And here we start sampling shows from the Winter season. I’ll post thoughts on the first episode or two before deciding my final watch list for the season.
Overview:
After being attacked by an unknown evil, Tamotsu Denkigai is stuck in Akihabara fighting to keep the streets safe.
– Crunchyroll
Yes, I borrowed the overview because to be perfectly honest I didn’t have anything really to add to it.
Review:
I’m going to give this show points for being really clear about what it is. The title art tells you what this show is really about.
So as the synopsis tells us there is an unknown evil that could be either vampires, zombies or some as yet unknown thing depending on which speculation or rumour you would like to believe and it can be defeated by stripping off the clothes of the possessed individual. Why all the possessed individuals have so far been women is a question that may or may not ever be addressed but really seems beside the point given I really don’t think we’re supposed to really question the premise too much here.
Generally speaking, a show about tearing clothes off of someone is one I wouldn’t touch but… (there’s always a but), I actually really found myself enjoying this first episode. Much of the credit for that comes from Tamotsu as the main character and the one we view the episodes events through. He seems like your standard modern, self-aware protagonist except that his self-awareness isn’t. He’s just a complete geek and draws on a range of fantasy and anime references to draw conclusions about the insanity surrounding him. I absolutely loved how he deterred the sales woman early in the episode and I just really enjoyed watching him interact with the various characters he encountered.
It doesn’t hurt that his little sister was pretty amusing, the girl he ‘fought’ with over a collectible figure while having an extremely annoying way of speaking was hilarious, and the action sequences have been visually entertaining. Whether or not clever writing and characters can hold up a premise that seems pretty dreadful to me for a series is a question I will only be able to answer after watching more of this but I am definitely hooked enough by this first episode to give a second one a go.
Akiba’s Trip is available on Crunchyroll.
I’ve been aware of this property for a while, thanks to the game, and several voice actors I’m a fan of having worked on the English version. So, knowing what they thought of the game, I didn’t give the anime a second thought, figuring it’d be patently terrible.
Now I’m curious if the studio involved managed to salvage something of worth.
Given your other reviews I’m actually surprised by your opinion! Ha ha, it was a good first episode tho. I think it hit a good tone and the characters are fun so we’ll see where it goes.
I’m surprised by my opinion here as well. I’m still not sure I’ll sit through a whole season of this but episode 1 worked pretty well.
Ya, it’s just a silly thing and as long as the tone remains like this I think it’ll be fine.
Never gave this one much thought initially.
Now I’m curious after reading this.
I honestly went in thinking I wasn’t going to finish the first episode but then found it quite enjoyable. The premise is just as trashy as it sounds though.
Hmm… Interesting. I opted out of watching the premiere episode, but reading this makes me curious, now.
Oh, it is trashy and silly so if the premise is enough to turn you off you’re probably making the right call. I’ve read a lot of very mixed views of this first episode at this point but I quite enjoyed it which is still kind of surprising me.
Status report: welp.
Looks like the show is quite a bit different from the game.