Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

I’ve been sick lately.

A too private and too embarrassing medical issue has kept me down. Headache. Sore all over. Low energy. I’ll most likely talk about it in-depth in the future, but, for now, I will simply say that I am not at 100%.

Know what has helped? Sleeping. The other day I slept for fifteen hours. I did have a bizarre dream where any action I took compelled me to take a similar yet opposite action. (It was weird.) Other than that, though, my knockout was bliss. For my body and my mind.

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo ... Kedaruge is like a really nice sleep session: wholly satisfying.

STORY

Some people are concerned about after-school activities, and others are worried about life’s obstacles. Tanaka of Tanaka-kun does not fret over such matters. Instead, he does his best to live without concerns and without worries. Unfortunately for this listless wonder, his friends and everyday events have a different mindset entirely.

Tanaka-kun uses a cool technique throughout the season that gets at what the anime is all about.

Sometimes, when a joke is cracked or the scene switches to a new setting, the anime lingers ever-so-slightly longer than normal. It’s most noticeable when Tanaka or one of the other characters has a reaction. His or her look of disbelief or wonder stays on-screen a smidgen more than usual.

A great example is in episode three. Myaano and Echizen just had a fight. Tanaka walks by while Echizen is still posed, reaching her hand out. Tanaka stops and looks at Echizen, but he doesn’t just do so quickly. Instead, he stares for about five seconds before continuing on (and consequently getting reeled in by Echizen).

It adds to the comedy, but, more than this, it highlights the show’s awareness of its main listless theme. In other words, the show’s content, like Tanaka himself, is slightly lethargic in delivering its material.

What does that content contain? Well, more listlessness. A surprising amount at that. Here’s just a few examples.

In episode five, Tanaka is so listless that he cannot take home anything that is heavy or perishable because he may not make it back in time.

In episode eight, Tanaka’s name is spelled wrong on the title card (Nakata), but he doesn’t really mind, saying it’s fine either way.

In episode eleven, Tanaka does not want to exert energy for the haunted-house project, so, in order to mask his presence, he turns invisible.

Of course, the show does have other types of jokes, too.

Moments like Tanaka holding onto the Earth after a discussion about English’s widespread appeal allow for imaginative scenes.

The other characters have their own brand of comedy: Myaano acts silly when she thinks the world has been overtaken by android mascots, Rino gets beyond envious that Ohta is “stealing” her beloved brother, and so on.

Even the in-between scenes. From Ohta dressed up as mom to do some supplies shopping to Myaano shooting around the screen as a bullet, these quicker jokes are silly while still retaining the charm of the anime.

Besides the listlessness and the comedy, Tanaka-kun also loves its cuteness. Shirashi champions this notion. Her moments, like when she is incredibly happy when Tanaka praises her in her yukata or when she is giddy to be using the same umbrella as him, are simple. But it’s their simplicity that makes them so cute.

Echizen and Myaano are cute too. Echizen misunderstanding Tanaka’s surname suggestion and Myaano radiating confidence and happiness during her introduction are a couple of the ways in which the girls get cute right.

Tanaka-kun does not strive for any grander ideals. Nothing on the effects of listlessness or what being active provides. In other words, it’s (expectedly) not a serious show.

And, in a way, that continues to fit with the anime’s motif. It has no desire to do anything else besides what it is already doing – something that Tanaka would agree with wholeheartedly.

However, it does try. The final episode in particular pushes the idea that putting off effort does not mean one has failed, for life is long and filled with many chances at success. But because the message comes so late and without any other backing, and the show even goes so far as to make Shiraishi’s efforts seem futile, it’s a weak sentiment at best.

Even so, as a slice-of-life story, Tanaka-kun nails its theme, its comedy, and its cuteness. So, while its narrative does not have that much weight, its other parts more than make up for it.

ANIMATION

To maximize its listless motif, Tanaka-kun includes a lot of nuances in its visuals.

Take its artistry.

Rather than using loud colors, it uses calm colors to relax the audience. Lots of light yellows, tinted greens, and soft pinks create a relaxing atmosphere that suit the show well.

Smaller details, such as sunset lighting and background-snail-like objects, also continue with the relaxation in their own, sometimes avant-garde manner.

Yet the best is something that’s technically not there at all.

Many of the locales are vacant, free of obstructions. The best example is the school. It looks quite fancy with its wooden floors and high windows. But its most distinguishing feature is its large, open main hallway where the students often walk in and the camera regularly shows.

By reducing the claustrophobia, Tanaka-kun further adds to its relaxed feeling. And this detail can be found in many other areas: the school’s rooftop, the city streets they walk on, and so on.

The character designs, while not as involved as the artistry, are not without their own strengths.

They wear reserved colors: more pinks and yellows with a helping of white. Their designs are also playful: Ohta is tall, Myaano is short, Tanaka and his sister Rino are twins, Echizen is a tomboy with catlike eyes, and Shiraishi has both the beautiful and the uncaring looks down pat.

