First Impressions / Series Introduction / Snapshots

OP Sequence

OP: 「愛のプリズン」 (Ai no Prison) by 監獄男子 (Kamiya Hiroshi, Konishi Katsuyuki, Suzumura Kenichi, Namikawa Daisuke, Okitsu Kazuyuki)

 

「ノゾキ大作戦」 (Nozoki Daisakusen)
“The Peep Job”

Prison School is pretty much a direct translation of the setting for this new summer anime. Hachimitsu is a private academy which was one an all-girls boarding school. It recently started accepting male students and this year, there are 5 of them – Fujino Kiyoshi (Kamiya Hiroshi), Morokuzu Takehito (Konishi Katsuyuki), Andou Reiji (Okitsu Kazuyuki), Nezu Jouji (Namikawa Daisuke) and Wakamoto Shingo (Suzumura Kenichi). All 5 of them attempt to “peep” on the girls while they’re bathing and get caught by the new Underground Student Council – comprised of Shiraki Meiko (Itou Shizuka), Kurihara Mari (Ohara Sayaka) and Midorikawa Hana (Hanazawa Kana). They’re sentenced to a month “in jail” where they literally live in a prison outside of their dorms and are forced to take classes through a TV scene. They’re also given tasks outside of their normal school load and if they don’t listen – they get punished.

I’ll start by saying that I don’t think I’m the intended audience for this show… perhaps I should’ve read more into the fine lines about what I was getting myself into, but Prison School is not quite what I expected. It wasn’t the plot so much as it was the characters themselves, the amount of censorship and just the overall pace of the show that caught me by surprise. The synopsis sounds innocent enough, but I thought it was terribly misleading when it comes to just how far down the ecchi road this anime goes. I’m normally pretty good when it comes to watching ecchi scenes because, well… I’m a lady and I have all these body parts anyway. It’s only when the camera is up someone’s skirt and their bust is bigger than their head (and there’s no way a blazer could stay like that!) that I get a bit annoyed. This isn’t funny to me so I can’t say that it’s the type of comedy that I tuned in for. If you are looking for ecchi though and don’t mind the censorship, then this is right up your alley! Luckily there’s plenty of other material that makes me laugh so I’m not completely zoned out. Perhaps I’m just jealous that Meiko’s bust defies gravity.

There are going to be plenty of folks that will complain about the censorship already, so I’m just going to point it out. Yes – there’s a lot of white bars that fill the scene. It’s particularly annoying when it’s a bathroom scene and I can’t see half the animation! Obviously that’s not what I’m here for, but it does ruin the scene when I’m distracted by what “could be” on the screen instead. Another thought was about the incredibly fast pacing. I haven’t read the manga, but sources say it’s a good 5-6 chapters in already and that’s a lot for a single episode (normally they’re 1 or 2 chapters?). I won’t lie, the names of everyone totally escaped me (other Kiyoshi and Chiyo) and I had to look it up afterwards. Not to mention that there’s a lot that we learn about each individual in a very short span. The relationship between Chiyo and Kiyoshi formed quickly (for a guy that never speaks to girls) and we already know Hana and Meiko’s torture tactics on these men. Given that this is a comedy series, I don’t think it needs a whole lot of time for development and plot – but perhaps an extra few seconds to digest what’s happening would be nice.

Now for the comedy – I do think it’s funny and I rarely laugh out loud when watching anime. The charm that gets to me are all the expressions from the guys (mainly Kiyoshi) and the trouble they get themselves into. Some of them have pretty creepy facial expressions… but for the most part, this is my type of humor. What’s not my type of humor is seeing the guys get beat up and enjoying it. Uh, that’s a bit too S&M for me and in a way that’s just not my cup of tea. Not all the characters have distinguished qualities yet, but I do laugh when their reactions catches me off guard. Overall, the show is amusing and if you’re looking for mindless fun that’s ecchi and exaggerated, then I would say give this a try. It’s quite a shallow watch so it doesn’t require deep thinking on a Friday night to get what’s going on through these boys’ heads. Since the pacing is fast (maybe that’ll change?), you can bet that you won’t be bored and the episode speeds by so you have nothing to lose.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: Not sure how to describe #PrisonSchool in the right words. It’s a mix of disturbing, controversial and funny… =S Don’t think I can ever take #PrisonSchool seriously but it’s amusing and funny and so awkward to watch at times =X #プリズン

