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「侵略者を撃て！」 (Shinryaku-sha o Ute!)
“Shoot the Invader!”
A finale full of assassination, arson, political intrigue, and one lowly otaku being more badass than he has any right.
Serious, Keep It Serious
Predominately comedic shows can have problems when they try to go serious, when the jokes and gags that got them this far no longer work. Kyoukai no Kanata ran afoul of this, when jokes during the serious scenes totally poisoned the mood for me. (Except for with Akki’s mother, but there are exceptions to every rule.) Here they did pretty well, with most of the serious scenes staying serious throughout…except when Shinichi went running towards a burning building for his precious rare edition of Comptiq. Shinichi, whyyy!!
I’ll admit that I facepalmed at that. I wish they could have done it a better way, because anticipating that Shinichi would do something so stupid is…well, not as farfetched as I’d prefer, but no one likes to see their main character make things so much worse for themselves like that. I like to think that they had another plan in mind in case Shinichi didn’t fall for that. Probably not though.
Political Intrigue
Backing up, I liked that the political intrigue was in full force this week. That they would actually start off the episode with an assassination attempt wasn’t unexpected but was still in some ways surprising; it’s a risk, throwing an assassination attempt into such a generally light-hearted show, but they’ve managed to keep the diplomatic subplots just present enough throughout the series to make it work.
Battle Meido
I want six battle meido too!! Seriously, one of the best parts of the episode was seeing the combat meido foil the assassination attempt, see them go everywhere with Shinichi, making him feel uncomfortable, until…zam! Ladykiller Shinichi strikes again, hah! If I were Petrarca I’da sent some burly men to guard Shinichi at that point (or, let’s be honest, from the very beginning), but I’m not complaining when battle meido are on the table. Seriously, magic-wielding, bullet-blocking, ass kicking meido are just about the Top 5 things on my Badass-Hot List. All of the Top 5. And most of the Top 50. I like meidos a lot.
The Frightened Main Character – Shinichi’s Victory
So Shinichi gets marks off for running into a burning building for a stupid reason, but his ploy at the end wins back quite a lot. Going into a meeting with the Prime Minister, calling him on all of his bullshit, and then getting him to admit what he was up to where Petrarca could hear? That was ballsy stuff, real ballsy, and I loved to see it.
Most of all, I liked that Shinichi admitted he was scared. No surprise, but it reiterated that Shinichi is a more realistic character than most protagonists. He has his beliefs and he comes through when it counts, but he’s not about to pretend he’s a great fighter or a brave hero. He is who he is, and that’s been enough to earn his harem and keep Japan from making some of the mistakes they seem so determined to make.
Jinzaburou – Not Really A Villain After All
Bonus points go to Shinichi for guessing that Jinzaburou would have a backup plan, and that he wasn’t as evil as some were saying. Jinzaburou always struck me as the consummate bureaucrat, someone who was trying to do the best he could for his frequently erratic bosses while covering his own ass in the process. That doesn’t make him a good guy, not necessarily – he was certainly an antagonist for the last two episodes – but he’s more complex than some cookie-cutter villain. The Prime Minister, he was a pretty textbook villain, and that’s okay because they didn’t bother to flesh him out and he served his purpose. Jinzaburou wasn’t. He was a more interesting character, even if he wasn’t always on Shinichi’s side.
Minori was though! That rescue at the end sent me a-cheerin’. Good on you for sticking by the people who need you, Minori-san!
Looking Ahead – The End
This is the finale, so more in the final impressions below.
tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – A finale full of assassination, arson, political intrigue, & one lowly otaku being more badass than he has any right #ob_c 12 END
Random thoughts:
- I still wonder whether Jinzaburou meant his apology to Shinichi after the assassination attempt, or whether it was a ploy to gain sympathy in case he lost. Probably both, to be honest. Jinzaburou is clever enough to know how his honest feelings can benefit him. But that “radicals within our side” stuff? Bullshit!
- Shinichi with a killer weapon of scissors? I’m going to miss these seiyuu jokes.
- For once, the girl saves the boy. Myuseru is truly the best.
- Shinichi did it for the love of…anime, manga, and games. Damn! Just cut the crap and–oh, oh here it is. He’s going to confess to Myuseru! Here it com–DAMMIT ELBIA NOT NOW!! Whyyyy must everyone interrupt the confession scene!
- Intensive manga reading, Shinichi? Congratulations, you just asked the Supreme Ruler on a private date. It’s not over yet!
Final Impressions
Outbreak Company was a show I came into with uncertain expectations, as well as confident assurances from Zanibas that it was my kind of show. He was right. From the first episode I knew I wanted to cover it, even if I – or rather, my schedule – didn’t want to admit it, and I enjoyed writing about every single episode. Between the comedy, the politics, and the harem lead who actually deserved his harem, this was one of the pleasant surprises in a season where expectations got just about everything wrong.
Comedy was undoubtedly this series’ strongest point, both in parody and in deft comedic execution. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a show use silence so well, where a long beat (trope!) was used to calmly punctuate an already funny gag. They mixed things up admirably, giving us everything from an Akiba daito to the soccer game from hell to a movie that shouldn’t have made and more. And the swimsuit episode, and keikaku doori lolicon and blushing Garius, and, and…
The parody was also strong in this one. There were far too many to mention, but far and away my favorite were the seiyuu jokes and the glorious staff in-joke in Episode 04 when the director told a hilarious joke at his own expense. I respect a guy who can laugh at himself, and I damn sure hope he was because I was laughing hard!
