Amagi Brilliant Park / First Impressions / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「エクストラ・マジック・アワー」 (Extra Magic Hour) by AKINO with bless4

「お客が来ない!」 (Okyaku ga Konai!)
“Not Enough Visitors!”

I will make no great secret of the positive bias I bring with me into Amagi Brilliant Park; I think I made that clear in the preview. As far as I’m concerned (or rather, as far as my desperately optimistic delusions are concerned), the combination of Gatoh Shouji and Takemoto Yasuhiro can do no wrong. No, Amagi Brilliant Park isn’t more Full Metal Panic! and frankly anyone who is till holding their breath for more FMP! must have asphyxiated by now. On my part, I inhaled deeply and told myself that the best of FMP! was Fumoffu and that was just good comedy. We can still have good comedy. Think of it as Gatoh and Takemoto getting the band back together to give it to us, except they’re not playing their old songs. And they’re now more pop than rock. And…where’s this analogy going? Whatever.

But first, the plot

The plot of Amagi Brilliant Park departs quite sharply from Gatoh’s Full Metal Panic! and seems to have ended up as a rather curious creature. It brings several disparate elements together, piecing familiar pieces into an unfamiliar whole. On one hand we have the drama about running a business and meeting quotas, which is a down-to-earth set of conflicts, but interjected with overt magical fantasy. It’s somewhat of a mood dissonance, but at least it’s introduced fairly naturally. Did you notice that loading magic bullets and whipping muskets out of hammerspace came with their own sound effect the first we times we saw it? The developments were flagged by the subtle details you can always count on Kyoto Animation for.

From the OP, it seems like the cast is going to end up being pretty big, but we haven’t seen much of them yet, so characters like Disney Princess Latifa Fleuranza (Fujii Yukiyo) haven’t really gotten the opportunity to shine. The focus was instead on male protagonist Kanie Seiya (Uchiyama Kouki) and female counterpart Sento Isuzu (Kakuma Ai), and they have played off each other very well. It’s a kind of natural comedic chemistry that’s fun to watch. And, of course, let’s not forget Bonta-kun Moffle (Kawasumi Ayako), serving as that small bone thrown to all the frothing FMP! fans. He may have as well been lifted directly from Fumoffu, still acting like the superficially cute psychopath we’ve come to love. Except he talks now. I’m never going to get used to that.

So, what about the comedy?

Comedy is highly subjective, and this holds doubly true when we’re coming at it as a Western audience watching jokes in Japanese. I can say it at least made me laugh (plentifully), but it’s entirely possible that the Seiya/Isuzu manzai team didn’t work for you. The closest thing I can do to objective measurement is note how deftly Amagi Brilliant Park uses three great tools of comedy—exaggeration, juxtaposition and repetition—to make an episode that is almost all exposition funny.

Pretty much anything can become funny when exaggerated out of proportion. Exaggeration leads to absurdity, which leads to humour. Consider this: if you break it down, Fumoffu was basically the story of a child soldier who is so socially stunted he can only solve problems with militant violence. That’s actually dark stuff, but if you play it up enough you can make it funny. In the same way, deserted theme parks are actually a rather heart wrenching sight, and a symbol for the Japanese of how far they’ve fallen since their 20th century economic fortunes, but Amaburi is so hilariously, impossibly awful that we never feel obliged to take it too seriously.

Juxtaposition is the art of laying two contrasting concepts next to each other, again creating absurdity, again leading to humour. The relentlessly deadpan Isuzu narrating cheesy lines about busted attractions is layers of juxtaposition. I’d take her as my tour guide. She’s hilarious.

Last is repetition, and here pictures do the talking. If you force the same gag long enough it’ll eventually become funny—perhaps as a running gag. And if you vary the gag slightly to surprise your audience that’s a brand new joke for minimal effort.

None of this should be surprising; Takemoto Yasuhiro always had a very keen sense of comedic timing that serve all this series well. It worked for Fumoffu. If can work for Amaburi too.

