Kamisama Hajimemashita – 03-04 + Miscellaneous Series Updates (Magi, Ixion, Gyrozetter, Code Breaker, Seitokai)

Sometimes there’s just no substitute for experience.

Kamisama Hajimemashita certainly isn’t doing anything radical, or truth be told even anything different. This is a very tried and true formula, but it all comes down to execution. I’m sure the manga is charming, but I think the reason this is succeeding as an anime primarily comes down to one simple factor – Daichi Akitaro. He’s writing and directing, and this is a man who knows his way around a good shoujo. Whether doing something dark and profound like Fruits Basket or a three-minute exercise in whimsy about the charms of cats like Poyopoyo, Akitaro-san is a master, one of the best in the business – and it shows.

The formula for Kamisama Kiss is very straightforward. The likably plucky and somewhat clumsy heroine, the tsundere bishounen male lead, wonderfully expressive visuals and perfect timing. The series is paced such that every moment flows seamlessly into the next with no dead spots, the jokes are of the quick job and weave variety and it’s obviously the sort of story that’s short on real villains and long on misunderstood lonely souls who just want to be loved. In other words, a classic shoujo that in lesser hands might be stale and boring, if mildly amusing. Here is feels bright and fresh despite not offering anything really new. Akitaro could do this in his sleep, probably – but clearly, he’s too much of a professional to even consider it.

The subplots in these two episodes feature a catfish princess played by Horie Yui, a megane-boy with a Rubik’s Cube played by Kimura Ryouhei and a snake shrine familiar played by Okamoto Nobuhiko. We also had a cameo by Noto Mamiko as a doomed water deity, the master of Okamoto’s Mizuki in the darker of the two stories. In some ways this series reminds me of a flashier version of Nekogami Yaoyorazu, another unassuming and highly professional comedy with a brilliant cast and Shinto themes. I’m a sucker for a good Shinto story – there’s something elemental in the loneliness of an ancient deity forgotten by its followers and a dedicated servant trying to keep memories of the past alive.

As for the relationship at the heart of the story, nowhere more so than here do we have a case of something “familiar” that works because of execution. Tomoe is pretty old hat, but his character brings a lot of humor (like reading “Beverly Hills High School Diary” to prep for posing as a student) and his hard edges are left sharp enough to make his character interesting. Nanami is likewise a bit of a likable cliché but she performs her function admirably. I also like the miscellaneous characters like her goofy classmates and especially the shrine sprites, both at her shrine and Mizuki’s, None of it is especially challenging, but it’s all good fun and even manages to be emotionally involving at times.

As for a few other Fall shows, I did watch the third episode of Magi and I’m still on the fence – frankly, it was fairly boring and not nearly as entertaining as the first two for me. Ixion Saga is fun, but I can’t see myself blogging about ball-busting jokes every week – even if they are good ones. Gyrozetter is likewise fun, but already two weeks behind on subs and another one that might be tough to blog in any case. I love the manic energy of the first two episodes – it just gets right to the point, exactly what a good kids’ series should do – but there’s not a whole lot of subtext there. Code Breaker isn’t making enough of an impression on me to seriously consider regular coverage. And sadly, it’s looking like most of the subbers are holding off on Seitokai no Ichizon until the TV airing next season, which is when I’ll probably blog it.

7 comments

Kim

October 25, 2012 at 2:24 am

Kamisama Kiss is just good ol classic shoujo. It's gives you a nice comforting feeling

I actually enjoyed the 3rd ep of Magi the best so far (well except for the generic villain). I guess I am just a sucker for the friendship aspect between the main characters.

And too bad about not blogging Ixion Saga. It's type of humor is usually not my thing at all but somehow it is really working for me. That being said I guess I agree with you that it would be hard to blog. Hang out in the AS thread sometimes though, it's pretty silly in there which goes well with the atmosphere of the series.

SQA

October 25, 2012 at 2:27 am

Kami-sama Hajimemashita is a really good comedy. While it's a shoujo, it's really just a solid comedy. It's actually something like the flip side of "Binbougami ga!", but around the same level of funny. (Though with a capacity to do serious better, assuming they don't do it too much) It's probably the really underrated but good series this season.

Ixion Saga DT isn't something you should blog, but it's got some great jokes. Some of them make guys cringe for the wrong reasons, though, haha.

Beckett

October 25, 2012 at 4:46 am

I can definitely understand not blogging Ixion Saga, there's really not much to say about it. That said, it has turned out to be way, WAY funnier than I ever hoped it could be, so I enjoy it a lot, but yeah, it would be hard to blog in any meaningful way. Loved the second episode when all the characters were just doing rapid fire testicle jokes, I had to pause the episode because I was laughing so much.

Code Breaker I kind of like but it's a 7 in a season full of plenty of 8's and 9's. So no surprise that it isn't getting blogged.

Magi I'm enjoying but I have to agree that episode 3 was not as good as the first two. I find the super insane villain trope to be largely overplayed and his large presence in this episode really hurt it. I would call the episode very safe, everything that happened went down exactly as the viewer predicts.

As for the main event, I'm enjoying Kamisama Hajimemashita but it's probably my least favorite overall of the shoujo offerings this season. It's still shoujo in an industry with a serious lack of that genre recently so yay, but I'm not a big fan of tsundere characters of either gender so Tomoe is kinda dragging the show down IMO. But I'm definitely enjoying it enough to keep watching.

Anonymous

October 25, 2012 at 2:10 pm

I really am enjoying this season. So many hidden gems that were not on my radar like Kamisama and Girls Und Panzar (its just fun to watch and reminds me of the great Upotte). Kamisama also has the best OP/ED songs combo of the season.

Highway

October 25, 2012 at 7:28 pm

I still like that Kamisama isn't going straight for a romantic relationship pursuit, and isn't even really dancing around it. It's more that Nanami finds Tomoe attractive and caring, despite his aloof and even antagonistic attitude. And Tomoe just doesn't want to be abandoned again, so he's doing almost anything he can to keep her safe, despite her noobishness.

BTW, I also love Girls und Panzer. It's ludicrous on its face but excellently executed and true to itself.

elianthos

October 25, 2012 at 11:12 pm

On Ixion Saga: calling it now. KT a.k.a. blond official is most likely a woman. The ED sequence only cemented this ( Plus makes for a sorta yin yang trap parties balance principle). Traps pouah.
I'm sad Kon ditched the horned dragon boots. Anyway, gotta root for the genre savvy balls-crushing virgin shonen :p

Rita

October 26, 2012 at 12:37 am

Kamisama is a very shoujo shoujo. I really don't know how else to put it. It's very by the book but not in a bad way.

As for Magi, even the manga didn't really pick up the pace until quite a few chapters in, so I'm not surprised the beginning isn't gut gripping. I have to say, these one cour in one cour out type timing for series recently almost makes me feel that shows can't take the time to get into stride. Especially those adapted from long running sources that had the time to do just that (not that I'm saying they shouldn't be capable of world building while being excited, but one thing long running manga series have is….well, time on their side)

Kamisama Hajimemashita – 03-04 + Miscellaneous Series Updates (Magi, Ixion, Gyrozetter, Code Breaker, Seitokai)

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