Seitokai no Ichizon

Parody and comedy are a staple genre in the anime world and sometimes can be hit or miss. This is because to truly understand parody you have enough experience with the things that are being parodied. As a foreigner to Japan and the majority of its culture, a great deal of this goes over my head as it would a foreigner trying to understand some of the humor from my own country. All of that being said some things are universally funny in comedy and that brings us to Seitokai no Ichizon, an anime that forgets to deliver the most important element ... a comedy must have... humor.

There isn’t any real story in Ichizon. The episodes are loosely tied together for the most part and center on the exploits of a high school student council. While shows revolving around clubs and student councils are quite common, initially Ichizon appeared to be unique. However the freshness of the series quickly wanes as I found just getting through each new episode was somehow a test of my patience and sanity. I really wanted to like this series as well but as it went on and on I found it more torturous to watch.

Is Ichizon bad anime? Not really. It’s just incredibly boring anime. And that is the main problem it has. Let’s begin with the humor. The parody and comedy is way too forced and thus doesn’t have any flow to it. It’s almost as if the writers thought the more anime and culture references they could pile in the funnier people would think it was without any regard to whether or not the jokes were actually, well funny. Just because I can recognize that something is being lampooned or a joke is being told doesn’t mean it’s funny. Sure there were many things I did find amusing and a few that I actually did laugh out loud at, but for the most part Ichizon is humorless and clichéd.

The other main issue with the series as a whole is its claustrophobic setting. 90% of the series takes place in the student council room. Even when they do leave the confines of that room then they soon seal themselves up in yet another small room. Had the jokes and parody actually been funny, this might not have been such a problem but each episode is mostly just the five of them sitting around a table screaming, talking at the speed of light, or spouting whatever cliché or stereotype their personality type is based on.

The ending is also rather bizarre. While Ichizon by its own admission doesn’t take itself very seriously, the rather somber and serious nature of some of the last few episodes felt very much out of place. For something was all about randomness and silliness this was a strange course to take. It's a bit ironic that these episodes were actually the best ones in the series, which makes you wonder how much better it could have been as a whole if it had worked on developing the plot to lead up to them.

Among Ichizon's characters, only Sugisaki Ken stands out in any way. With most harem type shows the male lead is usually the dullest and most uninteresting character in the show. Not so in Ken's case as he manages to carry the series by himself. Pretty much the only times I really laughed was because of something he said or did. The various girls of the council all have their own quirks but they all miss the same thing, actual personality. Sure they were all adorable and cute to look at but each of them had two or three personality traits that were just used over and over making each of them less substantive than cotton candy.

Artistically I found the characters to be very pretty and the styles and costumes were appealing. However because the series is set in a rather dull and plain club room that means there is little in the way of backgrounds and that makes the show as a whole to seem more drab and uninteresting than it really should have been. So while I found the art and animation to be very good, its setting brings it down much as it did with the story.

What I did find refreshing was an almost totally fresh faced seiyuu cast. In a time when the same dozen or so actors are reused ad nauseum it is really nice to hear some new blood. That being said the performances really aren’t that strong and in the end sound just like what we are used to hearing already. The music is fluffy and cute and not all that interesting. Though some of the ending remixes were funny, particularly the one from episode 11.

Ichizon in the end is disposable anime. Its worth a few laughs and then meant to be throw away. I doubt that anyone in a couple of years will even remember this show even existed. Its a real shame since as I said before, I really wanted to like it. While I don’t think it’s really terrible and maybe overall not quite as bad as I rated it, it was so boring and unenjoyable that it was painful to complete. If you are fairly new to anime or haven’t seen more than a couple hundred shows you might find this to be pretty good. For the more experienced viewer though, Seitokai no Ichizon is likely to be a disappointment.

You know, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu has a lot to answer for. For a while there it felt like anime, as a medium, had decided to be a bit more inventive, a bit more creative. Hope is a great thing, no?

