So there I am, sitting in the front row at Anime Club, expecting the same obnoxious drivel that I’ve had to endure for the past…ever. The lights dim, the projector runs, and indeed, it’s the same obnoxious drivel, or so it seems…
Suddenly, a freak accident occurs, and I am left with a horrifying realization: the best anime in the past 3 years are all as equally lame as the other crap out there, except for one key difference. These “superior” anime have a twist that turns conventions on their head. In fact, every one of the shows in front of me has a plot twist that threatens to make them actually bearable. Am I to bear witness to what may become the greatest night in the history of CSMAC? Doubtful, but you may be surprised by reading this week’s review.
Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai (Listen to Me, Girls, I’m Your Father!)
"What a tryst!"
Yuuta Segawa has just entered college, majoring in (of all things) Japanese Literature. As such, he has no real goals in life and is looking forward to an independent, carefree existence. He also befriends an attractive college sophomore named Raika Oda. Then we are introduced to his older sister Yuri. She is now happily married and is raising 3 girls, only 1 of which is her own. It turns out that Yuuta and Yuri have had to live on their own since their parents unexpectedly died several years ago. As such, Yuuta doesn’t have any real desire to know the joys of family, whereas Yuri can’t get enough of it. One day, Yuuta is asked to watch the girls while Yuri and her husband go off on a business trip. He then proceeds to meet the three daughters: a middle-schooler, a fifth-grader, and a toddler. Childish antics ensue, children incessantly laugh, and you die a little inside.
Suddenly, news breaks on the television that the plane their parents were on has crashed, and everyone on board died. The daughters’ fate is then decided by Yuuta’s extended family (the same people, might I add, that were going to split up Yuuta and Yuri and place them in foster care). Unsurprisingly, they are just as callous as ever and want to try splitting up the girls. Therefore, Yuuta steps up to care for the siblings. There’s only 1 little problem with that plan: he’s a college student with a matching budget and a liberal arts major who is trying to raise 3 separate age groups in a 10 square meter apartment. So now Yuuta moves from the carefree lifestyle to juggling being a college student, uncle, big brother, and father.
The problem with the Harem route…
Now, while this may at first come off as another one of Chaeha’s eroge anime (especially by the end of episode 1), Papa no Iukoto makes many genuine efforts to sate your mighty need for HNNNNGGG moments that Usagi Drop somehow could not. The first couple episodes start the series out about as lame as you would expect: college freshman male befriends busty kind female, but also plays nice with a bunch of underage female relatives. Mix in some stupid fanservice, and viewers are already reaching for the remote. However, episode 2’s ending reveals the show’s true direction, and it’s a decidedly more sobering one. Although the series does make a decent effort to raise itself up to Usagi Drop’s standards, the bar is simply set too high.
Slice-of-life anime is rarely ever known for its animation, and Papa no Iukoto is no exception. Much of the background and settings are uninspired. The use of CG animation in some scenes is painfully obvious. The character designs are particularly bland, many of which seem ripped directly from eroge (and Miu’s conspicuous twintails exude an especially cheap design aesthetic). Fortunately, the animators do what they can, working with lighting effects such as highlights and shading. Several color gradients and camera effects also help to distinguish this anime from a Visual Novel (or at least from Idolmaster). These improvements all help to augment the given mood of a scene, whether it be warm and lighthearted or cold and brooding.
The music remains strictly in the background, but it does effectively convey the gravitas or levity of the scenes. However, I do have to admit, unless you are an avid fan of xylophones, the happier music is going to get annoying really fast. Light, two-fingered melodies on piano are contrasted by stronger chords and stringed instruments, adding more dimension to the plight of the characters. Regrettably, this tactic quickly becomes repetitive because it gets used so often in this show. The scenes are either cute and bonding or harsh and cruel, and their respective scores sound equally repetitive.