But it’s the characters who really made this series shine. In Shinichi we had a loser protagonist who nonetheless did his best, came through when it counted, and earned the harem he’s not entirely sure he has acquired. Myuseru and Petrarca were both great leading ladies, but Myuseru totally stole the show in how she grew from a meek, cowardly servant to a self-assured woman confident enough in herself to chase after the man she loves…well, mostly. She’s getting there, but it’s that character growth that makes her such a treat to watch. Then there’s full-fujoshi Minori, wild artist Elbia, probably yaoi Garius, complex “villain” Jinzaburou, and many, many more. You know you have a great cast when someone like Minori doesn’t get first mention.
If Outbreak Company had a failing, it’s that I wanted more of the politics and diplomacy towards the middle. What they gave us was great and I spent the whole time laughing, but I did feel the lack, and when they tried to catch up with everything here at the end, they had to pull a few funny little plot moves to make it all work (like Shinichi running into the burning building here). I have no idea if those were in the source material, and for some I expect they were, but there are so many things they put out on the table that haven’t been sufficiently explored – racism, class warfare, how the culture will change after contamination with Japan’s otaku culture, what that will do to Petrarca’s power, etc. – that I find myself clamoring for more.
But most of all, this series was adapted really, really well. Usually with adaptations there’s a sense of awkwardness as the staff tries to cram a story designed for another medium into however many episodes they have, but there was little of that here. Oh, there was some, but only a few, and many of the “mistakes” where the character’s rather than the studio’s, which is exactly where you want them.
Overall I consider this series a smashing success, and it will likely go down as one of my favorite series of 2013. I know this is cliché to say after a series I enjoyed has ended, but screw it, here I go: Season 2! Season 2! We want a Season 2!
Check out my blog about storytelling and the fantasy novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: Look for execution, Why I don’t write fanfiction, Don’t reject feedback rashly, and Hard fantasy vs soft fantasy.
End Card
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Man, who forgets to thank their capper assistant at the end of the series? For shame. *cough*
Well, since I’m here, I’ll give my two cents too as I setup the post for Stilts:
Outbreak Company did a great job with the 12 episodes that it had. Well paced, focused, and knowing exactly what it set out to do, this show did an excellent job constructing a parody of contemporary otaku culture that knows when to engage in self-deprecation. The reflection of events and shows that happened even this year is remarkable, which shows how aware the production was of its audience. It’s far from perfect, yes, but the enjoyability factor of this show overshadowed any faults.
I won’t repeat much of what Stilts said above, but what I will say is that I heavily regret this show not being two cour. Though in its current form, Outbreak is a treat of the season, but with two seasons, I felt much more could’ve been accomplished.
Though I was impressed that they handled the political intrigue with the limited time they had, ideally a two-cour show would’ve seen this episode be the turning point of much grander political and social conflict. The assertion of cultural soft power on another society is a fascinating phenomeneon to be explored. What will otaku culture do to Eldant in the long term? What kind of dependencies would arise if Japan actually did begin placing trade sanctions on the flow of culture after some time? Episode 12, instead of the end of the series, would instead flag the end of a focus on otaku culture to transition to a darker and more profound commentary on the otaku psyche, political intrigue, the effects of long-term otaku culture exposure to Eldant, and the effects of cultural diffusion on political relations between warring nations within the fantasy world. This is all wishful thinking, but it does show the potential for shows to be both funny and smart, without having to sacrifice one for the other. The mix can be achieved, and though difficult to execute properly, reaps generous rewards in terms of enjoyability and wide appeal.
What first attracted me to Outbreak Company was when I authored the preview–this idea that the stereotypical fantasy world can reflect the ethnic and political conflicts seen in the real world was entrancing, as it combined a stereotypical “boy in fantasy” formula with hilarious parody (I haven’t laughed so hard at a series this year than for Outbreak) and the deeper implications of “what would really happen” given the initial conditions. The strange formula gives this show a strange flexibility to achieve what it wants to do, refreshingly so. It shifts from romance to social statements to political intrigue to making fun of Miss Monochrome all in the same episode, yet it doesn’t feel fragmented at all. That’s a beauty to be found in the actual writing of the story, as well as the production crew for making the comedic timing and story flow of this series enjoyable to watch from both a shallow perspective to a deeper exploration of the complex issues of race, status, and politics that pervade the series.
Like Stilts said, second season please, but I’m so glad that we got this dark horse of the season before the year’s end. Da. Da da da da da. Da da da da da da.
This is called comment-blog hybrid.
And thanks for the new ringtone Zani… client calls are gonna weird for a while.
In my defense, I’m on vacation, I was in a hurry, and I’m a terrible person. <3 Zani!
https://randomc.net/image/Outbreak%20Company/Outbreak%20Company%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
Clean yourself up.
SEASON 2 WHERE
While it doesn’t come, check out this manga:
GATE – JIETAI KARE NO CHI NITE, KAKU TATAKER
Think Outbreak Company, but seinen. The protagonists are JSDF soldiers, and there is a lot of war.
Outbreak Company was an anime that really surprised me. I had watched it on a whim and I’m glad that I did. It was pretty good at least to me. I don’t really watch many animes like this so I enjoyed it a lot. I think it had a good ending but I am hoping for a season 2. I was surprised by Jinzaburou as he pulled a Gin lol holding back that information. He is cunning but not that bad of a guy. Also I was so hoping for Shinichi x Myuseru to happen ;_;
Season 2 please!! More Myuseru and Elbia!!! Shinichi is one of the few MCs I feel that totally deserve to have a harem.