Oracles of the future

It’s hard for me to say exactly where Amaburi is going to go because it’s got all these little bits going for it. There’s several love interests lined up for Seiya, so romantic comedy is possible. We’ve got the magic, so we can do urban fantasy. There’s hints of traumatic pasts so we definitely have drama potential. Running the theme park may draw us into the deep dark world of corporate business management. Is Amaburi going to do all that at once? That’s ambition. I hope we don’t end up with something schizophrenic. We can at least count on Kyoto Animation to always make the anime very shiny, but that’s about the only inference we can draw from the studio. Amaburi smells different compared to the modern KyoAni slice-of-lifes. For one thing, when was the last time KyoAni did something like this?! They haven’t shown off as much flesh as in Amaburi since…well, FMP (no, Free! doesn’t count, they’re swimmers). Is it true? Are they back? That’s sort of exciting. And I’m not even fond of fanservice.

 

Full-length images: 03.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「エレメンタリオで会いましょう」 (Elementario de Aimashou) by 相坂優歌、黒沢ともよ, 三上枝織、津田美波 (Aisaka Yuka, Kurosawa Tomoyo, Mikami Shiori, Tsuma Minami)

Preview

115 Comments

    1. With main characters named after rappers as icing on top?

      Latifa Fleuranza -> Queen Latifah

      Kanie Seiya 可児江 西也 -> Kanye West(西)

      Sento Isuzu 千斗 いすず which could be written as 五十鈴 -> Fifty Cent

      Kyuubu Aisu 久武藍珠 -> Aisu Kyuubu ICE CUBE

      oliviaven
      Reply

  5. How in the world does Free not count? I think you’re just being sexist b/c you make a big deal out of women’s bodies and not men’s. Also, let’s not forget that Tamako Market included multiple closeup shots of a little girl’s butt..

    Anonymous
    Reply

    1. Is it too much to ask that you at least finish reading to the end of the sentence before dashing down to the comments in protest? Is that the attention span these days? I went over 140 characters didn’t I?

      Free doesn’t count because it’s an anime about swimmers, so they at least try to justify going topless as part of their routine. Unless you’re saying that I’m sexist because I don’t put men swimming in their trunks on the same level as women having to go buck naked purely for titillation. In which case, yeah, I’m horribly sexist. There must be a special layer of hell for scum like me.

      Passerby
      Reply

  6. This was definitely a pleasant surprise. I think there will be two main stories: rescue of the park, including the business aspects of it, and rescue of Our Hero’s soul, from the dark place he’s fallen to. Deep down, I think he hates himself, and that’s going to change.

    Steven Den Beste
    Reply

  7. As much as I like KyoAni and Takemoto Yasuhiro, I think you made too many FMP references for 1 article ~.~. There’s a lot of other good shows KyoAni and Yasuhiro did, yet you only stuck to one really old one.

    Kraft
    Reply

    1. It’s less about Takemoto, I suppose, and more about Gatoh Shouji, the author of Amagi Brilliant Park the light novel, which the anime is adapted from. He also wrote Full Metal Panic, which Takemoto was also involved in the anime of. I’m sure I mentioned this in the preview. In any case, FMP is the closest point of comparison, and it doesn’t help that many have been asking for KyoAni to finish adapting FMP for a long time, obviously with no success. I considered addressing Amaburi’s relationship with FMP an obligatory task.

      I could have talked about Hyouka, I suppose, where Gatoh worked on series composition, but it’s not really the same kind of show as Amaburi at all. That said, I guess I should never pass up on a chance to mention how good Hyouka was.

      Passerby
      Reply

  8. Finally something nice from good ‘ol Kyoani.

    their later works are kinda bad to very bad. Chuunikoi, Tamako market, Kyokai no kanata. And not even talk about that fujos money-grabber abominations. Hyouka is the only good show they produced.

    Fumoffu
    Reply

    1. Right you are, Hyouka was the last truly great thing they did.
      And it’s a shame, because they were in a roll in the mid to late 2000s. They had FMP!, they key adaptations, even Haruhi. I don’t know what went wrong (Although if I’d have to guess it was probably K-on!), but any step back on the right direction is most welcome.

