Category: Finished Series: Comedy

The golden rule of comedy: if you’re going to make sex jokes, then make sure that they are good ones. I’m not sure what happened here, but this was without a doubt the worst episode of Ben-To so far. I’m not sure what happened. Did the light novels have this exact same chapter? Did the animators not have enough budget to animate any more fights? Did they pull in a bad episode director? In either way, this episode was the typical bad episode that bad harem shows use to fill their time. This episode was meant to introduce the two major characters of the final arc. And they’re incredibly stupid. That’s what I really dislike about most moe fanservice shows: they reduce their characters to idiots, just for the sake of fanservice. This is something I thought Ben-To avoided, but this episode made this show a whole lot more generic. It’s a good thing that the creators still know how to tell jokes, because things like Saito’s dive were absolutely hilarious. At the same time though: this also was the point where the Saito Pervert joke passed their shelf date. For one they were repeated way too much in this episode, and for two this episode tried way too hard. The jokes were fun when they were subtle, like for example in episode one. This was once again “let’s strip Saito and laugh, and have him generate inspiration for Hana. I knw that there are people in this world who no matter what automatically laugh whenever a penis is involved, but at least try to also cater to the ones who don’t… Rating: – (Disappointing)]]>

Well, it’s ndeed been a while since I saw a pool episode that was this crazy. Pool episodes are a trend that along with hot spring and beach episodes should really die off, but thankfully the creators realized that, and didn’t make this yet another copy of those, but instead used it to set the stage of another entertaining battle for half-priced food. This entire episode was delightfully silly. This episode had some parts that were just wrong, and there perhaps were a few too many pervert jokes made at Sato’s expense, but it also had parts that were completely hilarious, like the guy in the penguin-suit, the way in which everyone’s leg cramped up in the water or the completely inexplicable way in which half the cast ended up at the pool. That takes you two full hours to reach by train. Neat way to poke fun at how everyone always seems to run into each other in these kinds of episodes. But this episode again had the thing that sets this show apart from the other fanservice shows: it knows exactly when to be quiet. The build-up before each battle, was again wonderfully used, and the aftermath was the same: wonderfully down to earth compared to the chaos of the rest of the episode. Also, this episode drew and described its food with such detail that it actually made me hungry…. Rating: ** (Excellent)]]>

I must say I love the camera work in this show. It doesn’t have the largest budget, but the clever use of camera angles, along with the soundtrack, has actually made up for this lack pretty well. And then there is the introduction of this episode which wonderfully played with that. In any case, this was the midway climax for this series. The Monarch really looked like he was going to be the end boss… only he already got beaten. Looking back, he fits much more as a mid-boss like this. Have something more creative for the final fight. Having said that, I’m impressed with how this show handled this climax. After the introduction, the comedy was completely gone, and it went for action and drama. And I have to say that it worked really well. Liking the Monarch together with the pasts of some of the other characters did a great job of putting some drama under the fights, even though it turned the side-characters into the interesting ones, and not Monarch himself. And beyond that there still is the rock-solid characterization of this show. I especially like the part in each episode in which the characters just sit and eat what they conquered. Rating: ** (Excellent)]]>

Okay, this was just hilarious. This was meant to be the episode to set up the main conflict of this series: a huge battle between the people from the east and west side of town, but in the meantime the creators inserted a ton of comedy around Sato cross-dressing. The creators still manage to create fresh ways to do it. The best part is how they used the serious Kaneshiro in order to make him even more embarrassed. This really shows that with good direction, even overused jokes can be get new life. The best part about this series for me is how it balances its serious and silly side, and how it does both parts well. Because of that it’s ridiculously fun to watch, while at the same time it has a story and characters that can be taken seriously. The main storyline is quite silly when you think about it, but because everyone takes it serious without being parody-like, it somehow ends up working. My only gripe is the new girl: she feels out of place, because she is exactly the kind of one-sided character and moe stereotype that this show has averted so well. Thankfully she played a small role here and there was plenty of fun stuff about this episode as well. But at the very least, I can appreciate her place in the story as a random friend that Shaga hangs out at school with. It’s something subtle, but again: this show really hints that the characters have lives and do stuff whenever they’re not on the screen. Or at least the good guys. I still can’t imagine the main villain that was introduced in this episode doing something other than looking scary, sitting in his chair and starve himself…. Rating: ** (Excellent)]]>

