March Anime Round-Up

Facing the horrors of life. And also Chiikawa.

Another month down, another batch of anime watched. I originally decided to use my birth-month as an excuse to watch a bunch of series that I’ve put off watching that I knew I’d probably like: a treat, as it were. That…did not happen. Between finishing my behemoth of a thesis (final count: 82 pages), working on a friend’s thesis film, teaching duties, and seasonal allergies kicking my ass I watched basically nothing. But, I did manage to knock a few new watches off my list.

Kaiji Ultimate Survivor (season 1)

Honestly I don’t remember what exactly put Kaiji Ultimate Survivor on my radar, although my best guess is probably a Mother’s Basement video. I vaguely remember this being an anime YouTube darling show that didn’t really jive with fourteen-year-old Red’s tastes but definitely did much later when I realized I like watching people gamble. I like the risk without putting my actual money on the line.

As far as gambling anime go, and there’s a fair amount, Kaiji’s a fun one. Its distinct art style definitely aids in giving Kaiji its own identity; sometimes I just get so tired of anime filled with pretty characters, and this is certainly not one of them. Everyone actually looks stressed as hell—as they should. Being stuck on a luxury cruise ship, millions of yen in debt, and forced into essentially a gambling death game will definitely leave a person worse for wear. Speaking of the gambling, the other part of Kaiji that caught my attention was that the gamblers all fuck up including Kaiji. People make big plays that don’t pay off, the logical strategies prove fallible, and nobody’s ever guaranteed to win. Although I think some of the matches linger for a bit too long, Kaiji Ultimate Survivor certainly scratches the itch for risk taking behavior with no real risk attached.

Oshi no Ko (season 1)

One of my favorite narratives is the deconstruction of labor in entertainment industries. From All About Eve to Nope, I like seeing the entertainment industry get a bit self-reflective (or ego boosting, depending on the material). So, Oshi no Ko’s been on my to-watch list since the anime was announced. A genre fusion breaking down the Japanese idol, television, and film industries is far too up my alley for me to ignore. The original mangaka, Aka Akasaka, has been lauded since Kaguya-sama: Love is War which, although I haven’t finished the manga, definitely lives up to the promise of subverting and avoiding the worst of rom-com tropes. Plus, a few of my favorite artists–notably Queen Bee–contributed music to the show and…well.

This is a show where I think the viewer’s mileage is going to vary. Not only does Oshi No Ko have its fair amount of anime bullshit–the relationships between the principal cast, primarily, have a bit of harem flavoring–but its heavy, granular focus on multiple facets of Japan’s entertainment industry isn’t necessarily every viewer’s cup of tea. Arguably Aqua, one of two leads reborn as the children of their favorite idol (don’t even worry about it), also veers a bit too hard into budget Light Yagami territory, but I find the little freak endearing. The hour and a half long first episode extravaganza is definitely a litmus—especially its final twist.

Obviously, this show is very much in my wheelhouse. The sheer breadth and depth of what the show covers in terms of the entertainment industry, from child actors to social media management, and the ease of exploitation within will nearly always grab my interest. Each character’s unique perspective on their respective niche within the entertainment sphere is well-established, even if their screentime is cut painfully short. I love Oshi no Ko, stay tuned for my thoughts on season 2 in a future round-up.

The First Slam Dunk

Slam Dunk is a series I’ve long been interested in exploring, but have put off for just as long. I tend to prefer a more grounded approach to sports anime, but the sheer length of the series made it all the more daunting; even with the release of The First Slam Dunk a few years ago, I was unsure how much background knowledge I needed going in. So, The First Slam Dunk lingered in my watchlist until the lovely podcast team at The Rolling Tape suggested “Sports” for our monthly Rolling Roulette series. You can hear me and my co-host’s full thoughts on it when it releases in a few weeks, but needless to say we both adored it. Refocusing the perspective to Ryota Miyagi, a side character in the original series, is such a boon to the film. The interweaving of Ryota’s backstory, storylines from the original series, and a re-telling of the all-important national finals creates a wonderfully paced, wonderfully structured narrative. Add in the stellar blend of 2-D and 3-D animation working in tandem with the kinetic camera, and The First Slam Dunk is a feast for the eyes, which will inevitably be wet with tears by the end.

Chiikawa

I am as susceptible to adorable mascot characters as the next guy. Give me a cute creature doing daily tasks and I’m set. However, I was a bit skeptical about Chiikawa at first. I just couldn’t pin down the little dude’s vibe. I also assumed the Chiikawa anime was simply another merch-printing tactic like the old Hello Kitty or My Melody TV shows. And, I’m not totally wrong, but I did perhaps let my cynicism get in the way of really exploring what Chiikawa was about.

Credit where credit’s due, Chiikawa is quite cute and funny in equal measure. The two-minute long episodes (really, one minute with an extra minute of credits) are short and sweet, just focusing on the cast of little dudes enjoying life. Whether it be acquiring a weapon, drinking beer, or riding a randomly-spawning sunfish, the cast is constantly finding the beauty in life. I see why Chiikawa and friends have taken off with such momentum: it’s truly just about finding joy in the mundane. Personally, I’m a Hachiware and Momonga fan because I love cats and assholes. Definitely not the pinnacle of storytelling or animation, but it’s a nice way to spend four hours.