      Xellos
      Reply

      2. I can’t agree. Hyouka was same moecrap they’re producing after K-ON. They even killed Haruhi TV series with Endless Eight, so last good anime from them was Clannad After Story.

        @scruffy
        That doesn’t change the fact that K-ON was a sh*t.

        JustPassinBY
        Reply

      3. Wow, I got two people with polar opposite opinions against me. Let me say this first though, you are both entitled to your own opinions. However @scruffy I don’t personally think that popularity equals quality.
        As for @JustPassinBy it ismy opinion thateverything KyoAni has done since air is moe. Now of course there’s a difference between making a moe show with a PoP good storyline (Clanna d) and making a moe show just for the sake of moe (k-on).
        And yes I do believe Hyouka, with its great character interactions,small but interesting mysteries and superb visuals is the former.
        As for endless eight,I actually thing it’s amazing just for they fact they produced it and got it to air, and I think it fits Haruhi to a tee. It might get repetitive, but the idea behind it is genius.

        Xellos
        Reply

  9. A rather boring premiere. Aside from bantering between Kanie and Bonta-kun (which at most just made me chuckle), nothing i found actually entertaining on the premier. The manzai antics between Kanie and Isuzu were also complete off to me, so was any other jokes involving the rundown conditions of Amagi Park. Thankfully, Kanie is not a complete idiot and was capable of quickly grasping the situations, though i’ve no idea why he was chosen by the loli princess in the first place. Anyway, the first eps hasn’t done really much for me, but since it’s written by Gatoh himself guess i’ll stick with it for few more eps.

    Amiluhur
    Reply

  10. This show was fun as hell. From the first shot of our hero getting a gun shoved in his face, to the final ones of nekkid girl backsides (loved that deadpan ‘eeek’ she did), I was entertained all the way throughout. It’s full of energy and colour, the characters clicked right away and I laughed my ass off at a wide variety of gags (dear god that park was awful, I just lost it for some reason at the crappy animatronic flowers).

    The episode did a good job in setting up the story, anyway, and I’m interested to see where it’ll go. I’ll surely be along for the ride…metaphorically speaking, of course (the rollercoasters in the show are a Final Destination waiting to happen).

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  11. Interesting so far! I can feel the nostalgic Fumofu comedic vibes from this show. I thought it was so cute how Isuzu did a late reaction with her “kya…”! It’ll take me a while to get back to the mood where KyoAni is now catering to the males because it feels like it’s been a while, haha! Curious so far where they’ll take this…

    Thanks for writing this up, Passerby! Can’t wait to read the rest of your entries.

    rochichan
    Reply

  16. It was okay. It kept me entertained and if it was a little boring it needed the set-up of how bad the park is now for how good it will be in the end. I can forgive it that. This has potential.

    GoukaRyuu
    Reply

  18. There is a big difference in this anime that is based on a novel, first the original was get 100.000 visitors in 2 weeks. Here is 250.000 visitors in 3 months… and thats easier, meh XD.

    Second, in the original the princess is blind. O.o.

    Read the manga too xd.

    Also THAT ASSS, where does she hides the musket i wonder LOL, its really big to fit haha xD

    Treyon
    Reply

    1. I wouldn’t be surprised if they gone and change some stuff since when this was announced only the first volume was out and 2nd had just begun promotion. I’m still surprised though Show Spoiler ▼

      megalith
      Reply

    2. It was only 4-6 seconds. I’m a bit peeved with everyone making a big deal of it, whether they love it or hate it. It’s all everyone is talking about, and that’s not even the focus of the anime.

      Sigh. ~.~

      TripleSRank
      Reply

    3. Unfortunately, sex sells. The trend is that Kyoto Animation generally prefers to play things relatively high-brow, but there’s also the matter of faithfulness to the source. The scene in question was in the original too, as far as I understand.

