The Devil is a Part-Timer! Anime Review

THE DEVIL IS A PART-TIMER SCORE: 8.25

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

The Devil is a Part-Timer is a unique, fun anime that I really enjoyed watching. I would classify it as comedy, slice-of-life with a bit of action and small doses of romance. It had all of the elements necessary to make a great story; however, it was cut short a little soon. Rounding out at just 13 episodes in length, with no second season out yet, that was a bit of a let-down. All of that aside, I still think it’s worth a watch, especially if you consider yourself a casual anime watcher.

Satan, from the underworld, king of evil-doing, is sent through a gate warp from his kingdom of Ente Isla into modern day Tokyo with one of his faithful generals Alciel. The two wander about the streets of Tokyo in human form trying to make sense of their circumstances, when they get mistaken as rambunctious cos-players and get taken into custody by the cops. Through a turn of events, the duo decide to put down roots in Tokyo, as they will be here for the foreseeable future. Satan himself, going by Sadao Maou in this world, gets a part time job as “Lord of the Fries!” at Mc “Ronald’s.” Thus, the title, “The Devil is a Part-Timer.” If I had to compare the concept of the show to something else, it’s like the comedy “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy. People from a totally different world coming to the modern world and trying to get by. Heck, they even both get part-time jobs at McDonald’s!

PROS

The Devil is a Part-Timer made me laugh. It was a funny show and the characters were quite comical. Each character displays their own unique type of comedy whether it be dry humor, sarcasm, slap-stick, rude humor, dumb accident and even cutesy humor, which makes a well-rounded cast perfect for a comedic and casual show such as this. Additionally, most of the characters were very like-able, which makes you care enough about their plights to watch the show.

A lot of the humor also came from the circumstances the characters were put in. The situation of coming to modern day Tokyo, being Satan, being an angel, being a devil’s general, etc, humor comes from that. The setting and circumstance make for a unique show. Especially since things go in such a way that you don’t expect. The devil turning out to be a nice, happy-go-lucky guy who freaks out if he is even a little late to his part-time fast food job.

Lastly, I want to commend the animation and voice acting. I think it was superb. (I watched this in English Dub) Particularly, the language that they used for Ente Isla, while it was a fake language, it sounded extremely convincing!

CONS

As for cons of this series, I don’t have a lot really. Most tie in to the show’s length. I’m aware that the show is originally a light novel, so I know there is probably more content than what we were given. I am hoping that there is a season two! For example, the love triangle (ish) thing that forms between the Hero Emi, Satan, and one of his Mc Ronald’s employees Chiho was really interesting and I wanted to see how it all played out. That said, the show had a satisfying enough ending, but I wanted to see more.

Lastly for cons, the intro was super boring, and I skipped it every single time. It could have been better selected.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All and all, The Devil is a Part-Time is a solid comedy anime. All things considered, I have awarded it an 8.25 out of 10. If you are looking for a casual and fun show to watch by yourself or with friends, I highly recommend The Devil is a Part-Timer!

SoniAni: Super Sonico the Animation Anime Review

SoniAni: Super Sonico the Animation Score: 8.00

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

Super Sonico the Animation is a light-hearted, kawaii, slice of life, comedy series spanning just 12 episodes that was released last year. The show surrounds around Super Sonico, basically depicting a year in her busy and fun life. Most episodes begin with her over sleeping, finally to be woken up by her six little kittens; she dashes off to University on her bike where she is a Marine Biology Major. After school, it's off to her part-time modeling gigs, where the photographers near always try to take advantage of Sonico's naivety, leaving her mysterious yet over-protective manager to have to step in. After that, she helps her out at her grandma's restaurant serving beers to the lively regulars. Finally, she ends the day with band practice because she is, of course, the lead singer and guitarist in First Astronomical Velocity with her two best friends. Wasn't kidding when I said busy right? Now throw events, helping others, and mishaps in the mix for a real whirlwind of a day!

PROS

This series really took me by surprise, as it was surprisingly quite enjoyable! Let me preface this by saying I typically find it difficult to enjoy a series with no romance. This series was straight up fluffy, slice of life, comedy with no romance, and it was still quite good! I also find it hard to get through series with fan service, and this show pushed it a little bit in that respect - yet it wasn't a road block for this series in my opinion! To me, this was easy-going entertainment. My favorite thing about this show was just watching it's super kawaii-ness.

The lifeline of the show is its interesting characters, and that's all you really have to go off of in an SL/comedy since there isn't a clear story line. Each one had a unique and dynamic personality that was never one-sided. Everyone had angles and more to them than an arch-type. Of course, there is the main character Sonico who is the cheery and fun type of girl. The show is seen through her eyes, and I did like her a lot. I found her to be very amiable; We definitely get to see her grow, which is great. Some stand-out side characters I will mention are Sonico's band mates, her manager, and the upperclassman who gave Sonico her guitar. Sonico's band mates are Suzu and Fury; Suzu is the super confident bassist and band founder who always looks out for Sonico and Fury, while Fury is the food-obsessed drummer always eating pork buns and providing comic relief. All three of them had great chemistry when together, especially in the zombie episode! Then, there is Sonico's manager Kitamura, who we never see the real face of, as he is always wearing a demon mask. I found him to be particularly funny and kind-hearted. His best moments being in the Okinawa episodes. I also really enjoyed the episode where Sonico receives her guitar, Daydream. She receives it from an upperclassman who is really cool and in to rock and roll. She gets Sonico to be who she is today and brings out her confidence. It was very heart-felt, and I think any guitar/ music fan would enjoy it. Also as honorable mentions, the few people Sonico meets throughout the episodes and helps have really interesting mini stories and personalities.

