30-sai no Hoken Taiiku

This is my review on 30-sai no Hoken Taiiku - A Thirty-Year Old's Health and Physical Education. The subject/theme of this anime is sex but it has a lot of comedy in it that makes learning about sex, fun to watch through this anime.

Story (5-7/10): Personally, I give it 6
The story is pretty straight forward and simple to understand. a 30-year old man named Hayao Imagawa have been a virgin his entire life and thus have never had sex. Because of his circumstances a God of Sexual Love sent from heaven approaches him where he must help him find the right woman he can lose ... his virginity to, in order to complete his assignment and return to heaven. Imagawa meets up with different women because of Daigorou, a God of Sex that pretty much interferes with his life (at least according to the main character) until he falls in love with someone aged 30 like himself and a virgin too. And now here begins his journey of true love (sex).
The story is just a normal romance love story that focuses on education to succeed in that topic, whereas the gods is there to bring comedy and guide them by being

Art (6-7/10): Personally, I give it 7
I think the animation is fitting for this anime not too flashy but not so bad to ruin the watching experience. I love the different backgrounds that’s been used when characters interact with one another or is having a monolog. The simple environment that’s been used on different parts in the city may be giving a boring feel to it to some that watches this anime but I think it fits well with the adult genre and let’s not forget that this is an adult educational anime so it must have these kinds of elements or it might lose its edge. I think it’s a good way been portraying when the god teaches for example the main character what he should be focusing on how to treat a woman, it gives you the educational feel.
The thing I don’t like much is that the characters often stay constant but I guess it’s to save budget. I also enjoyed noticing some of it’s use of anime references like Jojo or Dragon Ball Z.
Important note when watching this anime, you should watch it uncensored, the first time I watched it when it aired, it was rather confusing to watch when many pictures and scenes was censored and certain words which made me confused as a result. So, watching it uncensored is the best way to watch it.

Sound (7-8/10): Personally, I give it 8
The OP & ED that’s been used in the anime is very good and can be listened to more than once but it’s not that memorable but fitting for this anime, I personally loved both and I think the Ending credits was really clever showing the main characters appearances from their early childhood to later in their adulthood for each episode where in the end of the song shows how the main characters relationship stands atm.
The OST that’s been used through the anime is very much unique and there are some tracks I really loved listening to which made the anime better to watch. For example, after the scene where Daigorou "God of Sex" approached the Main character naked and got kicked out, returned inside sitting in a throne on his dining table and thus the track plays, I think it’s really good. The background music that’s been played through the anime has been used well in various scenes.

Character (9-10/10): Personally, I give it 10
Although the anime story was average and pretty dull, what made this anime good was its characters and the character development for each character, in my opinion. The main characters that tried finding their soulmates and the gods constantly trying to help but most of the time interfered and made the moments more hilarious than should be. Extremely short summaries with my opinion on why I think they are so made well in the development of the story:

1. Hayao Imagawa: The male main character that is supposed to be the guy that comments while being bashed by the gods, and gets treated badly by the gods, becomes more confident in his abilities and starts taking more chances than in the past where he most of the time failed. I didn’t like his character that much but I enjoyed his growth as a character.
2. Natsu Andou: The female main character, she originally was shy of guys but learns to become a more independent woman. She is what I expected as a female MC and satisfied with her growth.
3. Daigorou: He is my favorite character, he is supposed to be the god of sex who is silver haired, good dressing, handsome and not shy of being nude. His treatment of the male MC made me laugh a lot of times.
4. Macaron: The second god of sex and the little brother to Daigorou, who has to help him getting Imagawa to lose his virginity. He often dresses as a girl, and looks really cute but… He is a guy!
5. Pii-chan: Is one of the female gods of sex that has to help Andou the female main character losing her virginity for similar situation. What I really love about Pii-chan is that she reminds me of Perona from One Piece, her many priceless face expressions makes me laugh hard every time, you can’t hate her.
6. Kuu-chan: Pii-chan’s twin sister is another god of sex who has forgot speaking Japanese so she keeps saying and doing random stuff which is fun to watch.

I really enjoy the presence of each character, it makes this simple love story more fun to watch. The ending is worth the completion if you are in doubt of wanting to continue watching this anime.

Enjoyment (7-8/10): Personally, I give it 8
I really enjoyed this anime a lot and though the story was average which I have seen before the characters made it worth to watch. The animation and the art being used, I enjoyed noticing it a great deal and I loved the music and songs that’s been used for this anime. The characters development made it more enjoyable and the gods presence made it more comedically,
Final Thoughts:
But in all honesty, some that watches this anime might think it’s disturbing or messed up what the gods do and portray like Daigorou dressing up his 8-year old little brother and giving green light to Imagawa to practice sex with, that’s cringed lol.

PS:
This review is based on my rating on enjoyment and other specific factors. The first time I watched it I enjoyed it greatly, considering the strange title it has. Later, I rewatched this anime again so I could focus on other factors than the story.
This is my second Review and my first anime TV series Review, because I’m inexperienced I must learn to reduce the length of my reviews. Again, I had a lot of fun writing this review, and I’m open for all kinds of feedback.

