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
No comments:
Post a Comment