As for the story, it’s unrealistic to the nth degree. Usagi Drop takes a 30-year old man with a high salary and loyal subordinates and gives him a chance to use his time and resources to help raise a quiet, sweet, and well-behaved child. Papa no Iukoto, on the other hand, forces a young man who has had no previous responsibility, income, or savings to raise a toddler, and 5 grader, and a middle schooler simultaneously while living in a box just slightly larger than a modern dorm room. Whereas Usagi Drop carried a sense of realism and romanticism, Papa no Iukoto makes me want to hit Yuuta upside the head for even considering making such a grossly irresponsible decision for not only himself but also 3 other children. Fortunately, Yuuta doesn’t really hang out with any delinquents or child molesters, so they can at least help him pick up the obvious slack, but it really annoys me that Japanese producers can somehow manage to make light of an obviously painful situation. “But the story has many moments of bonding and character development!” you might exclaim. True enough, the characters do grow somewhat accustomed to their severely downgraded situation. However, that seriousness and poignancy is immediately offset by the frequent use of pointless fanservice. As soon as the show switches mentality from “I can insert myself into this character” to “I’d like to insert myself into that character,” it loses its message and almost all credibility.
And did I mention Yuuta's room is full of loli porn?
Furthermore, the series seems to suffer an expected disconnect between Yuuta’s various interactions. That’s perfectly understandable, considering he has to be a father, big brother, friend, boyfriend, and college student, sometimes multiple times in a single day. That’s a lot of masks to wear and not a lot of time to properly develop either side of Yuuta’s rapidly expanding character. If the main character can’t be everything to everyone, then it’s likely the children who suffer. If he somehow miraculously can be, then the show loses more credibility and ultimately its message of growth and of identifying human social limitations.
In a way, Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai is more than the typical slice-of-life anime, in that it surprises the viewer with insight and perspective deeper than what is initially expected. However, despite its best efforts, the series is by no means in the same league as Usagi Drop. If forced to only choose one anime, pick that over Papa no Iukoto. If you are really interested in the budding child-raising genre and don’t mind occasional underage fanservice, then you might enjoy this heartwarming harem variant. It will at least keep you interested long enough to force you to learn the 3-Episode Rule.
Area no Kishi (Knight in the Area)
What an assist!
The show opens at a World Cup soccer game, where soccer star Suguru Kakeru is tearing up the field. Meanwhile, his younger brother is watching from the sidelines, saying how much he loves soccer. Cut to a couple years later, and Aizawa is now in high school, with his brother an upper classman. The only difference is that Suguru is the team captain, and Aizawa is the manager. To Aizawa’s surprise, his childhood friend named Nana (though he could only remember her by her old team number, Seven) has enrolled at the school and also become a team manager. Suguru decides to have Aizawa play in a scrimmage to help decide member placement this season, despite his younger brother’s protests. Although Aizawa is the only player who can keep up with Suguru, whenever the ball is passed to him he can only kick with his right foot, which causes him to either miss every shot or have them blocked. It turns out that back in elementary school (when Nana knew him), Aizawa shot the ball with his left foot and nearing hospitalized a teammate. Typical tragic story mentality sets in, and Aizawa becomes a passive aggressive twerp.
Suddenly, one night while playing alone, Aizawa encounters a kid wearing an alien mask, who soundly beats Aizawa at a soccer skirmish. Thinking that it was Suguru (because Nana apparently isn’t great at soccer too), Aizawa does his passive aggressive shtick. Suguru, in turn, is frustrated that Aizawa is wasting his strong talent while being consumed by fear. The next day, while walking to school, Aizawa tells his brother that he is quitting the soccer team entirely.
Suddenly, a truck driver, conveniently asleep at the wheel in the middle of the day, crashes into them and drives a pipe through Aizawa’s chest. Both boys are hospitalized. However, in a most ironic twist of fate, Suguru sleeps into a coma and is pronounced brain dead. In order to save Aizawa, his parents give him Suguru’s heart. After finally waking up, Aizawa is devastated to hear that his obviously superior brother has died instead of him. At this point, even the nurse/medical counselor delivers a pride-obliterating bitch slap.
If even a complete stranger is telling you to man up, you have fundamental problems.