To be fair, what happened next wasn't really the fault of SHnY, but the damage was already done. Beginning with Lucky Star, which was a pretty good comedy for the most part, the slippery slope of formulaic school based parody shows with a supposedly eclectic set of characters who literally do nothing rapidly became a tiresome methodology, with numerous shows following this trend until the ... advent of Seitokai no Ichizon (The Student Council's Discretion).

The story is based on a series of light novels, published from January 2008, by Aoi Sekina (with illustrations by Inugami Kira). Now one would think that an adaptation of a novel would have a bit more depth to it, but Seitokai no Ichizon seems to follow only one path - try to please as many people as possible.

It's no surprise then that the show really struggles with plot coherency and development, especially as, barring a particularly dull sub plot, there isn't really any point to the story. The whole series is set, for the most part, within the confines of the Student Council Office, and while this may at first appear to be an orginal approach, one should remember that SHnY, amongst others, had very similar settings. The big problem with confining the story to a specific area is that there is a only so much the writers can do to develop the plot. Thankfully (maybe), Seitokai no Ichizon doesn't really try to develop what little plot it has, and is content to follow the path set by Lucky Star - lots of parodies, sketches and jokes while the characters do nothing.

Now, one could consider the comedy in this show to be funny, and some of it actually is, but the fact remains that much of the humour has actually been done better in other shows (or do I need to mention Gintama). In addition to this, the series makes a great show of trying to get the audience involved, a bit like a really bad Christmas pantomime, but this effort begins to cool after the first few episodes. Instead of going down the route of actually showing how a typical student council works, and adding humour to that premise, Seitokai no Ichizon travels at breakneck speed towards one of the most pointless and inconclusive outcomes I've ever seen.

In all honesty, the one saving grace the series has in terms of it's story and plot is that I found some of the jokes to be funny, but even that wore off pretty quickly.

Now don't get me wrong here. There isn't anything specifically wrong with Seitokai no Ichizon per se, especially as there have been other shows that have little to no back story, and arecompletely relian on parody, humour and audience partcipation. However, this shouldn't come at the cost of the characters, ir even of the humour itself, and it's unfortuante that the series has fallen into that trap. While the show resoundingly denies that it's a harem anime, the tried and tested stereotypes are available throughout the story, and the series has the feeling of being written by someone who really does believe they know what the audience wants, even when it comes to looks.

That's right. Seitokai no Ichizon is very clearly on the moe bandwagon, especially when it comes to character designs. From the fiery tempered tsundere to the outspoken loli. From the silent but deadly hot chick, to the shy and withdrawn bundle of cuteness. This series makes no bones about who it's target audience is, and it targets that market with a certain degree of ruthlessness.

That said, there hasn't really been a lot of thought as to how the characters should look. The presentation is that same, tiresome, fanservice tinged moe that that makes up up over half of the school based comedies around to date. While the presentation is pretty decent, one can't help but wonder why the cast doesn't feature anyone with any kind of physical blemish. The backgrounds and backdrops also follow a similarly over-simplistic style, espcially as most of the show is set in the student council office.

As for animation, well, it's actually pretty good, especially during the parodies. The choregrpahy and animation design isn't the greatest, however it does serve it's purpose in that the whole show is simply a joke delivery system, and as such, there isn't really any need for top quality animation and CG. The characters move reasonably well for the most part, however the series looks and feels very similar to a host of others, and that is one of it's biggest problems.

In terms of sound, Seitokai no Ichizon isn't too bad really. The OP, a boppy little J-Pop track called "Treasure", is sung by most of the cast and, aside from being fairly well chorepgraphed, is nothing to write home about. The ED, on the other hand, is where things get a little more interesting as the series features a variety of ending themes that are sung by at least two members of the cast.

That said, they're still forgettable J-Pop songs.

Acting-wise, the show is reaonably well represented, especially as the four main female leads are relative newcomers to anime. Given that fact, it wouldn't actually be unreasonable to assume that the entire show is nothing more than a platform to launch their respective careers (it's been done before after all). That said, there is some merit to their, and the rest of the cast's, performances as the characters, barring one or two annoying voices, are pretty well portrayed for this type of show.