I got to admit, this was one of the best anime I’ve seen following some other stunning anime like Snk, LB, and monogatari S2. This series really did a good job in the comedy and I enjoyed every episode spotting all the references to anime, and it really pulled through when things need to get serious. And of course, the most important thing was that Myuseru was just too MOE!!!!!! XD I couldn’t stop myself from falling for her from the first episode and it was soo good to watch Myuseru grow as a character into who she was by the end of the series. :3
They have to make a season 2 or else I´ll die from the lack of Myuseru. Not just me I´m pretty sure Stills could die from it as well.
True, but he could also die from Myuseru overload if another season came about – but at least he would die happy. Death by meido is an honorable death to be sure.
Seriously though, I agree that this deserved another cour. A good anime makes you miss the characters and the story; a great anime makes you miss the entire world that the characters inhabited and the possibilities yet to be explored.
I would rather die from Myuseru overload than from said lack. You are right, death by meido is the most honorable of deaths!
Definitely was a lot better than what the initial summary would hint at and I really enjoyed it. Myuseru and Minori really stole it for me though.
Season 2, go!
Too good, this show.
I don’t know if they could have kept it together for two cours straight; better to spend the time to regroup and work out what worked before commencing a second season.
You might be right. Any stumbles that were made were made late in the season, so it could have all fallen apart if it was 2-cour. I would have be willing to find out, though ;_;
Shinichi: “It was for Love-”
Myusel: “Eh?!”
Shinichi: “…of anime, manga, and video games.”
Myusel: “…Ah.”
Ugh, I’m gonna miss these two so hard. S2-A-Go-Go! :3
I need season 2. I need it. I need it I need it IneeditIneeditIneeditINEEDITINEEEDIT!!!
I NEEEEEDDDD IIITTT!!!
*starts foaming at the mouth and falls over*
Oh outbreak company; you were a pleasant surprise. A show that was pretty good at playing with its genre’s and being damn good at being meta. A show that had a little bit more layer to it than the usually anime comedy and i appreciated it for that. Ep 8 will remain what i believed to be the strongest point of this series; the direction was just much tighter and the characters felt like they were a bit above their usual pay grade. Overall, i think outbreak company did a good job being slightly better than average (i did have some good laughs throughout this series) but it does have its flaws. Some of the important plot points get put on the back burner for too long instead of getting proper build up, making for the last two eps not as strong as they could be. And while the characters are endearing to watch, they are still the generic archetypes that can be found in most anime of this genre…Myucel plays to her moe character to a tee, shinichi is the typical “loser” guy, and petralka is your typical brash loli, except that in her case, she actually developed to be aware of herself, aware of her flaws and you dont usually see that from her character archtype in anime so ill at least give them that.
Speaking of our two haremettes, another thing i think the show could have done better is make the both the girls feel just as viable to shinichi’s heart. It would have been fine if the show never played up the fact that these are the two main girls up for shinichi’s heart but it did, so it would have made for a better watching experience if both girls got equal time to shine. It was always pushed in the viewers face that myucel had the advantage and while in the end, it doesnt matter to me if Shinichi’s heart sways for her (even though i think Petralka is a little more interesting than she is; as cute as myucel is and a joy to watch, she is too generic), i would have liked to see more development on both fronts so that the romance could feel a little more…..genuine.
Overall, the series does more right than wrong so if a second season came on by, id be down for another trip down the rabbit hole.
Don´t you find strange that Shinichi was able to outrun Myuseru when he was heading to the school, even though Myuseru was riding a lizardman and Elbia was werewolf. Considering Shinichi has the stamina of a dead cat it was quite impresive.
Unbelievable superhuman feats are child’s play, when compared to the possibility of losing the October issue of Comptiq.
‘There’s no telling when the war-like PM will change his mind…’
Me thinks that was a jab at PM Shinzo Abe… :p
Is that Japan’s prime minister at the moment? I thought they changed them around every 5 months, lol
Ah it ended in a happy ending.
That’s OK.
Series score 8/10.
Six battle meido… Yeah! Totally agree. Nevertheless, if were only Miusel, no complains!
https://randomc.net/image/Outbreak%20Company/Outbreak%20Company%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
It’s not surprising that she reacted as she did; she was after all one of the meido here standing closest to Shinichi’s face (the left one):
https://randomc.net/image/Outbreak%20Company/Outbreak%20Company%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2012.jpg
Myuseru might have another rival…
Well, maybe not.
In this episode, Shinichi gains a team of elite maid bodyguards comprised of female (half?) elves – pretty much every man’s cream.
Also, I hate to nitpick, but I wonder why Myucel didn’t use her wind magic to put out some of the fire?
Well, besides the urge of the moment, she was trying to protect him more than herself. Mix that with her feelings and you have a possible answer.
Are you familiar with the term “fanning the flames?” Blowing out fires works with a (relatively) big gust on a (relatively) small fire that doesn’t have a lot of fuel that’s already at the ignition point. But in most other situations applying wind to a fire only makes the fire spread faster, consuming its fuel more quickly. With the building already well engulfed it was definitely past the point where a burst of wind could have put it out, and well into the point where a burst of wind would have ignited most of the things that weren’t already burning, instead.
Good point, though technically it’s not adding “fuel” (e.g. wood, paper, oil, etc) but rather more oxygen for combustion. More oxygen = hotter fire. Still, you’re right about wind also helping to spread the fire as well. Strong wind ends up doing both – more oxygen/hotter fire and fire spreads more quickly. Not good. With enough wind you might end with a real conflagration.
Oh, of course. I’m an idiot.
…But wait, maybe if she used a REALLY strong wind blast, strong enough to…
Oh wait, that would probably kill Shinichi.
