Shinryaku! Ika Musume is a lighthearted, comedic slice of life in which many traits of modern anime within the same vein can be traced back to earlier titles like this. I loved things like Gabriel DropOut and Dragon Maid, but Shinryaku! Ika Musume seems to have done many of the things those more modern anime prior even to their conceptualization. The comedy is of good quality, and the characters are funny. The art is moderately above-average for its time, and the music is catchy with a lot of uniqueness and character to it. Sadly, the second season drops this for a much more generic and unrelated opening theme.
Overall, I really liked this. With a new job, I hardly have time after work to do anything but drink and sleep, so it's difficult for me to watch more complicated anime and write an in-depth and meaningful review for them. Shinryaku! Ika Musume is something I found myself easily watching an episode or two before bed to unwind and relax with some good laughs.
