Series Review: Danshi Koukoushi no Nichijou (8/10)

Instant summary: High-school boys derping around.

"Why would I ever want to watch a highschool comedy that features guys?"... was my first reaction to this anime. I'm the kind of anime fan that goes for stuff like K-ON... and I have no problem admitting that one of the prime reason I watch anime is for the bishoujo, and for the moé. The concept of Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou seeks to offer neither , but it turns out to be way more entertaining than most anime in the same season. I'm lucky that the many positive reviews I've read led me to give this show a try, because if you thought the same thing as me based on the premises alone, it's your loss.

Nichibros, as it's called by a fansub, uses a lot of slapstick and gag humor, but the best thing about it is how it all relates and makes fun of the things that most teenagers, as we were before, had experienced. It made me feel nostalgic every time the character does the silly stuff I myself has tried when I was younger. The creative use of humor aside, I think the best part about the series is how we can connect to the characters because of the way they think and act. Compared to Lucky Star and Nichijou that actually has plenty of moé (depends on who you ask), Nichibros fulfilled the comedy genre way better. The last comedy I saw that was this good is Cromatie High School, which I loved despite featuring only guys.

Despite the title, the show actually has plenty of girls (thankfully, I guess) and it was pretty interesting to see the silly side of adolescent girls as well. The production values are surprisingly low for Sunrise, but this isn't their genre anyway. After Tiger & Bunny and this, can we expect a whole new variety of stuff from this veteran studio from now on?

I can't explain comedy, but it's damn good, I tell you that.

Plot/Concept: Good
Style: Excellent!
Audio/Visual: Fair
Value: 8

January Summary/First Impressions Part 2 (Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou, Inu X Boku SS, Kill Me Baby)

Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

3 Episodes

Sunrise on a highschool comedy?...

Well I'm not sure what to expect from this, but Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou certainly didn't echo anything I'll expect from the studio that created Gundam and Code Geass. As it turns out, this anime is surprisingly funny for something that mainly feature guys. It's full of silly, comical and perverted jokes of these teenage boys, but best of all, a lot of their situations and jokes is something I can relate to (opps). It's quite special in that the series sells on the humor in realistic and probably everyday moments, unlike many titles of similar genre, e.g. the other Nichijou last year. It's a pity that most of the girls in the series will never be properly introduced, from the looks of it, which would make this a sausage fest all the way. This isn't really the kind of stuff I would put into my watch list, but since it's pretty entertaining so far, I'll keep it on for now.

Outlook: Positive

Inu X Boku SS

3 Episodes

I immediately got hooked onto the manga after a quick glance; the story isn't the most original, but the unique characters is what makes it so interesting. It has a well planned and deeply engaging story to tell, and it continuously moves on with the story without any point of lull in between, which I appreciates. A lot of stories like to insert slice-of-life or comedic chapters in between the arcs for the sake of character development, but sometimes it's better without that distraction.

Unlike Kill Me Baby and a lot of titles I could name, Inu X Boku translates stupendously well into anime format, which is pretty rare. Ririchiyo's character works out so much better in animation, and the format also gave characters like Sorinozuka so much more "life". The story's going to get so much better from here on, and I can't wait to see how they'll handle the climaxes. Good job, David productions.

Outlook: Extremely Positive!

Kill Me Baby

2 Episodes

Ironically, the series I look forward to the most turned out to be the biggest disappointment in this season. I loved the manga, long before the anime series is announced. It boasts quick, silly, quirky humor and links the jokes in a chapter together really well. In fact, I can't really name another gag comedy 4-koma that does this better.

The anime screwed up everything that is awesome about the manga. Firstly, the comedic timing is all but lost. Comedic timing means everything in a comedy series to me, and I've barely managed a chuckle for the first two episodes. Secondly, Sonya's VA is downright terrible, and she's supposed to be the more experienced of the two. Lastly, the production values is crap. The BGM is either missing or plain weird. I've been in denial about how bad the opening theme is but... (sigh). Let's just pretend this anime never happened.

Outlook: Negative