Back to InfoInfo209's Profile InfoInfo209's Profile

Did Puella Magi Madoka Magica make you sad? Well, worry not, my friend! There's a new superpowered monster-fighting 13-year-old pink girl in town and she has a fist with your name on it! Her name is Yuuki Yuuna and she is going to PUNCH your sadness RIGHT IN ITS STUPID FACE. The most succinct explanation of why you should watch this show is as follows - if Madoka Magica is "Magical Girl Evangelion," then YuYuYu is Magical Girl Gurren Lagann.

What are you still doing reading this? Go. Go watch it. That should've been all the convincing you need. Like, the first episode ends with her ... punching a cannonball out of the air and then punching a giant flying death monster so hard that half the thing explodes. Holy Christ, it's amazing. Just go already.

For those of you stragglers, let's start from the bare bones. Comparing this show to Madoka is honestly unfair and cheap (but the same could be said of EVA and TTGL, so the comparison still stands) because YuYuYu is absolutely brilliant of its own merit in very nearly every capacity. The art is gorgeous, the music is epic, and the plot is a fantastic showcase of everything that appeals people to the Magical Girl genre, both modern and classic. When our heroes are hit with despair, you feel it, and when they triumph, you will be cheering on the edge of your seat. The "power of friendship" has never felt so tangible - you're gonna believe.

This show's story is masterful at preying on your expectations of what's to come. As little as it deserves the comparison, this show WANTS you to think that you're watching Madoka. It wants you to keep your eyes constantly peeled for foreshadowing and eagerly wait for that "dark twist." When the final act sets in, you've forgotten all the little things that made up who these characters are and why they're doing what they're doing. Then, it reminds you. The small things - the bonds that are gained between people (reminder: this guy also directed the Persona 4 anime) - are what save the day. The main point of this show is that suffering and hard emotions aren't what makes a person strong; strength comes from standing together with people who believe in you and having the determination to push through those obstacles.

With that being said, what sets this show apart from a storytelling perspective is its use of "filler" as a tool instead of a gimmick. The overall plot to this show is streamlined, with only a single third act dedicated to the actual twists and turns of the story itself. A large chunk of the show is goofy, comedic slice-of-life with little connection to the action and the drama from later. Unlike most filler segments, these moments are used to enhance the subsequent drama instead of stall for its coming. You understand the livelihoods that these kids are fighting for. You understand how close they are to each other, so that when a big speech about "the power of friendship" is delivered in true Magical Girl form, you understand exactly what they're talking about. You get to see what is at stake - and what is already lost - when they are put in dangerous situations. As mentioned before, the bonds between people are what makes them strong in this show's moral, and so any time it can take to show you these bonds is a wonderfully calculated build-up to the final climax.

This show is a roller-coaster of clashing emotions. It's a comedy, and a serious drama, and a straight action series all wrapped up into one. What's most important, though, is that at the end of the day, all of these elements come together to a satisfying conclusion. It shows what can really be accomplished if a show is allowed to be fun in an industry that applauds angsty brooding. Get ready to cry and cheer and laugh and, overall, have fun.

Did I mention that the main character punches things really, really hard? 'Cause she does. It's awesome.

I have referred to GJ-bu as a great deal many things - a far better show than it had any right to be, the most solidly 7.5/10 show ever created, the anime equivalent of listening to a Matchbox Twenty song five times in a row on repeat - but what's most important to know going in is that this is not just a generic harem anime. It is THE generic harem anime. If you have ever watched a harem slice-of-life and thought, "Wow, I want more of that show," then you're in luck because this show is basically just a single serving of 'more ... of that.'

Do you want to know the plot of GJ-bu? There is no plot to GJ-bu. A boy is in a club that does nothing with a bunch of cute girls, and together, they have wacky shenanigans. That is all the plot there is. The very first scene is a silly skit, before you even know the character's names. This show does not waste time. If I had to summarize the experience of GJ-bu in one sentence, I would tell you that, in GJ-bu, there is a beach episode in which they never leave the changing room. It knows what you're here for, and it delivers it, streamlined.

Being nothing you haven't seen before doesn't a good show make on its own - in fact, that's almost entirely a negative more often than not - and GJ-bu knows that as well. The one thing this show excels in above all else is the little touches. This show is basically a love letter to every harem anime that came before it, and as such, all of its aping and classic gags come with that added degree of heart. It's sincere, more than anything, which is what bumps this up from a 7 to and 8 in my book.

The characters themselves are able to tread the fine line between being wacky caricatures and relatable people like its nothing. The designs can be a little off-putting at first, with the technicolor hairstyles and sharp outlines, but it grows on you really quickly once it's all in motion, thanks to the talents of the animators at Doga Kobo. They're silly and cliche'd when they need to be for a joke, but there are plenty of slow, character-driven moments that exist only to give them just that tiniest little bit of necessary depth rather than aim for pure comedy all the time. The time spent giving them actual tangible personality really pays off by the time you finish the final episode, which is a marvelous send-off to everything the series had built up so far. The intention of these characters is not just to make you laugh - it's to make sure you miss them once it's all over.

Outside of the actual plot itself (or lack thereof), perhaps the single greatest part of the entire show is the animation and music for the ending credits themes. There are four total ending credits themes over the course of the twelve episodes - two episodes each for the first three and six for the final - and they are all nice in their own ways, with some of them even being spectacular. The first one is cute, the second one is astounding (featuring the always impressive vocals of Suzuko Mimori), the third is feverish and dance-inducing as all get-out, and the fourth is an endearing reminder of the way these characters get along together and only serves to underline the show's entire purpose. They're catchy, memorable, and they'll do a great job of keeping you watching to see the after-credits scenes (which are also a really nice touch and important to some of the impact of the finale, so don't skip them). Even if you don't end up watching the show, at least look up the ending themes; you owe yourself that much.

In summation... It's just fine. Go watch it.