Edomae Elf – 01

OP Sequence

OP: 「奇縁ロマンス」 (Kien Romance) by Nanao Akari

「東京のエルフのはなし」 (Tokyo no Elf no Hanashi)
“The Elf of Tokyo”

Edomae Elf begs to question what you would do if your shrine was dedicated to a sexy milfy elf who loved anime, video games, and model kits. Yes, shrine maiden Koito is in for quite a shake-up when she winds up becoming her miko at the Takamimi Shrine.

ELDA RING

I’ll be honest, I really loved this one. I’m not sure if I have enough to say about it to justifyingly sustain multiple weeks, especially with some of the more eventful shows to arrive this season. But seeing Koito having to wrangle with a lazy elf goddess like Elda was really cute and surprisingly touching.

The beautiful glossy sheen to its artwork is so crisp and expressive as it shows off the world and characters that surround it. I think what does the art style the most justice is Elda herself, who is a very expressive and comical character. She has a refined elegance to her that can be quickly cast away in favor of the moe-blob aesthetic she gets when she shrinks down into her otaku form.

She comes off as adorable because of it, but it also sheds some light on the kind of personality she has. Where she has moments where she takes the world around her seriously, but also has her own personal impulses and indulgences she’d rather take on than whatever traditional items are granted to goddesses. The townspeople are in on the uptake too such as an old woman who gave the VR headset so that Elda would pool some money together for the software.

I also found Koito to be endearing as well considering how she has a raw deal of having to feel shackled down to taking on the family business of keeping up with the shrine only to realize how much busy work keeping up with a NEET otaku would give her. She has her own personal interests as well given her fascination with high fashion and urban life. This winds up working against her, however, as the material possessions she personally likes aren’t taken seriously enough by those in her sphere. Where she loves elegant, mature fashion, but is constantly told it’s not her.

The found family element also shines through as a net positive for the show. Koito manages to find a familial figure in Elda as both an unofficial member of their family and a fond figure who helped calm her down after her mother’s passing. It makes for some touching drama to be peppered into a rather calming, comedic slice-of-life about an elf that loves her Nintendo Switch, her Fonta grape soda, and her Red Bull.

It’s a highly competitive season, so unless I put in smaller passages on it, it’ll likely be something I look into for a Final Impressions post. But if you’re looking for a nice breather from some of the heavier fare this season, I’d be more than enthusiastic to recommend Edomae Elf, and I’d like to see how this show turns out.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「おどる ひかり」 (Odoru Hikari) by Cody Lee