Demi-chan wa Kataritai / Final Impressions / First Impressions

「亜人ちゃんは泳ぎたい」 (Demi-chan wa Oyogitai)
“Demi-chan Wants to Swim”

Of all the shows ending this season, I’m probably going to miss Demi-chan the most.

Final Impressions

If there’s one show that I could rave and rant about for days, it’d probably be Demi-chan. For a slice-of-life / school-life show, it does so many things so well that I could probably write a thesis on the whole damn thing. But seeing how most people aren’t here to read a thesis (or maybe they are?), let me just jump into some of the things that I absolutely loved about the show.

Starting with the man of the hour, it’d be tough to talk about Demi-chan without first talking about Takahashi Tetsuo who’s casually known as Takahashi-sensei in my posts and just Sensei in the show. As the resident biology teacher who has a degree in the topic, it makes sense that he’d be attracted to the idea of getting to interact and learn about Demi’s. However, that alone would make for a rather boring character and a creepy one at that. Can you imagine this show being as great as it was if Takahashi-sensei was like his friend Souma? Getting back on track, it’s been a pleasure getting to watch Takahashi-sensei grow as both an educator and someone in-between friend and adult for our favorite three girls. Because as most fans of this genre know, things can get somewhat boring rather quickly without something to “stir the pot” every now and then. And trust me, I’m the kind of person who could probably live off of slice-of-life alone but still understands the importance of having a well rounded plot that follows at a bare minimum a sin curve of ups and downs. Which is precisely why I was extremely happy to see that after all of Takahashi-sensei’s success with helping Hikari, Kyouko, and Yuki he ran into some road bumps of his own. Road bumps that were one hundred percent related to the story and were handled by the same people he himself helped in the past — a feat that I applaud the plot and the show runners for handling so damn well. All of which created an amazing character that literally held the entire show together.

That said, a single character alone doesn’t hold a show together and Takahashi-sensei definitely had some assistance from some amazing girls (and Satake). Starting with our main four, there’s no denying that Hikari probably had the biggest impact and screen time comparatively speaking. Taking charge when the situation called for it and pushing forward with whatever she’s planned even if there are things trying to stop it, there was never a dull moment with Hikari on screen. Also, that moment she shared with Takahashi-sensei last week when he was feeling down is probably permanently etched into my memory as one of the most well done emotional scenes I’ve seen, ever. From there we have Kyouko, the “intellectual” one of the group and probably my actual favorite character. Seeing how Takahashi-sensei is a biology teacher and enjoys attacking problems with a science in mind, I’m glad Kyouko gave him the avenue to dive deep into the technical stuff. Having pretty high level conversations that probably wouldn’t have worked with either Hikari or Yuki, it’s nice to watch a show demonstrate that a character is “smart” without having to tell us that they’re “smart”. That and Kyouko is just super cute and adorable and innocent and just hnnnnnnnnnnng. In-between the spectrum lies Yuki, the girl who was introduced “last” but became a really funny character that opened some prime comedic opportunities with that “secret” persona of hers. If anything, she’s probably the closest to a “real life” character with the way she almost breaks the fourth wall by calling things out when she sees it. Last but not least we have Satou-sensei, someone who I wish we saw more of but will take whatever we got. As the Demi with the most everyday issues, I really appreciate the show diving deep in the problems Demis can have by focusing on the Demi with the most when it comes to integrating with society. I’ve talked about Satou-sensei’s troubles quite a bit throughout my posts so I won’t go into those here, but it’s nice to see that besides being our resident succubus she also played the role of someone who Takahashi-sensei could turn to when it may have been inappropriate to discuss with our three girls.

On the side we also had a great cast of side characters that managed to bring their own unique flare to the show. Something that I never really thought about until recently was what was the point of having side characters if they’re just “side” characters? In Demi-chan’s case though, I realized that without these characters, the latter half of the season probably would have felt a lot more flat and possibly quite boring. Also, let me give a shout out to the writers for giving the “evil” Vice Principal such a great introduction and exit from the show. Acting as the unbiased administrator who is simply trying to help everyone in his school get the best experience possible, it’s great to see just how wrong we can about someone based on first appearances as well as how much he helped create the “drama” we needed to keep us on our toes.

Overall, I think Demi-chan had a prime opportunity to do something with the genre by integrating demis into it and I think it completely succeeded in what it tried to do. Anyways, this post has probably gone on for too long so let me end it here with a big thank you to everyone who came for the posts and left great comments week after week.

I’ll see you around the bend one the next season starts. See ya!

35 Comments

  1. If you liked Demi-chan, you’ll probably like the upcoming Summer anime A Centaur’s Life/Centaur no Nayami. It covers the same SOL explorations of tolerance and racial equality, but on a wider and more graphic geopolitical scope than Demi-chan (world’s made up of different demihuman races, tons of historical prejudice, not everything is peacefully resolved). Some chapters even cover historical events and X-Files-style conspiracies.

    zztop
    Reply

    1. The problem with CW is that the author is bipolar. One chapter is about sociopolitical issues and the next is about his piss fetish. There’s a reason scanlation stopped for it. It’s a spastic manga.