As for actual animation, it remains high in quality. A lot of the animated segments rely on more comical art, like reaction faces and exaggerated responses, so movement becomes easier to see. Of course, it has its downtime with the usual eye and hair movements that never look out of place. Interestingly, even when animation isn’t going on, it fits the show. After all, listlessness is the name of the game.

Overall, the visuals are a sweet snack that never overstuff and always relax the audience.

CHARACTERS

Tanaka, as one would expect, is not the most interesting of characters. That’s not bad – because it’s by design.

His call to fame is listlessness. So, he is, by nature, just sort of there. He’s the one that (directly or indirectly) causes the various situations, sure, but he is very rarely an active participant. Indeed, he’d rather sleep the day away than tend to any labor of any kind.

Not to say he is not fun. Tanaka losing his listlessness because he was making too many funny faces is no doubt funny. But, most of the time, Tanaka just-so-happens to be in the area. As a result, the anime emphasizes the rest of its cast. Namely, Ohta, Myaano, Echizen, Shiraishi, and Rino.

Ohta is as cool a friend as any guy could have. A bro among bros. He can often be found carrying Tanaka at hip level with one arm. Caring for him when he needs help, looking out for him when he needs direction. He listens to Tanaka and takes time understanding him, too. Ohta is simply a really good guy – despite his ruffian persona.

Myaano is the cute little ball of energy. She pines for maturity, wishing to fight back against her size to become a woman that others could see as dignified and refined. She’s loud and hyper, making her utter contrast with Tanaka a riot to watch.

Echizen is tough. She gets in others’ faces, and she does not like to be looked down on. But beneath her rough exterior lays a girl who cares about cute things, longs for romance, and likes to help out her friends.

Shirashi is known as the school beauty. Yet, before her high-school days, she was more of a recluse, sitting at home and keeping to herself. Come the new year came a new Shiraishi. Which in turn brought her more troubles than she could have anticipated.

Individually, they are all interesting. But when one considers their relationships with Tanaka, they become that much more fun.

Tanaka not-quite-jokingly sees Ohta as someone he could spend the rest of his life with. In his words, they’re “steady like an old couple.” In other words, they are so close and so compatible that it’s as if they are together.

Myaano treats Tanaka as her leader, as the person that will catapult her into maturity. As such, she’s constantly asking for advice and doing whatever she can to emulate her “Master.”

Echizen misreads Tanaka constantly. First, she thinks he’s some tough dude, then she thinks he’s seeking her hand in marriage. And, given that Myaano looks up to him, she can usually be found, too, making sure that Tanaka is treating her small and cute friend well.

Shiraishi obviously is in love with Tanaka. After he was the only one that still recognized her while she wore her unkempt look, she fell for the listless boy. So, she can often be found trying to get closer to him or at least thinking about him in a romantic, heartfelt manner.

Rino technically has the closest connection, for she is Tanaka’s younger sister. But she wants more; she has a thing for her brother. Crafting personal chocolates for him and enjoying the fact that she got to go on a “date” with him at a fast-food restaurant are just a couple of her infatuated examples.

And the show also connects its cast between the others. Echizen dotes on Myaano. Rino despises Ohta. Myaano knows Shiraishi’s romantic feelings.

Tanaka-kun’s most clever character setup, however, is one that’s not around for very long, but it’s oh so hysterical.

Everybody knows that Ohta looks after Tanaka. But, as it turns out, Tanaka’s sister looks after Ohta’s sister, Saya. Saya is extremely shy and has a hard time speaking loudly in front of others, so Rino repeats Saya’s words for her. There’s also how Tanaka and Rino look nearly identical, but Ohta and Saya do not. And, of course, Rino hates Ohta, but Saya sees Tanaka in a favorable light.

The parallels between the characters are not as clever as this set here, but, given how each of their personalities survive on their own, and they are further amplified by Tanaka’s “boring” personality, the cast comes out on top as a more than fun and equally sweet cast.

SOUND

Oddly enough, the best part of Tanaka-kun’s sound is a sound-effect.

In many instances, like when Myaano is confident or when Tanaka seems sure of himself, a small glinting noise, accompanied by a tiny star, will play. It’s a small, silly sound, but it’s strangely fun to hear. A smile-inducing twinkle.

Next would have to be the soundtrack. Its woodwind arrangements, classical pieces, and general slowness, per usual, contribute well to the listlessness and calmness that defines the show. The pieces themselves are light and fun – suitable as well for the slice-of-life style.

The voice-acting performances are strong, too. Yoshimasa Hosoya as Ohta used a leveled way of speaking that demonstrated calm and understanding. Kotori Koiwai as Shiraishi spoke in a soft yet mature manner. And Natsumi Takamori as Myaano fit the energetic, high-spirited girl well.

(A small shout-out goes to Nao Touyama as Saya. Her introduction, where she whispers and the anime puts her speaking voice down several decibels, made for a cute and fun joke.)

