Conclusion: Medaka Box

Gainax, you better be ready to get trashed.

Shit is, in fact, about to go down.

Medaka Box, an original manga by Nisio Isin (also the famous author of the Monogatari and the Katanagatari series), is a refreshing (although increasingly less so) take on the shounen action-adventure genre. Yes, the people in it have superpowers. Yes, there is a male protagonist with very little superpowers relative to everyone else but still gets by and triumphs due to sheer will. Yes, there are sidekicks, enemies, lions, and bears.

But this is where the resemblances end.

While Zenkichi is definitely the main main character in the series, Medaka is a character that continually stays in the spotlight and is the actual mover of things. Although it does seem like it at first, this is less of a lackey-master relationship than it is a close squire-knight relationship, or even a fragile duumvirate. Perhaps the closest analogue to this would be the classic bond between Holmes and Watson. Ideally inseparable; unthinkable without the other. Holmes shines while Watson stays in the shadows, woefully overlooked yet with a formidable set of skills slowly refined over time due to the sky-high standards Holmes sets on everyone close to him. In the end, Watson is the chronicler. Holmes is NOT the main character of the story; Watson is. Yet it is called "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", just like Zenkichi's story is more aptly named "Medaka Box".

Instead of focusing on the tiring training of the characters in strength/magic/what-have-you for 50 chapters, Medaka Box revolves around some other questions: What would you do if you were all powerful? Is it ok to beat people down to make them understand? Do people with power have an obligation to those in need? When is a person incurably evil, and is it ok to keep extending a hand to them although they may refuse it 'till the end of time? Is it ok to impose your idea of everyone living in joy (however ideal it might be for everyone) upon others while carrying out your plans? What is victory? With this sort of perspective, it is no wonder that while I absolutely detest mainstream shounen such as Naruto, Bleach, Fairy Tail and so many more, Medaka Box remains one of my most favorite manga series.

When an obstacle appears, the first reaction of Medaka Box is NOT, "How can I gain a new superpower to bash this obstacle aside", but rather, "How can I think about how to remove this obstacle? Is there some other way to solve the problem?" You know, being smart. Again, this draws resemblances to Watson's chronicles - Holmes never "learns new tricks"; he merely uses what he already has in his toolbox to solve the problem, just like any person with an ounce of common sense would. Why go train when you can find another way around?

For these uncommon (uncommon enough to be unique, in fact) factors, I laud Nisio Isin for his efforts.

Yes...

YES

But then we come to the anime.

Oh shiet

What happened? I love Gainax. Anybody that has even heard of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann should love Gainax. Yet they almost completely mucked the series for the first season. The major problem? The pacing, the pacing, the pacing. Perhaps it was due to the 12-episode season. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Medaka Box goes from a nice chapter-based series intent on collecting the main cast to falling into a major arc that takes 50-something chapters to resolve; this would make it hard to cover both parts in one season. However, this doesn't excuse Gainax from doing what they did. Had Gainax done this with any other series right now other than the immensely popular Medaka Box, all hopes of a serious second season would have been tossed out the window. Watching Medaka Box this season as the hardcore fan I was was like watching the Hindenberg crash and burn. Thanks a lot, Gainax.

So what happened to the production values? Well...the production values were actually quite spectacular. The ED (Ohanabatake ni Tsuretette by Toyosaki Aki) is good, but the OP (Happy Crazy Box by Kuribayashi Minami) has found its way to being one of my most favorite pieces out there, bar none. It's about as good as a cold glass of water to wake you up from anything and it doubles as running music. Hopefully when I start up my Soundtrack Pick of the Week starting tomorrow, Happy Crazy Box should be first in line. Good job on the music, guys.

The graphics are also spectacular. I really have to give it to Gainax for the graphics department for stepping up to the plate and copying the art style of Medaka Box (I think the artist for the manga is Akatsuki Akira) almost exactly. Haven't seen this in a while with an anime adaptation from a manga; and the Medaka Box manga had an especially good art style, which worried me. I mean, ever since I went through the Hayate no Gotoku! anime adaptations I am always paranoid about how the graphics in the adaptation will look - but Gainax did not disappoint. The color palette looks just like what the colored-in manga looks like (except slightly less glossier, which is fine) and the rest is great. When I saw the classic sharp eyes, I swear I got chills. Good job.

Thank you God

The plot, on the other hand...well, we gotta talk about that.

