Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

Makoto Niwa meticulously tallies the amount of positive and negative youthful experiences he engages in as if to grade his own life. When his parents go overseas, he moves to a new town to live with his aunt, welcoming the change and ready for a fresh start. However, as ordinary as he had imagined his adolescence to be, he could never have taken the existence of an enigmatic long-lost cousin into account.

Upon moving into his aunt's house, he discovers the cousin he never knew about: Erio Touwa. Despite being Makoto's age, she couldn't be more different: Erio chooses to wrap herself in a futon all day rather than to go to school. She even claims to be an alien, and with a speech pattern and personality to back it up, any chance of Makoto's dreamt-of normal life is instantly tossed out the window.

As he meets a string of other eccentric girls in town, Makoto must face the possibility of seeing his youth points in the red. However, he might be surprised by how thrilling an abnormal youth can be.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Touwa, Erio Main

Oogame, Asuka Japanese

Mifune, Ryuuko Main

Katou, Emiri Japanese

Maekawa Main

Fuchigami, Mai Japanese

Niwa, Makoto Main

Irino, Miyu Japanese

Touwa, Meme Supporting

Nonaka, Ai Japanese

Hoshimiya, Yashiro Supporting

Iguchi, Yuka Japanese

Nakajima Supporting

Mizushima, Daichuu Japanese

Hanazawa Supporting

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Tamura Supporting

Maruyama, Hiroko Japanese

Elliot Supporting

Saiga, Mitsuki Japanese

Kubota, Mitsutoshi Producer

Kananiwa, Kozue Producer

Miki, Kazuma Producer

Tanaka, Junichirou Producer

Reviews

Jul 11, 2011

Wittgenstein

Recommended

I don’t make it a point to write reviews, but I particularly enjoyed Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, and, upon seeing its subpar ratings, felt somewhat obligated to defend it, so, here goes:

Art:

Wonderful, wonderful artwork. I’m a stickler for art, having dropped numerous series simply because I couldn’t stand the way they were drawn, and Denpa Onna definitely wins in this category. Shaft has outdone itself – colorful, lively scenery, vibrant, multi-toned characters, and, in general, great color schemes, compositions, and dynamism in each frame. It’s not quite 5 cm/s, but I daresay it’s approaching that level.

Soundtrack:

I usually neglect this category, as I find it ... to be a relatively minor component to my viewing experience. However, Denpa Onna does provide some melancholic piano keys and nice ambience music that complement the pacing well. Can’t say I’m a fan of the OP or ED, but, then again, I was never into the high-pitched squeals that permeate much of anime JPop.

Characters:

As many reviewers iterated before me, eccentricities abound in this motley crew of a cast. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see a show invent new personalities instead of rehashing the standard anime prototypes. (I especially enjoyed how Erio Touwa [E.T.] sat in Makoto’s bicycle basket as he pedaled her into the sky). Development is admittedly slow, but it’s definitely there. This is something I feel many reviewers don’t emphasize enough. Denpa Onna is a show about the gentle adolescence of our halcyon days, and, to that end, I think it’s nice that events and developments aren’t explosive or convoluted. The subtleties and gradual changes are meant to mirror the normalcy of our teenage years and, thus, offer a stark but welcome contrast to the eccentric personalities – that is, while the characters are themselves bizarre, their growth is relatable and meaningful.

Story:

Denpa Onna opened with an explosive start. Bracketing the rest of the show, I think the first 3 episodes could operate as a short, standalone OVA series. Really, I was hooked after watching a prologue so rife with meaning and mystery. Erio’s personality is fully emphasized here, and here, too, is where the show probes most philosophically at the deeper themes of life. Makoto’s rejection of Erio’s delusions is a deeper rejection of ontological relativism as a legitimate means to happiness – his actions nuance his convictions well, and we really get a sense of Makoto’s take on what it means to be human.

Sadly, I feel many casual viewers gloss over this last point and take Denpa Onna to be yet another mindless harem. Let me emphasize that it is not. Its insight is subtle, but present, and acutely profound.

So, what about the rest of the show, you ask? Well I can say that the first three episodes are somewhat anomalous when compared to the slow pace and slice-of-life themed events of the last 9 episodes. Critics charge that Denpa Onna lacks plot or hooks to keep viewers interested, and I’m not unsympathetic to this criticism. However, as mentioned above, I think the slow pacing works well with what this show takes itself to be: a chronicle of a boy’s adolescence. I find it far more realistic that schoolgirl crushes don’t blow up into soap operas and baseball games don’t become matters of life and death. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like the series never scratches below the surface – it really does, but, often, it does so almost imperceptibly. Take episode 8 (Tsiolkovsky’s Prayer), for example. It centers around Meme’s daily routine over a week, but the conclusion of the episode is nothing short of powerful, poignant, and profound, letting us really glimpse the depth beneath her skin. People are unique, change slowly, and offer interesting and poignant stories. This, I think Denpa Onna emphasizes very profoundly.

Moreover, among these events of every day life are the rare gemstones that move boys closer to manhood, and Denpa Onna doesn’t forget this. Conversations with characters often revolve around mundane occurrences like deep sea fish or basketball games, but are artfully and subtly infused with lessons on the importance of curiosity or the rate of human progress. It’s important, when watching, to pay attention to these moments – as they offer enlightening insight into the human experience.

So, what’s the final verdict on Denpa Onna?

