Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

男子高校生の日常

The Daily Lives of High School Boys

Status: Ongoing as of 3/24/2012

Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy

Type: Series

Synonpsis: Tadakuni, Hidenori, and Yoshitake are students at the all-boys academy, Sanada North High School. This is a tale about just that—their daily lives as students. Winning the basketball tournament? Finding true love? You won't find any of that here. Whether it's sparking random arguments while hanging out with friends, meeting that one weird co-worker at a part-time job, or even letting imaginations run wild on a windy afternoon, we've all experienced the show's ordinary but true-to-life themes at one point or another. 

Plot:

When judging the "plot" of a Slice of Life, special consideration is required. The plot in these genres aren't necessarily true in terms of their oxford definition, where the word "plot" would urge you to look for an actual storyline. This word and meaning instead takes an intangible form in a Slice of Life anime. Rather than examining a storyline we should be looking for how accurately portrayed the theme of the show is and how well it is done. 

In Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou we follow a group of High School boys going on about their lives in an ordinary manner. Naturally the more ordinary it is the better. Comedy in anime tends to be extravagant, or a bit far fetched. Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou deviates from that style of comedy and falls along the lines of Minami-Ke;  focusing on variations of the common and popular Manzai format of comedy in Japan. In the same manner as Minami-Ke, this is portrayed in a way we can more easily relate to, which is basically the everyday stupidity we deal with in reality. 

What Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou does so well is their wonderful exploration of the silly things we can very easily run into in the real world. As a high school student have you ever sat down with your friends during lunch and brainstormed the silly things they could do together but never do because it's just that ridiculous? These boys in this series will do it for you. Even the unspoken  and unexpected scenarios that a typical high school boy can think of is represented in this series. 

Plot Rating: 4.0

A brilliant mix between Comedy and Slice of Life. An enjoyable comedic experience for people who know how to look at that bright things in life.

Characters:

This series takes a very interesting approach towards the formation of their cast and the portrayal of them. A Slice of Life is not a fairy-tale book with an engrossing storyline. The roles of protagonist, antagonist, and sub characters are not needed in the cast for this type of genre. However, in years past this area of systematic design in anime has not been altered too much. Overall the general theme when it comes to putting together a cast of 2D heroes and heroines is a central protagonist group of characters. Typically in a Slice of Life it is always a group of 2 or more, never one except in rare cases (It's not my fault that I'm not popular!). Other than that there are the support characters to help make the show feel more populated, and if there is a driven plot then an antagonist is required for the show's success.

Well Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou goes out of its way to quite literally flip this concept upside down. The characters they feature in each episode are absolutely all over the place. There is no protagonist you could pin point down (although they do lead you on to believing there is one) the supporting roles and central group of characters are also thrown out of the window. If you go through the series you'll realize that each character is a protagonist in itself. Not to the extreme of Duradura or Buccano, but quite similarly in the way that each character has their own chance to shine. 

The characters are not boring. There are indeed some cookie clutter personalities but the production studios involved in creating this show has done a wonderful job of making different variations of each type of personality you'd expect in a an anime. You won't be able to sit there and say "Oh I knew he was going to do that" with rolled up glazed eyes and a blase tone of voice. The characters will be unpredictable, not in the likes of Nichijou, however, but they will still leave you feeling quite bewildered segment after segment.

Character Rating: 3.5

A very interesting array of characters. Each with equal value as the next one, the cast will not bore you.

Production

Going into the year 2012 and seeing what past studios have done to get ahead in the industry, Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is trailing behind terribly. The concept of the show, and the way it seems to respond to the sudden rise of High School Girl oriented Slice of Life shows, is a very nice breath of fresh air into the arena. However, it's more of a breath of fresh air from a goddess with yellow decaying teeth. Very disappointing image right? Yes that is the state of the quality that is Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou. 

With picture or screen quality alone you could say we could let the series slide. It's not uncommon to have series every season with lackluster screen quality- meaning minimal special effects, no eye candy (no not that kind eye candy), just your bland bare bottom anime series. But what's even worse is the fact the animation is also mediocre. You could pull off these bland scenes with high quality animation. But not once is an instance of high quality, well rendered animation ever shown. Watching the series myself I've noticed that the frames in an active scene is horridly low, the fact that I can notice it with the human eye is already a tell that this series had very little emphasis on it. 

Production Rating: 2.0

The demeanor of the show overall holds true to the casual sober aloofness in a High School Boy, but that does not earn this series too many points on a quality examination. 