And not to be forgotten are the opening and ending tracks. The opening track goes for that listless feel. The soft singing, the acoustic guitar, and the meandering pace could not fit Tanaka-kun any better. The ED, by comparison to both the OP and the anime, goes the contrasting route. It’s a faster, more poppy piece. The “bon bon” lyrics, the myriad of sounds, and the ending background singers make the song fun to do a little jig to. (At least, when nobody is looking.)

ENJOYMENT

A lot of people were telling me to pick this one up after I initially didn’t. I pushed back because I did not want even more anime to review, thereby putting me farther behind schedule. (I can’t be too much further behind already but still.)

After finishing the season, I’m glad that they persuaded me.

What sold it for me is the characters. Tanaka threatening the gods if he does not have an uneventful day. Ohta being such a cool bro, dealing with Tanaka’s laziness. Myaano making everything that much more cheerful. Echizen adding in a bit of roughness here and there. Shiraishi acting so gosh darn cute. Rino refusing to accept Ohta.

I found myself laughing throughout each episode, having a blast at the creative takes on listlessness and the duo calmness and silliness. I had a ton of fun – which is something that I cannot say about many of the shows from Spring 2016.

Unfortunately, I do have a gripe with the anime.

The show’s romance is adorable thanks to Shiraishi. Her joy and happiness at being with or around Tanaka made me joyful and happy in return.

What didn’t was Tanaka’s perspective. When walking under the umbrella, he’s more concerned about his shoulder getting wet. Or when he thinks about what having a girlfriend caused, he says, out loud, that it’s probably better for him to never have one.

It’s not just that the romance did not happen. That would have been okay since the possibility would still exist. It’s when the show goes so far as to tell me straight out that it may not ever happen that makes me sad to hear.

Yea, Tanaka’s (maybe) joking around. And, yea, it fits his listless personality to a tee. But, as a romance buff through and through, I cannot lie and say I approved of the anime’s decision.

(Similar musings can be had for Ohta and Echizen’s “romance”; there were one too many almost-romance happenings for my liking. No matter how funny they were.)

Still, it’s only one grip among a thoroughly entertaining experience. One that I hope gets a continuation sometime down the line.

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge takes listlessness to heart and delivers a strong slice-of-life outing. Its content is filled with comedy and cuteness. Its art is often clever and beautiful. And its soft music supports its fun characters. Altogether, a cure for any sick day.

SUMMARY

Story: Good, takes advantage of its listlessness, using comedy, cuteness, and a simplistic narrative to deliver a feel-good time

Animation: Great, smart artistic direction, nice backgrounds, good character designs, and nice actual animation

Characters: Good, Tanaka’s listlessness emphasizes the rest of the cast, allowing them and him to shine

Sound: Good, okay OP, good ED, okay OST, good VA performances, and an awesome little twinkling sound-effect

Enjoyment: Good, while the “romance” was disappointing, the sheer amount of laughs had is undeniable

Final Score: 8/10

Mmm I may have wished to be falling asleep after watching this...

It is a good and relaxing one. Maybe it is because I am relating to the character. A good comedy. It is nice that the "romance" did not sprout, so to speak. A change in pace. The art is very calming colours, and the side bits transitional are funny. However, it needs more development on the side characters.

The tidbits of classical piano at the beginning of episodes is a warm welcome. Deducted points due to the character develop.

A side remark: I never heard the word "listless" to describe a lazy person, haha

Just to ... note, there is close to no plot. So if it does not attract or relate after Episode 1 or 2, simply drop it.

for me its a big fat 10 just because its so refreshingly different, the characters are entertaining and they contrast each other perfectly (the main character is still the star of the show). The story is so simplistic yet it works flawlessly, the soundtrack compliments the laid back vibe of the show and the animation is great.

you go into each episode knowing youre gonna get pretty much the same thing (tanaka's lazy shenanigans) and yet each episode is as satisfying as the last. its also great because anyone can watch this, there is literally no one i know who i wouldn't recommend this to whether ... they are a slice of life fan or not

Story - 7
Art - 10
Sound - 10
Character - 10
Enjoyment - 10
Overall - 10

As a high school senior whose high school life is coming to an end ever more imminently, I particularly relished this show because it celebrates what normal life is and how enjoyable life can end up being if you have close friends to spend time with.

Friendship is definitely a major driving factor in the series. Everyone seems to deeply care about their friends, with one friend's concern becoming everyone's concern, and the way people bond doesn't seem overly contrived, although admittedly, perhaps one particular character does seem to have that kind of aspect. ... Overall, though, any issues that are present aren't bothersome, and thus, the anime does deliver a mostly genuine feeling.

The art was absofuckinglutely gorgeous. I haven't seen backgrounds this good in a while. There are definitely good backgrounds, yeah, but this particular anime seemed to blow me away every time, which has extremely rarely happened (only other time art blew me away was Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso).