      Passerby
      Reply

  21. Oh man, this was executed so well, we got the classic kyo ani comedy and animation, and we get a really interesting premise, I am so speechless right now, I mean Kyo ani, doing fan service AND a kiss in the first episode???? Count me in on the hype train!! 😀

    Trap Masters
    Reply

  23. It seemed pretty average from a critical standpoint. The protagonist’s character design is typical, although overall it’s nice to see more distinct character designs than moe. The comedy seemed mostly cliché (although I did like the commentary on killing rats as a children’s game). The characters are kinda typical too, but this is only the first episode, so there is plenty of time to flesh them out.

    Even though Kyoani does plenty of supernatural (to the point I could even call it “typical”), I was actually pleasantly surprised by it. This didn’t strike me as a supernatural series, and they’re being up-front about it from the get-go. I hope it’s used meaningfully.

    On a purely personal basis, though, I enjoyed the episode more than I care to admit. Haha.

    TripleSRank
    Reply

  25. For some reason, when I read Passerby’s post, I can hear the words aloud and imagine someone on a stage with a mike. And I mean that in the best way possible. 😀

    I liked all the FMP references! I just finished watching/reading it last week, so it’s exciting to see another Gatoh creation. I guess I should start holding my breath now with the rest of the FMP fans.

    To be honest, I thought the premise sounded uninteresting, but instead I was pleasantly surprised. It was funny. 🙂

    I usually hate pointless/repetitious fan service, but it was funny how the wind blew and the viewer couldn’t see it, but the anime made a point of saying what the color was. Like “there you go, check one on the fanservice list”. Also for the first time I feel like I understood the perspective of a boy who walks in on a naked girl by accident. The delayed “kyaa…” was funny too. 🙂

    Chloesong
    Reply

  26. “Mom, that girl’s wearing shim pan. Standard equipment!”
    “Shh! Be a gentleman and pretend you didn’t ee anything!”
    —————————————————
    “I have no time to waste on this walking copyright violation”
    “BontaMoffle hates being called a rip-off more than anything”

    Absolutely the best lines thus far for the season and it’s really fitting that FMP Moffle Cafe is a survival game house. I was expecting Sagara Sousuke to be in that suit

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
    Chuu2koi x Tomoe Mami?

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
    *Hums credens justitiam*

    cruiser2710
    Reply

  28. @Passerby

    I think a lot of people would be mind blown by the fact that the author named some of his characters after rappers:

    Latifa Fleuranza -> Queen Latifah

    Kanie Seiya 可児江 西也 -> Kanye West(西)

    Sento Isuzu 千斗 いすず which could be written as 五十鈴 -> Fifty Cent

    Kyuubu Aisu 久武藍珠 -> Aisu Kyuubu ICE CUBE

    oliviaven
    Reply

    2. Thanks for noting this! I was wondering why the names didn’t sound typical, but I know nothing about popular music and rappers in particular, so couldn’t draw the connections.

      That said, now that I know I’m going to try and forget it again, because I still want to be able to look these characters in the eye with a straight face. I giggle at silly names far too much as is.

      Passerby
      Reply

    1. Oh yes, Disney is quite infamous for what they put their theme park employees through. Perhaps their intense micromanagement is the key to success, but the stories you hear about the conditions make their parks sound like very suffocating places to work at.

      Passerby
      Reply

  31. The impression I got was the protagonist was going to revive a closed down theme park. I was really surprised that Amagi Brilliant Park was still open for business given how bad the place is (except for the croquettes). It has been a while too to see narcissistic main character. Can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a protagonist who acknowledges his own good looks and talent that he gets branded as weird. Also interesting thing you mentioned Passerby. I didn’t know the theme park business was in that bad of a shape in Japan. Now I haven’t read this series but with Kanie’s new mind reading abilities, I’m guessing he’s gonna be using it to get feedback on what people want to see in the park, kinda like that movie “What Women Want” with Mel Gibson, if anyone saw that.

