Apparently the trend among songs nowadays is to make the main title phrase sound cool and absolutely nothing else. You guys copying from Hayate no Gotoku or something? I can already hear the sad white anime watchers belting out "furai faaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr awayyyyyyy" and then staying silent for the next 3 minutes as the main phrase comes up. Don't do that.
When I was into episode 6-ish, I was about to write a post called "The Mystery of Mayo Chiki" but never got around to it due to time constraints. Sorry - next time I'll definitely have more mid-season posts. However, this post is essentially going to be its spiritual successor.
So I predicted pre-season that this was going to be a brain-melter. Well, yes. I was right. But was it bad? Surprisingly, no. Apparently it has reached that miraculous balance highly sought by harem-lite series where it manages to be, well, a harem series - but at the same time not overly tiring.
Let's jump to the technical details first. Graphics - good. Very pleasurable to watch and damn, were the flirty scenes pause-worthy. But then again, what would you expect from the studio that did Futakoi, Da Capo series, Yosuga no Sora AND KissxSis? Exactly.
The sound? Urhm...it's nondescript with 2, maaaybe 3 ok phrases. OP probably isn't gonna be on my picks anytime soon unless it gets a nice remix done with it (and just doing dumb exit-trance crap won't help with that mediocre song...) I would say it's slightly better than ClariS's Connect, though. The ED is worse and the BGM could probably make a 12-year-old-girl that just heard that Justin Bieber got married indifferent to the world. Personally I think I'm only hating because all of the series I've watched this season had both decent graphics AND nice sound, but that only gives Mayo Chiki more reason to bump it up a notch. Get with the program.
If a douchebag company copyright-protects the full version of a mediocre OP in the middle of the forest and nobody's there to hear it, does the company make money?
All right, plot/scenes/character time. Now I mention scenes in addition to the classic two because Mayo Chiki! just has too many good scenes. From the Suzutsuki kiss to the Usami blush to the infamous Konoe sheep scene (Google it, I'm too lazy to do it for you), the overwhelmingly redeeming feature of this series is the nosebleed- (or neck-grabbing for me) inducing scenes. It's good to see realistic, nicely done flirting scenes instead of HERP DERP HEROINE JUMPS ON HERO To Love-Ru imitations. This makes up a significant part of why this series somehow doesn't manage to find its way to the trash pile.
The plot in itself is nonexistent except for the main love interest, the baaaaarely tangible harem, and the whole secret contract about butler plz don't tell other ppl kkthx plotline. I really didn't like the cliched plot and to be quite honest, most of the drama could have been packed into 3/4ths of one episode and sealed away neatly in a box somewhere. I won't say that they shouldn't have done it, because trying for creativity is always good, but the way they did it was rather trite and hampered the actual good elements of the series. I like dramatic romance-series chase scenes as much as the next guy, but keep it short and don't have it appearing every other episode, please.
The good thing is both the plot and scenes are very well boosted by virtue of the characters. This is where, I think, Mayo Chiki sets up very nicely and thus mysteriously finds itself as one of my more favorite series of 2011. Why is this? I hypothesize that there are 2 reasons:
1. The characters appeal to a wide set of demographics. Physical appearance, attitude (every time Suzutsuki appears I thank God, Robin Williams-style), setting, and relationship all differentiate themselves very nicely and very uniquely, which leads to excellent development opportunities for each heroine and different situations involving each coupling. Oh and there's a little sister. MorningLescue/NotMoe should be happy about that (which reminds me, shoutout to our newest member, CrimsonMonarch!)
2. The harem is not overly dependent on the male protagonist. The problem sometimes with, say, Infinite Stratos was that it always needed Ichika (the male Japanese model). Yes, there are a few Germany-France get-togethers (if you don't get what this means, either watch the series or Google "infinite stratos charlotte laura"), but in the end the part that you just read (doesn't matter which form - anime, manga, LN) always ends up being "The Chapter In Which Girl No. 4 Has Heart-Stopping Moments With Hunk". In Mayo Chiki, that's much less of a problem - the 2 underclassmen girls and the tsundere have their little clique in which they go shopping or girl-talking or making sandwiches together while Subaru/Suzutsuki have the butler/maid childhood friend thing going on. The point is, everyday life without the main guy (Sakamachi Kinjirou) is not very different from a life with the guy around every corner. This again allows for better individual development of the girls - and as much as I want to see a couples scene, if the show allows me to view the heroines more fully, then I'm all for character-building episodes.
Pictured: most awkward photobomb in a series candid...ever.
The characters themselves are very nicely made and done to appease the males masses. Personally I think the concept of Konoe is mediocre, which is unfortunate since she's the main heroine. GJ there guys. Thanks for the canon coupling. However, her voice actor sounds decent so I'll forgive her. Everybody else is sadly better than Konoe though, running the gamut from the violent/yandere little sister, to the nicely-developed BL lover/otaku, then the obligatory tsundere (but she's a good cook and poor? Did she actually use common sense at the character selection screen and not put all her skill points into Bitch or something?), and finally the suave rich girl (God, this character + voice too good). These characters create a nice dynamic with each other and make it refreshing every time the coupling for the episode changes.
Why do I say that there's barely a harem? It's because the studio has decided to just throw all of the routes open, but have the girls constrained by their relationships. Usami (tsundere) has her meetings with her buddies all the time, the little sister is out wrestling a bear, Nakuru (glasses girl) is doing something retarded, so on. This whole "leaving a hint of a chance with everyone" is a very good decision to have made and makes everyone want more. I'd say that from this point on that there's a moderate chance of Mayo Chiki! having a 2nd season after more materials from the light novel comes out (especially after that dumb 13th episode inclusion - but that episode was actually rather decent, so I pardon the studio), so keep this on your checklist.