As for the characters themselves, well, where do I begin? The fact that this is an epsiodic parody harem comedy should give you a hint as to what you should expect. While the series is extremely moe-centric, the characters are all nothing more than stereotypes of the first order and, while they are reasonably good in that respect, at the end of the day that's all they are. The show tries to add some deeper meaning to the characters, especially to Sugisaki Ken, but these efforts don't fit in to the plot in any substantial manner, and serve as nothing more than distractions from the comedy. The characters don't develop in any manner that is both plausible, and in keeping with the story, and this is the main reason why the series is so reliant on the comedy content.

There will be those who laud Seitokai no Ichizon for a number of perfectly valid reasons, and in certain respects it's a good series to watch. It's quirky, humourous, and somewhat engaging, and I will freely admit that it managed to make me chuckle, especially with Mafuyu's burning passion for BL. That said, the series could easily have taken things one step futher by throwing out all the stereotypes and going for something truly original as the parody would have had far more impact in that way. It's a shame then, that the show tries to take the more satirical path and tie it to parody as the two don't easily mesh, so what's left is a mish-mash of jokes and sketches that jump from one to another like a frog on a hot rock, and coherency is the first to fall victim to the lacklustre plot.

All in all, this isn't a bad show, but it's not really a shining example either. Fans of shows like Lucky Star, Hyakko, PaniPoni Dash, and even SHnY, may find the series enjoyable, but may also find that much of the humour is a bit flat, or has been done better elsewhere. It's sad to say, but those who haven't had the opportunity to watch this type of series before may find this far enjoyable. It all depends on one's perspective.

On the whole, this isn't the best example of a parody anime. Gintama, Lucky Star, even Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu, give parody it's due, and use the gags in unusual and original ways. Seitokai no Ichizon, on the other hand, tends to stick to formula, and it's efforts to try and please everyone is the main reason why the show is as mediocre as it isl.

Bringing the otaku culture on it's back, Seitokai no Ichizon is one of those series that simply made to entertain us. The story tells us about the student council of the Hekiyou Gakuen, they are led by a Moe-type girl that often create a strange policy and do their strange job.

Actually, there is no real plot in this anime, Seitokai no Ichizon is an episodic series that stands alone between episodes. The anime filled with parody spit out all over the place. Now, a parody series can extremely fail if the audience didn't know what is being parodied. If you ... watched some of the popular anime that exist in this anime, then you can feel the hilarious moments that created by this anime. BUT, If you don't have any idea about those anime that has been parodied, then you might feel the flat moments and think this anime is boring and not funny at all.

There is little fineness that we can see in the animation. Almost all of the scenes occurred in one place with a typical style, the student council room. The character design was decent.

As for the sound settings, we have a well-produced sound but not really represents the symbol of this anime. It's not bad but still forgettable...

I repeat, Seitokai no Ichizon is an episodic series while focusing on the enjoyment, the anime almost forgot the important element o a series. YES, it's the character development, a diminutive and forced development brings a cyclone to this anime. While failed in deep development, the anime successfully described the characters within, with their unique traits. These anime have a few back stories, although it's not related with the story.

With all hilarious moments they have, the Hekiyou Student Council did fairly well in their journey to be a well-received series. In the end, it's not a bad anime but not the greatest that ever exist. It's just a stand-alone parody theme anime that does their job, what job? Of course entertain us, the audience...

[Story: 5.5] The success of shows like Suzumiya Haruhi and Lucky Star has initiated many new trends – from having characters dancing in the theme songs to featuring genre-savvy meta characters as the central gimmick. Seitokai no Ichizon is yet another anime jumping onto the bandwagon, bringing with it a setting that parallels said shows. Clearly, the influences are undeniable. Again, this is understandable. Since references and parody anime has become the new fad, it is natural (expected, even) for the industry to produce more of such shows, because ultimately, the industry exist to sell itself. With that said however, it all goes back to ... something fundamental: doing something that is considered popular does not make you popular. And that’s where Seitokai no Ichizon flops.

