Nanaka 6/17

I give this anime an 82/100

I first came across this little anime after finishing watching Nobody's Boy Remi on Anime News Network. I had run out of anime to watch and felt like starting on some new ones. Thankfully, Nanaka 6/17 turned out to be a fine little anime for me to watch before school started for me.

So basically it's about two kids who grow apart upon entering high school. Nanaka's the studious girl and Nenji's the delinquent. Then, they get into an argument and Nanaka gets a brain injury which causes her to suffer from 'Backwards Aging Syndrome' as I call it. She's turned ... back into her 6 year old self and Nenji has to babysit her. Simple enough, right?

Yes, this is a very simple story. Nothing complicated, nothing totally bland. Just simple and easy to understand, though it does go into a strange direction in the end, but it's not anything bad. I liked how it was executed.

The animation is, like the story, simple. It's not trying to be extravagant, which is good because sometimes I see that backgrounds tend to be a tad exaggerated in anime. But unlike the story, the animation tends to get a little bland at certain points. It's nothing special, but nice enough. The soundtrack too. It's not mind-blowingly awesome, nor is it bad. It just doesn't really stand out.

The characters are what made the show for me. You'll be surprised by the changes that the main character, Nenji, goes through in order to reconcile with Nanaka and rekindle his old relationship with her. He does start out rather bland, but his development throughout the show is just amazing. He knows that he can't walk away from certain responsibilities or else his reputation might kick the bucket. Nanaka's got nice development too. She starts out as a stony-faced girl who can't think of anything better to do than study study study and not care about others. Thankfully she grows into a better person, even with her age regression, by the end of the show. The pink-haired girl, Yuriko, is definitely a change from the usual 'other girl likes the main guy who the main girl falls in love with' in most anime. Instead of being jealous and raving, she's calm and considerate and knows that although she likes Nenji and used to dislike Nanaka a little at first, she knows she can't force herself on Nenji and that Nanaka's a person who also deserves a little bit of happiness.

Of course, while there are good things about this show, there are also bad things about it. The biggest flaw of this show? I feel it's the way they make little kids TOO mature sometimes. I mean, what little 5-6 year old girl would know the meaning of the words reference and reasonable and relationship? And what little kid would want to wish to be a housewife at such a young age!? That makes absolutely NO sense at all (unless it took place in the 19th century, but that's a different matter entirely)! Little kids should be little kids and play around with dolls and toys, not do housework and hook up with a high school guy! Good thing this show didn't pull a Kodomo no Jikan. Ugh. I'd hate to see this go into that direction.

Well, even with its flaws, Nanaka 6/17 is a nice little show about childhood, nostalgia, growing up, and learning lessons in life. It's not mind blowingly awesome, but it's not bad either, and that's fine with me. But don't expect it's portrayal of little kids to be entirely realistic.

I remember a friend of mine showing me the trailer to this last year, and since I like her recommending animes to me, I decided to give this show a look. And BOY am I glad I did. This was the best anime I've seen last year. And here's why.

Story:

The show is about 2 friends. Nanaka and Nenji. Both have glaring flaws. Nanaka is a study obsessed girl which causes herself to alienate everyone around her. Giving everyone a bad view on her. Nenji is a delinquent who always gets himself into fights with others. But after a heated argument, Nanaka falls into a coma, ... and wakes up as her 6 year old self, trapped in her teenage body. This causes Nenji to change his ways, and to help Nanaka get through life in the state she's in. Now, while it has a familiar premise, the way it's told and the themes it has are done really well. Making it stand out. The best thing I loved about the story was the fact I could identify with it's messages about growing up. And I was at a time where school was beginning to overwhelm me as well as the future. The ending is bittersweet, but still very satisfying.

Art:

J.C. Staff's animation style varies in many of there shows. It goes from simplistic to very detailed. Nanaka 6/17's animation is on par with Azumanga Daioh. As in it has a really cute simplicity to it. While the character designs are familiar looking, they're still fun to look at.

Sound:

I've only seen this dubbed, because it's my preference. I have to say, they did a good job with it. I really liked that 2 of my favorite voice actors, Monica Rial, and Chris Patton voice the two lead roles. All the other voices are regulars you're use to hearing, and you will like there work here. The music goes from cute and adorable, to slow and relaxing. While it's not really the best I've heard in anime, it's still very good.

Characters:

The highlight of the show. I really loved this cast of characters. Both Nanaka's do represent 2 sides of us. The 17 year old side represents that side of me where I could get so obsessed with either my hobbies, or school, to a point where I alienate myself from others. However, as the series goes on, you do understand the reasons why she went into that state. The 6 year old side represents that little kid in us that's still there. Let's face it, we do have childhood favorites we like seeing every now and then. And of course there's that side that either cannot wait to grow up, or is just scarred to. So, 17 Nanaka's a bit of a bitch, but the 6 Nanaka's a lot more fun. Nenji was my favorite character, mainly because he was the one I connected with the most. I do feel his pain whenever he feels bad about acting mean and rotten, and then tries his best to improve. Or how he feels alone now that Nanaka's pretty much forgotten about him, and never has time to be with him. Trust me, I know how that feels. There are other characters like Amemiya, her friends, and Jinpachi where you may not like them at first, but as the shows goes on, they do warm up on you. Kuriko was a character that I could've hated, but I do understand why she likes to be with Nenji and her rivalry with Nanaka is just cute and hilarious. Nanaka's dad was just a riot with his over worrying and affection towards her daughter. You may dislike some of them at first, but they'll win your heart in a beat.

Enjoyment and Overall:

Nanaka 6/17 is a underrated gem in my opinion. An anime that's overlooked, but has a lot to offer with it's smart story, and lovable and relatable characters. If you haven't seen this series, consider it. Cause I have the feeling you won't be disappointed.