…But wait, maybe if she used a funnel-type wind magic, like a cyclone, to suck the oxygen out of…
Oh wait, that would probably kill Shinichi.
Well then, I’m glad I wasn’t there to “help”, because using wind magic seemed like a good idea at the time. Or maybe, I’m just in the mindset of magic helps everything get better. 😛
Unlucky Star, stop trying to kill Shinichi so you can have Myuseru for yourself. She’s min–I mean, she’s her own person. Who will be mine.
I’ll cut you!!
@ Stilts
Oh please, that’s not why I wanted Myucel to use the wind magic. Geez, do I sound like Trey Songz to you? C’mon man, have a little faith.
Note to Self: Stilts knows too much.
Me during the confession-ish scene:
“Oh my god, its gonna happen, he’s finally gonna say i-”
“DAMMIT ELBIA!”
Yeah, I was kind of annoyed too that Shinichi whined about that magazine. I mean, c’mon dude, your school is on fire. Him getting serious about that wouldn’t be out of character, and the the joke just falls flat because of it. The show had that problem at moments, really, where the execution just wasn’t as good as it could be, or they had to insert a dumb gag when it wasn’t needed. Kind of a shame.
Nitpicking aside, however, this really was one of my favourite shows of this season. Man, I actually staved off watching this ep for as long as possible because I didn’t want it to end. No Shinichi antics, Myusel awesomeness or Petrarca politics next week. Awwww. Didn’t expect that when I tried out the show, because I went into this with virtually no expectations. Once again proves just why I just try out pretty much everything in a season. A season 2 would indeed be welcome as well, though I’m not holding my breath.
The characters and the world really do carry this show (in complete opposite to shows like KnK), as they’re well fleshed out, are full of little details and have a healthy dose of realism inherent in them as well. The characters were based on typical archetypes, but deviated from the norm and even deconstructed them well enough that they really left an impression. Eldant also shined as a beautiful but also harsh world, filled with all kinds of ugly dealings behind the scenes, but still filled with people trying to make a difference. Furthermore, the show is often quite funny (both with normal gags and all references in the background) and actually manages to combine the serious moments with the overall tone of the show quite well (which is always a plus considering how many shows get it wrong).
In the end, the good parts of the show vastly outweighed the bad bits, so I’ll remember this show fondly.
So many have facepalmed on that part.
I liked the show, but as Stilts said, I would have liked if they delved deeper in the culture contamination problem. I also would have liked more participation of the lizard-people.
Well, I am still pleased.
Agreed on all of this, especially the lizardpeople part. I wanted to see Bluk with his wife :X
lol at elbia learning that wall breaking technique just from reading a manga,
next thing you know someone might be able to do a spirit bomb or kamehameha when they read
dragon ball or something
“For once, the girl saves the boy.”
Myucel isn’t the only girl who saves the boy this season. Case in point.
And while I’m on the topic of ship girls, I couldn’t help but be amused at the (lawyer-friendly) cameo of
HaruHaruHaruna on the cover of Comptiq. I guess that’s one good reason why Shinichi wants to save it… XDAs for Elbia killing the good moment, excuse me while I borrow Ron Simmons’ catchphrase…
DAMN!
@Stilts: Dammit! You already said just about everything I wanted say. No point in posting now… Seriously, nice write up on the show. It’s been fun to read you’re reviews week and participate in post-EP discussion even our opinions do not always coincide. Also, I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while. I think the fact you take the time to frequently reply/add comments to posts is quite laudable. If I could, I’d award you with a Myuseru of your own. But not the combat elf-meido waifu squad. They’re mine… all mine. Oh, and please add Elbia as well. XD
– The combat elf-meido waifu squad (CEMWS) was just awesome IMO. Myuseru has so many positive qualities I never thought she could be overshadowed, even if momentarily, but, damn. Jinzaburou really does have his eyes close if he thinks he might as well be observed by burly men. Frankly, if CEMWS observation is the “punishment” for actions against the Eldant Government, I’m starting a revolution. NOW.
– Jinzaburou – Not Really A Villain After All
On this point I don’t agree entirely with Stilts. Certainly he’s not the the “cookie-cutter” simple-minded villain we’ve seen elsewhere, but IMO, he’s not simply a consummate bureaucrat trying to appease finicky bosses either. He had no qualms about murdering Shinichi. That in and of itself speaks volumes as to his lack of basic morals.
I think it’s well worth noting his comment to Minori that “no one will care if you disappear either.” When I heard that (OK, read XD), it struck me just how much of a devious planner this guy really is. Granted JMO, but I honestly believe he hand picked Minori for the job because of her “family” (or lack there of) situation – the same reason he picked Shinichi. If the deal goes bad, he can ditch the “evidence” so to speak. His “trump” card might have been “CYA”, but IMO it was more than that. CYA OR something he can use to his personal advantage by screwing over the boss.
Long story short, I see him as a devious “behind-the-scenes” mastermind type. Someone who won’t let a “little thing” like morals, loyalty (trump card to black mail the boss), or compassion stand in the way of his advancement or goals. He’s not as “evil” as the generic and simplistic “evil for the sake of evil” villain. As long as you don’t get in his way, there’s no problem. But if you do, you better be prepared for anything.
Overall Impression
– The show certainly surpassed my expectations (moderate). Frankly, my biggest concern was that the show would be nothing more than one long string of otaku jokes. It wasn’t. In fact, the show managed to blend comedy with some serious, and thought provoking plot lines. That’s not easy to do well, and for the most part I think the show did an admirable job of that. Stilts’ comments mirror much of my opinion about Outbreak Company, but I’d like to highlight a couple of things.