The OP is excellent and meshes well with the overall vibe of the anime. ED is OK. I've seen better, but it somehow does work.

Like I said, for me, the anime feels 70% relatable which jacked up my enjoyment a lot since I felt so emotionally connected to it. Daily life and hanging out with friends is definitely something to be cherished, and this anime celebrates that, which I love.

I'm feeling a bit listless just like Tanaka-kun, so I guess I'll end my review here.

Did I mention the art is outstanding though? Like seriously. It's insane.

tl;dr vibe and art are godly, friendship/daily life are prevalent themes, sound is excellent

Going into the Spring 2016 season, strangely enough, this funny little SOL anime called Tanaka-kun is Always Listless caught my eye. I always have time for a good slice of life comedy, but it is rare that I actually look forward to one. Tanaka-kun, with its odd little description, hooked me and reeled me in before it even started, and I have to say, it lived up pretty well to my expectations.

Well, I suppose I'll get to the review now.

Story: 7

Not much to say here. The series is episodic in format, with little to no overlying story. It follows much the same formula as many ... other slice of lifes, but it's lack of a strong plot is not a draw back. I would say that it is more of a fact that has little impact over the anime itself. I'm giving it a 7 on story because there's very little new here, but that isn't really a bad thing.

Art: 9

Bright yet soothing and calm visuals, good and not over the top character designs, and beautiful back drops. The art isn't ground breaking, but it is definitely a solid 9 on my scale.

Sound: 8

The OST fits the laid back mood of this anime to a T. The voice acting is great, I really think that the cast made the characters come alive (or go to sleep in some cases). The OP and ED are suiting, if forgettable.

Character: 9

While each character can loosely be put into the shapes of the different tropes, each has a unique personality that at least puts some twists and turns into their shape. The character interactions are great, and they even manage to add some character development for a few of the main cast members while maintaining quite a large number of regulars. Very well done.

Enjoyment: 9

Not every anime can make me laugh out loud at my computer screen, and the ones that can usually get a high rating in this category from me. Tanaka-kun is no exception. This was one of the only anime of the season that I actually knew the hour that it aired, and I looked forward to it every week.

Overall: 8

One of the best none-romance focused slice of life animes that I have ever seen. I would describe it as a slow paced, laid back comedy with a loose plot. Its definitely worth a try for those looking for a laugh.

With a colorful cast of characters, great comedy, all while having a calm atmosphere, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is the sleeper hit of the Spring 2016 season (pun definitely intended).

The story is as slice-of-life as it can get: set in a high school with nothing too extreme about it. Because of the nature of the series, it has a real laid back feel to it, like you can be at ease when watching. Plus, the timing of the comedy in it is on point and I find myself laughing quite a few times each episode. These types of shows I've always enjoyed. It's a breather ... from all the action and shounen out there.

The characters are the ones that make this show the way it is. Each of them has their own unique personalities that mix well with everyone else. Might I say that not only are they funny, but they are absolutely adorable. I pretty much love all of them. The only major complaint is that there were some that didn't get enough time to shine, which kind of sucks.

The animation is what you would expect with a slice-of-life series like this: very simplistic. However, it's not to the point where it's generic, because it has a distinct look to it, specifically the design of the characters. I'd say there were a few flaws here and there, but being too engrossed with the story and characters didn't make it bothersome.

This is exactly the kind of slice-of-life series that I love the most. What normally makes these kind of shows is the characters, which this does well with. Honestly, while I had this on my list, before it premiered I wasn't sure what the show was going to be like. Having finished it, I'm glad I decided to stick with it all the way through.

There is a very easy cut when it comes to wether you'll like Tanaka-kun or not. Are you lazy or you feel you desire to be more lazy in life? Then you'll like it. There is no attempt to humiliate Tanaka for being useless or any mean spirited stuff, that would go against the spirit of the show. And that's why connecting with it is so important: the lazyness and relaxation saturate every aspect of this show.

At first it's easy to consider it one of those "healing" animus, the light colors and slow delivery of jokes that don't close with a tsukkomi punching and screaming ... tend to be common in those comedies. But in Tanaka is a 4koma comedy. There is little development, there aren't particularly emotive moments and there is nothing to get from it.

The most evident moment when this saturation becomes evident is in the cut to the opening and eyecatches. After the joke the screen slowly fades to white, taking three or four seconds to eventually disappear. There is no loud noise or strong cut, just moving with ease to the next place. Or usually the same one moments later without any change.

The color pallete doesn't have full saturation, the music is something the MC from Detroit Metal City would love, and even the angry tsukkomi characters are quitely revengful instead of reactive. There is no opposition, in the plot or in the looks. It's impressive how a vague concept as being lazy is turned into visual and auditive metaphors all the time.

This anime feels like an incredible excercise in expressing feelings through animation. But obviously if the comedy doesn't work for you there is no point in caring too much. I'd say you're not supposed to care too much about anything to enjoy this anime.