Conclusion:

Not too much into traditional Japanese comedy? But you still want a good laugh? Then give Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou a try. Albeit being a Slice of Life series it still strives to explore the boundaries of your typical format for anime. With comedy leaning towards the boke end of the spectrum and literally tossing out the tsukkomi, you will be able to relate to the comedy one way or another since we live in a world where random acts of stupidity are quite common and quite funny.

Snugtrition's Overall Rating: 3.0 out of 5

Minami-Ke

Minami-Ke
みなみけ

Status: Completed
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life
Type: Series

Synopsis:

Minami-Ke is a story about three sisters, Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki. It revolves around their extraordinary ordinary lives at home and at school.

Plot:

Minami-ke is absolutely true to its genre. It revolves around the normal lives of three sisters and their hilarious moments. This means there is no serious progression in the plot-line. It does not develop in any significant manner nor does it insinuate any possible plot twists as we might see in the Drama genre. All-in-All what Minami-ke offers is a very casual and enjoyable watch. Each episode is filled with the unique personalities of the Minami family and are carefully interwoven to offer a very warm and natural feeling in every fans' heart. There is very little to critique about Minami-Ke's storyline mainly because of how open ended it is. There is no sense of direction nor any prodding from side characters to steer the series into any abrupt change. Instead the Minami sisters synthetically push the plot of each episode themselves and the audience is left to watch and enjoy rather than ponder and critique. Absolutely brilliant, it is a true show of how a Comedy/Slice of Life is done.

Plot Rating: 4.0
Many funny moments in the series. True to its genre, viewers are relaxed and laughing. Lack of precious memorable scenes is the only downside.

Characters:

The Minami-Ke family is brimming with life. Each sister sports their very own unique personality seldom seen in any other series to date. Although yes there are similarities that can be drawn to Haruka, Chiaki and Kana on the other hand are unmatched, and are widely famous for their antics. The two sisters are nearly polar opposites within their own realm of thoughts. Putting these two together in the same room every episode creates a splendid recipe for comedy. From Chiaki's "Bakayarou!" to Kana's poses, fans thoroughly enjoy these two spectacles each episode. Aside from the comedic exhibits of Minami family we also have the interactions between the sisters and their friends that come over nearly every episode to visit. Just because these characters aren't part of the family doesn't mean that they won't be as well made. With careful examination and comparison to other series, the side characters of Minami-Ke are certainly much more colorful than most. By colorful I mean how they contribute to each episode in order to make you laugh. Characters outside of the family such as Touma can be easily be taken as one of the main characters because of how involved she is. However, keep in mind that the title of the show is Minami-Ke, and it is very apparent that the sisters are still running the show. So to be able to create such a colorful cast and weave them together so well, it is something that deserves a real good pat on the back. Good job 童夢.

Character Rating: 3.5
Awesome assortment of characters. Each with their own well-made personalities and they all strive to play a role in the series. Unfortunately the sisters and their friends haven't made that big of an impact on the Anime fanbase.

Production:

Let's face it. If you were looking for a high-end, fast paced, intensely detailed animated experience, then unfortunately for you this is not the place. Minami-Ke animation wise is about average for its time. Although this is appropriate for its genre, it would still benefit from better animation. In fact any series can benefit from better animation, and for that I can't let Minami-Ke slide for a mediocre job in animation. There were several titles at the time of its release that displayed intricate and creative directing styles. This adds flavor and fine finesse to their series, which in turn helps them to take a step out of the crowd and stand in the spotlight for all anime fans to praise. Many would still argue that it's an issue of genre, but that is not true at all. That mindset will only build up new cliches and close out any new possible ways to animate shows in unorthodox manners. Besides the animation work there is also the design to consider. In this area I believe Koharu Sakuraba did a very fine job of designing the characters and the series as a whole. Notice how the smoothly the character design works in conjunction with their personalities, and also how well the characters blend in so well to the plot. Whether it be natural innate talent or careful thoughtful planning, the creation of Minami-Ke is truly an elegant work of art.

Production Rating:  3
There is nothing impressive about the animation work. However the character and storyline design completely serves its purpose.

Conclusion:

Sitting on your couch, at a table, a desk, or on the floor with a cup of tea and some crackers - or whatever you do while you watch anime. You'll probably see the same thing done in Minami-Ke, but with a sprinkle of comedy to brighten things up. Minami-Ke is a great show to watch after a long stressful day at work,a tough day at school, or even just on a rainy day. So sit back and enjoy.