Last, let's talk animation; stellar. The colors were popping off the screen, but not too much so. The character designs were on point, and the intro and endings were great. Specifically, the endings, as they were quite unique. At the end of each show, it was a different full blown music video for one of Sonico's songs. Some of my favorites were when she was a giant walking through Tokyo, and the zombie apocalypse one! On that note, the music was really nice, and voice acting on par. I will note, if you watch the English Dub, her speaking voice isn't going to match her singing voice at all as they keep the music the same, sung in Japanese. I liked the music that way, so it didn't bother me, but just as a heads up.

CONS

As for the cons, there are only a few. First, I would have liked if there was more of a story-line, so that a season two could be feasible. Many of the episodes were quite random, lacking in backstory and connection. For example, there is one episode in which Sonico takes a "soul searching" journey with no real destination in mind, and it comes totally out of the blue. You're left confused, and it was honestly a pointless episode, which is really bad if the show is only 12 episodes long. Sometimes episodes came out of the blue in a good way, but not always. 

Additionally, there are a few cons with Super Sonico herself. For one, why does she sleep, bathe, and live every waking moment with head phones on? It makes no sense. I don't mind it; however, it would have been nice to be given an explanation. I think, it's because she is a vocaloid, but this is never determined; no one even seems to notice. The only other issue I think people may have with her is that her life, and she herself, are a unrealistic. I think that's part of what makes it fun though.

Lastly, because I am a die-hard romance fan, I was super disappointed that there was nothing between her and her manager Kitamura. I felt like there was something when he protected her in the Okinawa episode, but nothing ever resurfaces after that. Big let down.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All and all Soni-Ani: Super Sonico the Animation was quite the enjoyable anime. It especially impresses me because of it's genre. Thus, I have awarded it an 8 out of 10! If you like girly, fun shows, and are okay with no romance, then give this a watch! I hope that they make a season two!

Honey and Clover Anime Review

HONEY & CLOVER SCORE: 10.0

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

Honey & Clover is a slice of life (comedy/drama/romance) anime with characters that over time unveil their inner feelings and backgrounds, peaking your interest to hear more about the next character until it all finally comes full circle to create a masterpiece. If you want to laugh, to cry, to root for something, and above all else, to feel something, Honey & Clover is the anime for you.

Our story begins in a College for the Arts in Tokyo, where a boy who is trying to find his way in life, Yuta, resides on campus with his two roommates, the zany and mysterious Shinobou and the reliable and persistent Takumi. One day, their favorite professor Shuji brings a family friend to the Art School to get her out of the countryside to explore her brilliant artistic tallent. Her name is Hagu. Instantly, Yuta and Shinobou fall for her creating a little bit of a love triangle as the story rolls out; more characters are introduced to create even more fun, drama, and romantic webs. The story follows the group of friends from freshman year to graduation as they grow together and become who they are going to be.

PROS

This anime is amazing at portraying life, and that’s its stand-out quality throughout. From start to finish, the characters share moments and make memories together in a realistic fashion that creates a genuine feel to the anime. It’s this sincerity that made me so invested in the characters dilemmas and in their hearts. Speaking of, the characters are brilliant. All of them blend together perfectly to make for a funny, smart, and earnest cast. My favorite characters were Shuji and Shinobu. Shuji is the most selfless and genuine character I have ever seen in an anime. The way he cares for Hagu, and takes her in so that she can go to school in the city and develop her talents is amazing. He cares about all of the characters, and acts as a voice of reason as they try to find their way in life.  Shinobu, in great contrast, is the most over the top, hilarious, yet mysterious characters I have ever seen in an anime. For pretty much the entire anime we have absolutely no idea what he does for a living, but he is super loaded (sort of like Barney in How I Met your Mother). He disappears for weeks at a time and comes back with tons of cash in his pockets, dead tired, and passes out. It’s truly comical to see him try and make money off of anything he can and all of his wacky antics. On the flip side, how he acts around Hagu is much different and it’s really intriguing to see that as well.

While the characters were all amazing, what carries this anime for me are the stories and how they weave together. I loved how each character’s background was fully fleshed out, so we get to understand why they are the way they are. The anime even had excellent timing; knowing the order of which stories to reveal when, building in intrigue and saving the juiciest details for last. Speaking of, the ending. The ending blew my mind, and I didn’t expect it at all. I did not see these two characters ending up together at any time throughout, but when it happened, it all became clear. It was so beautiful and well done, yet in a realistic way. I loved that Honey & Clover stayed true to its tone throughout the entire anime. Many anime of this genre will completely change the tone at the end of the series and come out of left field in a bad way, or the ending will be all too predictable. On the contrary, I never knew what was going to happen in Honey & Clover and stayed interested the whole time. The characters remained true to their core and I can’t say enough good things about it.

Additionally, the animation was welcoming and artistic as you would expect for an anime set place in an art school; they really nailed the changes in animation for dramatic and comedic moments. I also thoroughly enjoyed the musical score of this anime, it was kind of indie and that fit the tone just right. I’ve never heard that style of music in an anime, so it really stood out to me.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I didn’t have any serious or minor cons for this anime. I became enthralled in the story and it ended perfectly.  I’m sorry I couldn’t say too much about the storyline, but it would spoil the experience for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. I would recommend anyone go watch it, especially if you are college age, I guarantee it will speak to you as it includes themes that people at this age go through of unrequited love, being lost in life, and more. Honey & Clover is a 10 out of 10; I highly recommend you check it out!

Watched on: dubs2go.net