Opening: M☆O☆S☆O Ranbu by Mariya Ise, Ui Miyazaki and Yukari Fukui – I didn’t mind this opening, there were some parts which were a bit overboard however, for the theme of the show, both the song and animation did what it was supposed to do. Definately one of the more fun ones that I have watched so far this season.
There was no proper ending this week.
Review: I was very skeptical about this series after dealing with a show like Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, which ended up rather funny in the first episode or two however managed to lose my interest afterwards. Whilst I still have that thought in the back of my mind watching this series, I do feel more optimistic with this series than Kyouran Kazoku Nikki. This is simply due to the fact that it does not try and focus on being completely random, and has a structured storyline, instead of just each episode being different.
This series reminds me of a wide variety of different forms of media including Harry Potter (Including a game that looks like Quidditch), Negima and Disgaea 3 just to name a few recent examples. It offers a comedic violence, cuteness and slight randomness that are all good elements to the anime.
Graphics: First off, the graphics of this episode were very good. The backdrops were very detailed, with things such as face prints in walls after being knocked into them and special effects added to magic spells for example, alongside the very detailed background work. Character designs were also well done, with all the characters having unique looks with many of them having interesting styles of clothing, especially Tanarot being made to wear lots of cosplay, which were all styled quite well. They also had an interesting way of censorship, they used clay figures to replace the characters. I rather like these interesting ways of censorship, althrough I do hope that not too much of it is required. (No need for another Rosario + Vampire or Kodomo no Jikan). The only problem I found was the use of animation that was too 3-D, such as the portal door, which I don’t particulary like in an anime. Overall, the graphics and animation were very well done.
Music/Voice Acting: First off, in the first part, there was little music to be heard, with most of it being either soft or no music. However, when the time demanded it, the music and sound effects matched the mood of the situation and was done quite well. I would like to hear more of the soundtrack before I comment on it too much. The Voice acting was also done rather well and suited the personalities of the characters.
Characters/Storyline: I guess I should start with a few comments on the characters. There are an interesting variety of characters, some of which I have never actually seen including:
- A summoner who somehow manages to create a person out of thin air.
- An overpowered chibi
- A girl who can only communicate using pieces of paper (Which is often joked with in this episode – reminding me of that Ichigo Marshmallow manga/anime segment with the girls talking with other using the paper)
- A guy who can force people to cosplay by clicking his fingers
- and many more….
In regards to the storyline, it was a rather interesting one, generally introducing the main characters and already forming a rivalry between Tanarot and Suzuho. Also it introduced the Magician’s Academy which is hidden in the normal world, down an alley way. Generally, it did a good job introducing all of the characters. I still remain hesitant about how well it will continue, as these are kind of the same feelings I had for the first episode of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki.
Overall:
Opening Theme: B+
Graphics: A-
Music/Voice Acting: B
Characters/Storyline: A
Personal Opinion: A
Overall: A-
I will most probably end up blogging this as long as it keeps focused and does not stray too far into the normal random comedy show.
