and the fact that his appearance and his personality is a mismatch, it makes many comedic situations funny. Then you have a large cast of supporting characters like Miyano, the short and overly excited girl who considers Tanaka to be a role model for her, Echizen, a short-tempered character that I should hate, but I can’t due to how fun she is, and Shiraishi, the school role model who sees Tanaka as a hero. All of these characters ended up to be loveable in some way or another, and they’re the primary reason why this anime is so good.
Character: 8/10

~{Art}~,
The art in Tanaka-kun is simplistic, but quite good. The backgrounds look gorgeous in the series. Inside buildings there’s so many well detailing. For example, during the cultural festival, the wide shots of the inside of the school looks beautiful. The amount of decorations and how all of them had similar detailing, regardless of depth, shows how dedicated the studio was. And some of the lighting is absolutely well done. The scenery outside looks good, and the sunsets look amazing. The anime uses lighter, more vivid colors, and it works with the series. And the character designs look great too. The designs represent how energetic they are and some character designs make great contrast, for example, Tanaka and Miyano. Overall, the art just adds to the relax factor of this anime.
Art: 7.5/10

~{Animation}~
The animations in Tanaka-kun are very well too. Though, there isn’t a single moment in the series where the animation quality feels heavily demanding, just like most slice-of-life anime. But Tanaka-kun does whatever they do splendidly. The character movements are fluid and the overall animation quality is consistent. And during the more comedic moments, the simplified animation quality adds to the humor pretty well. The animation complements its art well. However, backgrounds aren’t normally animated too much but it’s nothing too bad. The addition of animation for background characters makes the series feel more alive, which makes a nice contrast between the background and Tanaka-kun.
Animation: 7.5/10

~{Voice Acting}~
The cast of seiyuu in Tanaka-kun is a mixture of well-known seiyuu and not so well-known seiyuu. Though all of them do a good job in capturing their character’s personalities. Ono Kensho does an amazing job as Tanaka. The way he talks, with a lot of murmuring, adds to Tanaka’s listlessness. He does the tones properly. Even when Tanaka gets hurt, his voice level would increase (which is normal for any human being), but not by much. Hosoya Yoshimasa does a very good job as Oota. He manages to make his character have a strong, mature voice and it well contrasts his character with other characters (same goes for his height and how that makes a contrast too). Takamori Natsumi did a very good job as Miyano and made the character feel as energetic as possible. Suwa Ayaka did a good job as Echizen, as she did both her irritated and joyful voice properly, without any of them lacking emotions. Koiwai Kotori does a really good job as Shiraishi as she got the calm aspect of her done right, but also during her “shocked” moments, she manages to makes her character sound funny enough. And you have some more well-known seiyuu playing a character, such as Yuuki Aoi (who sounds just like every other of her characters) and Touyama Nao, whom all do a good job.
Voice Acting: 8/10

~{Music}~
The music in Tanaka-kun is quite good too, however it doesn’t appear much. Most of the series relies on a lack of background music and silence to add to the relaxing part of this series. A lack of background music during some scenes adds to the feel of some parts. And how the series cuts off some music is great too. For example, if a sudden awkward situation happens, the music would suddenly stop, and that would add to the humor. But the background music of the series is quite good. The OP, “Utatane Sunshine”, is quite unique as I’ve rarely here an OP that heavily relies on vocals instead of background music. The music is comprised of just simplistic guitar sounds and nothing more. But the vocals are nice and it matches the relaxing feel of the anime. The ED, “BON-BON” is really fun to listen to. Unlike the OP that matches the listlessness of Tanaka, the ED makes a contrast with him due to the upbeat music of the opening. The ED was used to match Tanaka’s surroundings instead of Tanaka. And the ED itself is pretty good.
Music: 6.5/10

~{Enjoyment}~
I enjoyed Tanaka-kun a lot more than Tanaka enjoying life. Slice-of-life anime need to be very unique in order for me to enjoy it and luckily this series does that. Just by the protagonist itself, the series manages to separate itself from other slice-of life anime. The characters are fantastic and entertaining, the comedy almost always works and never gets repetitive, and the atmosphere of the anime is so soothing and nice. The series leaves me wanting more, but that doesn’t mean Tanaka-kun feels incomplete. It’s just that I want to see the characters more and hopefully it gets a second season. At least there’s a manga for me to catch up on!
Enjoyment: 7/10

In the end, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is an anime that deserves your time. It feels terrible knowing that many are skipping on this anime due to the slice-of-life tag and uninteresting key visuals. But this series is genuinely one of a kind. Rarely do you get characters this well done. Not a single character feels weak or out-of-place. And Tanaka is such an entertaining and relatable protagonist. And Tanaka-kun’s comedic situations almost always makes me laugh. And there’s not a single dull episode in the series as the series manages to be consistently good. Hopefully you give the Tanaka-kun an opportunity because it’s more than just about a lazy protagonist. It’s about all of the characters as a whole.