– Where the show stumbled IMO is what I mentioned a couple times before with previous EPs. About mid-point in the season, one of the main plot lines (politcal stuff), just disappeared. The show became essentially pure rom-com with an episodic format rather than flowing from one episode to another. That would have been fine IMO for one or two episodes, but it went on for too long given the 1-cour season. While those episodes were entertaining enough, the shift in pacing was noticeable – even a bit jarring. When the more “serious” plot lines did return to focus, the pacing shifted noticably again. I thought the last two episodes were a bit rushed as they tried to wrap things up in too little time. Just one more episode air time could have made a big difference here.
– IMO, the greatest strength of the show was the characters. That is not to dismiss all the other good points, but having a likeable male lead (an endangered species these days >_>) is critical. Same goes for a likeable female lead(s). Myuseru speaks for herself, and for the most part, so does Shinichi. Hachiman is still my favorite male lead this year (one of all time), but Shinichi did otakus proud. He had just enough confidence to avoid being pathetic yet not break his otaku stereo-type. His kindness never seemed fake or “too sweet”, but rather just the way he was. Very credible and well done IMO. If he had his Ichika moments, it wasn’t often and unlike a certain male lead, after some time he figured things out and *gasp* actually made a move of his own. It wasn’t just Shinichi and Myuseru. I liked all the characters, even Jinzaburou. He made for fine antagonist.
Actually have a few other things, but getting too long as it is. I don’t think the show manages to rise to AOTY levels. Close, but not quite. However, I think it was just as entertaining which is what really matters. I sincerely hope Outbreak Company gets a well deserved Second Season – even a 2-cour run one. There is so much left to explore in the Outbreak Company world… including the combat elf-maido waifu squad. 😀
Thanks for the compliment : ) Glad to hear my comment trawling is appreciated. I enjoy the writing, but half of the fun is down here in the comments, so I wouldn’t want to give it up.
Good point on Jinzaburou. I don’t feel like he’s a behind-the-scenes mastermind, but he neither is he as blameless as I painted him above. even if he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place he still threatened both Shinichi and Myuseru, and was willing to kill both of them if he needed to (probably). He’s not evil to me because he’s more complex than that, but he’s not good. Amoral is the word for him.
You also turned out right about the mid-season’s lack of plot. I still enjoyed it at the time – they were really good comedic episodes – but in the grand accounting I wanted more of the politics and whatnot.
All of you have fallen into the Japanese Government’s evil plot to get everyone addicted to Outbreak Company.
I’m genuinely sad that it’s over now. Outbreak has been the most pleasant surprise of the season. Although GaruPan is top on my wish list for a second season I would love to see this show get another cour too.
The post pretty much covers my thoughts for Outbreak Company. Although faster paced compared to previous episodes, the finale nicely ties up the obvious loose ends and leaves open the chance for a second season. Unlike KnK, OC bit off juuust enough in terms of plot to do the one thing KyoAni didn’t–thoroughly develop its characters. Shinichi is by far one of the best representations of a shut-in, actually reflecting on the things he likes rather than bowling on through them as a means of fan service. Best example was the episode where Petrarca wanted to be a shut in, for the first time I can remember an MC actually talked about how weighing and draining the life of a shut-in can be, and how in the end it’s really nothing more than trying to run away from the problems that will never quite disappear.
The only real downside as you have mentioned Stilts and others is the lack of a solid plot. The showdown between the Shinichi and the state came on exponentially rather than steadily, creating the scenario where it seemed OC had no plot and was more of a fantasy-based slice of life with some social constructionist undertones. They could have balanced the climax better imo, but i’m not complaining; for a show I expected to be nothing BUT comedy it was a pleasant surprise having characters I could actually understand and relate to in between the bouts of laughter.
Is OC an AOTY contender? I’d say so. It was a well handled 1 cour show featuring excellent character development for all main characters (Shinichi, Petrarca, Myusel, Minori) on top of a simple plot allowing for maximum use of references, gags, and anthropological tropes. Probably one of the more unique Slice of Life premised shows to come out lately. Worthy of at least a 7/10. Definitely wouldn’t mind a second season 🙂
@Pancakes:Is OC an AOTY contender? I’d say so. Worthy of at least a 7/10
If 7/10 is good enough for AOTY contention I guess it wasn’t a very good year. LOL.
FWIW, I agree with what you wrote in general (though I’d give the show 8/10 or solid B+). That thought just struck me when reading your post.
I wouldn’t say that the show didn’t have a “solid plot”. Rather, I think it lost focus mid-season. The beach episode seemed like a spur of the moment addition (boost BD/DVD sales?) – more OVA than part of a continuing plot. That one EP would probably be enough time to allow for proper pacing of the final events.
I agree that for a 1-cour show, the character development was admirable. Again, the show needs more time. As the last episode ended, my thought was that things are not quite as settled as they appear. Rather than true peace agreement, to me Shinichi’s arrangement with the Japanese Gov’t was more of a reluctant truce bordering on cease-fire. Their relationship has been irreversibly altered. How can Shinichi return to the RL with any confidence he’s guaranteed to return? That leads into something else I think the show could have explored with a 2-cour run.
Supposedly, Shinichi has few, if any, friends and little family ties. He’s MUCH more sociable/interactive with others in the Eldant Empire than in Japan. He has friends there, he’s respected – even admired. So why wouldn’t he want to stay (apart from having to figure out a way to avoid Patrarca’s wrath when he starts dating Myuseru)? Even if he decided not to stay permanently, just having him seriously consider the option could quite interesting.
