"Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?", generally abbreviated as "Problem Children" or "Mondaji", is an anime that has an interesting premise to draw you in, but ultimately fails to make the most out of its potential. While it does provide a unique take on the isekai genre, it sadly never manages to be anything more than decent, with a story that lacks any real focus, middling characterization and an almost entirely forgettable soundtrack. None of these were enough to completely break the show for me, however, and there is some enjoyment to be found here if you just want to sit back and not think too hard about anything.
Story & World (6/10):
"Problem Children" is set in a fantasy world known as Little Garden, where people play games against each other using supernatural powers called "Gifts", bestowed upon them by various gods and other beings. However, these games are definitely not just for fun, as various groups known as communities compete against each other for titles and territory. One such community, known as the No-Name Community, is in dire straits at the start of the series and so a being known simply as the Black Rabbit summons three people to aid her in restoring the community to its former glory. These are the titular "problem children", three bored teenagers with immensely powerful Gifts; delinquent and self-admitted hedonist Izayoi Sakamaki, rich girl Asuka Kudou and quiet animal-lover Yoh Kasukabe. After a brief scuffle with Black Rabbit, the three troublemakers ultimately agree to assist her in rebuilding the community, mostly as a way to finally get some excitement in their dull lives.
If the story had actually stuck to this premise, it could very well have been pretty decent. Unfortunately, the series seems to go out of its way to avoid the bigger picture. Throughout the anime's 10-episode run, there is very little progression of the "rebuild the community" plotline with us instead being treated to multiple pointless diversions where the "problem children" challenge whatever random person or beast they come across to a game or fight, most of which add nothing to the story and basically just amount to the main characters being show-offs. The only purpose these diversions serve is to demonstrate the various abilities of each character, which could have been done in countless other, better ways. The later ones don't even have that justification going for them, seemingly just there to fill up the running time of each episode. Ultimately, while the story arcs are wrapped up pretty decently, even towards the end, we aren't given any indication of how close the characters are to their goal. The OVA doesn't help matters one bit, as it's just a water park filler episode that's completely divorced from the anime and in which nothing of significance happens.
All of this being said, the story isn't a total failure, which is largely thanks to the world-building. Within the first episode, we're given a more than adequate description of Gifts, Little Garden and how it works as well as the rules of the world, via exposition provided by Black Rabbit herself. From then on, new mechanics of the world and how the games work are introduced at a steady pace over the course of the show. The games the characters play are also very varied and interesting, ranging from simple card games to war-sized brawls, and while it's obvious that the main characters will be victorious, you don't really care, as the real draw is HOW they're going to win rather than IF. Sadly, these strengths barely even begin to make up for all of the problems in the story, and so if that's what you end up watching the show for, you're more than likely to be disappointed.
Art & Animation (8/10):
There isn't an awful lot that I can say about the visuals. The characters and environments are very well-drawn, the special effects are good and the fanservice is there but never to the point where it's in your face. On the other hand, the art style really isn't anything you haven't seen before, and there were very few shots that stood in my mind after the show's end. Overall, the animation is definitely good but not to the point where it'll blow you away.
Sound & Dialogue (8/10):
"Problem Children"'s soundtrack is definitely nothing to write home about. It's not terrible, but there are very few memorable tracks save for one insert song that plays in the very first episode, something that's never done again in the rest of the series, even the finale. The opening theme is good but not to the point where I listened to it every episode, and the ending theme is pretty much completely forgettable. The voice acting is pretty solid, with a strong main cast that consists of Josh Grelle, Jessica Calvello, Nancy Novotny and Brittney Karbowski, but ultimately all the performances only really served to get the job done, with none of them being particularly standout for me.
Characters (7/10):
As with the majority of my reviews, I will start with the protagonist, who in this case is Izayoi. He gives a pretty bad first impression, shamelessly calling himself the "worst person you've ever met", but while he can certainly be rude, abrasive and even downright obnoxious, he's not a bad guy at heart and quickly grows to care for his new friends, with many of the things he does being for their benefit in one way or another. He's also a total badass, being not only incredibly strong (defeating a being classified as a God in the first episode alone) but also very smart, especially for a supposed delinquent, as shown when he memorizes the positions and suits of 53 cards at once. While this does make him a typical OP character you've seen in countless other isekais, he wins fights with such style and spectacle that it's hard to care. That said, I did find him to be rather underdeveloped as a character, since exactly where his power comes from or anything about his past before coming to Little Garden is left a mystery even in the end. In fact, the only character whose past is explored in any meaningful form is Black Rabbit's. Now, Black Rabbit's name is actually rather misleading, as while she is a rabbit, she isn't actually black at all, having blue fur most of the time which turns pink whenever she gets serious, which unfortunately doesn't happen very often since as a Judge Master, she can't directly participate in the games, meaning the ways she can help out are rather limited. Nevertheless, I found myself liking her more than any of the "problem children", due to her being the only main character who's consistently focused on rebuilding her community, not that it does her much good since she's often at the mercy of the "problem children"'s whims and antics, making it pretty damn easy to feel sorry for the poor girl.
Next up is Asuka, whose Gift is the ability to make anyone who hears her voice do what she wants, which is quite fitting for a spoiled rich girl. In fact, her status, looks, tsundere attitude and the dress she acquires early on will most likely remind any "Fate/stay night" fan of Rin Tohsaka, with her initial outfit even being similar to the one Rin gives Saber. However, while she does definitely have her vices, Asuka is ultimately the nicest of the "problem children" (the nicest main character overall being Black Rabbit), a trait that very much works in her favour in the last few episodes. The fourth and final main character is Yoh, who is also my least favourite of the quartet, due to the fact that there isn't much to her besides a quiet girl who seems to get along better with animals than people, and she ultimately doesn't have many moments to shine in the series. In fact, both Asuka and Yoh are rather lacking in standout moments when compared to Izayoi, who is shown to be amazing at practically everything and can solve pretty much any problem in the series by punching or kicking hard enough, which might make you wonder why the other two are even there. Black Rabbit at least has a role that Izayoi can't fill.
Another notable member of the cast is Jin Russel, who, despite being only ten years old, is the appointed leader of the No-Name Community, even above Black Rabbit herself. However, not only is it never completely explained how a child ended up as the leader, but Jin is pretty much a leader in name only, as Black Rabbit and the "problem children" are the ones doing pretty much all the work, with him frequently not even being present. There are a number of other characters in the series, but talking about any of them would risk giving away the plot of certain episodes, and while I didn't like the story, that doesn't mean I'm going to spoil it for you. All in all, while the cast of characters is fairly good, I ultimately walked away not particularly loving anybody.
Enjoyment (7.5/10):
For all of "Problem Children"'s many faults, it's definitely not lacking in thrills or excitement, something that the series wastes no time getting into as early as the first few episodes, with all kinds of good fights and encounters to keep your attention. While the actual plot is fairly dark, the series itself stays fun and entertaining throughout, even if it seems to go out of its way to avoid the main plotline. There are some genuinely funny moments in the series too, even if a lot of these are at the expense of poor Black Rabbit, making it unlikely they'll be to everyone's taste.
Overall:
"Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?" succeeds in showing the viewer a good time- the very thing the title characters strive to have- but never really manages to deliver anything beyond that despite clearly having the potential to do so. It's entertaining enough, especially if you're a big fan of isekais or just games in general, but there are just a lot of similar, better anime to watch, so I wouldn't blame you if you ultimately decided to give it a miss.
Score:
6+8+8+7+7.5=36.5/50=7.3/10