+ Relaxing and soothing atmosphere with great comedic moments
+ Fantastic and unique characters that all complement each other, including a great protagonist
+ Consistently good in quality as every episode delivers
+ Art is, at times, beautiful to watch and the art style matches the series.
- Lack of a main story may be off-putting for some
- Sometimes the pacing can get a little too slow

Overall: 7.3/10

*yawns*

TL:DR: This is a good series. Watch it.

For those of you who want to know as to why I say what I said above, here's the long version that probably took far too much time and energy to write, for a great series that only has a lack of energy.

Story: Tanaka-kun lives a life of listlessness. Due to his body being essentially non-functional in the way of physical activity, Tanaka's life revolves around sleeping in class, enjoying the quiet part of life, and having his buddy Ohta carry him over his shoulder because Tanaka just simply is unable ... to move himself sometimes on account of his lifestyle. That's...pretty much it.

The main plotline of the story is simply put "Tanaka doing things while other people invade his listless life." As simple as the story looks, Tanaka-kun is a slice of life anime that is just a breath of fresh air. While the show uses your generic highschool setting complete with a generally uneventful run of things that happen each episode, what sets this series apart from virtually every other school-related slice of life anime is its tone, or rather, its lack of energy. Like its title character, the show feels very laid-back and casual, rolling with its own pace and doing its own thing to convey the show's unique feel.

To emphasis the point of listlessness even further, the show's usage of comedy is a more roll off the tongue style of comedy where the jokes just come and go. They never put any exaggeration to any part of the series where something funny or outlandish happens and makes the whole of the series just very relaxed and pleasant. The show never puts one part of the series above another and everything is essentially put on this flat plane that while seems boring, just works.

Combining that with the seemingly endless amount of events that Tanaka is forced into, and Tanaka-kun shows itself to be a one-of-a-kind slice of life comedy that shines without really trying to shine. Its laid-back feeling causes the story to feel a lot more unique and pleasant while at the same time, not making the show either boring nor slow. My only real complaint for the series is the fact that it ended, because given the fact that the show was based off of a 4-koma series, the possibilities for what could be written are more or less endless.

Overview:
+ Unique and well-executed tone for the series
+ Comedy fits and rolls well with the series
- The show ended (And yes, this is a downside)

Characters: The characters in Tanaka-kun vary not in terms of character traits, but in terms of energy. Due to the fact that Tanaka is the character with the lowest amount of energy in the series, his other cast members fill up the other levels and help give the show its unique dynamic.

And of course, we have to talk about the main character for this series, Tanaka. Tanaka is a pretty straightforward character. Perpetually running on 'Power-saving' mode, Tanaka's policy in life is to live the listless life and to never put energy into anything he does because doing so would only be a hassle. This includes arguing with people, eating, paying attention in class, and even walking. Tanaka is really just the catalyst for events in the series. As the show goes along, he comes into contact with various people that are either influenced by his listlessness, or change because of his sometimes profound statements. But aside from that, there really isn't anything really that deep about his character. But despite his simple characteristics, Tanaka doesn't really come with any flaws due to the series being about this boy in particular and his lifestyle that just lacks any form of energy. So as such, he doesn't really have many shortcomings aside from being simple like the rest of his cast members.

Then there's Ohta, Tanaka's best friend and virtually his caretaker. Ohta is the guy who's a teddy bear despite having a very scary looking exterior. As well as being a connoisseur of sweets, Ohta serves as both Tanaka's guide when it comes to Tanaka attempting to do certain things, as well as functioning as his personal taxi, very often picking up his sleeping friend and slinging him over his shoulder or holding him under his arm because Tanaka is either sleeping or just doesn't have the energy to keep himself up, which happens quite often in the series. Mostly acting as the straight man to Tanaka's oddly sporadic thinking process, the two create most of the series's dynamics as it is rare to see one without the other on screen.

The rest of the cast feature various characters that slowly get introduced as the series goes along. There's the tiny but energetic Miyano who sees Tanaka as her teacher for listlessness, Shirashi, the popular yet extremely modest girl, Echizen, the so-called 'delinquent' character, the two guy characters that never really get time dedicated to them (or I just never bothered to learn their names), our main characters' little sisters, and the Wcdonald worker who we still don't have a name for. (Sad face) The cast for this anime isn't really all that large and the side characters, like the main ones, are around the same level of complexity in terms of how many characteristics they have.

What I think really makes these characters shine is the fact that every single one of them is simple, yet despite that characteristic that all of them share, all of these characters just bounce wonderfully off each other and none of them are generic character tropes, or at the very least, they don't really feel like that. They all fit with the tone of the show and due to the show being largely character-based, all play some part in the series and only help to bring the show's unique tone to life.