Eh I use the 10 point scale quite literally. A 7/10 is good (8/10 great, 9 or 10/10 better be bloody well perfect), plenty good enough to be in contention, but it doesn’t mean it should win 😛
I think too the show lost its plot foundation around the middle mark giving rise to the lack of “solid” plot. The problem with shows such as OC is the difficulty in balancing what is obviously meant as a slice of life shows with the more serious undertones of cultural contact and its aftereffects. It wasn’t perfect, but it definitely went better than it could have considering its organization. Never considered the beach episode, but thinking back on it I believe you’re right. If they had fine-tuned it better we may have seen a more consistent story rather than this sudden appearance of political intrigue.
The deciding factor definitely will be a second season and how well it stands up compared to the first. A bigger focus on plot is a must along with better pacing. If we can get that then I’d say we have it pretty good. Just depends on how well the sales go I guess.
I think the problem was the plot hints they were throwing out were too few during those middle episodes. It was a problem of balance. They were there, but when nothing too serious happened from the school incident up until the end, those flashes of something serious – the high five at the soccer game, Shinichi talking about what it truly means to be a hikikomori, etc – were just too few and far between.
I don’t know if the shoe necessarily needed more time because even with more episodes those ones would have been light on the serious, but if the subjects they broached were revisited and fully explored in a second season / the 2nd cour, then they would have been vindicated. So yeah, season 2 pleeeease!
So now he’s charming even more meidos? The cad! You need to finish
consummating your relationshipworking things out with your current three haremites before you start adding newcomers to it! 😛With much heartache I say farewell to this show. Definitely a surprise of the year here for me with how much I ended up enjoying this show. Awesome characters, funny jokes, a fantasy setting, spreading of the culture we love and last but not least, HALF ELF MEIDOOOOOOOOO. *ahem*. Anyway, good way to end this 12 episode ride I must say, it finished its own little story and left me satisfied enough while OBVIOUSLYYYYYYYYY wanting a season 2. Very well done there. That moment in the burning library with Miusel guarding Shinichi while she says certain things, as cheesy and cliched as it might sound anywhere else, I really liked it there and hell, it made me shed a tear and go AWWWWWWWW 🙁
Well played show…well played… and yes, of course that scene with Shinichi running to the burning building was definitely facepalm worthy. Alas, nothing can be perfect. I had hoped for a confession, but deep down I knew it would not be. Basically, a really good find this season and one of my favorites for the year!
P.S. Battle meidos? HELL YES, PLEASE.
p.S.S No more Miusel…. *goes to a corner and cries* Oh well, can always Re-watch till a season 2 drops….and it will!….right?
Definitely one of my favourite animes of the season. Probably the most “balanced” one, where many things are fantastically well done and well presented.
Many seem to have missed the many implied conspiracies, espionage, counter espionage and subtle hints that were drop (specially in the last few episodes). Despite the seeming hostile and cruel stance Jinzaburou had towards Shinichi in the last two episodes, he did personally drop many hints that helped Shinichi. These hints were completely unnecessary (and detrimental to his own interest) if he had no intentions of sabotaging the “invasion” plan and later sabotaging the plan to get rid of Shinichi. Not saying that he wasn’t looking out more for himself than anything else, but everything he did looked more designed to push Shinichi to realise what was going on, and he even gave Shinichi a warning of things to come when Shinichi shut himself in again ^^;. Would/Could Minori have warned the rest of the cast of the conspiracy in time to take counter measures (as she obviously knew about the “invasion” plan), had Jinzaburou not let Shinichi know what was going on directly? With this turn of events in the anime, this can never be answered I guess (at least in the context of the anime story).
never thought that elba will do move from tekken chinmi..
Outbreak Company deserves a standing ovation and a second season.
As does this comment. Here here!
So is this show any good, or is it just pure fanservice/harem/ecchi?
although I didn’t enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed the others, it was pretty good.
I think it was risky to deal with much more serious things like assassination, political stuff and so. and the risk is apparent, since I felt this episode took a bit too much large step than it should have, and in someway it did feel kinda hasty (and it’s the last episode…) not only in terms of plot, but also it made the inner interaction with characters to be a second fiddle. for example – interaction with the maids, Petrarca’s decision sending guards to Shinchi and what she really think about what is happening in the global level..the focus of making it to end the plot, kinda left the focus on the characters aside that ep.
but generally the result is OK. don’t get me wrong – I did enjoy this episode and the ending, and the series. but I am kinda mixed about the last development and how hasty it was, especially since it was the last ep. they also missed other things I wanted to be expressed such as the idea to take control or “invade” – how the others in Eldant perceive that?especially after they almost killed that dragon a few eps ago…
oh Outbreak Company..I’ve missed it already!
one of the best show that make me laugh so much week by week.
its characters and comedy worked out for me. it was great in every time. and became better and better as time passed by.
true, something is kinda missing. I agree with what you said about lack in politics and diplomacy. I think there is even more in the big picture of the story like implication on Shinchi’s students. for example I said that in last ep Shinchi should’ve taught them also about sharing and friendship and all..after all, racism came out in early eps..
so OBC didn’t kick in plot to higher level. episode 11-12 tried to fix this a bit. and the result is OK, but really if OBC had 2cour not 1cour, it could’ve been better in that matter.
and if something was a bit missing..it’s that, the implications in the big picture ’cause it stayed focus on the characters and comedy.
but I am not to complain or something, I enjoyed OBC and what it did. in the way it was.
I had a very great and funny time with OBC.
definitely season 2!we want season 2!