Okay. So this episode had fanservice. Heck, there was more fanservice than compared to most moe shows. Thank god this show knows what it’s doing, though. The fanservice in this episode thankfully 1) was creative and 2) didn’t reduce its female characters to morons. There were times when it went a bit too far like with the incest jokes, but this episode made me laugh quite a few times thanks to the great characterization of this show. There are also these weird characters like that girl whose eyes we never see, and who looks like an important character, yet has nothing to do with the story. Or take Ume Shiraume, who has absolutely nothing to do with fighting over lunches, but makes the rest of this show hilarious with her antics. With the way that Shaga was introduced in this episode I expected this stereotypical love interest who walks over everyone, and yet she was actually no match for both Shiraume and Yarizui. Combined with good acting around this parts lead to a well fleshed out character within the episode she was introduced in, even though she started as a big stereotype. It really is the big difference between this show and just about all other moe shows for me: the acting nearly always seems either too bland or too forced to me. Here, the characters have their over the top concepts, like obsessive stalker, deadpan and tomboy, and yet manage to give enough sides to them to have them move away from these stereotypes. And on top of that I have to praise David Production for animating great fight scenes over and over. It’s not like they have a lot of budget, but the sense of timing in these battles is just impeccable. The rituals before and after each battle (quietly waiting for the discounts to be handed out, and collecting the spoils of war) also work really well with it. I have been criticized of treating some of the moe shows like Mayo Chiki, Utapri, Sofuteni and Idolmaster too harsh, when they’re supposed to be light entertainment. but the thing is, for entertainment, I sure as heck wasn’t getting entertained by these series that all just look like each other and feel half-hearted in their execution. These criteria are of course different for everyone, and if you enjoy them: good for you. But when I watch a show that focuses on entertainment, I really want to watch something that actively tries to be as entertaining as possible (not just in the way of Majikoi of having one entertaining episode… only to be followed by a ton of boring stuff where you feel like hardly any effort was spent on it). I found these series earlier this year with shows as Level E and Dororon Enma-kun, and now I’ve found another with Ben-To. It’s only got 12 episodes, so let’s see if it can keep this pacing up all the way. Rating: ** (Excellent)]]>

Seriously, Ben-To has a lot of elements that I at first sight often dislike. I mean, this series could have just as easily picked the path of Majikoi: I really was behind that series after its first episode, but by god… how abysmal it turned out in the end. I tried giving its fourth episode a small chance, but it was exactly the same as its third episode! The more I watch Ben-To though, the more I realize how lucky we are with this series. Three episodes in and this is still showing no signs of dulling in. But most surprisingly: I can’t believe how well acted these characters are. Just about every character in this series is really likable, and together they make for a really entertaining series. If this show was just hilarious, it would be one thing. However, my problem with most comedies is that when they’re not funny, they feel empty. Here though, you’ve got a bunch of people who are enjoying simple dinner (the loot in this case), or doing simple things as spending time in a clubroom. I really find this show to have a charm that most other moe shows lack because they focus more on moe antics. I personally prefer this show’s more down to earth approach. It makes them much easier to relate to. On top of that, I love how David Production says “screw it” to conventions. This also was visible in Level E, which in the end never really stated the name of its main character, even though it was a hilarious one. Here too: three episodes in and the only hint we saw to the main female lead is a random flashback. It’s delightful to see such creative ways to introduce cliches like the childhood friend. Especially after Haganai’s third episode. I also love how the beginning of this episode started with hints at what was going to happen, which only made sense at the point where the creators came with the delightfully random punchline. Rating: ** (Excellent)]]>

Ah, this show passed the second episode test. And you know what, I’m going to blog this thing. It unfortunately has harem elements, but really: this IS the show with the most entertaining action of the entire season. I’m not going to just ignore it like what I unfortunately did with Dororon Enma-kun Meera Meera. Of course, I was very cautious with this series. Especially after how Majikoi turned out in the end. This second episode kept the balls in the air, and introduced new ideas and characters. And what’s also interesting is that this show is visibly holding back one of its main characters. The blond girl who features prominently in just about every promo material… she hasn’t made a single appearance so far. It takes balls to pull that off. In any case, what makes this show great is that it’s full of these tiny clever ideas that spice up every episode, on top of being a show about fighting for half-priced lunch boxes that just has to be done every single evening. The huge housewife who used her shopping cart as a weapon was hysterical, but I also love how this show gives everyone nicknames that all seem to have double meanings somehow. Or what about that glasses guy who is just standing there in the background? What’s more: it does the impossible for a harem show: it actually hints at how the different girls have crushes other than the male lead. Hana is a fangirl for the monk guy, and this episode hinted very that the witch and the wizard had some former relationship. Whether this gets actually developed or not remains the question, but still: this is a first. What also sets this show apart from the average harem: its acting. Finally we have another harem that’s well acted. The characters aren’t annoying idiots but behave down to earth. The scene in which You and Hana just had their cheap ramen and onigiri dinner in particular worked really well. But overall, the characters know exactly how to act without trying too hard. The side characters too are all very likable and interesting. It’s much better than, say, Haganai, in which the characters are just trying too hard to be like their stereotypes. The music is also just fantastic. Some of the best of the season. Long story short: in the past two episodes I just encountered one flaw: the fact that this is a harem. Rating: ** (Excellent)]]>