Overview:
+ Unique yet simple characters
+ All characters play some part in the series one way or another
+ Character dynamics

Art: Produced by Silver Link, the art for Tanaka-kun is just like the rest of the series, simple. The general look of the series has a rather muted color scheme that doesn't explode out color but has a gentle and light shade to it that reflects the rest of the show's rather lazy tone. Likewise, the character designs and backgrounds for the series shares this same look. The characters are simple in design but have this very inviting and happy look to them. The show does have quite a number of girls that fall into the 'cute girl' look of design, so if you don't like moe, this is something to watch out for.

In addition, the comedic artstyles for the series aren't all that exaggerated if any. Most of the comedy just uses face changes to simulate certain expressions or an extra shade of dark color to show that they're displeased. There're no exaggerated backgrounds, no stings in music, relying more on chibification or other forms of subtle comedic styles in order to give us their funny moments.

Overview:
+ Muted yet light color scheme
+ Simple yet quality characters designs
+ Subtle yet effective comedic stylings
+/- Moe artstyle (Depends on your outlook on moe)

Sound: The tracks that we have for Tanaka-kun are Utatane Sunshine by Unlimited Tone, and Bon-Bon by Coorie, aka the OP and ED for the series respectively.

The OP, Utatane Sunshine is the most fitting kind of song that this series could've ever hoped to ask for for an opening song. The song is this slow band music that very heavily utilizes the piano to evoke the tones of lightheartedness with a moderate beat to give off this wonderfully happy and pleasant feel that completely reflects the series's somewhat eventful but mostly uneventful storyline. It is by far the best track that the series has in its OST and is also its most memorable.

The ED, Bon-Bon is...more or less the show's inverse. It's very sprightly and energetic with some casual tones to it. To me, while the song is rather unique with its very dotty and bouncing tone, doesn't really fit the series all too much. Perhaps it's a dedication to the other, more enthusiastic characters in the series, but to me, it doesn't really fit the show as well as its OP does.

Another thing I have to mention for the series is its background music. For the most part, background music goes unnoticed simply because there's nothing really all that special about it half the time, but this is a special case. The majority of the background music is a group of just simple piano tracks that bring even more lightheartedness to the mood. They're subtle yet effective, and I just thought that they brought more to the series and deserved mention.

Overview:
+ Simple, beautiful, and fitting OST
- ED didn't fit as well as the other tracks

Personal Enjoyment: Since you're all probably as tired as Tanaka is reading this review, I'll just cut to the chase. I love this series. I really do. It's unique, it's fun, and I had a blast watching this series.

Did I like this series?

Yes. There is virtually nothing about this series that I hate.

What didn't I like about this series?

Nothing. I can't find any downsides to this series.

Would I recommend this series?

Yes. This show is a breath of fresh air for slice of life shows. While it doesn't have the kind of merit that would deserve a 10/10 despite the show having virtually no flaws in its execution and overall quality, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is one of those extremely unique slice of life shows that delivers on its promise and is overall just a really relaxing and fun show to watch.

Tanaka-kun is a high-school, slice of life anime based off an ongoing 2013 manga. Its central theme lie with the titular character's proclivity to laziness. Of course, said proclivity is taken to the extreme; Tanaka wants only to be left alone to nap. 24/7 if possible. The rest of the class had to accept this and nobody thinks it is weird when the muscular Ohta, Tanaka's best friend and enabler, carries his listless corpse to class (or even back home).

So far the premise seems mildly interesting at best and that is the reason I almost skipped that ... one. Thankfully, the terrible shows of this season forced me to give more chances than I usually do. After watching just first episode I was hooked; the calm pace was relaxing and the jokes plenty.

Our main duo is supported by a cast of quirky female characters who, albeit with common roles, manage to deliver cuteness and laughs. This store has everything; Tsundere, genki-girl, faker girl, and, not only one, but two imoutos! There are also two boys that always appear together, but their screen-time amounts a total of around 5', so I won't bother with them.

The show takes a page from its protagonist's book, and has the episodes delivered in a peaceful way; the conflicts/misunderstandings are neither severe nor too dumb, there is no crude slapstick, and everything follows a serene path. There are two things that are over the top though; The lengths that Tanaka will go in order to avoid action (as you probably guessed, he will go to counterproductive lengths), and the amount of dutiful effort that Ohta will spend just to cater to Tanaka's wishes of idleness.

If at this point of the review, the show still appears to you as generic and not worth your while, I will not begrudge you. This show is an example of how a talented writer can take genre conventions and elevate them to a level that the last dozen shows you watched convinced you that does not exist any more. Clearly the season's second best show (sorry Jojo). 8.0/10.

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge starts off as a really charming, relaxing but a little bit disappointing anime. I really enjoyed most of the jokes presented in early episodes but sadly the anime starts falling on the same clichés as a lot of slice of life animes.

One thing I really loved about this anime was the art and animation: it was lovely and relaxing. None o the characters seem poorly drawn or generic, and you'll probably like them in the end.

Music is really cute and always goes according to the situation. The ending song is also one of my favorites. ...

As for the characters, I really enjoyed watching everyone of them. Oota is probably my favorite characters, since he acts very mature and is always taking care of Tanaka. Most of the characters are likeable and their personalities shine a lot. They don't seem to take most of the things seriously and that's pretty good in my opinion.