Medaka Box (the original manga) can currently be split into 6 parts: the introduction of the cast, the Flask Plan arc, the Kumagawa & the Minuses arc, the Student Council successors arc, the Medaka vs. Zenkichi arc, and finally the Black Wedding arc. Each arc is quite significant, With each arc taking about 20-50 chapters (I feel as if each arc is getting successively smaller in size though...)

Now, the most ideal thing to do, perhaps, is to make 2 seasons initially (both as many episodes as needed): first for the intro and the Flask Plan arc and the second for the Kumagawa arc. Each season would probably take anywhere from 20-30 episodes. Another plan might have been simply to do a 24-26 episode season à la Guilty Crown and co., where the series stuffs a lot of the intro into the initial chapters and cuts a bit of corners in the Flask Plan arc, but gets both the intro and the Flask Plan arc done. The conclusion would be ominous, since the looming shadow of Kumagawa over anything is quite ridiculously ominous.

As an emergency measure, a 10- or 11- episode season could be done with the shadow of the Class 13 members threatening the student council; the entire season could be based on the Student Council's escapades, avoiding the major arc just like what The World God Only Knows II did.

So what does Gainax do?

None of the above.

This is Gainax trying to be slick. That hand, my friend, is justice.

No, instead Gainax extends the introduction, finishes the prologue/the very first part of the Flask Plan, and instead of trying to tie the prologue to the Flask Plan to make the second season more imminent and relevant, the last episode just involves another random escapade with the Student Council. The only mention of the Flash Plan in the final episode is simply 5 seconds of people standing like badasses on the clocktower saying, "TO BE CONTINUED!" This is clear only to people who have already gone and read Medaka Box. To others, perhaps, say, EVERYONE ELSE WATCHING THIS ANIME SERIES, it was a complete cutoff and massively confusing ending into a potential second season. If I had not read Medaka Box beforehand, I would not even be thinking of watching the second series right now. This is how bad it was.

"But they couldn't help it! 12-episode seasons and studios are strapped for money Q______Q"

First of all, this is Gainax we're talking about. I'm pretty sure that they have enough money, influence and manpower to do more than a 12-episode shitty series. secondly, this is Medaka Box. This isn't some shitty harem Light Novel series that some random Drama CDs, a PSP visual novel, some spinoff manga, and a sleeping pillow can be sold off of. This isn't some random visual novel by Entebrain that provides some fanservice and thus gets 26 episodes + OVAs/Specials worth of fanservice to make male nerds giggle late at night. This series has been going on for more than three years. This is clearly a refreshingly unique series, apart from its setting. It has so much potential in terms of being adapted (not even talking about the media franchise opportunities right now). I don't get how this ultimate combination of series and studio completely fucking failed to deliver in the first season this badly. Graphics are cool, music is nice, but I want to see Medaka finish an arc. I want to see the climax. I don't want to see Medaka running around for 8 episodes and then beat on a kid for 3. Is it so hard to get a 24-26 episode season for this thing?

Believe me you though, Medaka Box is still one of the top series this season just by the value of its plot from the original manga (which Gainax at least faithfully follows). I'm just pissed because Medaka Box could have made such an impact upon everyone, not just the manga readers who stumbled upon it, and spread the interest to a much larger anime-watching-only community. But no - Gainax botched it.

And you will know...FEAR.

One last complaint I have is about the voice actors. First, horrible decision on the voicing of Medaka. I don't want a floaty Medaka. I want a tomboyish Medaka, a firm Medaka, a Medaka that I can say, "that is Medaka" just by hearing her voice via a scratchy 270p YouTube video. Toyosaki Aki doesn't provide that. Hikasa Youko (voices Shinonono Houki [Infinite Stratos], Akiyama Mio [K-On!], Seraphim [Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]) would have done that quite nicely. Second, the cast of characters for this series is very unique - make them sound unique. All of the jackasses in the series sound similar, and it's really obvious and annoying when the kid that was defeated (I think he's called Unzen Myouri?) and that Shogi king or whatever (Natayama Miri) had pretty much the same voice actor. Don't pull that shit, especially with major characters.

I'm being this harsh because I can - because Medaka Box could have been a hit, one of the greats for this season, if not this year. But Gainax ruined it for the anime watchers. This better be paid back...with interest.

Recommendation: Watch it. Actually, read it, then watch it and wait for the second season.

Kids these days

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If you guys didn't get it the first time, I highly recommend reading Medaka Box. Let me phrase this in a nicer way - if you're not reading a classic series right now, drop everything you're reading and go read this series. It's good.