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