There's a particular type of anime apart from the usual hustle and bustle of RomComs that I like. And that's slice of life. A genre I got introduced to when I first started watching anime. While watching Tanaka-kun wa Itsume Kedaruge, those nostalgic feelings came back, and I enjoyed this anime in a way I hadn't before with any other animes. In one word, I'd call Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge 'sweet'.

Story: 9/10

Even while being a slice of life, the anime sweetly introduces it's plot in a very slow and easy going way, although it was done so to introduce our lazy MC, it also denoted ... how beautifully and sweetly the pace flows in slice of life anime. It opens slowly, flows slowly and ends gracefully. Such a calm demeanor of a plot could deserve a 10 easily, if only the plot was a bit more tightened. Otherwise, Tanaka kun had a wonderful and unique story that most slice of life watchers would get a sugar rush out of due to it's sweet nature.

Art: 9/10

The art was amazing. It fit perfectly with the slice of life genre and accentuated the comedy too. The character design was another thing to mush over. If I was asked to describe it in one word, I'd call it cute!

Sound: 9/10

A slice of life should be soft, so the sound track too has to be soft. And frankly speaking, I've already run out of cute words to describe this anime. The adorable OP was very memorable and nostalgic at the same time, even though the ED wasn't memorable as much the OP more than made up for it. The VAs did a brilliant job of portraying the characters, they fit in perfectly, especially the three MCs, namely our title character, Ohta and Shiraishi.

Characters: 10/10

Character development and slice of life are always at odds. And so if you wanted or expected character development from this or any slice of life anime, you won't be satisfied as that's not the purpose of this anime. Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge's purpose is to introduce the daily life of the characters so character development will be minor or won't even exist. I rated the characters out of their personalities instead of development as this is a slice of life.

Tanaka: Our MC, Tanaka is an extremely lazy person, so lazy that he can go to extreme lengths just to relax later on. Even though he's quite lazy, that doesn't stop the fact that he's considerate of his friends and can even beat himself up for one too. Unlike most other MCs who're dense brats, Tanaka isn't. What sets him apart is that he isn't interested in such relationships just because it wastes his energy. He has quite a funny and sweet way of going about daily issues too, which further boosts his appeal to the viewer.

Ohta: Tanaka's close friend and 'wife' (watch to understand why he's called that), Ohta is the opposite of Tanaka in the sense that he's dependable, arguably active and takes care of Tanaka's *every* need. But fortunately his character isn't sacrificed, he has his own opinions and thoughts as well and instead of supporting the comedy, leads it at times. A feature seen in few 2nd MCs (as in the second character). Ohta is a sweet person too who like sweets and always tries to help Ohta. So the female community might be appealed by his kind and generous personality.

Shiraishi: Arguably the only non MC who gets the most screentime, Shiraishi develops a little too, she learns to stay true to herself and her embarrassed and shy nature (to some extent) is also a refreshing aspect to slice of life (which nowadays are bombarded with Tsunderes, though I'm not complaining). She finds it difficult to cope with her feelings due to her double persona (watch to understand what I mean) and her struggle is notably seen in the last few episodes.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Needless to say, I loved Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge. It's sweet nature triggers the sweet side inside of us and teaches us to enjoy life as it is. That's a lesson I enjoyed learning. The comedy also delivered extraordinarily. If you've read my previous reviews you'd notice how few anime actually make me laugh and I'll confidently tell you I was laughing at almost every comedy scene. Which shows that this show is actually really good at comedy as it is fresh and original while also using the characters in a unique way.

Overall: 9/10

I've already said the word sweet so many times so I'll try not to say it now. Overall, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge was a sweet (dangit, I lost already) and cute anime that could be the slice of life of the year in my opinion. Anyone who wants something sweet (again...) can and will find satisfaction in watching this anime. Slice of Life lovers will most likely praise this as I did. One of the best slice of life anime out there!

P.S: Shiraishi is best girl <3

this anime is a slice of life and comedy combo. So don't expect a heart pounding, mysterious, thrilling anime. its slow paced and really there is no plot at all...

the Story: there's not much going on really. we follow the story of a lazy guy named Tanaka, we watch him be lazy and interact with his friends. there are shenanigans which honestly are funny and be calmed by the fact that the story is calm. there is a little hint of romance but honestly bromance is the thing here (no there is no bl). though everyone's relationship is platonic

Characters: the characters here are not ... really intense they dont have the weight of the world on their shoulders, so we get characters that are pretty ordinary, but that what makes this anime fun to watch. Tanaka is super Lazy but he's charming in his own way and a great friend (even if you have to carry him around)

Music and art: the art is pretty nice, soft and almost watercolor like. the opening song is a gentle yet cheery tune, really like it!

overall: if your tired of anime that is super jam packed with action, betrayal, and frustrating love stories. the i would recommend this. this anime is a breather nothing really happens but its funny and calming. with nice characters who aren't annoying.

