Before we get to the what, who, how, or why, it’s important to understand that the anime isn’t a full adaptation of the manga. The manga is actually ongoing and this anime only has 12 episodes. What does that mean? It basically means that the anime has the kit of delivering its ideas but not covering everything. However, it doesn’t need to either because this series has enough to show what’s needed.
My early impression of the show comes from the idea of slice of life recreation. In most slice of life series, you get the depiction of everyday life activities revolving a circle of characters. Centaur no Nayari isn’t too different as it follows the everyday adventures of centaur girl Himeno Kimihara and her friends. What is different is that they aren’t entirely human. Her friend Nozomi Gokuraku is a demon girl while Kyouko Naraku is a half Satyr. Get what I mean? Understandably, this show runs the risk of looking like a joke when characters are difficult to accept at first. However, what this anime did succeed in is how it explores the lives of these characters. Similar to us, they go to school, shopping, studying, and gossip about romance. To be honest, this anime has an interesting concept. I’ve seen a bunch of “monster girls” theme shows in recent years but one like this one doesn’t rely on cheap cardboard stories to do the work. It uses this characters and get us to invest in them.
One of the more charming character cast in this anime is the family with Manami Mitama and her younger sisters. Manami is a mature angel girl and is also class president of Nozomi’s class. She looks after her family and is responsible despite not always been there for them. The character chemistry between the younger kids is quite realistic and relatable as we see how they behave in everyday life activities. It also expands to the older characters as we some of their social issues. These include social anxiety, dealing trouble with school, etc. Remember that thing I mentioned about the most difficult thing in life? It’s to live in it and everyone has their problems.
When it comes to world building, I can honestly confess that this anime capitalized in this field. It’s genuinely well-crafted in this alternative setting. The show makes its world look like our own with its schools, parks, shopping centers, hospitals, among others. Even in an alternate timeline, we get to see how that world is similar to our own. In the meantime, anyone coming into this anime might probably think “but this anime seems too lighthearted for its own good!” In some sense, it does feel that way but the show is also disguises itself with its sensible subjects. These include fantasy racism, political affairs, and laws of society. One particular episode also gets quite grim with Holocaust themes that show a darker side of this show. So in essence, not everything is bubbly as one might expect. Despite being tagged as a slice of life show, it’s serious enough to offer surprises.
Now I have to admit, this anime feels like it’s more targeted a specific audience so people looking for some complex plot or characterization may not be satisfied. The plot itself also feels very loose as the everyday life adventures jumps around. Despite Himeno and her friends being the main characters, there are occasionally some episodes that doesn’t even feature them at all. There will also be some characters that you’ll find more or less likeable than others. The comedy itself is very lighthearted but on occasions can feel dry.
Adapted by Haoliners Animation, I can’t really blame anyone that come into this show with low expectations. Their lineup of projects (Gin no Guardian, Cheating Craft, Hitori no Shita) aren’t visually appealing from the past impressions. For this anime, I have mixed thoughts about the quality as character designs look very basic. The camera work also lacks focus and rarely capitalizes on important scenes. There’s also some fan service in particular with mermaid species and bath scenes. In the meantime, I can’t really say that the anime is pleasing to the eye. If you take a look at the backgrounds and sceneries, you’ll quickly notice why.
On another technical side, Centaur no Nayami’s music function as it needs to be. The theme songs has substance but doesn’t really stand out much to remember by. The OST will usually get you into a quiet mood as slice of life shows should. However, I can’t say it’s very impressive either. On the other hand, character voices deserve some praise especially for the talent of voicing children. Quetzalcoatl’s voice is also quite appealing as it really brings out her personality.
Watching Centaur no Nayami is like playing a video game that throws surprises at you when you don’t expect it. To me, this show is a surprise with its ideas. It recreates the slice of life genre while maintaining a realistic world with its characters. Yes, don’t expect much from its story. It’s underdeveloped and to be honest, this show’s storytelling is on the weaker side. Still, this anime excels at what it does and that’s bringing an inventive show on the table.