Seitokai got too ambitious for its own good, overestimating its own limits. Every episode, the show tries to cram in as much references as it could and here’s the problem: it merely made references, rather than crack a joke using the references it made. It is obvious that they’re merely deliberately using popular references to appeal to as much of the demographics as possible; It is often random, redundant and often lacking in any sort of punchlines. Ichizon does have a few funny moments. Then again, too few funny moments anyway.

Seitokai is like guidebook that is supposed to teach you how to be funny so it’s crammed with lots of comedic technique, except that the author of said guidebook has no sense of humor. Theoretically, Seitokai is supposed to be funny. In reality, Seitokai is akin to the poor awkward kid who memorized the “list of top 10 jokes” and tried to make someone laugh but wasn’t good at delivering the punch line. Or just printed out the list from the internet and read it out to others, without an idea of what ‘articulation’ means. Similarly, that’s also why their attempt at things like self-deprecating humor, and sometimes hypocritical humor, is ironic for different (read: wrong) reasons.

[Characters: 6.0] Strangely enough, a lot of the scenes that had me chuckling a little are the ones where they don’t try to randomly hurl references. It was thus quite a pity as all the unnecessary references interfered with the characters, giving them very little chance to go for a gag centered on their personalities. This also ruined some of the more sentimental scenes in the later part of the show – these scenes simply had too little time to be shown. The result is, the supposedly touching scenes felt rather shallow and forced. Not good for the characters’ development, particularly bad for Sugisaki.

Playing with the 4th wall is a popular meta-fictional technique that once challenged the concept of the boundary between a medium and its audience. However, this technique is now so prevalent in pop culture that it is no longer a guaranteed trump at being witty. Also, the characters used it way too often to the point of abuse. On another note, Seitokai lacked subtlety; the references are too obvious – and sometimes too blunt - to even be amusing.

[Art: 7.0] The art quality is decent; not too shabby, but not fabulous either. Character designs are also more of above average. Well, then again, considering the show’s genre, fanciful animation isn’t exactly a prerequisite so that’s okay, I guess.

[Music: 6.5] Nothing impressive with the music either. The theme songs are basically that of those generic harem/ rom-com sort of show but in this case I’ll assume that’s what they’re going for – though that still doesn’t change the fact that the music is rather bland.

[Summary] Watch Hayate no Gotoku instead. Or Gintama (if you don’t mind the crude humor that goes with the parodies and references). Gosh, now I really can't wait for an anime adaptation of the manga, The World God Only Knows.

Most animes leave the fourth wall intact, presumably because 9 of 10 times it's broken the show quality plummets and the 10th time it neither adds or detracts. The only exception in the history of everything forever that has managed to make breaking it a fun thing that adds to the enjoyment is... NOT Seitokai no Ichizon, it's Deadpool.

When a plot can be summed up with 4 girls and one guy in the same room 95% of each episode, a big temptation for the writer is to throw in references to other things and start breaking the wall that shall not be defiled with breaking, ... except by Deadpool since he defiles everything anyway. In this anime there are loads of very forced pokes at numerous other animes, maybe a slight bit fun for those who've watched those animes but for everyone else it's mostly a waste of screen time since the segments often don't even come with a good punchline. (I didn't like most references even though I've seen the other animes)

The art and sound are only just good enough to be called "good" by 2017 standards, the characters however are sort of difficult to rate. The delusional guy constantly calling the girls his harem is on one hand refreshing compared to most other harem protagonists, but on the other hand he gets stale when compared to himself since the originality ended at just defining him as a guy seriously aiming for a harem. The girls also stick to their roles really hard but it works a lot better for them.

Way back forever ago this anime was probably one of the better but by modern standards it isn't impressive. The comedy is endless hit and miss, with more missing than hitting, however if you're bored and have watched most other stuff out there you may as well watch this too.