*contains a bit of spoilers*

Story: 10
Title says it all. A super cute, chill and funny anime. This has little to no real story line and it just contains random things happening throughout each episode. You can sense bromance and a bit of Yuri too, which I don’t mind at all. Also, there are some scenes which can be unpredictable so don’t underestimate this anime!

Character: 10
Tanaka is an extremely cute guy (especially when he’s sleeping) in terms of the way he talks and thinks, lives his life like a cat with his own sense of humor and is very wise about things. The seiyuu is ... able to voice this character well because it’s the same seiyuu for Kuroko from Kuroko no Basuke. Both of them have this “most of the time calm and hardly any form of expressions shown” kind of personality. It’s surprising that Tanaka can even play the piano when he’s so lazy.

His best friend Ohta is a strong, cool and reliable guy, someone important to Tanaka who he cannot live without (he even admitted it a few times in the anime oml).

Another character appears~ Miyano. Oh my god her extreme enthusiasm, respect and admiration she has for Tanaka is so so cute too! She’s like a little kid.

The rest of the characters will take forever to explain so I’ve only described my favourite characters.

Art: 9
Simple yet pretty well done. Background sceneries are relatively detailed and beautiful.

Sound: 10
Cute and enjoyable opening and ending songs. Omg and for example some scenes when Tanaka was being shaken, when eating a macaron. The sounds were so detailed. The effect of actually being shaken and crunching sounds when eating.

Enjoyment/Overall: 10
Once you start this anime, you’ll be in for a lot of laughs. I got my friends to watch it with me when I was watching episode 8. There’s this guy who hardly watches anime actually enjoyed this so there’s a lot to say about that. Ah don't worry, the other friend who watched with me said it's good too. Both of them plan to watch the episodes that they missed out on.

People might think this anime is bad or not even worth watching because of the title but don’t let it put you off. This anime is actually very good, so a 10/10. This anime can be quite relatable too. Really well done for such an underrated slice of life anime.

If you are the person who looking for slow-paced anime, then this is for you.

Back in the late 2017, my friend who knows if i only watch anime with the genre of Slice Of Life recommend me this anime. However, due to my business i cannot watch it until it is Match 2018. After i watched the anime, now i know why my friend really rushed me to watch this - This anime really describes what "Slice Of Life" means.

Other than the point i mentioned before (slow-paced), this anime will give you the feel of being so tranquil and peace. From the BGM to the ... characters itself, they deliver conflicts in without having to make any audio or visual riots like panic BGM or Flashing screens. Instead, they use silence for it, especially the awkward scenes - you get the climax, your hands itch knowing you can only watch and cannot involve yourself directly in the anime, and you get all the excitement guessing what is going to happen next.

The characters are well developed without any nonsense like traps or sexually attractive imouto - I don't like animes including that even though it is a Slice of Life. The character promised in the title "Tanaka-kun is Always Listless" is just perfectly... lazy as promised, i know it is odd to feel super excited caused by this character. I won't spoil much, but the character types in this anime is just so various, and worked harmonically with the listless Tanaka. Tsundere and imouto are included.

This will be one of Slice of Life animes i will never forget, but this never beats Nichijou. Unlike Nichijou, i didn't hope any more season from this anime since the ending is already perfect, pretty hanging but making any extensions would make the ending in this first season weird.

Well, this is my first review so far. I feel pretty glad that I'm giving one for this fantastic anime. the story of a tanaka-kun wa itsumo kedaruge can be described as the struggles faced by a lazy kid in his daily life. the comedy is good along with the story line. I'm not particularly interested in music so I may rate it as 7. you may get bored in the end, but the middle episodes are damn good. I enjoyed a lot while watching this, you may feel the same I actually love it. it stands as a refreshing anime like if you are ... watching an anime with episodes more than 100, and if you are bored in middle, This will give you a time pass just like barakamon and usagi drop.

How far are you willing to go just to be lazy? Would you write your name in braille just to avoid more pencil strokes? Are you willing to walk through the rain if it means not putting in the work to hold an umbrella? Or how about just skipping this anime and just read this review and make your opinion so that you don't have to keep your eyes open for another 4 hours?

Story: What story? It's only about a guy, Tanaka, who puts everything in his might just to do nothing. Absolutely nothing. He's lucky enough to have ... a friend, Outa, who likes him enough to carry him everywhere if it has a 0.0001% chance of doing something after. They live their lives facing 12 episodes of cliche settings and scenarios. The main thing that makes this anime more than worth a watch is the comedy for it is consistent, amusing, and some episodes are downright hilarious. Most of the comedy that I found funny were Tanaka's explanations on to how far he is willing to go if it just means doing nothing. The show was very relaxing and gave me a good laugh in the morning every weekend.
As for my complaints, I would say episodes 1-9 were consistently ROFL funny but 10-11 were actually not all that interesting. Tanaka began to be less funny because he was just being lazy instead of speaking his mind as to why he doesn't want to put in effort (which was where the comedy truly excelled in the show). This factor will be different for every viewer. Some might still like it all thorughout and some might get tired of it and feel that the comedy is waning earlier.

