In this review though, we look at a less-known title of theirs, where they decided to crank the dial of crack in whatever they're smoking up to 11. Of course, the title I'm referring to is "Sasami-san@Ganbaranai".
The anime is about a girl named Sasami who we first meet as a shut-in NEET living a comfy life under the care of her slightly mad-with-passion brother. She doesn't feel like trying hard at life, but eventually weird things start to happen in the world around Sasami and it's up to her and the gang to get to the bottom of it. Each character in this anime is designed as an exaggeration of an exaggeration. I have to admit it can be off-putting to those not used to it, but for me, I found it very charming and amusing to see these walking caricatures go about their insane lives. In essence, it's all good parodical fun whenever they are on screen.
In regards to the story, I think this is where most would have trouble. To boil it down, the story is basically a Touhou fan-fiction written in Monogatari style. The anime tells a continuous story but doesn't use the traditional format of arcs or sequential events. The anime appears to be impulsive in what it is showing and it's sort of up to you to keep up with the pace that it dishes the content at. To me, this made the anime feel energetic and engaging, but I can understand that it can be frustrating for those not used to it. Also, while not an obligation, the anime assumes you have some basic knowledge of Shinto and general mythology, since it touches up and parodies those subjects often. Still, it's not like you need in-depth understanding, but it would enhance the experience. Overall, the story is great and while not spectacular, it has a good ending.
Moving on, the strongest aspect of this show is its art-style which feels sharp, eye-catching and fresh. The characters were designed by Hidari, who has worked extensively on the Atelier series and Fire Emblem as a character design and it definitely shows in how sleek the character designs are. SHAFT was able to fully capitalize on this and flexed their creative muscle when it comes to animation and direction. Action scenes are well-fleshed out and dynamic, while slow talking scenes have micro-movements and nice cuts to keep the watcher visually engaged. SHAFT did an excellent job animation-wise and it is apparent that they had a lot of fun working on this, fun that you as a viewer can easily experience second-hand.
The anime just oozes charm and soul and no where is this more apparent than the ED and previews at the end of each episode. They usually use that space to meme about what you just watched, while also giving commentary on the ongoing events in the anime. This used to be common in the 90's, but to see it being done in 2013 just felt melancholic and soulful to me. The episodes themselves are also full of comedy, which can be quite raunchy at times. I just loved that since it gave the perception that the anime was not holding back in doing what it wants to do!
Overall, Sasami-san@Ganbaranai is yet another unique delivering from SHAFT. It feels similar to Monogatari (on Crack) in many ways, but I think it can stand on its own legs as an amusing parody of modern society and ancient mythology. For those looking for something with a lot of energy, fun and style, then be sure to give this anime a try!
