Eblouir's No-Spoiler Summary:
Kuuchuu Buranko is about a psychiatrist named Ichiro Irabu, who together with his seemingly aloof and sexy nurse assistant Mayumi, take on different patients having various disorders. Despite the seriousness of the theme, the anime is not very grim as the carefree Dr. Irabu tries out unconventional yet weirdly funny ways in helping his patients out.
Art:
The graphics and how the characters were drawn are very different from the usual stuff I see in anime that I gave it a 9. Everything is in manic neon colors including the background, outfits of the characters and even the characters themselves! Plus, real faces of live people are used in the anime much like how they did it in Mind Game (just a reference in case you've heard of this title too).
Story:
Well, I haven't yet watched an anime focused on different psychological disorders and how to deal with them much like how Kuuchuu Buranko did it. I have a background in psychology and there were instances when I questioned the validity of the information provided in the anime. There was always one patient per episode and it would seem like each day is a story in itself. Later episodes would reveal something unexpected and that bit entertained me a lot.
Opening and Ending Songs:
Even the Opening and Ending songs for this anime are bizarre. At first, it's a bit awkward to listen to but having finished the anime, I don't mind them much anymore and even intentionally listen to both songs. They had that effect on me.
Favorite Character:
Well it has to be the cold and uncaring yet gorgeous nurse Mayumi! She's played by Yumi Sugimoto who's a famous gravure model in Japan. And she appeared more as herself than her animated version! She's so cool and the way she gives patients "vitamins" is funny to watch.
Would I recommend it to everyone?
As much as I have enjoyed this 11-episode series, I certainly wouldn't recommend it to people, especially non-anime fans. It's just not something everybody would appreciate, especially those who focus much on graphics. Story-wise, well despite the fact that the psychological bits mentioned in the anime are questionable, it's still helpful that the message they sent was clear: If you think something's wrong with you and it's affecting your daily life, don't hesitate to seek professional help (psychiatrist, psychotherapist, etc.)
Final thoughts:
Anyone up for a unique take on mental health? Give Kuuchuu Buranko a try.
