Uchitama?! Uchi no Tama Shirimasenka?
Short Synopsis: A bunch of anthropomorphic cats and dogs go on adventures in their neighborhood.
Wooper’s review:
What is this, the third show about human/animal hybrids this season? Was there a pet cafe boom in Akihabara last year or something? Whatever the case may be, Uchitama’s origins predate this modern trend, as it’s based on a set of characters created by Sony in the 80s. You can see those original designs during this premiere, which flashes back and forth between boldly outlined cartoon animals and more typically “anime” cat and dog-eared people. The show manages these design swaps pretty well, but there’s not a great in-universe reason for them to take human form – it just makes the characters more marketable. Uchitama is broken into multiple 5-ish minute stories of little consequence, which focus on the friendships between all the dogs and cats in a peaceful Japanese suburb. That’s probably the best narrative approach they could have taken, but the real selling point is the production. The backgrounds are well-illustrated, and the lighting was applied with a deft hand. This is a show that knows how to set a scene at 6:00 PM without slapping an orange filter over the entire screen and calling it a day. Uchitama looks good, and it’s got a feel-good vibe to it, but it doesn’t offer much beyond that.
Potential: 30%
Lenlo’s review:
Christ, is the furry population on the rise in Japan or something? I swear animals are the new hotness in anime recently, from Kemono Friends to Beastars to Nekopara. Of those, Beastars was easily my favorite, being a character drama with some pretty solid themes. After that though I would have to give it to Uchitama, because while its not my style, there is absolutely nothing offensive about it. Uchitama is, perhaps more than anything else I have seen so far this season, a “feel good” show. You turn it on, and you feel happy. You don’t have to worry about character drama, or politics, or ecchi, or any of that crap. Its just animal boys doing animal/boy things around a town in Japan. Is it particularly ambitious? God no. But I see no reason why someone couldn’t enjoy this after a long day, after they get home and just want to relax to some anime. Suffice to say, Uchitama is the comfort food of anime, and there is nothing wrong with that. It won’t win any awards, but hey. Not everything has to. Read Wooper’s post if you want a more in depth look into how it does things. I’m just here to call it like I see it.
Potential: 25% (Inoffensive, unambitious, but incredibly comfy)
Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu
Short Synopsis: A female otaku obsesses over her favorite member of an underground idol group.
Lenlo’s review:
Let me be clear: I hate Idol shows. I think the idol industry is, for the most part, a blight on many poor young women’s lives. I hate CGDCT shows. I was not a fan of Yama no Susume, Slime or Hoshiai (Looking at you Wooper). And yet, Budokan was pretty damn funny. As a sarcastic jab at the inherent absurdity of the idol industry, I loved it. It’s the most unconventional show of the season I have seen so far, taking the Idol anime we normally see and just taking one tiny step back to the audience. Showing the love these fans have for them, just how fucking creepy that can sometimes be yet how it isn’t totally malicious. My hope is that it dives in to the topic a bit more deeply moving forward, taking a look behind the scenes at the idols and ribbing on some of the shittier sides of the Idol industry. Even if it just keeps this light hearted and surface level view throughout though, it’ll no doubt me my favorite idol show of the year. Low bar, but still, when do I talk positively about Idol shows of all things?
Potential: 50%
Wooper’s review:
Eight Bit is making a quiet run as one of the best unsung studios in the anime business. Yama no Susume has long been a favorite of CGDCT fans, Slime Isekai was one of the best-looking shows ever to emerge from its genre, and Hoshiai no Sora gave them some big name director clout – even if it didn’t end spectacularly. Now they’re back with Oshi ga Budokan, one of the least conventional idol series I’ve ever seen. OshiBudo stars not a particular member of an idol troupe, but one of their biggest fans, a girl by the name of Eripiyo who worships the group’s least popular member. The show’s best trick is finding humor in her borderline-neurotic behavior, while also using it to comment on the absurd structure of the idol biz. As someone who finds that industry to be deceptive and exploitative, I hope OshiBudo dabbles in the headspace of both disillusioned fans and performers. Even if it goes for a lighter tone, though, as suggested by the final scene, the show has lots of things going for it. 2D dance sequences, washed-out environments that bring levity to otherwise challenging moments, and a great voice performance from lead seiyuu Ai Fairouz are all reasons to check this one out.
Potential: 60%
Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun
Short Synopsis: Wish-granting school ghost turns out to be a boy!
Amun’s review:
It always worries me when the word toilet is in a title (to be fair, it’s only in the English translation – literal title is actually a little weird, Bound Boy Hanako?). That said, Hanako surprised me by being more than just a B-tier supernatural show; it’s a B-tier supernatural show with a twist. That twist is taking a common troupe, luck in love, and having an actual, mature outcome. So at least the writing isn’t atrocious. The visuals remind me of Danganronpa or Samurai Brides: heavy contour and outlining of characters to mask pretty simple settings and faces. I don’t see this winning any animation awards, but the writing seems okay so far and the setup is decent. I tend to have a soft spot for B-tier supernatural shows, so I’ll probably stick this one out – wouldn’t blame anyone if this wasn’t their cup of tea, though.
Potential: 65%
Mario’s review:
One strong aspect that works in Hanako-kun’s favor is its lush and distinctive visual style, especially towards the backgrounds (Lerche’s signature panel-like scenes are present). The character designs are a bit hit or miss for me, as most of the time I find it gorgeous, then in some parts the big eyes take me right out of the story. Story-wise, I will need to see more of the material to see whether it’s for me or not. What I can say is that this premiere is inconsistent. It juggles light-hearted tones (with mixed results), thriller/horror in the earlier part (which it completely fails) and a hint of drama with supernatural twist (which is quite decent). The inconsistencies are not strictly in tones, but in the way it structures its first episode as well. The twists are handled very well, especially when exploring its own folklore. There’s a hint that Hanako-kun is not your typical apparition, for example. But these twists are often undercut by the ineffective comedy, or more conventional approaches (like the whole matchmaking situation). At the end though, I do feel like the introduction episode nails its main characters and their bound together, so yeah, I’ll stick with this one too, but more cautiously than Amun.
Potential: 50%