I didn't really enjoy some of the last episodes of this series, since they included pool episodes, another fireworks episodes and a whole drama about Tanaka having a girlfriend. Most of this things feel very cliché and I would rather watch more situations.

But if you are looking for a great slice of life anime with loving characters, Tanaka-kun wa itsumo kedaruge is for you.

I honestly don't know why I love this anime so much, but I have to say this is one of my very favorite animes. The characters are adorable and the relationships in the show are just perfect. The thing I like about it most would have to be the timing. That might not make sense. What I mean by that is that there are times when the show just drags a moment out. The first, like, thirty seconds of the show you just watch Tanaka sleep. And Oota watches him sleep. When there is an awkward silence, you just sit there and feel it. ... I guess I'm not explaining it well, but it is hilarious. There isn't much of a plot to the show, but the whole time I'm watching it I have a grin on my face. I have now watched it in both dubbed and subbed and love it both ways. The art isn't the best, but the way the eyes and hair are drawn is really cute. I have seen that this isn't the most liked show and lot's of people think it is stupid but I think it is a masterpiece. How can you look at Tanaka's listless face and say, "I hate you"? I can't. I love the show. I hope you watch it and agree with me, because I REALLY NEED a second season. EDIT: Now I have rewatched it again and read all of the manga and just have to add to this. This may be my FAVORITE ANIME OF ALL TIME and I've watched A LOT of anime (too much actually). I can also say that some of the main reasons I love it are: the humorous misunderstandings, the cute characters and their relationships with each other, and my ability to relate to Tanaka and his laziness (I also sometimes relate to Oota on a deep level or the other characters, but less so since many of them have kind of extreme personalities and are prone to getting carried away with their misunderstandings; which is probably the only thing I don't like about the entire show, though it leads to great comedy).

It's so far so good atm. And holy shit, i feel like im listening to an ASMR video whenever Tanaka talks man lol. And yo, dont forgot about that amazing jazzy, chilling, great vocals and melodic OST man. If i watch one of these episodes in a nice, calm and chilling park, alienated from other humans aside from myself. I would fall asleep right immediately lmao.

Incidentally, the synopsis of this would be, the daily lives of a high school student name "Tanaka". Who have a natural talent for being listlessness, with his friend Ohta who's the opposite. And because he's the kind of a ... good person in nature; he usually helps Tanaka out, taking care of him due to the adverse effect that it has on Tanaka's high school lives for having the attribute of listlessness and indulging it, because "it feels good". In which they became best friend. Then they meet several others, with a pretty interesting attribution to each of the character presented. Some with a twist to their actual character, some pretending to be someone else just to be recognize among other (theme of appearance vs reality), and some having a raucous and Yankee like behaviour but actually weak towards cute things and inherently nice as a person. And the moe within this show is shining incandescently bright as fuck. And because of this, i can't resist the urge to see more of Tanaka in the future and the other character as well (especially Tanaka's sister, SHE's JUST TO DAMN CUTE!). These characters are pretty interesting so far, and unique. Plus their dialogue is pretty deep as well. One of these dialogue talk about globalization through the English language, some philosophy, rationalizing behaviour, evolution of humans etc. Some things that i have never expected a show like this to start talking about lol. But it was delivered so well and interesting coz it was deliver by our 2 stoic faces characters, Ohta and Tanaka. While Tanaka is listless, and stoic. His characters make him look like a quiet child that needs to be help in a lot ways. So you will get this feeling of spoiling him, or not wanting to left him alone to sulk. Because, ummmm. Im a guy but he's just too adorable man LOL. No homo. Just moe... Really...

These includes the act of wanting to carrying him to class (Ohta my man), carrying him to his home (Ohta again), carrying him to his home or his friend's house (Ohta again...). Yea he can't live without someone to help him get through his day, because he's really just too tired to do anything by himself lol. This makes Tanaka as a character alot cuter than he actually is without his silliness and ideas that will baffle us that will make us think, "Why did you think like that man?" or "Tanaka... Dude how did you come into that conclusion lmao", or just simply, "WTF Tanaka".

Not only that, these characters, especially Tanaka are very unique and some of the very deep or touchy moment of this anime thus far are affected by his personalities as well. They are pretty good, while not having that pertinent to the cliche that we usually sees in a scene in relation to those parts. It's more of a self aware kinda thing for a character such as Tanaka which makes those scene alot more unique than the other anime out there. Probably because this is not an anime to stress yourself out into thinking about the bad stuff, and the complicated, emotional stuff to deeply. It's a relaxing anime. And Ohta has that quality of being the nagging wife or presumably good in nature. It's worth a try if you want to find something to watch for relaxation, filling your lack of cuteness in your lives, some light hearted moment and stoic comedy etc.

The artstyle and the background art really fit in perfectly to what the anime is aiming at when we, the audience is watching it.


