Back to TeaManic's Profile TeaManic's Profile

Kakushigoto is a light-hearted comedy that vividly covers the relationship of a mangaka and his daughter as he desperately, and quite wholesomely, attempts to keep his profession hidden from the then ten-year-old Hime. It easily captures the feelings of single-parent doing everything to raise their child or, conversely, a child being raised by a doting single parent.

The comedic aspects are mostly derived at the expense of Kakushi Gotou, who’s expansive imagination usually leads to him arriving at the worst possible outcomes of any given scenario relating to his daughter. His anxiety-induced parental escapades are consistently humorous and, in hindsight, walking the fine line between ... sanity and absurdity. Nevertheless, the secretive mangaka’s feelings are adeptly portrayed and his almost neurotic tendencies lighten the entire mood of the plot and character interactions. Moreover, there is a consistent presence of puns and almost cynical commentary on the manga industry and society; Which also adds a different level of comedy if they are noticed fully.

The story is told beautifully and is delivered in a manner that leaves little-to-no no room for complaints to be made. The plot, as it is introduced in the first episode, is framed as a flashback and the viewers are simply reliving the events from that peaceful period in their lives. To end each episode, the time-line cuts back to the present, where the viewers slowly, learn a little bit more of the Gotou family’s current lifestyle and the many things the loving father did for his daughter over the years. It creates a great sense of foreshadowing and leaves viewers wanting to know more about the little family of two; Three, if you include the family dog, Roku. To say the very least, Kouji Kumeta’s masterful writing carried the anime to the prestige it has rightfully earned.

Speaking of Kouji Kumeta, his cutesy, pop-art manga style translated well into the anime, which fully-added to the storytelling, character designs, and overall distinguishability of the show and the original manga. Putting it flatly, the colorful art snuggly fit into the genre and the heartwarming storytelling.

The accompanying sound was also enjoyable and mixed the many aspects of the work together. The opening and endings fall into a more indie, pop-rock style, and they, in my opinion, can be frequently listened to without succumbing to discontent. That being said, the soundtrack was good, but nothing especially stood out. Diverging from the music quality, the voice acting was directed and produced spectacularly and it shows.

Some of the characters portrayed in Kakushigoto aren’t necessarily deep, but they are interesting to watch. Their identifiable by a cornerstone of their personality, which amusedly plays into some of the shows comedic aspects, but serves as a means to deflect most of the viewer’s attention towards the father-daughter duo. Essentially, the supporting cast does a masterful job at being the supporting cast; Nothing more, nothing less. As a result, the eccentric, doting Kakushi and the ever empathetic Hime are definitely a brilliant choice as main characters and stand out more because of the supporting cast.

As far as the enjoyment factor goes, I was fully taken in by the charming characters, attractive plot, and, of course, the vibrant father-daughter relationship. Kakushigoto withholds the splendid presence of a fairly straightforward plot, a good mix of supporting characters, and a magnificent display of the interpersonal workings of a father that wants nothing more than his daughter’s wellbeing and a daughter that is self-aware enough to pick up on her father’s struggles.

Overall, Kakushigoto is a lovable story following the comedic, but sometimes serious, workings of an idiosyncratic single-father and his young daughter. The comedy is generally entertaining and absurd, but the true selling point is the heartwarming interactions and just splendidly produced slice of life story. Without a doubt, I highly recommend Kakushigoto to any anime fan, even more so if you thrive on family-themed stories.

Hisone to Maso-tan, or Dragon Pilot: Hisone & Masotan, is a whirlwind of childlike sincerity, honesty, and wonder; But, even deeper than that, it is a story of love and growing up. Released by Studio Bones - most known for popularized works like My Hero Academia - Hisone to Mason-tan slipped under the radar for the Spring 2018 seasonal animes.

The story, in my opinion, was followable and easy to understand. It gave the appropriate amount of time to become acquainted with the cast, establish intercharacter relationships, and give a briefing of the plot. That being said, the final conflict revolving around Mitatsu-sama, a Giant ... Organic Transformed Flyer, seemed somewhat unsolved or paced too quickly. The last few episodes leading up to the twelfth episode thoroughly described the situation but became lost in the jumble of character disagreements. Characters that had just been introduced were suddenly top-priority or being flushed out in a span of a few episodes. For example, Sada Hinomoto, whom until Episode 8 (“Limited Time Offer! Spicy Granny Flavor”) was only known as the “Joie Lady”, was given four episodes to reveal her backstory and justify her character. During this four-episode span, other relationships were being dealt with and the plot just left a convoluted feeling. Despite the plot being very character-heavy (as the intention) and having noticeable timing inconsistencies, the plot was overall enjoyable.

The art was pleasing to look at and just carried the feeling of wondrousness and fun. Personally, I found the unique art style to be a sight for sore eyes and I had little issue with the preferred style of representation.

The accompanying sound was average - with a few highlights here and there, but the ending was perhaps the most praiseworthy portion of the original soundtrack. The accompanying animation is focused around pastels and pale tones, which highlights the energetic beat of the song. Though no matter how you look at it, the song, in itself, is a short, enjoyable listen.

Amakasu Hisone, the main character, is a woman who opted to join the Japan Air Self-Defense Force after a life of awkward social interactions and the inability to “sugar coat” her words. Plotwise, her personality is a major staple of her interactions with fellow characters and even serves - in multiple instances - as the comedic cornerstone of the series. This was charming, as it kept the many aspects of the show in harmony, but also gave viewers an understanding of how she might develop as a character. And as one can expect, she developed to a stage in her life where responsibility was important to take on and her innocence was more or less lost. Though Amakasu’s personality and quirkiness were enjoyable, the remainder of the cast also had their own oddity and, generally, likable personalities, which ultimately toned down Amakasu’s standout personality. Overall, though, the cast of characters is easily identifiable in comparison to each other and are pretty good at attracting the viewers to the plot.

As far as the enjoyment factor goes, I did delight in watching the show, despite its misgivings and minor discrepancies. Dragon Pilot: Hisone to Masotan carries the amicable presence of a feelgood cast of characters and a straightforward romance drama. I normally dislike love triangles that are stuck into a story for the sole purpose of existing, but the romance felt natural enough to not be a major annoyance and it did appear to be coordinated to fit like a puzzle with the already established relationships and plot.

Overall, Dragon Pilot: Hisone to Masotan is a likable story following the comedic, but sometimes serious and earnest, antics of Amakasu and her relationship with Masotan and her colleagues. If you can look past some of the weird pacing and unanswered questions the conclusion festers, I recommend it to anyone who wants to relive times of childhood imagination and innocence.