Overall Rating 8 - Very Good ^_^

Important Note: I offer Special Personal Interviews which can be found on my profile under the section "My Anime Reviews". This will be served as an extra service for the interested ones, since you should consider it an Extension of the Reviews. Beware that the Special Personal Interviews will only be focused on those that have watched the anime, since it will contain heavy spoilers of any sort, so if you haven't watched the reviewed anime then don't read those Special Personal Interviews.

30-sai no Hoken Taiiku (Health education for 30 year olds) is a one sick show. There are so many wrong things in this anime that I don't even know where to start. This series focuses on the most widely talked about subject in human history - that being sex.

Okey fine, but the way they present it is just completely over the top. Like the image of 5 soldiers rubbing up and down againts an artillery piece which then fires a white canonball at a humonguous tissue. I'm never going to be able to look at artillery seriously ever again. That horrifying image is now ... burned in my head for good.

The story is as unbelievably crazy as it can only get. We have a 30 year old virgin dude (that's not the unbelievable part though) who has no luck with the ladies (that's also NOT unbelievable but read on). One day a silver haired god of sex comes down with the offer of helping him lose his virginity. Along with him comes his little sexually confused brother. As it turns out the gods will not leave until he loses his virginity.

That's when total craziness starts. At first the main character is lectured by the gods, what he should do and what he shouldn't do when around women. Okey, fair enough but then it just gets downright weird... the small god (probably 8 years old) offers himself for practice (WTF). Soon after the second god also offered his... urr backside to the main character. When the main character rejected the offers, the god's ass[hole] started sucking in everything in the room. At that point I stopped the video, ran to my bathroom and poured all the bleach I could find on my eyes. I then tried to erase that image from my eyes with a nail file. Upon failure, I realised that the only solution would be to set myself on fire... and that attempt also failed.

The series gets even more ridicilous from then on, we have a 100 something year old Virgin King who looks like Nappa from DBZ, a horny Japanese goddess who can only speak French and another 30 year old virgin (this time it's a woman) who's also looking forward to lose her virginity with the help of two goddesses.

In other words... I'm at a loss for words. Yes, this show is fucked up.

Apart from the corny story... art is pretty good, sound is nothing special really just your run-of-the-mill anime music.

Enjoyment... hmm, it depends. If you're the kind of person that enjoys watching gods lavishly show off their naked bottoms and see small boys offer themselfes to 30 year olds then this series is probably for you. However when you're looking for a more meaningful comedy then by all means stay away from this anime.

I have no idea why I've even watched it in the first place.

(This has been adapted from my reddit thread)

There is something that humans crave more than anything. No, it's not food, it's not peace of mind, and it's not even anime. What everyone wants the most is sex. Whether for pleasure or for procreation, sex is an integral part to society as we know it. "Sex sells," as the saying goes. It's filled with a flurry of emotions: love, happiness, embarrassment, anguish. Many good and bad things arise from not only sex but even from just being in a sexual relationship. But before any of that, how does one get to that point? This is what ... 30-sai no Hoken Taiiku aims to explore, and what it contains is a cute little story enshrouded in education.

STORY

"Health and Physical Education for 30 Year-Olds," as it is known in English, begins with Imagawa, a newly turned 30 year old virgin. When the clock strikes twelve, a god of sex known as Daigorou descends from heaven. His task is simple: to rid Imagawa of his longstanding virginity.

Sounds wacky, right? You wouldn't be wrong to think otherwise. But this is something that 30-sai no Hoken Taiiku does right. It tackles a subject that isn't normally (if at all) looked upon, at least within the realm of anime. Focusing on dating and sex, the show explores many facets related to such topics. Nothing is off limits; discussions about the pros of the "cowgirl" position or the optimal eye-contact length are the norm. The show is a parody, so to an extent, the majority of the "lessons" are so basic or simple that it's a wonder that Imagawa and Andou have never learned about them before, let alone experienced them. Yet, its educational format adds to the uniqueness that the show permeates.

Beneath the layer of French kissing techniques and dealing with double rejection lives a more subtle tale. The main quest is to rid Imagawa and Andou of their virginity, sure, but that's the short of it. The overall purpose the anime was going for was demonstrating that, despite these two people's "situations," they, too, were able to find love. What's interesting are not the literal gods who help them or the silly antics. Rather, it's the portrayal of such a couple. While both happen to be 30 years old, their development is more akin to sheltered teenagers than full grown adults. In this way, the anime isn't looking to appeal to men and women experienced in the art of Kama Sutra. Instead, its focus is on the fan-base attributed to anime. It's an interesting idea that plays off of the stigma associated with people who partake in the medium. That is, the "situation" fans of anime are placed in does not automatically rule out sex or love for them. It might make it harder to obtain, like being a 30 year old virgin, but that doesn't mean it is not within reach.

