Should you’re an English-language anime or manga fan of a sure age, likelihood is you’ve got come throughout the work of Rumiko Takahashi. It was in all probability Ranma ½ or InuYashahowever possibly you might have come throughout it Urusei Yatsura or Maison Ikkoku floppies whilst you’re perusing your native comedian guide retailer, as a result of Barnes and Noble and Borders (keep in mind them?) did not have cabinets devoted to manga but. Takahashi nostalgia appears to be at an all-time excessive proper now, at the very least in Japan, with the remake of Urusei Yatsura lively for 2 seasons and Ranma ½ a remake is popping out quickly. Astro noticealong with his heavy tribute to Maison Ikkoku And Urusei Yatsurais one other expression of that nostalgia.
Astro noticeThe primary episode of has a particular attraction if you’re a fan of Maison Ikkoku And Urusei Yatsuraas references abound in each the story and the imagery. Takumi, an unemployed chef, wanders into the Astro-sou boarding home searching for work and falls immediately in love with the supervisor, a candy younger lady in an apron named Mira Gotokuji. He agrees to take the job cooking breakfast for the residents, a motley crew of weirdos together with a single father and his son, a reasonably widespread idol whose character doesn’t match her picture, and an aged author. He strikes into room 5, however on his first night time there he overhears Mira speaking to a wierd man in her room, discussing her standing as a widow.
Besides they are saying “Wido”, not “widow”, which is the demonym for Widi, planet Mira is from! And that unusual man? Her canine Naosuke, who is definitely one other sort of Wido who appears like a fluffy poodle. Mira is the princess of Widi, and the 2 are trying to find a key hidden someplace close to the Astro-sou to allow them to return to their dwelling planet, the place Mira can be topped queen. Wacky sci-fi meets ensemble comedy meets heartwarming romance is a mixture with a number of potential, and lead director Shinji Takamatsu has confirmed himself adept at unusual style twists with Cute Excessive Earth Protection Membership, I actually like it! And Fairy Ranmaru.
However as soon as the charms of the primary episode put on off, it turns into clear that the present is attempting to do an excessive amount of in simply twelve episodes. It needs to be a wacky sci-fi farce, a screwball rom-com, a heartwarming ensemble sitcom, and to high all of it off, a meals collection, all within the area of a single season. It’s simply an excessive amount of! It swings wildly between genres as an alternative of merging them right into a cohesive entire, leading to one thing that feels messy and half-hearted because it pulls itself in all instructions.
The residents of the Astro-sou kind an enthralling, likable solid of supporting characters, most of whom are clearly modeled on a Maison Ikkoku resident, most of whom I desperately needed to spend extra time with. These outdoors the central love polygon get their designated episode every, as is anticipated of short-lived ensemble reveals. These episodes are usually robust; the 2 finest episodes within the collection have been the one about Teruko, the indie idol confronting the place her life decisions have led her in comparison with her extra widespread contemporaries; and a narrative about Ren, a younger boy who needs to attempt sporting skirts. With extra episodes, extra space may have been devoted not solely to their particular person tales, but additionally to their dynamic as a bunch and their relationships with one another. In spite of everything, that is the place the true magic lies in tales like these.
Like the opposite residents, Takumi, Mira and Shoin every have a transparent Maison Ikkoku counterparts, this time to the central triangle of Godai, Kyoko, and Mitaka. They’re like Takahashi’s basic characters with all of the tough edges sanded off. Consequently, Takumi has little character, whereas Godai is nothing However tough edges for a lot of the collection; Mira is good and sort with out Kyoko’s trauma or passive-aggressive nature; and Shoin is a caricature of the good-looking, rich rival. Consequently, the love story itself fails to distinguish itself in any attention-grabbing manner, with little sense of why the 2 like one another past being a fairly engaging man and lady dwelling in shut proximity.
The comedy itself tends extra towards slapstick than character-driven, a mixture of recurring gags, cartoonish bodily humor and cuh occasions conditions. It’s a blended bag, and I’ve to confess that I’m shocked and charmed by the weird instructions the humor takes. When the decision of the episode’s battle was surprising, it felt enjoyable fairly than one thing pulled out of the writing staff’s collective ass. However the moment-to-moment jokes had as a lot likelihood of constructing me snicker as they did of falling flat, particularly with how typically they relied on the supposed inherent humor of Takumi pulling faces. Likewise, the conclusion to the collection’ lengthy story arc, Mira’s quest to search out the important thing to her spaceship, was anticlimactic to the purpose that I simply groaned when it was revealed.
Nevertheless blended the story and humor have been, Astro noticeThe technical qualities of his are robust general. Eisaku Kubonouchi‘s designs, dropped at life right here by animation director Maho Aokiare sometimes different and distinctive, and this one isn’t any exception… together with his affinity for male leads with curly hair, a trait Takumi shares with Carole & TuesdayIt is Roddy and Bullbusters‘s Tetsuro Okino. There’s rather less selection in physique sort than we often see from him, particularly among the many essential characters, however every character remains to be simply distinguishable from the others of their facial options, physique language, and clothes type. However it’s not simply the characters—the Astro-sou itself feels heat and comfy. The mushy colours, stained glass, and verdant flora give it a vaguely Artwork Nouveau sensibility. The mechanical designhas a retro-futuristic attraction, nevertheless.
The theme songs additionally deserve a particular point out. “Hohoemi Observe” is a delight each time I take heed to it, evoking the 70s and 80s influences but additionally standing by itself. The accompanying animation does a greater job of mixing the present’s varied components than the episodes themselves! “Kokoro no Kagi,” sung in-character by the collection’ essential solid Maaya Uchida And Soma Saitoshouldn’t be as robust, maybe as a result of the romance is among the weakest components of the story, however it nonetheless has a number of attraction.
Astro notice is one other argument for bringing again longer anime seasons, fairly than the twelve episode norm. When what it does works, it actually works. It has the capability to be enjoyable, charming, and endearing, however simply as typically it simply feels overstuffed. Perhaps if it have been twice as lengthy, possibly extra, it could really feel extra like a comfy homage to 2 of Rumiko Takahashi‘s iconic works, however can nonetheless do his personal factor.