Characters: The characters are definitely the strong core that holds the show together. If you will be producing an episodic show, the characters matter much more than the scenario of each episode and Tanaka-kun wa Itsudemo Kedaruge without a doubt succeeded at that. Tanaka is the lazy boy in class who always makes the viewers laugh as much as he's trying not to be funny. Outa is the best friend who's amount of concern for people does not match his delinquent looks (seen it before but it still works). Shiraishi was a stand out character who had a lot of funny moments but also added some depth to a few episodes for how she transformed from a dorky girl to the most respected student in class. Echizen was a likeable tsundere who put on a tough girl act but had a soft spot for cute things such as another character Miyano. The last character I will mention is Rino, Tanaka's imouto (cuz otoutotachi are uncool). She is the kuudere of the series but she very cares for Tanaka and had a somewhat distant yet healthy relationship with him. Plus her hatred for Outa for always stealing her onii-chan away from her was also very comedic. There are some characters that were forgettable and less interesting but the interesting characters that I mentioned got more focus and carried the series well so I don't have any complaints.

Art/Animation: Animation and art were solid. But what caught my attention was the design of the high school. If was more wooden than plaster and it made for a unique-looking setting and was refreshing.

Sound: The score was not very apparent mainly because it was quiet all the times to fit the tone of the anime. But the opening was very calming and I never felt like skipping it.

Final Verdict: Tanaka-kun is one of those anime that didn't aspire to be a lot but it mainly succeeded in what it wanted to be so I give this anime a lot of respect. If you are down for slow and somewhat relaxing slice of life anime and you are in the mood for a laugh, then you should definitely give this a check-out. This was the hidden gem of the season and I'm relieved to have found an anime that shows people that slice of life is one of anime's strongest genres when you find the right one. I enjoyed this anime beginning to end and end was definitely satisfying. Tanaka for all the effort you did not put in, I humbly rate this a 7/10.

"Tanaka-kun is Always Listless" is a relaxing, funny, and entertaining show. It revolves around a unique MC who only wishes for uneventful days for him to slack off most of the time. Tanaka is always accompanied with his best friend, Ohta, who's appearance could always mislead his personality. Ohta believes that Tanaka is doing whatever it takes to reach the peak of "Listlessness", so he's supporting him all throughout. However, Tanaka began to have various encounters that interrupt his quiet and peaceful days to meaningful ones.

I believe it follows the same format from other shows with "school" and "comedy" genres, so it's not totally ... new. However, the different blends of characters made this anime interesting. Most characters do have a complete opposite personalities from the first impressions. Their little details (ex. likes and dislikes) is what made every episode of this show enjoyable. Tanaka, as a listless person, leads the story on a different perspective about life in general. This anime does not actually contain significant progression or developments. But they ended the show great, with a little bit of Tanaka's new realization outside his comfortable "listless" state.

In terms of comedy, it's not really on par with the funniest shows out there but it still manages to make you laugh. I appreciate how they implemented awkward silence most of the time to emphasize how awkward the situation is. I could not grasp some of the jokes coming from the few episodes, mainly because of cultural differences. If you're a Japanese or someone who's knowledgeable about their culture, then I'm sure you could be able to understand those humors. There's a little bit of "Yaoi" as a teasing element, but it's not really bothersome especially for the male audiences. This anime also has its romantic touch, in case you're looking for ships and whatnot.

I really love the Opening and Ending tracks. It's very relaxing and it complimented well with the story. I can assure you that these tracks could always put a smile in your face because of how refreshing it is. Overall, this is a great show to spend watching when you're looking for a chill anime. And in some ways, it tries to put you into a listless state, but in a good way xD

Ja Matane!

A very nice laid back slice-of-life anime that is pleasant to watch.

Watching Tanaka-kun is somewhat healing in the same way cat cafes are. The story is very simple and the characters have fairly interesting yet very ordinary personalities, it's fun seeing them interact and react in different scenarios.

Reminds me somewhat of Shirokuma cafe just without all the animals and in a school setting. Very relatable if you have any kind of anxiety, it's nice to see a character like Tanaka be so true to his nature and I do find Ohta somewhat adorable too.

Take your time with this one, it's a great one to sit ... back with a nice hot cup of tea and relax. I enjoyed watching this while eating meals, although Ohta always makes me want to eat sweet things..

(If you're looking for a soothing slice-of-life with funny jokes, cool characters, and great animations...then this is for you!)

● Story: The story is very good. The story is simple, but the way the episode plays out leading the characters into funny situations is something else.

● Art: The art is great. The art style isn't standard, but it's clean and quality. The backgrounds are really a work of art in themselves.

● Sound: The sound is very good. The voice acting is great, and the music is beautiful.

● Character: The characters are interesting and quite comical in there own way.