And obviously, this isn't a story aim to be the best anime out there. I mean we usually try to make out what makes an anime great based from the story progression of the story, the flow of the story, the dialogue, character development, intellectual/complicated plot development, being able to find other elements to forward the story in a unique ways, rational or badass MC and characters that makes a certain story great. But that isn't the case for an anime such as this. These kind of restriction kinda complicates the actuality of what makes a certain type of anime, story, movie or whatever great to certain individuals. That's why there are so many kind of these type of animes that are not aiming to be the best in the eyes of critics who wants to see something serious and profound, but to help the audience relax, enjoy the moe, and enlightening the meaning of happiness for many depressive men in Japan, or the stressful days we all have with reality.... ummmm i guess? I only watches this because the comedy is unique and new to having an MC that's listless. There're alot of female student selling themselves off, servicing men to walk with them, talk to them (old business, to young, or otakus), and so forth in Akihabara. And Otakus whose life are miserable and using anime as a pretext to live on with their unsatisfying life. But i'll end this conversation there, since it's kinda out of context. And yea.... Why the hell did i start talking about it.. Oh yea, these kind of animes, or story are popular in the anime community because sometimes we need something to alleviate the hates that we sees in the world, people, or community, or even family. And this anime kinda alleviate it in a more relaxing way. The kind of relaxing and cute that will makes you want to watch more of Tanaka-Kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge.

Nevertheless, this anime is pretty great so far, the humor is cute, silly, refreshing and funny. The aesthetics of the anime was great. Character design are pretty interesting (except for Ohta, his appearance looks plain). It's for that interesting for me at the very least, but just check it out for a couple of episodes.

Review: Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge

Story (6/10): I can't say there is much of a story in this anime. But all I can say is that Tanaka, being the person he is, spends his ordinary high school life being listness. (I know that may sound boring, but bear with me.) But anyways, along with his listlessness, the people who are around him make his life interesting which is worth the watch!

Art (8/10): I can't say too much about the art. As the source of this anime came from a 4-koma manga, I expected worse. But, I can quite say the art presented in this anime ... was fun to look at since this was made by Silver Link., the ones who made Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu and Kokoro Connect.

Sound (9/10): Let's start off that the opening going into this anime is extremely catchy. Definitely pleasant to the ears as we get a break from 'heavy metal' which we encounter from every anime. The soundtrack and the ending song to this anime can be said as well.

Character(s) (7/10): If there were two words to describe this character's lineup. Bizarre and quirky. And, that is one's of it's strong points is what makes this anime great. The reason behind it is because each character had each of it's peculiar personalities which made this show so fun to watch. Each character, in my opinion, determines how the show's value or what not. But however, I have never seen a character like Tanaka-kun and his 'listlessness'. Even though he is a whole new concept of character I've never seen before, I've never seen how a 'pathetic' a character like him can be. Pathetic may sound a harsh word to describe a character, but that's criticism for the most part. Oddly enough, with his personality in touch, his character is humorous as it is. I can't say he's a fascinating of a character, but his quirks is enough to make me enjoy the show. But, I can say that the people who surround him on a daily basis makes what this show particularly interesting!

Enjoyment (9/10): I can say that I ejoyed the anime from beginning to end. Expect all kinds of humor thrown at your face. Because at every end of each episode, you'll smile wanting for more!

Overall: After reflecting on my thoughts on this show, I can definitely recommend this anime to those who want a relaxing, soothing, light slice-of-life anime. Along with 'Flying Witch', this anime stands as one of the best anime of the Spring season. I'm surprised that very few people had picked up this anime since I think this is very underrated. The character lineup were very interesting in a way as each character presented each of their own, unique personalities. There may be practically be no story, but the life that revolves around Tanaka-kun and what unfolds before him is rather intriguing to watch. The comedy is not constrained unlike Sakamoto desu ga?, because with Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kegaruge, expect all kinds of witty humor, satire, slapstick, and etc. The art may be not the best, but since this source came from a 4-koma manga, I am not disappointed in any way. The art is indeed delightful and fun to look at. For the character lineup however, it's nice to take a break and see some new personalities pop once in a while. The characters who were the most rememberable however, were protagonist and deuteragonist Tanaka and Oota. You may think they are mundane and lacking of a personality. But along with Tanaka's listlessness, Oota's tranquil nature, the humor and different personalities that clash againist each other is what saves this show! Most importantly, the show was very entertaining to watch! With that being the case, I definitely recommend this anime who are looking for a humorous but relaxing, sooting anime to watch on a weekends. Or, just any other day in general.

But, if I had to find a flaw within this anime however, is the lack of character development with each character and Tanaka's listlessness. If there was a character that had changed throughout twelve episodes. It would be Shiraishi. And, she is the supporting character. Throughout twelve episodes, we saw no improvement into Tanaka's listlessness at all. You expect a character to develop some character, but with that being the case with Tanaka's listlessness, I found that furiously frustrating to watch. But, it some situations however, Tanaka's listlessness is what either saved this show from going down the gutter for the better or worse. Don't get me wrong I like this anime, loved all the characters, and the humor presented from this anime! If we were to see some character development, I think I would've rated this show much higher! But, an important lesson that can be brought to this anime, and is to only be yourself. That's true in most cases, but that shouldn't imply to Tanaka-kun.