I admit I had my doubts about whether it would succeed or not, but ever since ep #2, all gone. it worked like a charm.
and I am glad that you chose to blog this eventually. Thanks for blogging Stilts! definitely the type of show for you 😛
OBC should be a runner for “surprise of the year” or “comedy of the year” in AOTY
NEED a SEASON 2!!!!!!
Yeah, lucky i took the right Pill…
Matrix 🙂
https://randomc.net/image/Outbreak%20Company/Outbreak%20Company%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
Guys, i know i will the the Party Pooper, but if we go and ask every Anime that we Liked, for a 2nd Season. When will the New and Fresh ones will have a change to appear?. The Tight Plan for Airing in the Future would be taken for 2nd or more Seasons, that we known. So there will be no Room for someone like “Outbrake Company”, if we demand the same thinks over and over for another Season.
Sure, there are some Animes, that was Good, but lacked on Spectators. Or there was Ecchi Ones, with low Story but many Spectators. But in the end, we should not block our Future, with things that we dont want to change
I liked Outbreak Company, too. But my Head knows, that other Animes that are the same or better, needs a change, too
Just be Fair, for the Future. Guys and Girls
Because, if we demand more, then thickness of the 1st Season Blood, will get more thiner with every time… And in the End it is just like red Water
This gets to something i’ve been wondering about.
Why do you always :
1) Post a comment
2) Reply to your own comment
3) Reply to the reply of your own comment
??
Unless you suffer from multiple personality disorder where one personality intend to interact with the other one, i have no idea what’s going on here
No Edit Functions?
and before someone post “German invasion failure” or something alike… Read what he has on his Shirt written
https://randomc.net/image/Outbreak%20Company/Outbreak%20Company%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2041.jpg
so,
I am in your Base, and eating all your Cookies 🙂
You assume there is a finite amount of anime we can have. Can we not ask for more of whatever we liked, as well as new shows we might like as well? We might not get all we ask for, but that shouldn’t stop us from asking, in the hopes that the creators might listen (or be able to listen) and give us more of that great thing.
Sure, we can ask for more. But we have only 1 Life, and the Day has only 24Hours, where 8Hours around is lost for Sleeping, 8-10Hours for Work, so the last Remaining Time is for Shopping, Eating and such..
Sure, we have Video recorders, but when have we the Time to watch even these?
As you see, this 4-6Hours of the Mature Spectators, this is the Battlefield for the Studios. And we ask for the Same thing over and over. Do we not want to see something fresh?
Perhaps i depend this to much here. Good Example, where to much stretching the Blood gets thiner? Mangas. Example? Bleach is deep in that and Naruto is about to enter the same Fate
We should not shut off the New and Fresh ones, perhaps this is the Fresh Blood the entire Industry needs, to keep the Spectators Hungry for more. Not every time the same Daily Meal…
Sorry, i just saw the Deeper meaning in this
A New Villain appears
he is Stronger then the Hero
He slay the Allys around him, perhaps some Friends
he kick ass the Hero
Villain leaves him surviving or back off
Hero swear Revenge
Hero Train to become Stronger
Hero fight the Villain
Hero wins
so Repeat
That is now the most Storyline of some Mangas, do we really need some Animes with the same thing only knowing as 2nd Season?
okay, IS season2 was an exception. They think with Doujin and Harem Jokes, they would catch the Fans..
lol even without edit button constantly reply your own comment instead after someone commented you is silly , i mean your could have type all in one and make a huge pack of text. why would you need to “edit” your own comment anyway when no one comment to disagree with you , contradict yourself? personality disorder?, trolling? , wasting time? or need some attention? seriously i mean if that dude didn’t point that i wouldn’t comment but to think about it, whta wrong with U i mean people may thumb down me but why comment on your own comment unless , i want to contradict myself ,or apologize lol
ok now i will contradict myself everything german dude say is valid but that’s doesn’t make him right , i don’t really care about meta , madness, predictable anime or filler ,the one who lose the most is the company who make failure anime , in term of economy, i hop that they make some good anime and it sell well , that’s all for we may commenting , hating and liking but we contribute little to their sell value , NO don’t bash me , i will not buy anny blueray japanese anime cuz 1. i can’t undestand it , 2. I live very far from japan 3. Give me MONEY! what i can do is givning possitive feedback unless it’s really BAD!
ps. sometime I would like an edit button too
So then, the 2nd Season Animation Group, dont care about the Things that made their 1st Season Popular? So they go and have now “Suck the Spectators Money with Blu-Ray and Merchandising” Ecchi, Harem or other “Sexual instincts” driven Jokes. Where is the Story? They dont care, they want just Money of the Name. And trow them off like old used Scrap.
I still grateful that they dont used to much Ecchi in Bleach, sure we have Big Boobies, but there are just for spice a bit up. But no one got the Idea to let it drift into a Ecchi and Harme Joke Manga
Sure there are Ecchi heavy based Animes. Like High school DxD and such. But they not beat around the bush, and use it from the Start
And seems like you begin to understand my Point, in my reply. There are my kind of Edits.
Know you know me a little bit
I am not Trolling. i am just write a Piece of my Mind and try to be honestly. Because false kind words, will only Hurt the Person very deep
And i Love Anime. i Daiski them. And i love this Site since Omni run this. Thanks to him, my Anime Heart is still Young. And i somehow feels i own him a Lot, so i continue to support Random Curiosity on my Own. Even if not all understand me.
Respect is for Knowing, Trust for Friendship
And i Trust this Site, and their Writers
Enough said in this matter. Troll more if you want, i said my Thoughts
awww . imm a be sad now x.x it ended… >.< second season please!!
PS: it was based on a LN / manga?
I was really impressed with this episode. Assassination attempts, battle meidos, surveiilance familiars, oh boy!