● Enjoyment: I really enjoyed this anime. ... It's one of my personal faves now, and I shall be watching the second installment soon.

That's all for this review~!

Story: 8 - There isn't really much of a plot to this anime, it is just the daily life of Tanaka-kun and his friends.

Art: 10 - I love it, personally.

Sound: 9- Sounded okay to me when I watched it.

Enjoyment:10- This anime was funny and what is more enjoyable than something that makes you laugh?

Overall: 9

... When I read the description of Tanaka-kun is always listless I expected a laid back anime. I was, to some degree, correct.

This anime is very laid back but it is also very funny. I found myself laughing at some point of each episode and although it is somewhat like a compilation of shorts for some episodes it is highly enjoyable. Although Tanaka-kun does not have any cliche MC traits he still an MC we come to love.

His friend, Ohto, is also a great support character, supporting and understanding Tanaka-kun throughout the series. So much so it gives off a bromance vibe as Tanaka basically relies on this guy.

Overall, this anime is not very serious but is very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone and if that hasn't convinced you this anime is made by Silver Link studios, the same as Kokoro connect and Baka to test!!

Hey folks, this will be a review for Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge. This show was a blast, and I would love to see more. Honestly I could probably watch four or five seasons of this slice of life show.

The story isn't really special. We follow our main character Tanaka as he lives his life being lazy and listless. Some events arise that bring more characters into the mix and we watch as these events disturb his normally peaceful days.

The art was great. The soundtrack also great. The intro song is slow and fits the anime perfectly and its also good enough to listen to outside ... of the show.

The characters make this show awesome. Tanaka is the main character and he goes to great lengths to preserve his lazy and peaceful days. He however is rather weak so his best friend Oota takes care of him. Oota is a large guy who carries Tanaka around and takes care of him like a wife. Miyano is an energetic girl who wants to learn the ways of maturity and laziness from Tanaka and proclaims herself his apprentice. Then you have Shiraishi who is the model student and plays the role of the odd love interest.

The characters are fantastic and there are more to list but its rather hard to write more without spoiling some early plot lines.

As I mentioned above I enjoyed this anime a lot. The comedy was excellent and had me smiling and laughing constantly. The interaction between the characters didn't seem forced or fake and even though it was a slice of life show it was still really interesting to see what happens next. Seriously you should give this one a watch. If you don't like the first episode you probably wont like the rest of the show, but I highly recommend trying it.

TLDR: Great, every aspect was awesome. Comedy, characters, art, and sound all amazing. Highly recommend giving it a shot.

Why bother reading this? Well, at least that's what Tanaka-kun would've asked. And it's this personality of his that made this anime great. Being a character-driven show (at least in my view), it made us remember the characters than really care for the plot.

Speaking of plot, it was... okay. First of all, it's a comedy, so even if there was a plot, not many people would care about it. It's quite similar to ecchi, which you mostly watch for the fanservice.

The characters, however, are a different story, especially the MC. Now I've watched a lot of school-related anime with mediocre MCs, but Tanaka-kun isn't one ... of them. He's lazy and listless, to the point that it's almost impossible for anyone to be that listless. It's this trait which made him unique. I could also relate to most of his antics since I get listless sometimes as well. It's his way of showing the things can relate to that made him all the more memorable. Together with his friends, they make the prefect comedic acts.

Did I enjoy myself? Heck yeah! And I recommend this to those who want some laughs. But don't bother analyzing the anime, because you'd be too listless to do it anyway after watching Tanaka-kun's daily life.

I made a video: you can find it at my YouTube channel "BasementOtaku"

Video Script:

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless (7/10): There you go, 7 ada 10, if you want to know more about my rating system check the video description. Now it is time to stumble headlong into my potentially spoiler filled review.

I really enjoyed the first episode of Tanaka-kun, after watching I thought it would be a toothless show about a guy being lazy and his sweet loving friend helping him through daily life. While that is the main premise of the show is just that, the second episode introduces one of my favorite characters, ... Miyano. Now Miyano could have been any silly ditzy character but the show actually chooses to give her depth, as the main joke surrounding her is that she desires the ability to be calm and relaxed when her nature contradicts that to the extreme. That character flaw still would have felt hollow until you find out that she is doing it because of her good friend who she loves and wants to impress. Episode four is another heavy hitter dealing with the conflicting nature of how we wish to be perceived by others and how we are comfortable acting like our true selves. Now I wish I could say Tanaka-kun kept this up but sadly quite a few of the later episodes fall into a purely comedic category. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as for the most part I enjoyed the comedy of the show, I just wish it had kept up with those powerful character developing moments of the first four episodes. One thing I can say I loved all the way through is the music, here have a listen (plays music), I have listened to the OST of this show a few times though and I just can’t get enough. It can be quirky and fun, relaxed and subdued and most of all I adore the instruments used! So if you are looking for a more laid back show with instances of solid character development “Tanaka-kun is Always Listless” is just the show for you.