-Along with Flying Witch, I want a season two with this anime as well!

RAW:

8.23/10.00

OVERALL:

8.00/10.00

Wow. This anime. One of the anime I was hype for when I was looking through the Spring anime season page in MAL. The anime that led me to think differently about life and this world. Sadly, over already. However, I will always follow this kind of anime with a review obviously!

Overall, this anime was pretty much an ideal for me. This anime was much more than what I expected when I was looking through the spring anime page.

Personally, what I look for in slice of life and comedy anime like this are how the characters develop over ... time (What I will get to see in the character in the anime), how the characters effect the story of it, and how the art makes up the style of the anime. Mostly, it revolves around the match of the art, character and the story. And this anime, was the ONE anime that made up for all the "Not preferable" slice of life anime I have watched so far, and possibly not even made it to my list ( If you want to know what kind I watch, you can visit my list).

This anime, once again, overall was basically the closest anime to my ideal slice of life kind anime. I would recommend this anime to people who love the type of anime that will give you little laughs in between, type to watch in the morning and relax, and the type that makes you want to just be relaxed.

Story (9/10)

For the story, I have to admit. It was good. Very good. However, I feel like that will be the only thing I will have to say for the rating of the story of this anime.

For me, everything in the anime was ideal and the closest to perfect , however, the only thing that made me feel like could have made the whole thing better was how the story went.

Most of the episodes were very attention grabbing for me, and very good. But about 1 or 2 episodes made me feel kind of empty. By empty, I mean by the feeling where I feel like "thats it?" that kind. But it really didn't effect my experience of this anime, and it was not even big enough to make it not ideal so it was counted as 1 point in the story section of my rating.

Overall, the story was very interesting. Even though I didn't expect too much on the story section of this anime, this really fulfilled my mind and heart. I would recommend this to people who like stories that goes weird at times, but the kind that will give you a small laugh and go into the comedy section of the anime.

Art(10/10)

The art of this anime was not the best art when looking at just the art, but the connection of the art and the story and the character was just the best, and for me, that the only way art matters for me, unless the art is just unwatchable or horrible. The art in the anime was very light, and it wasn't flashy or modern.

As it was a slice of life anime, the art made the whole thing be calm and smooth. The color fills in the art was very light colored, and very "slice of life" like. For this anime, to say, the art was basically just perfect in all ways that it could be. I would recommend this to people who like chill and calm arts that will make your mind and eyes relax from all those action and flashy arts.

Sound (10/10)

I have no idea how to start on this sound part. The sound part of this anime. Simply calming. The music of the anime was mostly consisted of the light and short staccato notes of piano and light percussion instruments that made the whole anime very calming and smooth.

The music was very "In place" and very relating to everything else of the anime. The music wasn't "flashy, and effected" which soothed my ears. The smooth and dragging music made up of a singer and piano in some ost made me relax along with Tanaka.

Overall, I couldn't even notice the music in the background, because it just fit in so good with the anime, which is better in slice of life anime. I would recommend the sound part of the anime to basically anyone who likes good anime that has a matching music with it.

Character (10/10)

This part is the one I would actually give more than a 10 if I could. This anime, with its "unique but cliche" characters made the story more interesting. The unison of the types of characters made the anime more appealing to me.

Tanaka, the chill and lazy guy who isn't hated nor liked.

Oota, the tall and responsible guy who takes care of Tanaka in school.

There are much more but it would become a spoiler so I will stop there, but my point is, that all those characters in one anime just makes the perfect character development within the anime and makes the story more interesting.

Overall, characters in the anime is over the point of perfect if I had to say. I would recommend this to people who like the harmony development of the characters that will make up the whole story.

Enjoyment(10/10)

This anime was, to me, the best anime in the spring. Whenever I woke up at Saturday morning, feeling sleepy, I would immediately wake up and run to my PC after realizing that I can watch Tanaka. To me, I didn't just enjoy this anime. I loved watching this series. Everytime I watch this anime, I would forget about the things that bothered me in life, and just fall into the relaxing world of Tanaka and relax along with him. This was very enjoyable to me as the "best anime of 2016 spring" for me.

Overall(10/10)

Overall, this anime made up the part of me that made me relax and calm down. The harmony of all the good parts of the anime made up this ideal anime. This show has made my day brighter, and while watching without thinking, and the episode ends, I would think that I would love to just watch this anime forever, never stop and I wouldn't get bored. For long, I have looked for the perfect anime that will be good to watch with my whole family and friends, but most of the time, there were things like fan service and cliche romance stuff that made it just too awkward for me to watch with my family and friends. If you are one of those kind of people, well, you and I just
found just the perfect anime for that. This anime was very relaxing, made up the little crack ups in the middle, and made me want to know more about the characters.