    Zhinvu
    Reply

    1. During the Japanese economic bubble people went a bit crazy and built amusement parks everywhere. Kind of like the Dubai construction frenzy. When the bubble popped there just wasn’t enough demand to sustain all of them, and most were forced to shut down. Dead theme parks just sat around and rusted, like sun-bleached carcasses strewn across the desert. It’s a bit sad, really.

      Passerby
      Reply

      1. Considering the how much land space theme parks occupy, not to mention the budget needed to build them, yes it’s definitely sad to think that majority of them just close down and are left to just wither away. Nice comparison by the way, the sun-bleached carcasses I mean.

        Zhinvu
        Reply

  33. I thought the episode was pretty awesome. Couldn’t stop chuckling either from the SeiyaIsuzu manzai or Moffuru’s antics (that spitting! And that’s Kawasumi Ayako there :p)

    It’s a good setup, and like with any LN adaptation it’s good to temper your expectations. No doubt there are differences from the original material, but on the whole it is pretty enjoyable.

    Amaburi seems to touch many genres here, though comedy’s obviously the main one. It will be interesting to delve into Seiya’s past about what happened that caused him to quit and possibly change (cue connected past with Amaburi and complicated family circumstances) and that’s something which keeps viewers who don’t allow themselves to be blindsided by expectations and one or two flaws to enjoy the show.

    I’m in love with Isuzu now, what with her great proportions and my kuudere alert going off. That faint blush when her ‘standard equipmwnt was seen and called out by a kid, when she talks about the love hotel, then that delayed show of embarrassment is just….HNNGH!

    In any case, I’m looking forward to Seiya displaying his abilities to help Amaburi eventually, and bring us on one heck of a rollercoaster ride. Thanks for blogging this passerby, and keep up the good work!

    Owaranai
    Reply

  34. “And, of course, let’s not forget Bonta-kun Moffle (Kawasumi Ayako), serving as that small bone thrown to all the frothing FMP! fans.”

    As a desperate FMP fan who is still waiting for the later arcs to be animated, I’ll take ANY bone thrown at me.

    paulrenzo
    Reply

  35. I almost felt a bit hollow inside watching this after the double doses of Free! man candy I got over the past year. But alas, as much as I tend to dread the harem-ish vibes most Kyoani shows give off. I am still sticking with this one for the chemistry of the main duo alone. They were great, and with a gorgeous production value, I’m always willing to give Kyoani the benefit of the doubt.

    Kagehina13
    Reply

    1. Yup, you’re right.

      Haruhi – https://i.imgur.com/bsOwZcW.jpg
      Kanon – https://i.imgur.com/RaZsFXw.jpg
      Clannad After Story – https://i.imgur.com/6bKhGV5.jpg

      It’s not until that kiss has Kyo-Ani ever presented us with a clear kiss where we can see the characters’ expressions.
      https://i.imgur.com/MbQz3Fs.jpg

      Besides kisses, Kyo-Ani also seems to shy away from panty shots for some reason. (Yet aren’t afraid to show Isuzu’s ass in this pilot episode)

      anonymous
      Reply

      1. For the kisses, it may not just be KyoAni being a bunch of prudes. From a writing standpoint, what is not shown is often just as important as what is shown. Implying the romance can be more effective than showing the face-sucking. Not all the kisses you cite are intended to be romantic (and the one in this episode is not either) but a clever director implies a romantic angle by hiding certain details. Consider different kinds of scenes where the face or eyes of a character are hidden. Shots like those invite the viewer to project emotion onto those characters. Drawing in the viewer like that can be powerful stuff.

        Passerby
        Reply

  38. Keeping their recent works in mind,my expectations for KyoAni shows were pretty low,assuming I gave them a shot at all. But Amagi Brilliant Park feel’s somewhat different.

    Is it because KyoAni actually showed some nudity and an actual kiss(even if it wasn’t done that well,at least it’s something)? Is it because Isuzu is not a clutz who’s supposed to be funny because she’s a clutz and well,moe. Or am I just biased because I like the deadpan humor that a kuudere brings? Probably all of the above but whatever, I’m hooked although I’m not trusting of KyoAni enough to let my guard down so soon. Please,please don’t screw this up.