Why do I say that there's barely a harem? It's because the studio has decided to just throw all of the routes open, but have the girls constrained by their relationships. Usami (tsundere) has her meetings with her buddies all the time, the little sister is out wrestling a bear, Nakuru (glasses girl) is doing something retarded, so on. This whole "leaving a hint of a chance with everyone" is a very good decision to have made and makes everyone want more. I'd say that from this point on that there's a moderate chance of Mayo Chiki! having a 2nd season after more materials from the light novel comes out (especially after that dumb 13th episode inclusion - but that episode was actually rather decent, so I pardon the studio), so keep this on your checklist.
PAINTBALL IS SRS BUSINESS
Anyways, I should wrap up. In the end, this was a series that gave more than I expected it to give out in dividends. It's not the most deep, heart-wrenching series in the world, but then there's no rule that says any series has to. It delivers the fun when it needs to, doesn't pretend to be serious (except at the bad scenes), and is generally a souped up version of Nyan Koi! (in fact, I think the director of this series actually directed Nyan Koi! too...I mean, look at the intermissions - dead giveaway). Watch when you have the time!
MorningLescue's reaction:
Mayo Chiki! started out strongly. I considered it one of the best in the season because was entertaining enough to make me want the next episode. Then after episode 6, it became more and more unfocused. What started as a romcom incorporating good, likable characters faltered in the latter half, which consisted of unnecessary, boring-ass episodes.
Subaru has the whole keeping-a-secret shenanigans going on, something which I almost always enjoy. Suzutsuki Kanade is the rich school idol that screws around with the main. Throw in obligatory tsundere chick and we have ourselves a well crafted harem. It was all going fine because developing those three relationships is what the series focused on until episode 6. Beyond that, we get the stupid BL meganekko and imouto that is not dere enough toward the protagonist (and although claims to love Subaru, doesn't really show it) to contribute to the main setup. Eps 7-8 detail a drawn out trip to deepen the relationship between the two mains. This is all good and stuff, but what the hell happened at the end? NOTHING. Subaru hints that she wants a relationship, but then backs out. Like it never happened.
Eps 9-10: worst part of the series. Retarded maid cafe episode that is purely for low-tier fanservice. Then even worse little sister QQ birthday episode that is completely irrelevant to everything. Unlike ExtraCareful, my take on the fact that the characters are sometimes so independent of Jirou is negative. I don't fucking care about the little sister or that other one; bring more about what really matters in this show: the protagonist's harem.
Eps 11-12: Guess I couldn't expect more from a 13 episode adaptation of a light novel. These episodes serve to provide a little shitty closure. Jirou does something nice, now he and Subaru are even closer. But you can't see it. They don't act closer. This is why 12-13 ep romcoms based on unfinished light novels have shitty endings; they conclude with little change from the beginning. True closure is reached only with completed source material.
Ep 13: The terrible character is featured in this unnecessary episode that is purely for fanservice. Except it makes me rage. Just like Kampfer's last episode.
All in all, Mayo Chiki! is ok. In the beginning, it effectively gave me that harem fix I need every now and then. But as it became less and less centered on the main character, it became less interesting. A mediocre finish with a static relationship leaves me ambivalent.
MorningLescue's reaction:
Mayo Chiki! started out strongly. I considered it one of the best in the season because was entertaining enough to make me want the next episode. Then after episode 6, it became more and more unfocused. What started as a romcom incorporating good, likable characters faltered in the latter half, which consisted of unnecessary, boring-ass episodes.
Subaru has the whole keeping-a-secret shenanigans going on, something which I almost always enjoy. Suzutsuki Kanade is the rich school idol that screws around with the main. Throw in obligatory tsundere chick and we have ourselves a well crafted harem. It was all going fine because developing those three relationships is what the series focused on until episode 6. Beyond that, we get the stupid BL meganekko and imouto that is not dere enough toward the protagonist (and although claims to love Subaru, doesn't really show it) to contribute to the main setup. Eps 7-8 detail a drawn out trip to deepen the relationship between the two mains. This is all good and stuff, but what the hell happened at the end? NOTHING. Subaru hints that she wants a relationship, but then backs out. Like it never happened.
Eps 9-10: worst part of the series. Retarded maid cafe episode that is purely for low-tier fanservice. Then even worse little sister QQ birthday episode that is completely irrelevant to everything. Unlike ExtraCareful, my take on the fact that the characters are sometimes so independent of Jirou is negative. I don't fucking care about the little sister or that other one; bring more about what really matters in this show: the protagonist's harem.
Eps 11-12: Guess I couldn't expect more from a 13 episode adaptation of a light novel. These episodes serve to provide a little shitty closure. Jirou does something nice, now he and Subaru are even closer. But you can't see it. They don't act closer. This is why 12-13 ep romcoms based on unfinished light novels have shitty endings; they conclude with little change from the beginning. True closure is reached only with completed source material.
Ep 13: The terrible character is featured in this unnecessary episode that is purely for fanservice. Except it makes me rage. Just like Kampfer's last episode.
All in all, Mayo Chiki! is ok. In the beginning, it effectively gave me that harem fix I need every now and then. But as it became less and less centered on the main character, it became less interesting. A mediocre finish with a static relationship leaves me ambivalent.
LMAO that 13th episode from Mayo Chiki and Baka to Test Ni...why do they even bother
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