If you’re looking for something explosive, convoluted, and plot-driven, then I advise you to turn away. If, however, you’re looking for something light-hearted yet penetrating, then I urge you to pick this up. By the end of it, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, with its subtle but philosophical messages, really offers you a novel and reflective outlook on that awkward phase between puberty and responsibility. And, after all, that’s how life is: subtle but profound.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 5, 2011

NeverKnowsBest26

Mixed Feelings

A problem that a show with interesting premise or quirks can run into is getting far too wrapped up in itself. A show can become contrived, focusing on playing around with its quirkiness; forgetting that there is a story to be told. Such is the case with Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, a charmingly eccentric show that ultimately gets deflated by the eccentricities that made it appealing to begin with.

Denpa Onna is a bizarre show, to say the very least. It centers around Makoto Niwa, a somewhat sarcastic young man who goes to live with his aunt Meme; having certain expectations of his new life. ... Expectations that are shattered after meeting his impishly flirtatious aunt and beyond bizarre cousin Erio,who claims to be an alien and wraps herself in a futon. He later meets a cheerful and clumsy girl named Ryuko (or better known as Ryushi, to her irritation), and the resident cosplay character, Maekawa. While this sounds like your standard cast for a slice-of-life anime, rest assured, the cast is eccentric enough to stand out from the crowd. Every character has their weird quirks and talk in a way no normal person would. Erio in particular is a winsome odd-ball, a hikikomori who uses the guise of being an alien as a shield from her insecurities; and Maekawa existence seems to be poking fun at use of pun humor in anime. The off-beat way these characters behave and interact with one another is what gives the show its unique flavor.

The show puts its eccentric characters and rambling dialogue to good use. Pretty much every conversation between characters has an entirely different meaning than its face value. A conversation about aliens can actually be an exchange of worldviews; one about ESP can actually be about peoples' hidden potential. This makes the exceedingly strange exchanges between characters meaningful, rather than just nonsensical ramblings. Just as interesting is seeing our dysfunctional recluse of a female lead, Erio, slowly warm up to her cousin. We see her change from being insanely introverted to a slightly more stable, though still fairly unsociable, weirdo. She even has a part-time job and joins an amateur baseball team by the shows finale, all the while retaining the charming weirdness that grabbed our attention in the beginning.

So why does this show fall short, well... it doesn't really go anywhere. Sure, Erio progressively becomes more active in the world around her, but as for everyone else progress is near non-existent. Even as Makoto gets to know Maekawa and his aunt Meme better, their relationships remain static through the entire series.This is even true for Ryuko, who has a big crush on Makoto. You think with all the talking in the show these relationships would develop nicely, but instead the characters spend most of the time talking around each other and dodging pressing matters. When they aren't in convoluted conversation or monologue, the characters are usually engaged with some trivial activity that is entertaining enough to watch but pointless in the grand scheme of things. Not to say these aspects of the show are not enjoyable, but they do get tedious to watch as the show continues on its merry way to nowhere.

The show's visuals are pretty solid, though nothing to write home about, really. The scenery is pretty much what you would expect from a slice-of-life, nothing breathtaking, but it gets the job done. As for the character designs, most attention goes to the female cast (of course), which is the visual highlight of the show. Erio is gorgeous, likely the best looking leading lady of 2011, and mother Meme; rival for Makoto's attention, Ryuko; cosplaying Maekawa; and late arrival Yashiro are just as pretty. The rest of the cast is more average looking, but pleasant on the eyes nonetheless. The music is also pretty typical of slice-of-life (except for the bizarre opening and oddly cute ending themes). It pleasantly floats around supporting the shows atmosphere, though can also build up excitement when called to do so, like in the "I can't fly" scene, which is the the shows most striking moment.

In the end, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko is a generally pleasant experience. Its strange, off-kilter tone and characters definitely sets it apart from regular slice-of-life anime. Plus, Erio is the cutest basket-case you are likely to find. It is a shame the story doesn't really progress, getting caught up in a web of convoluted dialogue and all too quaint events. This is actually not a bad show, just a disappointing one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Oct 6, 2017

middleground4471

Not Recommended

First, let me clear up a few misconceptions I had about this anime before I watched it:
You see on the cover how Erio is flying through the air and there's a UFO in the corner,
well, let me clear that up, there are no UFO's in this anime and Erio can't fly or has any powers what-so-ever. I have no idea where the writers came up with the title for this anime.

Story 3/10

It's difficult for me to talk about this anime's story since so little seemed to happen in this anime. I understand that this is a slice-of-life anime, but typically in slice-of-life anime there's more ... character development or drama or something.

I'm not sure you can even call this a comedy since there were so few jokes and I didn't laugh at the few there were.

Furthermore, there all these plot points that were never resolved. Is Erio an alien or isn't she? What makes her hair glow? Where was she when she disappeared?

Art 5/10

If you watch a lot of anime then you know this trick: if your anime is dull and boring then just put a picture of a cute girl on the cover.

There isn't anything that special about the art in terms of animation and character design. It's very basic and average.

Character 4/10

I mentioned before how this is a slice-of-life anime thus there's more focus on the characters then the story, but the problem all these characters are so boring that I'm having trouble thinking of things to say about them.

Ryushi is a cute girl who doesn't like people telling her she's cute

Maekawa is a tall girl who likes to wear random cosplays like she'll wear a fish costume to play baseball.

Meme is Makoto's aunt who constantly flirts with him which is more uncomfortable than funny.

Erio goes through some development, but it isn't a very drastic change. By the end, she's still shy and afraid of people.

Overall 4/10

I was really disappointed with this anime. There's no story. The character development was minimal at best. And I just found the entire anime boring.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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