    MgMaster
    Reply

  39. By all that is righteous and awesome in this world, I sincerely hope that KyoAni is finally getting their mojo back with this. Goodness do I wish that this is the case.

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%2031.jpg

    Dat Kiss.

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%2033.jpg

    Dat Ass.

    All positive signs, but we’re not out of the woods yet. As anyone who’s followed KyoAni in recent years knows, they’ve been straying from what made them so reputable in the first place. Try as they might, they just haven’t been the same studio that brought us FMP and Haruhi Suzumiya.

    Playing it safe, one could say? Mid-studio crisis, perhaps? Something like that. You know what I mean, right? Right.

    Anyhow, I do like what I see (in more ways than one, of course ;D), and the overarching theme of “hopes and dreams” is something I can definitely get behind, though I wait with somewhat bated breath to see if the delivery can follow through and really make the impact it needs to. Fingers crossed, everyone.

    Ryan Ashfyre
    Reply

  41. Theme Park/RollerCoaster Tycoon the anime. That’s what I thought after I finished watching this episode. It has a lot of elements from those games. From that dull roller coaster to the MC’s magic, it really feels like the writer got inspiration from those games. If they can combine fun management with good harem antics, this’ll be a blast. Speaking of games, that shooting house needs a nerf!

    theirs
    Reply

  43. So, I’m a little skeptical as to how this might turn out. Not really because of lack of faith in Gatoh Shouji (I assure you, that is not the case) but because going by news that there will be an “Amagi Brilliant Park the Animation” manga, that Kyoani will seriously screw around with things and make the same mistakes they did with Chuu2 and KnK.

    Other than some changes to certain details and a skipped scene, it was pretty consistent with the manga adaptation. Don’t really remember the flashback being like that. I must say it gave off a little bit of a woman beating vibe, which would not be cool.

    In closing, I’d say it was pretty good. Pacing seemed a bit slow and the jokes were decent but not many made me lol. Oh and the cast list must be trolling because that does not sound like Kakuma Ai. Hats off to her. Particularly that delayed, monotone, “kyaa.” Was pretty adorable.

    Ah yes and (even though this pic is everywhere in the comments section already) I must say…

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2033.jpg

    this is the best way to get dressed when getting out of the shower.

    Kuntzy
    Reply

  44. It looks like this will be another moecrap series from KAni but this time full with fanservice. Good backgrounds like in all anime that they produced but still stinks with moe. Also I’m only one that takes including Bonta-kun in this series as offense?

    JustPassinBY
    Reply

  45. It feels good to be excited about a Kyoani series again, doesn’t it? This didn’t blow me away in the same way Hyouka’s première did, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. I especially enjoyed little touches like Kanie leaning in to his own reflection, and Isuzu’z delayed ‘K-kyaa…’ I expect it’ll only improve from here.

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2035.jpg

    Isuzu’s got some powerful looking hands..

    whemleh
    Reply

  52. Nice first ep. The op from AKINO makes me remind of all those nice songs of hers from the Aquarion franchise. If they keep going like this, KyoAni will have another big win on their hands, but it will surely not quench the thirst of FMP fans for another season.

    Exukvera
    Reply

  55. With these 3 Pictures, these Screenshots here sugessting a Animated VN Game 🙂

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2014.jpg

    Admit it, this is standard Graphics in a VN. Just they exchange the backgrounds.. Are they playing with this kind of Joke here? 🙂

    Germanguy
    Reply

      2. I felt that she’s the milder version of Sagara Sousuke what with lack of common sense and having an itchy trigger finger and thinking that shoving a musket into someone’s face will solve all problems. She will smile about as often as Sousuke would smile.

        Mincemaker
        Reply

    1. Perhaps it is this “Miracle” he is about to do, that keep me bite the Hook. I dunno, and the Princess Moe, do the rest. Awo, it’s hard to write down my Emotion for “love” this Anime

      So, Amagi Brilliant Park has +1 Watcher

      Well, done

      Germanguy
      Reply

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