Animegataris / First Impressions

「アリス, オカネガタリマセンワ」 (Arisu, Okane ga Tarimasen wa)
“Arisu Can`t Make Enough Money”

Ever since Animegataris began, it’s made itself abundantly clear that plot is not its strongest suite. The twist at the end where Tsubaki is under direct orders from the principal makes that distinction apparent. Instead of developing on the threads that have already been pulled out, they want to include more to the equation.

It doesn’t clear up the air, but rather creates more confusion on what’s happening. Who’s influencing the principal? What does he know about the old anime club? Does he have any information on the beret or Neko, or the role they play in the anime club? Does Erika feel deja vu around Maya because of the Animegataris skits they starred in back when they were doing promos for a Ghost in the Shell movie? Why is Kouki sketchy? These were fun episodes, but the push for the anime club to set up an exhibit definitely feels like an obvious distraction while the show still tries to figure out what exactly it wants to get at with its story.

What makes this frustrating is the fact that it does lighthearted referential comedy very well, and would’ve been perfectly fine without trying to force a deeper story. It was funny to finally see Minoa’s dad outed as a hardcore otaku, giving her a device to record the remaining dubbing because he can’t stand to see anime in trouble. I’m surprised Minoa didn’t catch on at all to her dad being the guy who showed up to Comiket to ease the line of patient otaku, especially since they actually talked about him being a pivotal part of the convention enough so to have studied his face. The revelation that he remembers the anime Minoa watched could also hinder what makes her mixed up anime memories significant since they could just leave it at the anime simply being some average childhood series that her dad remembers her liking. If I put my thinking cap on the shelf, however, it was a joy to see Minoa’s dad come out of his shell, and openly share his obsession with anime with his daughters.

What helps the episode is that the anime the club made was adapted in its entirety in glorious MS Paint-esque fashion. The hodge-podge of ideas the club had about what their anime should have shines the brightest through the slapped-together artwork that genuinely looks like something a high-school otaku would make. It reminded me of a manga my high school anime club was trying to come together to make. The plot was a mess, but I remember we planned on having a gimmick similar to Yui’s fanservicey work-out routine where a character would begin the chapter with a cardboard cutout of a letter of the alphabet, counting down to Z and eventually moving towards Roman numerals.

The slapped-together feel and heart-felt love for anime that encompasses anime clubs is presented with flying colors the the show’s execution and tributes. Reusing the ED theme with the CG girls was a bit weird, even if it was revealed to be a flash forward to the performance of their anime’s theme, but it’s made up right away with the Lucky Star homage in the ending credits. Hopefully, we’re getting a little closer to finding out why everyone’s so hush-hush about the previous anime club, or what’s going on.

Preview

28 Comments

  1. Hopefully, we’re getting a little closer to finding out why everyone’s so hush-hush about the previous anime club, or what’s going on.

    If i use the Cliche:

    Principal was in love with the Mother of them, but she chooses the “otaku” over him, and since them he has an grudge on him

    Or perhaps both was in the Anime Club, where the Mother was also member.. and so on…

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

    2. or…

      1) Principal and their Mother are Siblings, but she choose to trow away the “family name” to marry an “Otaku”

      2) the Otaku stole her Heart while she was in love with Principal, and she break up with the Principal and run away with this Otaku

      3) Principal was once an “Lady Killer!” he could get any woman he wanted, but he lost her to him….

      there are so many possibilities.. choose one

      Worldwidedepp
      Reply

    3. Sounds unlikely that they’d incorporate Minoa’s mom into the conspiracy, but they did show her quite a bit in this episode. You might be onto something if they don’t link the principal to something grander like aliens or ghosts.

      Choya
      Reply

    2. I did find it jarring when it was incorporated into the actual episode instead of a separate thing they played around with for an ED sequence. If I wasn’t a curmudgeon about CGI character models in anime, I’d find it neat that the ED was secretly the theme for the anime club’s short this whole time.

      Choya
      Reply

  3. I am torn at whether this show is mocking anime or is a love letter to anime. I have been suspecting that when they are talk about anime, it shows in the show itself. This proved it, they were talking about rehashing scenes and they did it right here by moving the ED to the performance portion, and even though it could be considered a send up to Lucky Star, it would be exactly what a cash strapped show would do. Now when the other shoe drops and it will (they still have to face the end of the world), will either be awesome or terrible and the club will be talking about how their favorite anime did the same thing.

    sailor80
    Reply

    1. And don’t forget that when Minoa learned that Student Council/Production Committees are inherently evil, the school (evil Evangelion looking villain principal) started plotting against them.

      sailor80
      Reply

    2. Based on the attention to detail the series has shown, it’s more of a love letter to anime fans who come together to worship and critique anime. They raise up the fans who dedicate their lives to anime, but are willing to mock shows that are boring or satirize how much of a hellscape anime production can be for the staff.

