Colorful

As I contemplate this strange little series, a question pops into my mind. Why would a woman watch a series such as this, a series which is practically built around the idea of the panty flash? And on top of that, why might a woman actually enjoy it? I often find the gratuitous panty flashes that plague many anime series to be annoying, and the thoroughly unrealistic portrayals of women found in anime series can bother me as well. However, when these anime traits are taken to extremes and/or used as parody, then I become interested. It is as if ... the anime genre is poking fun at itself. "Colorful," in part, is a parody of anime fan service, and it makes fun of stereotypical male fantasies and male behavior. I like "Colorful" for the same reason that I like the British comedian Benny Hill's classic TV programs. A seemingly normal and innocuous man encounters an attractive woman and catches a tantalizing glimpse of her nether regions. He suddenly turns into a blithering idiot, a sex-crazed fool who is driven completely out of his mind by a glimpse of a woman's underwear. The expressions on the men's faces in "Colorful" are hilarious, and the sudden transitions from normal to nuts upon viewing the infamous undergarment are also funny. The artwork and animation quality are good but not great, appropriate to the setting and story line, but no more than that. This series doesn't have a strong story as such, but a strong, consistent story is not necessary; the randomness is actually entertaining. Character development also isn't a major feature of this series, but again, strong characters aren't really necessary. Since the show is interested in stereotypes, stereotypical characters are appropriate. For a compact piece of weirdness that pokes fun at stereotypes, Japanese culture, and anime conventions, I find this series successful, and it is enjoyable to watch. At least in this series, all the panty flashes are appropriate to the story and the concept.

If Japanese men truly are as crazy as they appear to be in "Colorful," I'll have to make sure I don't give them the opportunity to look up my skirt if I ever travel to Japan. Japan's problems with groping, voyeurism, and other forms of sexual harassment occasionally make the news around the world, and the situation is disturbing. Perhaps "Colorful" and other parody series like it are useful in exposing and counteracting this problem. Maybe men can watch this series and see the humor in their own situation; the show makes fun of men, but in a lighthearted manner. However, do men really want to be just like the jokers portrayed in this series? I should think not.

If you like ecchi humor, Colorful! is for you.
Although this series is very funny at the beginning, the events that take place seem a bit repetitive after a while. After all, it does contain frisky guys that seem desperate for that one upskirt peek or that one wardrobe malfunction.

The art is okay. If you want something totally psychedelic, go for the intermission pieces.

Sound...well, I don't remember anyone really talking? I watched the English and, sure, there was conversation but there wasn't really any developing dialogue that occurred. This goes for the characters as well: they were there but they don't develop like in ... any other anime.

This certainly ISN'T a Fooly Cooly type anime where you get the full dialogue, recognizable characters and have that urge to watch it again. It might be out of nostalgia that you might want to revisit this anime again but otherwise, for watchers like me, it was a temporary watch.

Overview:

Greetings my friends and happy 2015 to everybody! What better way to celebrate the new year then by looking at the absolute worst anime of the past!? This not only provides laughter and merriment, but allows us to see just how far our beloved medium of animation has come. Today we look at Colorful, an anime that celebrates voyeurism and isn't particularly funny. Technically, it claims to be a high concept satire of the perversion of Mankind and was directed by the Avant Garde director of Serial Experiments Lain. Unfortunately, this was a HORRIBLE execution of satire and no one seemed to "get it" besides ... the director himself. Especially not the people who did the US dub!

Plot: 0/10

Plot?! We don't need no stinking plot! All we need are 3 minute scenes that look up cartoon girls' skirts and dub in lines like "check out dat ass mang!" Then we will go to live action for 5 minutes and show a middle aged Japanese woman in her underwear! That will be a quality production!

Music: 1/10

What would a terrible series be without a fucking GOD AWFUL opening theme? Why the fuck not?

Pity factor: 10/10

I feel sorry for the middle aged woman in the cutaway gags! She is probably a grandmother now and I hope to God her grandchildren never have to find out that dear grandma starred in this piece of shit anime!

Ending Quote: "Showing clips of this movie to people makes me feel like a doctor informing someone that they are about to die! I'm not angry that this movie was made, because we've all made shitty movies. I'm angry that this fucking movie....WAS...RELEASED! Someone actually looked at this wretched piece of shit and said, "yeah, I think this is acceptable to release to a wide audience!" - The Cinema Snob on the film "Black Devil Doll from Hell"