Aizawa continues his plan to quit the soccer team, despite his teammates’ pleas to have Suguru’s legacy continue. On his way home, an errant soccer ball crosses his path, and he deliberates whether to pass the ball back with his left foot. Suddenly, he notices a small child running into the street to chase her dog, and yet another unattentive driver is about to hit. Leaping into action, Aizawa kicks the ball through the windshield, hits the driver, and causes him to swerve out of the path of the child.
Did his parents transplant Suguru’s testicles too?
With that, Aizawa decides that he will carry on his brother’s legacy and become Japan’s savior of soccer.
Most sports anime feature the classic rags to riches story of an otherwise worthless team rising to greatness. Surprisingly, Knight in the Area doesn’t exude that feeling, because it doesn’t play that angle. No, this series instead chronicles the transformation of a passive aggressive twerp into a badass, i.e. every practically every shonen series in the last 3 years. We’ve seen this sort of story from FMA:B to Mirai Nikki, but Knight in the Area approaches this from the direction of a sports anime. While said shows aren’t awful, far from it, they still possess the same annoying main character: the infamous “boku wa” protagonist. This character is usually weak for a significant percentage of the show, and then finally an event makes things so blatantly obvious for him that he changes his way entirely. In the meantime, we can preoccupy ourselves with some decent characters, like Seven and Alien Kid.
Doesn't even know how to play soccer and still beats Aizawa.
However, the core problem is still the same: Aizawa is obviously a good soccer player and he does love soccer, but he remains his own worst enemy, and not even his own brother’s ironic death can change his mind. How much more real need shit get before this guy kicks his ass in gear? When he sees the exact same thing happen to someone who’s NOT his brother. However, the show starts to level out once he finally accepts his soccer-based fate and his character actually starts developing.
The animation is rather light for a sports anime. Backgrounds are simplistic and there are currently few action scenes. This alone should telegraph that Knight of the Area isn’t a typical sports show. Fortunately, at least the main character designs are consistent and have some detail to them. The music has some problems properly matching the show content, though. Once in a while, the music works and it does leave a meaningful impact, but the majority of the music can easily be reworked or just eliminated. The voice acting is actually one of the highlights of this series, which helps tremendously for the direction the series wishes to take.
Knight of the Area may still prove interesting, but the plot twist early on doesn’t accomplish what it’s supposed to, from a viewer or plot perspective. That aside, if you like sports anime (especially soccer), you’ll probably watch this anyway. If so, then I hope you can appreciate something besides your typical rags to riches sports story.
Ano Natsu de Matteru (Waiting in the Summer)
AKA Super 8: The Anime
One evening, in the 80’s, Kaito Kirishima goes out onto a bridge to test his new handheld 8mm camera. Suddenly, something plummets from out of the sky and destroys the bridge. Blood and broken glasses start flying.
The next morning, Kaito awakes in his bed, not sure of what had transpired the night before. He goes to school, meets his friend, and notices a new red-haired girl that has suddenly transferred. Her name is Ichika Takatsuki, and her odd mannerisms and tastes easily indicate that she isn’t from around here. She befriends a sociopath named Remon Yamano, who seems interested in people scientifically more than socially.
“Best friends forever” includes after you die, you know.
Eventually, all of them and another girl (basically Kaito’s friend’s girlfriend to be) coalesce and decide to film a movie over summer break. Ichika conveniently has no money and nowhere to go, and Kaito conveniently has no parents and his older sister is off to work overseas for the summer. So Kaito invites her to come stay at his house.
Suddenly, while Ichika is showering, Kaito develops a strangely patterned rash and collapses unconscious. Ichika jumps into action, embraces Kaito, analyzes his condition, and kisses him, all while still in her bath towel. Kaito’s older sister and childhood female friend both enter the house, and rom com antics ensue.
What a kiss(t)!