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「罪深き俺たちの賛歌」 (Tsumibukaki Oretachi no Sanka) by by 監獄男子 (Kamiya Hiroshi, Konishi Katsuyuki, Suzumura Kenichi, Namikawa Daisuke, Okitsu Kazuyuki)

Preview

44 Comments

  1. Well, i dunno. the only 5 Boys in the school and of top of that Fresh ones. No one is looking in how they are threaten? As if you let the first 5 Girls into an Boys Only School, and pretend all will be alright

    But oh well, this is Anime. They need something to catch the Viewers, and to pleasure their SM fantasies and all Girls (or nearly all) are Sluts. and always Boys want to see the real thing. Porn books or Internet are not real enough for me.. Like the usually peeking on Onsen bath episodes

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

    1. it’s filed under snapshots. I say the chances of Cherrie blogging this on a regular basis are 0. watch out for the “snapshots” tag, most shows get 3 episodes’ coverage tops.

      Helvetica Standard
      Reply

  4. Yeah…they breezed though a lot this episode. But honestly, when you compare it to the manga, them blazing through stuff is going to be a god-send. Because the manga has a habit of beating around the bush and prolonging scenes for more chapters than they’re worth. Two examples would the the 69 Infinity and the 69 Medusa scenes (doubt we’ll get to those as they’re in the second arc). They were amusing at first but they realllllly dragged those out more than it should have been to the point where it became stupid. So them condensing this down might actually be a good thing. I will say though (despite that its the second arc material), the backstory on Meiko’s boobs is pretty….heartwarming and full of dawwwwwh~ and kick ass!

    asdf
    Reply

      1. When you’re a kid who develops early (it wasn’t disgustingly huge back then, just above average compared to the other girls) and you get sh*t for it and the only person who doesn’t care about it and will talk to you is the child-version student council president, it’s pretty heartwarming -considering that’s how they became friends. Then again….I actually read it and assuming you didn’t, so yes, they didn’t manage to make something like that heartwarming.

        asdf
        Reply

    2. Hmmm, interesting thoughts. I actually thought the opposite in that rather than feeling the scenes were dragged out, I felt that they were great at building tension(also helps that the manga is wonderfully drawn), something the anime will undoubtedly struggle with.

      MgMaster
      Reply

  5. It’s a very fan-service oriented series, so I can’t blame you for being turned off. I tend to dislike those as well, Prison School is no exception. I’m also a man, which shows it’s not just a gender issue. I find fanservice to usually negatively affect the quality of a series’ plot.

    Nic
    Reply

    1. Based on this first episode only, I didn’t think it was very fan service oriented as I expected. It’s done in a fan service setting but it seemed to focus on the comedy aspect of it. I was pleasantly surprised.

      dxb_blackwolf
      Reply

    2. So not so much as a response to this, but towards the subject as a whole (including the first op of not expecting Cherrie to review this). I really don’t see how gender has anything to do with people watching fan-service type shows, or even orientation for that matter. Hell, I’ll just throw it out there, I’m gay but I actually like this type of stuff (the over-the-top sleaze). Heck, even one of my friends who’s a straight-girl watches this kind of stuff religiously (Seikon no Qwaser/that boob stealing show/etc.) When it comes to fan-service -asides from the people who get off on it- there are people who just watch it because it amuses them for certain reasons. For me I just find it amusing how unrealistically over-the-top things get when you compare it to being made in a place like Japan of all places.
      Not to mention that god-forbid someone on YT makes a comment saying how all gay people hate DxD and I say that isn’t true as its moreso the people that hate fanservice coming from a gay guy. Oh boy, the amount of hate responses I got of people who can’t understand the fact that people’s genders/orientations don’t dictate what they watch were too much I had to close down my account. Where was I going with this….
      Oh yeah, when it comes to really watching any media, people shouldn’t be surprised that one person actually likes something, and as you said, gender isn’t an issue, but moreso if people can handle it. Because who knows, that girl sitting next to you in class one day might be a total pervert *coughs* my friend *coughs*

      asdf
      Reply

  6. The thing with Prison School is, it’s definitely one of the shows that gets better as it progresses (by better, I mean more crazy). It’s like the author realizes how absurd the premise can be, and he goes to that length. I think it’s a matter of getting accustomed to the extreme fan service and lewd humor, which won’t fit everyone, naturally. Once you get used to it, it’s a crazy fun ride. I can’t count that number of times I had to stop reading the manga because I was laughing like a maniac. xD