      Tarage
      Reply

      2. Have never heard of this manga, but this comment’s the funniest thing I’ve read all day. Central themes includes sociopolitics and urolagnia, wth!?! Never seen a more incongruent pair…

        Zen
        Reply

  5. From the start, Demi-chan gave off a little Flying Witch vibe to me, but initially I didn’t consider this show to be an iyashikei (or “healing/soothing”) type series. But the more I watched the more I think it is. Perhaps not in purest form, but in large part, yes. Everyone is nice and there’s no real conflict with the small exception of the two “mean” girls who really were not all that mean by RL standards, and the issue resolved in a single episode with everyone ultimately becoming friends. That’s not a bad thing, but this realization gave me another perspective on the series, and as such, another way it succeeded.

    I’ve mentioned a few times how I thought this got a superior, noteworthy adaptation and that conclusion remained to the end. Apart from a couple quibbles for Ep. 01, I honestly can’t think of any material issues. Impressive as a lot went right here. From what I recall from reading some of the manga, this not only stayed true to source, but did what a good adaptation should do. It enhanced the source material via the additional visual and auditory elements anime provides. There were some jokes early on which worked better than when I read them in the manga. That’s simply good execution. Overall, I thought both pacing and execution were consistently solid. IIRC, there were some anime-only moments to flesh out short chapters (the chapters are fairly short), but the added material fit almost, if not entirely, seamlessly.

    I think the show nailed Hikari’s character – both visually (including some great “reaction faces”) and voice acting. She’s the most vibrant character and she “popped” off the screen in the anime as she should. Satou-sensi is another one who I thought had better presences vs. the manga while still staying true to character. Honestly, the show did a good job with all the characters (again, including voice acting). Even the last episode was a solid choice. After an emotional Ep. 11, we get a light, fun sendoff. The analogy I would use is it’s like getting a light, palate cleansing dessert after a full meal. I HAVE to think that any fan of the manga is quite pleased with this adaptation. I for one certainly wish that other series I liked would have gotten the same highly quality treatment.

    IMO without question, Hikari was best girl – really best character. What surprised me is Satou-sensei. I liked her well enough in the manga, but anime did such a good job with her character that she became a surprising “second best girl” for me.

    To be honest, Demi-chan wasn’t my favorite show this season (with KonaSuba S2 around, good luck topping that), but certainly a nice watch. Comedy is subjective, but personally that is one area that fell a bit short. Some jokes certainly did hit (usually Hikari based), but on the whole wish the comedy worked better for me. Personally, Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon and (obviously) KonaSuba S2 are superior in that regard. However, I don’t think comedy is a main driver here. As Takaii, I and others have mentioned, Demi-chan is really SOL. HS students coming of age with a light monster-girl twist. So while this wasn’t my favorite show and I may not be the biggest Demi-chan fan, for the type of series this is I cannot see how the anime adaptation can be viewed as anything other than a success. Kudos to the writers, seiyuu, director and production staff.

    daikama
    Reply

  7. You know, for all the feels this series gave me, there is one thing about it that confused me to the end. I never got to see what the bottom of Kyouko’s head looked like. And I have a feeling it will always be a mystery XD I don’t mind tho

    Overall, one of the most pleasant anime I watched in a while. It needed nothing but to just be itself.

    yoloalchemist
    Reply

  9. I definitely enjoyed this show more than I initially expected. You covered just about everything I want to say about the characters and the show overall. I wish we had gotten more Satou-sensei, but I’ll miss Hikari and all her antics the most. Her (non-romantic) relationship with Takahashi-sensei was incredibly fun to watch.

    SK
    Reply

  10. I really hate 12-episodes anime adaptations of unfinished source material.

    This show was otherwise VERY cute and a soothing break in my week. Hikari wins the show, hands down! 🙂

    starss
    Reply

  11. https://randomc.net/image/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2033.jpg

    The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Takahashi Tetsuo is one of those rare main characters that isnt a highschool student yet has more personality and more comedic appeal than your typical harem lead.

    https://randomc.net/image/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2021.jpg

    Satou Sensei is still and will always be Best Girl Sensei in my book!

    This show will be SORELY MISSED! Just like Konosuba 2, Demi-chan is one of those rare comedic gold that are so hard to find!

    Ginobi47
    Reply

  12. https://randomc.net/image/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    Satou-sensei in a bikini… (*gets a nosebleed offscreen*)

    https://randomc.net/image/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
    …and blushing over Takahashi-sensei’s buff bod along with Machi. That was a joy to watch.

    https://randomc.net/image/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai/Demi-chan%20wa%20Kataritai%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2040.jpg
    Nothing like a well-timed rainbow to bring some added brightness to this episode finale.

    While I did enjoy the rather risqué Daily Life With Monster Girl/Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou, I loved Demi-chan wa Kataritai‘s more down-to-earth characters and method of storytelling. Definitely no regrets in picking this show up, and I’ll miss watching this as well. But as always, it’s better that the manga accumulates enough content first before considering a second season for the anime.

    Though I do wonder if the series will follow the main characters up until the three demi students graduate from high school. I feel that Demi-chan wa Kataritai has the potential to do a graduation finale that’s just as bittersweet (tear-jerky) and heartwarming as the end of the K-On! anime. Perhaps I’m getting way ahead of myself here, but that’s one idea I don’t mind suggesting…as long as the author gives it his (or her?) own twist.

    Incognito
    Reply

  13. Loved the last few Satou x Takahashi moments! But man I’d be worried about letting people dunk my head into the water to be honest… I guess her body’s there to handle things if she needs a breath but still

    Bambi
    Reply

  15. >Starting with the man of the hour, it’d be tough to talk about Demi-chan without first talking about Takahashi Tetsuo who’s casually known as Takahashi-sensei in my posts and just Sensei in the show.

    Iron Man, to his boys.

    Guile
    Reply

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