Shinichi being heroic for all the wrong reasons was a bit random, but Miusel and rest of the friends being heroic for all the right reasons was great.
And Jinzaburou proved a nice anti-villain of sorts, working behind the scenes towards peaceful resolution of things. His “small omission” from reports that Petrarca has been mastering Japanese quickly was brilliant. Special mention goes to Petrarca too: she left the Prime Minister with face-saving official line that attack was from rival kingdom, not Japan. Thus, she maneuvred herself into position of diplomatic superiority, being able to dictate the terms of trade and cultural exchange, including status of Shinichi as continued representative in Eldant.
so you read the novel, that’s cool to see someone who read novel , feel they did a nice job for a animated version of it. i have to say it was fun and silly show to watch, lol =D
I’m gonna miss this show so much… SEASON 2!
Not much to say other than what stilts has pointed out; it was a great ending with much awesomeness… I really want my own squad of elven meido special forces…
I also appreciated how Jinzaburo wasn’t a cookie cutter villain in the end; all squinty eyed characters seem evil, but are good in the end.
Speaking of cliche villains, that leads me to my one gripe with the season; the Japanese government’s plans. Early on in the season it made sense, but the whole “kill shinichi” plot didn’t really connect with the big picture. Why waste so much effort to kill Shinichi when the clear disadvantages outweigh the uncertain benefits? And why worry about Otaku culture so much when there’s so much other stuff you can export to economically dominate them? As Petrarca said, they were acting like two bit villains.
All in all a great series, at least an 8/10. The characters were some of the best this season, and the mix of humor, parody, and serious themes was brilliantly executed. Now, if only it had ended with ShinichiXMyuseru… Damn you Elbia for getting between man and his meido!
I don’t disagree about the Japanese government acting like two-bit villains, but in another way it very much works. It seems a bit out of place for the modern world, but a lot of countries have done similar things, and sometimes it’s better to not focus too much on your villains so your protagonists can shine. Case in point: the first Star Trek reboot was good even with a fairly uninteresting villain because they were focusing on developing the protagonists instead. Too bad the next one was kind of shite…
I’m really going to miss this series. It wasn’t even on my radar at all but I’m so very glad I picked it up.
Such an enjoyable series with beautiful art and lovable characters.
i hate it when an anime I love ends and leaves me wanting more. Everything I watch currently is either ending or had its “midseason finale” and I’ll have to wait till Jan or Feb >.< or even further down 2014 (I'm talking about you Sherlock and Game of Thrones!).
I knew Petraca wasn't going to let Shinichi get killed, but I was just anticipating how.
This meido is obviously The One, Genderbent Neo, Ms.Anderson was not surprised to see the assassins.
You know what day it is? Troll Face Daaaay!
Unfortunately there was no picture of Shin’s smirk when he was talking to the prime minister, I am disappoint.
Outbreak Company will be remembered by me as an anime with a great cast of characters including a protagonist that is unique in his own right. Shinichi was definitely a vast improvement from characters like Densechika.
I loved this series so much that I picked up all 8 volumes of the light novel on my winter trip to Japan, which should give me plenty of practice for my sad Japanese. Hopefully I’m also making a small contribution towards the possibility of a second season…needs more Outbreak Company…
this show pulled a stunner…
who would thought an anime listed as moderate expectation, would beat some anime, higher than it? kyoukai is good but it was kinda trolling in the end. so yeah, kyoukai should be in a lower expectation rank and this anime, outbreak company is higher.
and yeah. SEASON 2 god damn. if i need to mail flood the animator or the author i will. this anime is to great to finish it in 12 eps. i would be satisfied with 12 more episodes.
Yeah, we always miss a few, but the expectations for the season overall were pretty off this time. I blame the anime studios for not properly broadcasting when they’re going to be crap.
Looking back at the polls made when Fall 2013 just barely started ( https://randomc.net/pollsarchive/ ) , I wouldn’t be surprised many watchers of this series up till the end would be so glad they never missed this series. Being one of the anime with the least expectations back then, and turning into one of the most successful endings and show as a whole, this show should be an excellent example of a quality anime.
Myucel protecting Shinichi while Elbia was fighting with that soldier was such a great scene, the OST (track 32) really made that scene.
Um, Stilts, this is not a Harem anime.
This is too good to be a Harem anime.
That means it’s NOT a Harem anime.
So shut up with the Harem business, cause this isn’t one.
The assassination plot (and reference to a hawkish PM) was written in volume 2 of the novels, published before Abe became PM, so it’s more likely the reference to a hawkish PM is because they needed a hawkish PM to order an assassination.
I’d have enjoyed this series more if I hadn’t been reading the novels simultaneously – looked at on its own its a great series, but in comparison to the books it’s a butcher job (in fairness pacing issues and the difficulty in getting sponsors to commit to a 2 cour series which could fall totally flat explain much, and it’s not like it wasn’t enjoyable even knowing what they cut or reordered). The soccer episode and movie episode were each most of a novel (3 and 4, so both after the assassination attempt) and a lot of excellent material was gutted from each.
Hm, so what do you think the chances are of O.C. getting a season 2 in the future? I know that nothing has been announced so it would just be a ridiculous uneducated question to ask flat out about a release date. This is merely an opinionated discussion for the fans of the series. I know that the LN is currently ongoing, and while I don’t know how well reception and sales of the LN are in Japan, from what I’ve seen online the overall reception of I’d say 90% of the people who have watched it was favorable. So based on the info available as of now, and your opinions of the anime, how likely do you think it is we’ll see a second season at some point in the future?