Review: Kuuchuu Buranko

Centered around the flamboyant Doctor Ichirou Irabu and his psychotic approach to psychological treatment, Kuuchuu Buranko is an abstract look at common mental disorders and their treatments. Appearing as a green bear mascot character, an androgynous young man, and a precocious little girl, the good doctor endeavors to help his patients by forcing them to face their fears. Every episode of Kuuchuu Buranko sees Dr. Irabu helping a different patient, utilizing his odd methods that always include a distressingly large “vitamin shot” (which gives them animal heads for some reason) and an extensive home visit from the doctor himself. What started out as a psychedelic romp finished as a deep look at the human psyche that surprised me in more ways than one.

While the stories in the beginning of the series tend to lean towards the sillier side, the episodes get deeper and more heartfelt as the series goes on. A lot of them even hit particularly close to home and had me really feeling for the patients. As it progresses, Kuuchuu Buranko becomes less about a whacky doctor treating his patients and more of a look at how the way a persons state of mind can severely affect their lives and the lives of those around them.

The animation in Kuuchuu Buranko is nothing spectacular, but it is interesting. Actually, everything about how the series looks intrigues me in some way. From the odd character designs to the psychedelic background design filled with polka dots, everything works together in order to keep the viewer interested at all times. The designs of Dr. Irabu’s different incarnations were especially eye-catching.

I went into Kuuchuu Buranko expecting a fairly strange, somewhat funny series with good aesthetics that I would enjoy. What a got was a very strange, but great anime series that was funny, emotionally stimulating, and totally memorable. Even though every episode followed the same formula, I never found myself getting bored. If what I’ve written above doesn’t tell you how much I enjoyed this series then here you go: Kuuchuu Buranko is a great series that shouldn’t be missed.

Overall Score: 4/5

Review: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi

Abenobashi Mahō Shōtengai (Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi in english) is a fun  comedy anime about two childhood friends named Sasshi and Arumi who suddenly start to notice strange things happening in their town. Before long-or even the end of the first episode-they are magically whisked away to a fantastical alternate version of the shopping arcade they know so well. The series is, for the most part, an episodic one. It sees our two young protagonists visit a series of different Abenobashis in an effort to make it back to their own world. 

The first episode of Abenobashi does an exceptional job of setting up its concept, as well as showing the relationships between the characters and the setting. The characters are all very likable and the dynamic between the two main characters leads to some hilarious as well as heartwarming moments. Despite the fact that every character has a very comical nature about them, none of them felt cheap or one-dimensional. A lot of the most touching moments of the series came from the choices that characters made for the benefit of someone they loved. I found myself caring a lot more about the plight of the characters than I thought I would or that I ever have before in an anime like this. 

While the plot of Abenobashi is fairly stereotypical plot for a gag anime, and there’s no doubt that it is a gag anime, the story does take some turns in some very unconventional directions that really endear it to the viewer. When I started this series, I had no idea that it would get as emotional as it did. I did, however, feel that the worlds the protagonists visited got less interesting as the series progressed. Abenobashi can even feel annoying or tedious at times due to its episodic nature, but these periods never last for long and I was soon having fun with it again.

As expected of Gainax, both the character designs and the animation were fun and interesting throughout Abenobashi. The variety in the worlds and situations the characters found themselves in definitely displayed the versatility animation team, not to mention their knowledge of every genre’s tropes. This is a fine work on Gainax’s part and I could definitely feel their unique touch behind every sequence in the series. The animation definitely added to how much I enjoyed myself with Abenobashi.

Even though it is a comedy anime to it’s core, Abenobashi's story and characters give it more emotion and nuance than other anime in the genre. Watching this series really made me feel nostalgic for the anime I watched as a kid: series that managed to be legitimately funny as well as heartfelt. The minor flaws and occasional tedium did little to disrupt my enjoyment of this series. Abenobashi is something that should probably be experienced at least once.

Overall Score: 3.5