    With the pace it’s going at, It might not be a bad thing since the show gets better in the latter arcs. Understandably, it’s not a show that’s fit for everyone, but if you enjoyed the premiere, then you guys are in for a real gem.

    chromenova
    Reply

    1. This crap does not improve in even the slightest as it goes on. It’s remained exactly the same stupid, unfunny and highly offensive garbage for almost 200 chapters now.

      blargh
      Reply

      3. As a manga reader, I admit that the series is nothing to write home about but I think you’re missing the point of it.

        It is meant to be read/watched with your brain turned off. Everything is so over the top and ridiculous that I thinking man will get offended. Just sit back, get some popcorn, and enjoy your comedy-hentai.

        Char
        Reply

  7. I will assume that you are looking too deeply into this anime. The manga is great btw you should take the time to read it as the anime is really fast paced and you miss most of the reasoning behind it.
    That being said for a woman to understand the guys is a bit tough. This guys, with the exception of Andre, aren’t so much enjoying the abuse from a S&M perspective but more like this is the contact with a woman they have never had before. They like it because they feel that is the only contact that they will get especially after getting caught peeping. They also never had any type of conversation or relationship with women so for the extremely seductive VP doing that to them (close up panty shots, boobs bouncing/swaying just Meiko all together) they enjoy to the fullest.
    The fast pace is in a sense bad for this because you don’t have enough time to let things sink in or build up for the next outrageous event to happen. Censorship-kun really ruins the whole experience because this is nowhere near close to Highschool DxD or Seikon no Qwaser. Also the way I interpret all the racy shots is almost like the reader or viewer is along side those boys and the view that the boys want to see we are given. So the ecchi is supposed to be there because we are riding along with 5 pubescent boys that never gotten close to a single woman in what was a all girls school. My advice is to read the manga to get a better understanding of why things are funny and why so many people have been looking forward to this. It is really good and will surprise you.

    Blood Pact
    Reply

    1. They never had contact with Girls? that is a lame excuse. Then Boys that grown up with a Sister are save? or had a Mother?

      No, these never saw the opposite Sex, so it’s normal for them. That would work long ago in the Past. But today we are in 2015, or you life in India…

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

      1. or the other side.

        Girls that had never contact with Boys. Have they some kind of nymphomania?

        I know, i am upsetting of nothing. But i do not admire Animes where Girls and Boys are just downgraded to Sex toys. if i would have that, i would watch Hentai’s

        WorldwideDepp
        Reply

      2. man you completely missed the point. They could be around women all day every day but if they don’t have any interactions with them personally then they might as well be in a world of men looking at women in magazines, on tv etc. Also for this type of guy to be swarmed with nothing but women and 4 other guys that are in the same position makes it rough on them. You have to remember these guys are timid, shy and go with the flow. They show courage at times but not all the time. If you can’t tell just look how Kiyoshi acts when he attempts to talk to them. Now look at when he is asked about his eraser. It is funny but you have think of it from their perspective not yours.

        Blood Pact
        Reply

  13. The prison school pilot was laugh out loud hilarious! The point of the show I think, is that all the boys are incorrigible perverts. If you apply IRL physics or are turned off by the over the top fanservice you’re kind of missing the point.

    What I really think nailed it for me was the facial expressions, some of the guys faces are drawn in such a goofy manner that you can totally see their hopes, their dreams, and their terrible perverted intentions plastered all over their ridiculous countenances.

    Also I’m a huge advocate for the prison school manga! At first I thought it was stupid and pandered a little too much, but as you go on you’ll realize ITS REALLY FUNNY! you all should give it a shot.

    bluerogue
    Reply

  14. my manliness is raging, shouting JUSTICE. I WANT TO SEE this females get their intestines and a$$ served to them by one of the MC males. and see that they are wrong to mess with guys life too much.

    there’s got to be a limit to patience.

    errr… wait… this is an anime. be civilized “myself”. IT IS FICTION

    Jeffers
    Reply

  15. this anime has tons of FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!!FEMDOM!!! and more FEMDOM!!!, what else.

    cutemi2
    Reply

  16. I think the pacing of this first episode is way too fast but considering the source material got much better only after quite a few episodes in, maybe this is for the better.