Snugtrition's Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Seitokai no Ichizon: Hekiyou Gakuen Seitokai Gijiroku

This review is under renovation. Please excuse the bad writing =(.
Plot: Renovated
Casts: In progress
Production: In queue

Synopsis:

The series, which is also called Hekiyō Gakuen Seito-kaigi Jiroku(The Records of the Hekiyō Academy Student Council’s Activities),revolves around a private high school whose student council is chosen entirely by popularity vote. Because of this, Ken Sugisaki is the only male representative, in the otherwise all bishōjo student council, that may enter the “sacred sanctuary” of the council’s meeting room. At the behest of Council President Kurimu Sakurano (pictured at right),Sugisaki records the minutes of the council meetings, which devolve into daily conversations about the students’ lives and interests.

Type: Series

Genre: Comedy, Ecchi, Parody, School, Harem

Status: Ongoing

Plot:

 

Seitokai no Ichizon is an absolute blast to watch. If you're looking for a series that will make you laugh and reminiscence about past shows you've watched then look no further. Seitokai no Ichizon holds a straight flush hand of genres: Comedy, ecchi, harem, school, and parody, and they play this hand very well. As you can see in the picture above, Seitokai no Ichizon as a series has fearlessly released several episodes where they have danced along the lines of copyright infringement. Very few series have ever come as close to copy infringement as the Seitokai has and the fans absolutely love it. For casual anime fans watching anime to pass time, they will find themselves laughing through each episode. On the other side where we have the more serious anime otakus, they will be delightfully entertained by how daring the series is. The plot consists of the typical scenes from any comedy/harem anime. You should expect the usual teasing, dirty humor, and slow progress between the protagonists and the girls. Although it may sound like any other unoriginal harem series, Seitokai no Ichizon actually pushes to be as unoriginal as possible to the point where characters have gone out of their way to mention old overdone anime themes. This is truly what separates the series from others and it is what makes it so enjoyable to watch.

Plot: 3.5/5
Hilarious comedy and parodies that heavily caters to seasoned anime fans. However, it remains to be just "decent" rather than "Outstanding".

Cast:

Character design and development. Ah yes one of the greatest things about anime, their memorable characters. The studios certainly had a fun-time playing around with the character designs. For one they weren't pressured to create extremely unique and charismatic characters. Instead they must have been strongly encouraged to create the stereotypical designs and personalities for the Seitokai. You have the Moe girl, chibi loli, strong girl, the tsundere, and the perverted male haha. Each of these characters do not hide or cover up their true-to-heart personalities at all. Instead they let it all out, showing the usual interactions between those types of characters, except it is done in fine quality. Especially the male character, haha; sometimes I feel ashamed of having to watch the pathetic male protagonist, but this guy is strong, funny, VERY blatant about his love interests, and he certainly does not fall victim to the usual weak mentality like other male protagonists. As a result this causes very mixed feelings with otakus who take a real close look at anime. Typical cliche character designs are being used, yet its very well-done so it doesn't ruin the show.

Cast: 3.5/5
Very Creative use of cliche personalities. It was well done and given a finishing touch with their own unique traits 

Production:


In this show in particular the style of the artwork and animation is quite often overlooked or in other words, forgiven. The reason for this is because the viewers have so much fun watching the cast poke fun at old popular shows and remembering how much they enjoyed the classic harem personalities. However, style is the Seitokai's weakest point =(. Although yes they probably wouldn't have been able to the pull off the classic harem genre and the typical cast design without a revolutionary way of directing; the fact remains that the way the series was animated and drawn out is very old-fashioned. When it comes to style, series like Bakemonogatari are simply bombshells of new style. The Seitokai lacks most in this area, but it probably was for the best.

Production: 2/5
The only major downside of this series is the typical Production work put into it. It would certainly benefit from creative directing and animating.

The Conclusion: 3/5
I believe that Seitokai no Ichizon is a series that officially (fans determined this years ago) marks the end of the classic plotlines, character designs, animations, and that it is now the time for some fresh ideas.

Nyan Koi!

Synopsis:

Junpei Kōsaka is a second-year high school student who despises cats and has an allergy to them. It just so happens that his high schoolcrush is Kaede Mizuno, a girl who adores cats. One day, while walking home from school, Junpei kicks an empty can and unfortunately beans thelocal neko-jizō-sama (guardian deity of cats). He finds he can now understand what cats are saying, including his family's own ill-tempered cat, Nyamusasu. However, if he does not grant 100 wishes from cats, he will turn into a cat himself.

