Pon no Michi (The Way of Pon) feels like your run-of-the-mill style CGDCT/slice of life anime, and to me, that'd be fine as I rarely ever find a show like this were I don't like anything about it. Problem is, Pon no Michi is woefully plain for a slice-of-life/CGDCT anime that at points it is rather tedious to sit through.
Pon no Michi advertises itself as a slice-of-life/CGDCT anime all about the strategy tabletop game Mahjong. If you look at the genres/themes side for this anime you'll notice it says supernatural, but, trust me, don't get excited for anything grandiose on that front as I'll get into shortly. One of the huge cruxes that plagues this show is just how much mahjong really has nothing to do with the show. There's no competitions, nothing of high stakes is ever present and everything is just presented as good old harmless fun. Which, don't get me wrong, I have no issue with, but it just lacks substance and is made to feel like mahjong just takes a backseat to whatever the characters are doing.
Let's talk about the characters now and the most critical aspect of having a CGDCT anime is having your characters be fun to watch. Well, sad to say, the characters are so one-note, 1-dimensional and mostly devoid of a personality that isn't a trope, cliche or sterotype. Nashiko's a typical ball of energy, good natured protag. Izumi's a textbook tomboy. Riche is your rich ojou-sama type. Haneru is a stoic yet serious character who at least has to the best design out of all the characters. As for Pai.... she has no real identifying traits to her personality and is the most forgettable. Then there's Chonbo, which leads me to the next point where this show fails at ultilizing its components.
What even is the point of Chonbo in this show? From the first episode he is introduced as a spirit of mahjong and literally the only thing he ever does in the show is help motivate Nashiko to learn mahjong and by extension open up the parlor for her friends to play with her. AND THAT IS IT! His presence in the show is so minimal I have to question once again why he even exists in the first place. Only Nashiko hears him, he contributes nothing to the activities the girls undertake and nothing about why he's present and for what purpose does he have is nevered brought into question. If his role is to be a mascot character then that'd be fine, but he does nothing and is barely ever present in most episodes. It's just baffling and frustrating that you have this supernatural aspect to your show, but it contributes next to nothing about the show and half the time you just forget that Chonbo is even a part of it.
The only somewhat enjoyment I had was the nods and references to other shows like Saki or Akagi/Kaigi, but after awhile it is tiring especially when the show already had an issue with it's own identity.
Pon no Michi is quite the letdown, honestly. Speaking as someone who enjoys a lot of slice-of-life/CGDCT anime, this one did so little for me that it's just best being a forgotten addition to those genres. If you want a show about mahjong with cute girls in it, just watch Saki.