Finally, the ending. Strangely, it is massively anti-climactic in what is depicted. But it is done this way for a particular reason: to showcase how meaningless losing one's virginity really is. It's not deserving of some elaborate celebration, because it's not the loss that is important. On the contrary, it's what comes after that matters most. A deeper connection with the one you love, deciding to start a family; these are the aspects that carry the most weight. The ending handles this gracefully, and ends the cute little story on a rather touching moment.

ANIMATION

30-sai no Hoken Taiiku doesn't animate as if it were 30 years old, but it might as well have.

This one follows a rather simple mindset. Simple looking environments and simple character designs; it's honestly just boring to look at. The only moments when the show was worthwhile to view were when it adopted the "chibi" style drawings. Here, the characters take on solid eyes, squat designs, and choppy movements.

As for the actual animation, despite being constrained to about 13 minutes an episode, it is either non-existent or poorly done. Obviously it's a "realistic" story, so there isn't much flair or innovation that needs to go on. But there isn't much movement to be had at any point as the show progressed.

An important note: this show must be watched uncensored. The censored version has an abysmal amount of covered-up scenes, blurred out actions, and bleeped words. It's possible to watch it this way, but one is sorely missing out otherwise.

CHARACTERS

As the title of the anime suggests, this show delves into the lives of two people, Hayao Imagawa and Natsu Andou. Both are 30 years old, both are virgins, and both are aiming to take that "next big step."

Imagawa takes a lead role in this mature comedy. Awkward, nervous, and quite normal, his love for Andou is genuine and real. While he may wish to have sex someday, he much prefers to enjoy the time he spends with his lover outside of the bedroom. His characterization makes him more of a "Gary-Stu" than one is initially led to believe. We're not meant to be sympathetic towards him so much as we are supposed to be empathetic. Imagawa acts as any regular, socially inept guy would. Fumbling his words, not catching hints, and at times trying a bit too hard, he's like any other dude experiencing love for the very first time.

Andou is Imagawa's equivalent. Her shyness is adorable and her embarrassment regarding anything sexual is sweet to see. She exudes innocence, and is not afraid to put up walls (figurative and literal!) if she has to. Imagawa suffers the difficulties attached to his predicament, and Andou is no different. Her gender may be the complete opposite, but her tribulations are nothing of the sort. Andou, similar to her lover, is a "Mary-Sue." But her inclusion serves a higher purpose. Society often views a man's virginity as a burden whereas a woman's is precious. Here, though, we see Andou actively seeking to lose something supposedly dear to her. In other words, someone's virginity, man or woman, may in fact be precious. But outside influence shouldn't dictate one's assumptions; only that person has the right to make such choices.

While the main cast are deeper than they appear on the outside, sadly, the same cannot be said for the side cast. Most, if not all, of them are very weak. This is mainly due to their roles. Acting as teachers of sort, their only purpose is to relay information about sexual intercourse, relationship tips, or comedic relief. There may be an argument for religious implications (how religion often views virginity as sacred, but here the gods are constantly pushing the two to make love), but this is stretching the short story just a bit. At the least, their inclusion can be looked at as a metaphor for destiny. Sometimes, events happen so naturally that it almost seems like fate itself were guiding everything along.

SOUND

The OP is not very good. It's simple beat and vocals make it entirely boring to listen to, and the song itself is a little too uppity.

The ED, likewise, is still a bit boring. The drums do add a bit of flair that seemed to be lacking in the OP, but it's a simple rhythm and song that is not memorable enough to be listened to outside of the show itself.

The soundtrack is quite forgettable. It's mainly an assortment of guitar tracks and piano pieces used for "everyday" music.

In regards to the voice acting, no outstanding performances were to be had.

ENJOYMENT

This anime treads a rather fine line. On the one hand, for those old enough, the information given is already common. On the other hand, those too young under appreciate it as just a few hints at how sex should be handled. Not that either side can't appreciate what the anime was really trying to go for, but one has to ignore the blatant, in-your-face sexual positions, references, and methodologies in order to understand the parody for what it is.

The comedy involved is really bad. Cringe inducing even. It tries desperately hard to be comical when it can, and it almost always falls flat in this regard. Instead, the show shines best when it is showcasing the cute couple failing to interact with one another because of their quite evident lack of experience. Andou's blushing when talking about spending time with Imagawa or Imagawa respecting Andou not for her body but for who she is as a person are romantic moments, and easily put a smile on my face each and every time.

In a medium mostly dominated by a younger audience, 30-sai no Hoken Taiiku attempted to try something a bit more mature. While the topic itself is "touchy," the ideas it tries to present in parody fashion are not entirely lost. If anything, this one should at least be credited with thinking outside the box.

SUMMARY

Story: Good, sex, parody, and a message

Animation: Bad, boring, plain, stale, and needs to be watched uncensored

Characters: Fine, main cast are nice but the rest are weak

Sound: Terrible, OP and ED are a no-go, bad soundtrack, okay VA work

Enjoyment: Fine, lame comedy yet a good romance

Final Score: 4/10