    I also found that Meiko(vice president) crossed over the fan-service region and became a joke itself.

    runner
    Reply

  17. I came into the show hoping it’d be something like Rainbow, way to set the bar unrealistically high. But that it wouldn’t be a masterpiece like that became quickly apparent. I enjoyed the comedy, except the torture side of it.

    If anything I’m only disappointed because I feel like I can predict the next couple of episodes: More torture, an escape to see wrestling, some fanservice and lovey-dovey, a capture, a longer prison sentence and the reveal that the MC was peaking at the girls. A desperate fight to redeem himself in the eyes of the girl, more torture and possibly a revolution. Oh, and ofc extreme amounts of fan service on the way. We’ll definitely see the President hot and bothered soon. Maybe a fucking beach episode.

    If it diverges from that (i.e. less stereotypical) I’ll stick around.

    Stainblag88
    Reply

  18. So like, after watching this hilarious 1st ep I read the manga read up till chapter 68 and well, I don’t think I have the strength to laugh anymore. This is probably the most creative lewd comedy I saw. So many “Did that just happen?” moments.

    But’s it’s not just comedy, albeit the ridiculousness of it all is what often lead’s triggers the events and therefore lead’s the story. There’s even like, a strong sense of camaraderie between these um, let’s just say unfortunate(to put it mildly) guys, one not there from the very beginning, but one who’s been built up through harsh lessons, including failures in the form of temptation & betrayal. You just can’t help but cheer for these guys. Overall, you could say that the events that happen are just there to take the characters from point A to point B and for us to enjoy the ride. Most of them are triggered by a ridiculous event(and solved by it).

    Now, having read a bit of the manga I can sadly say that the censorship will affect the experience and I don’t mean just the fanservice. The ecchiness of Prison School & comedy go hand in hand as there’s a lot of visual humor that often start’s from the ecchi. The lewdness isn’t just there to serve as just fanservice and then disappear – oh no. Whole events are triggered by it, characters will plot & scheme while having some priceless facial expressions and over the top reactions.

    So what I’m getting at is that a lot of the humor just won’t work if you can’t see what’s happening. Maybe it’d work with clever use of mild censorship but based on what we’ve seen here, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Should still be an enjoyable series, but the censorship will sadly take more out of it than people expect.

    MgMaster
    Reply

    1. Agree 100%!!
      i’m sure many of us who read the manga did not come into this expecting the same level of ecchi and high quality art “although i think they did a fairly good job considering cersorship restraints”. the pacing was rushed, which feels abit awkward but perhaps that will workout in the grand scheme of things.

      Take it for what it is people.. to the PC crowd and those who fancy themselves mental dynamos on the subjective topic of comedy……..lighten up! …seriously

      BROOKLYN otaku
      Reply

      1. Heh, well on the bright side, hearing the characters voiced should add to the hilarity of it all, and the VA choices are excellent, especially for Kiyoshi & Hana. It’s a give & take I guess. Thought it remains to be seen how much this adaptation will give and how much it’ll take.

        MgMaster
        Reply

    2. It begs the question:
      “Who has the bigger bust–Meiko, or High School DxD‘s Akeno?”

      Not only do they have the same voice, but both characters have sadistic tendencies. (Though Meiko’s sadism is cranked up to eleven.)

      Also, I initially thought Meiko was a hot teacher based on the promo poster. (Didn’t read the manga.) So she’s actually younger than she looks?

      Cautiously following this show.

      Incognito
      Reply

  22. Love the show even though I’m a girl, I did have some warning from one of my friends who read the manga….. then again, I’m watching Monster Musume too this season.

    Shushiholic
    Reply

  23. i tried to get into the manga, and, like Shingeki no Kyojin, I cant seem to do it, but not for the same reasons. For Kyojin, its the art that turned me off. With this, its the… randomness of shit / story going all over the place.
    So yea…. not watching this.

    Redjuice Fan
    Reply

  24. I don’t get why fujino got caught as well since he was just looking at the punishment of the other boys without any evidence or hint that he was peeping…
    It would appear from just this episode that he was thrown in with the other four for nothing else besides being a boy.
    For those who read the manga, did they show a better reason in the manga or was it the same there as well?
    As for the four that did get caught, only a true M would enjoy that treatment like they do 😛

    damrod
    Reply

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