      The metahumor also insults itself as a product of anime culture where it wholly embraces some of the most popular tropes and cut corners the same way the shows they look up to do. They do more to butter the viewer up for being aware of what they’re talking about than the medium itself.

      Choya
      Reply

    1. Sounds like the dream. Hold the positive role-model position of a dad, but be secretly a gigantic otaku. It’s also nice that he’s one of those dads who aren’t trying to force their hobbies on their kids, and has the sense to cheer from afar when Minoa got hooked on the anime she loved as a kid.

      Reminds me of alot of otaku who are approaching fatherhood/motherhood with the idea of introducing their children to Ghibli films, where they’re innocuous and imaginative enough to fit in perfectly with Disney classics or Saturday morning programs. The ones who are building a program of DBZ/Sailor Moon DVDs for their kids might be overdoing it, but when kids get hooked on a show, they’re all about making you rewatch it so it wouldn’t be too farfetched to give them something long-form (must’ve made my parents repeat Kiki, Toy Story, and Space Jam a billion times before 3rd grade), and it is something fun to think about as a hypothetical when/if we’re thinking about parenthood.

      Choya
      Reply

  7. If you’re watching Animegataris as something else besides a social commentary on anime subculture, you’re watching it wrong.

    If you don’t have the perspective of the Japanese audience, most of the charm points will fly over your head (doesn’t help that subs translate many things wrong)

    The concert for example, instead of focusing on the CG, you’re supposed to do the calls and chants with the audience. The only other anime I know which incorporated wota was Idolm@ster. It was surprising to hear all the HAI chants,PPPH’s, fu fu, lyric chants etc.

    The short anime they made would be funnier if you can read the title fully in Japanese, CR subs stripped out most of the humor from it.

    ceviche
    Reply

    1. I can see that. The show’s take on the anime subculture is well-researched and sophisticated in the details and intricacies of fandom.

      That’s a shame that the CR subs were a let-down in capturing why things like the CG were meant to be more interactive or how the items lost in translation do a lot to engage the audience. I remember when they had a rough time with the Gabriel Dropout translation.

      Choya
      Reply

      1. I’d agree with you, but then anyone who’s familiar with anisong concerts know that they do calls and chants there as well; not just in idol concerts.

        The point is, Japanese audience knows what those are.

        Another slight pet peeve (just a minor one) was that they had ArisuRobo say “monies” instead of “microtransactions”…

        Little things like these add up to the enjoyment of the show

        Here is the short anime title transcribed:
        Uchuu shoujo majikaru robotto ga isekai ni tenkoushita kekka, henshinshitari utattari shitakedo, saigo wa ten ni mesarete futari ha musubaretano deshita

        ceviche
        Reply

      2. Yes your right. First of all they need to satisfy their homeland fans, and i think they play it right, when i read your reply

        Well, i do not to think it deeper (how did they learn this dance routine? and was is just “first try luck” that it went all without problems…), or i would ruin the happy go lucky mode of this episode and dance

        But, with this “fan Made” anime in this Episode they save the Budget for the “extended ED Dance”, right? They kill two Birds with one stone

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

      3. Also, long time ago (Well in the “Shirobako ending” time) i wrote that i feel like an Supporter. That still is true, but i am not an Creator. I see me more as an “Fine Tuner”.

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

    1. yeap, If Divine would be clever he could sell out the name into the Anime industry, long ago. The this anime here would not called “Animegataris”, no it would be “RandomC” 🙂

      Joke aside, well we do the same thing here. We have this Homepage as an Virtual Club Room, where all over the world can talk about Animes, right?

      Worldwidedepp
      Reply

      1. I should’ve directed my rant at people who are nitpicking on the wrong things about this show
        At least you guys get what it’s going for, but some comments triggered bad memories other discussion boards…
        (Comments like “their short anime was horrible, I give this ep 6/10”)

        ceviche
        Reply

    1. Show Spoiler ▼

      Worldwidedepp
      Reply

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