Type: Series
Genre: Comedy, Romance

Status:Ongoing

Plot:

As a series debuting in the year of 2009, it is certainly aiming to be unique and at the same time entertain it's viewers with the classic Comedy and Romance genre. As any typical comedy anime series, Nyan Koi sports a semi-laid-back plot-line. The intentions for this type of plot is to provide a very small amount of drama and conflict to spice up the series yet at the same mainly focusing on the light-hearted antics of the protagonist. The strong point of this plot-line is not the funny moments that each episode contains. Instead it's the unique idea behind the series. What initially draws in the attention of curious viewers is the odd dilemma Kousaka-san finds himself in. As said in the synopsis, he is cursed and is forced to complete 100 deeds from cats. Usually in Anime you would typically expect a series in the Comedy and Romance genre to revolve around a protagonist in a somewhat Normal high school setting with only his love problems to contend with. In Nyan Koi, Kousaka-san must juggle wishes from his feline "friends" and the developing harem that creeps up on him in the series. Unfortunately, there is a slight imbalance between his love interests and the original dilemma. As the series goes on the imbalance becomes more and more noticeable to the point where most viewers would be much more drawn to his love problems rather than his struggle to fulfill 100 wishes. Although yes, it is very entertaining to watch Kousaka get dragged around by a bunch of cats, it is much more interesting to watch his interactions with the female cast. In the end, Nyan Koi's plot resembles most other Comedy/Romance plot-lines with the exception of Kousaka's feline duties from time to time. This is where Nyan Koi's weakness lies. The feline curse becomes more of an add-on of the series rather than an actual hard part of it. Keep in mind however, that the curse does obviously affect Kousaka's decisions but has very little impact on the otaku's view of the series when it is watched.

Plot Score: 2.5/5

Poor attempt at implementing a unique idea. Various comedic moments in the series and fun romantic scenes between characters.

Cast:

Most series in the Comedy/Romance genre try to stand out amongst others in the same genre by having a memorable cast. There's not much else they can do to stand out without creating some kind of amazing fantasy land of fiction. But then of course there's series of the same genre that have unbelievably unorthodox themes; that's just a completely different story. Other than that for the most part harems, slice of life, comedy, and drama must live off their cast after their series is over. Take Love Hina for example, excellent classic, breaking the mold harem anime with lovable characters. By now it is starting to become a real antique series however, if you go back a few years, Love Hina still had a pretty strong presence. That is because of the great cast of characters Ken Akamatsu had created. Nyan Koi on the other hand did not do such a great job.The cast is indeed enjoyable, but hardly memorable. There is very little to remember the characters for. The personalities of each character definitely tried to stay away from the cliche type anime characters we see, but nonetheless that effort had little effect on the otaku nation. Unfortunately I cannot go into detail of each characters traits because they are in fact a little bit unique like a normal person, but that's the problem, it's too normal. By normal I mean, no one is exactly the same and most people aren't extremely different. It's the people who are extremely different in clever ways that usually attract the most attention. Thus far Nyan Koi has not offered to introduce sort of character.

Cast Score: 3.0/5

Production:

With the advent of new technology and software in 2009, more and more anime series are being released with top of the line craftsmanship from great animation companies like Gainax. I have not pulled up the financial records of  the producers of Nyan Koi however, it's pretty easy to tell that the series was slightly tight on its budget. At least I hope that is the case because the animation and directing of the series is very bland. There is nothing notable at all. Although its usually the plot and the characters that contribute the most to a series, you also must consider how well the series is produced. Nyan Koi does not bring top of the line animation, and it also fails to exhibit any creativity in the way its directed. We end with a typically job of animation from a series that is 50+ episodes long in a 12 episode long series. Usually the shorter the Anime is, the higher quality of animation there will be. From what I can tell, very little emphasis was put into the animation of Nyan Koi, and most of the quality work was put into the flow of the story. Years ago the animation and style of Nyan Koi would be celebrated by otakus everywhere, but as of 2009 its just not so special. Series like Bakemonogatari or K-ON! are far more superior in terms of style, creativity, and quality in its animation and directing. In cases like these, Nyan Koi would benefit A LOT from better craftsmanship.

Production Score: 2.0/5

The Conclusion: 2.5/5

All-in-All Nyan Koi is a series suited for watching when those big name series haven't released their latest episodes. It's not an extremely impressive Anime but it is a good interesting watch. Certainly it isn't a waste of time for those fans of the Comedy and Romance genre. Despite it's downsides Nyan Koi has it's share of good laughs and warm moments. As of late fall of 2009, there are easily more intriguing anime series to watch instead of Nyan Koi. However, once those are all over, it'll be worth going back into this fall season and digging up Nyan Koi to watch. If you're done watching all your favorite anime, it wouldn't hurt to download an episode of Nyan Koi, grab some drink, sit back, and laugh your ass off until the next week of releases come.