Thank you for reading my first ever review and I hope you found this helpful.
>.<

Now then, Go watch Tanaka-Kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge!!

The slice of life anime from spring 2016 'Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless' was well-known for its cuteness and lax comedy. When I finally got around to see the first episode, I was excited because of its comedy. It was unique and something I hadn't seen before. Summer 2016 anime started, and I couldn't finish 'Tanaka-kun'. But I got around to it finally! And I'm so happy I watched it.

TANAKA IN THE RAIN PICTURE

It was so funny that Tanaka tried so hard to be lazy. This was ironic because trying is the polar opposite of being lazy. Tanaka was a walking contradiction. He continued to ... be funny with his efforts. Every episode had another challenge for him to conquer. Whether it was a girl clamoring to be his apprentice or a cultural festival. Tanaka's reactions to these challenges really made the anime for me.

The comedy in this anime was funny. Laugh out loud funny. There were moments where I couldn't help but laugh out loud. This anime had small jokes. Most of these were simple. But they made me laugh. Overall, this was a good comedy anime. Solid.

SHIRAISHI PICTURE

Romance has never been my thing. Even though I watch and read a lot of shoujo, I've never chosen romance over a good action scene. Unless it's a badly animated action scene, then sure. But this anime forced Shiraishi's unrequited love onto you. There was no reason for her to like Tanaka. I don't know what she sees in him.
What I do like about this is the fact that it IS unrequited. She has no chance with him. And that's how life is. We have crushes and may never get mutual feelings. And that's okay.

The ending was fine. It wasn't the best. It feels like there should be a second season, but there isn't the demand. It's a cute anime. But they should have wrapped it up better. Maybe Tanaka finally getting a peaceful sleep? Well, that might be boring. I don't know. SOMETHING. It felt very uneventful. Nothing happened really. I didn't get any closure.

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is honestly very underrated. It is one of a kind : beautifully animated slice-of-life, but with a silent protagonist (because honestly, where do you find that?). This show is a sleeper-hit that would rather remain that way, just like its protagonist.

Tanaka is a "lazy", or rather, energy efficient person. He eats less, speaks less, barely moves, and talks slowly. The definition of listless. His unexpected friendship with the soft Oota, who looks like a delinquent to any outsider, is also intriguing. Miyano, Shiraishi and Echizen are all lovely characters, all well-written and endearing.

The antics of the daily lives of Tanaka and ... Oota in a constantly moving world is a hilarioussly good watch. The voice actors perform exceptionally well, and the music used throughout the show is amazing. While not for everyone, the comedy in the show is actually quite generally appealing.

I'll simply write, 'it's fabulous'! Tanaka kun wa itsumo kedaruge is the first slice of life anime that I watched, and I can say that this anime tuned my interest to the slice of life genre. Ah, what a theme, what a animation, beautifully molded characters, it's just awesome. This anime is and will always be my favorite (Please there be second season to this magnum opus.).
After only Tanaka kun, I turned towards school life anime. Introverts characters are always my idols (Tanaka being the king, followed by Oreki Houtarou). His laziness, dealing with various daily life situations, despite his laziness he's someone's crush (I'm ... so envious of him), ah the Shiraishi san (My first anime crush), brother sister relationship, these all small things makes the show very enjoyable. I salute to the author for giving this anime to us. Maybe I am exaggerating, but I loved the anime from bottom of my soul. I re-watched it 2 to 3 times and still it's charisma and charm is unchanged for me. I highly recommend this anime to the people who are introverts simultaneously wants to be with some friends. This anime tells us that without any superpower one can be a superhero (with listlessness obviously!).
Apart from main story, the Opening and ending are truly Soul Soothing musics. There's one music clip in first episode, I don't know what it is (the words are like Langhesan Lange-san), oh my god what a beautiful symphony! Awesomeness is overloaded here. (love you CooRie!)
I hardly write any review for anime, but I couldn't stop myself writing this review. No words to describe this anime. Love you Tanaka kun wa itsumo kedaruge!

Tanaka Kun is by far, the best anime I've ever seen, for the following reasons.

Favorite bias aside, the MAIN reason I like this anime, is because of how much fun it is to observe the chemistry between Tanaka and Ohta.

Despite Tanaka basically living off of Ohta, it never ends up feeling like a one sided friendship because of how beautifully this anime manages to balance the amount of support Ohta offers to Tanaka as a friend. It also helps that most characters in this entire anime don't have even an iota of ill intent or selfishness.

Tanaka as a character is very interesting because we get ... to observe unique reactions from him for every new situation. Despite his laziness, the dude knows how to tackle a situation in more than one way. This allows me to be much more engaged to see what he'll do next.