Ano Natsu rather unapologetically decides to base its story on the recent film Super 8, and given the source material, it’s easy to see why the show has become popular. It stars an aspiring teenage film director, his friends, some girls, and a giant psychic spider alien. While that makes for a good American movie, some localization is required to make it a good anime. So, make the alien a hot high school redhead girl and apply some light shades of moe, and you have Ano Natsu. While that may seem stupid, it actually ports surprising well. Super 8 was a very character-driven story, and Ano Natsu follows that motif perfectly. The characters, especially Kaito, can express themselves and not exude typical teenage angst. Remon is sociopathic, but not psychotic (in fact, it’s often entertaining to just watch her watching other people). Even Ichika the alien, despite her initial derpiness, is independent, intelligent, and insightful. That being said, interesting characters tend to be attracted to other interesting characters, and they all end up being romantically interested in one another (well, maybe not in a completely polygamous way). More importantly, they actually act on their feelings and accept the consequences as they come, something very refreshing in teenage dramas. Intense complications ensue, emotions rise and fall, and the best part is the viewer actually gives a damn. That’s an especially rare quality in modern anime.
The animation style is well detailed and the character designs are unique, which is no small feat in a CG moe era. The backgrounds are as diverse as the characters themselves. Subtle shading and textures are frequently present in the foreground, leaving the backgrounds a little on the pasty side. Such techniques actually help to focus the viewer on the interactions at hand, while also allowing the viewer to enjoy the splendor of the overall scene. This is particularly appreciated after watching overwhelmingly detailed shows like Another and Mawaru Penguindrum. Also of note is the oddly light saturation everything is bathed in. The style reminds me a lot of Ano Hana. It actually makes the story seem as though it is being captured in classic Super 8 film.
Along with being filmed in Remon’s POV.
The sound quality is also exceptional. While the music stays strictly in the background, it does enhance the mood very well (especially the comedy scenes). As a character-driven show, Ano Natsu’s voice actors give an excellent performance. The ED seems well chosen, as it allows viewers to better reflect upon the (often game-changing) events that have just transpired. Music that evokes emotion even after the final scene should always be held in the highest regard.
With all of these pleasant remarks, you’d think Ano Natsu is a slam-dunk sensation. Well, there’s a catch. Super 8 actually had a plot to move along the story and was reinforced by strong character interactions, whereas Ano Natsu is the exact opposite. The problem is that Ano Natsu’s story isn’t itself very interesting. After all, romantic teenagers shooting a summer film isn’t exactly inspiring, but if you add an alien to the mix, it suddenly makes you give the show a second look. Although this series is directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai (who also directed Ano Hana), its character interactions greatly differ from those of Ano Hana. Ichika, although also in search of a mysterious “something,” isn’t the center of this universe, but is instead an outsider working her way in. Fortunately, this was never a tightly knit group to begin with, so the differences aren’t quite so cut and dry. However, that does mean that this show is unusually character-driven, and that makes it almost as polarizing to viewers as Ano Hana (even to the point of alienating some Ano Hana fans). That said, Ano Natsu is a great show that is meant for viewers that love intense character interactions to the point that the story can take a back seat. If the human condition interests you as much as it does Remon, then you should definitely give Ano Natsu de Matteru a watch.
Join me next time, as I endure the most painfully pun-filled evening this semester.
When I read the summary for IoKoto my first thought was “so it’s Usagi Drop … but less artsy?” When we watched it, it was (IMO) Usagi Drop, but less artsy. Maybe it’s just my American sensibilities speaking, but having loli fanservice (even as subdued as it was) alongside a (supposedly) heartwarming story of adoption just doesn’t work. Too much cognitive dissonance there for me.
I just noticed MC-kun is using his left leg in the poster. How apropos.
Even though I have no interest in a show about soccer, watching the first three episodes was worth it for the LOLDEEP symbolism of the heart transplant and the LOLWUT awesomeness of the ball-through-windshield scene.
Ano Natsu seemed interesting enough. Unfortunately, it just lacked a good “hook” for me. I wish it had come off better, since as it is it’s going on my “Should Watch (but Probably Won’t)” list. It’s pretty high up there (probably due to the vague thematic and stylistic similarities to AnoHana, as you point out), though, so maybe it’ll get a chance this summer.
Painfully pun-filled evening? Hmm, what did we watch that week . . .