Secondly, this anime is legitimately FUNNY. Maybe it's just my sense of humour, but I laughed my ass off on almost every episode, whether it's because of Tanaka's innovative thinking or hilarious character moments between him and the rest of the gang. It's not a serious anime of course, but it definitely delivers on some key emotional moments as well, which makes it all the more fun to watch.

Another reason is because of how fun the supporting characters are to watch, both Echizen and Miyano have very fun to watch interactions with Tanaka and even are fun to watch by themselves. They maintain that fun chemistry that Ohta and Tanaka share as well.

Moreover, they all eventually evolve to be better versions of themselves at the end of the series. This is something I never expected from this anime. While not by too much, it is still very refreshing to see this type of evolution which is often not seen for supporting characters.

I also really love the intro and outro songs. I've watched them all through without skipping for every episode, which while overkill, it is something I almost NEVER do.

Finally, the art style. I think this is one of the best looking anime personally speaking. The faded and light colour palette really captures the essence of the characters and the atmosphere. Character designs are also really beautiful with the exception of Tanaka, who seems to almost blend in with the background characters almost, which actually kinda makes sense considering how he is.

If I had to nitpick anything, I'd say Rino, Tanaka's sister is probably the most non interesting character overall. Her comedic value never really caught on in the first place, and scenes with her weren't particularly fun to watch. She seems to be the only character who doesn't develop at all over the course of the series.

Other than that, this anime has almost everything I want from an anime, it's got great slice of life moments, hilarious comedy, interesting characters, and a very relaxing vibe.

I have re watched this anime countless times and still find it interesting everytime. I would absolutely LOVE to see a season 2 of it.

100% would recommend watching it. It's not everyone's cup of tea of course, but if you're looking for chill vibes and laughs, I'd highly recommend checking this out.

"Some stories are not meant for everybody"
Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is a comedic masterpiece in its own way.The timing, the flow are gracefully adjusted to the story.

As I said it's not everyone's cup of tea, those of you who are looking for regular mainstream, this is not for you.

Story-8/10
It does not follow any particular story line, it's somewhat of a freestyle-type anime, like random interactions of characters.

Music-9/10
Music is very lazingly soothing, very much reflecting the true nature of the anime, the OP song is especially good.
...
Characters-10/10
Slice of life anime are majorly character-based hence it's an integral part which with characters like tanaka-kun(lazingly awesome), oota-kun(unexpectedly reliable)and miyano(drastically cute) the anime has perfectly displayed.

Art/character design-9/10
Art is in coherence with the atmosphere the anime gives, character are designed beautifully too.

All in all, it is worthy to be watched once.
I recommend that when you are slightly up for some lighthearted comedy with some epic dose of laziness ....Please try Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge. ~(-_-~)

Tanaka-kun is a teenage boy who aspires to live life by not really doing much. His hobbies include sleeping, napping, and resting his head on his desk with his eyes closed. When ever there's something that requires a bit more energy than he can give his best friend Ohta is there to give him a helping hand. Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is a palate cleanser. After all the ups and downs of the other shows you may be watching its nice to just sit back and be entertained. It's refreshing in its most simplistic way. At the end of every episode you find yourself smiling ... and wishing for just a couple more minutes of this easy going anime. The interactions of all the different characters are cute and comical and they show you a different perspective on how to live life to its.....umm well maybe not fullest but to a way that's true to who you are. The art is nice to look at and the music will have you swaying along to the beat. Give it a chance, it might make your day. Stay listless guys ^_^

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge (to be shorten as TwIK) and Natsume Yuujinchou will be the two anime I have no idea how and why it would attract me, someone who likes fantasy and action over calming stories. While Natsume Yuujinchou has fantasy in it, but TwIK is a school life anime that features something that would happen in real life by the eyes of a listless person name Tanaka-kun.

There is not much of a plot progression apart of Tanaka-kun having to face more and more things that requires energy to do. Well, he once said he didn't want to be a main character, and sadly ... he is now. It's a simple comedy anime designed to make the viewers laugh and feel calm, away from the rowdiness of action-packed and psychological anime.

The characters does not grow in any way, apart of several female characters growing in love to Tanaka-kun. This anime deserves a harem tag, for Tanaka-kun does not even need to do anything to make them fall for him. Sadly, to the girls' despair, Tanaka-kun have found his perfect waifu before meeting them, though the word "waifu" might be wrong to use in such situations. The characters are unique in appearance and personality wise.

Art-wise it was light and eye pleasing. Sounds are okay. Not much to say about this two.

I have quite the enjoyment of watching this. While I do not laugh on their comedic moments, I enjoy every moment of the anime. I have no idea why. Was it due to the anime being related to something I have done in high school? While not too memorable, I believe people have done something stupid in high school that makes it hilarious to remember. This light-hearted anime manage to keep me going as I watch it every week, surprisingly over some action anime.

Overall it was good. While it was simple, something manages to pull me to enjoying it. I could not explain why, for I have not find the answer to Natsume Yuujinchou's charm as well. Maybe you could try it and tell me what was its charm that allows me to continue watching it all this time.