ReLIFE

So on my recon of the latest anime which I could try out, I came across 91 Days and proceeded to start in on this ongoing show. But when I almost had decided on 91 Days, I saw that ReLIFE would be a better thing for me to watch, as I prefer to binge-watch my anime rather than watch an episode a week. And conveniently enough, all the episodes of ReLIFE came out together, as if it were one of those Netflix shows. So, how is this anime?

ReLIFE follows Kaizaki Arata, a 27-year-old man who has resigned from his first job in just three months, and has since been without a regular job, living off his parents’ allowance and part-time jobs. He applies for jobs and attends interviews, but has not been able to score a steady job yet. After a night of drinking with his friends, which he attends only to keep up appearances, he receives a phone call from his mother. Kaizaki’s mom cuts off his allowance over the phone, and he is left worrying about his future, which look positively bleak and hopeless.

But just as his phone call ends, Kaizaki is greeted by Yoake Ryo, a scientist from ReLIFE Research Institute and is offered a year’s costs and a job waiting at the year’s end if Kaizaki participates as a test subject in an ongoing research. Kaizaki has to take a drug which transforms him into his 17-year-old self and attend high school for the period of a full year. In his drunk state, Kaizaki ends up taking the drug capsule overnight. Later he does agree to being a test subject in the experiment, if only reluctantly. Kaizaki’s days as a NEET are over.

ReLIFE is an anime which plays out over a school-life setting, with Kaizaki studying alongside kids who are ten years his junior. The show makes good use of its setting, and fills the cast with a bunch of colorful characters. The trials and tribulations which Kaizaki faces on his one-year long journey through high school again, make for fun viewing with lots of humor. The supporting characters are interesting too, and above of all they are believable and identifiable. I personally found the character of Kariu Rena, a really competitive girl in both sports and studies, to be the best-written; in fact, she more or less carries ReLIFE‘s plot forward. Only problem for me, was remembering Rena’s first name, I always kept switching it up with Higurashi‘s Ryugu Rena.

The story itself is not a revelation as such, with most of the plot being the generic stuff that happens over school life, but that does not take much away from ReLIFE. Also, some of the comedy stems from a long-standing gag throughout the show, which some may find to be a tad annoying. But otherwise, ReLIFE is a well-realized anime. It’s not Gintama-level awesome humor[I doubt anything can ever reach up to that level], but it is pretty good.

This may quite probably be one of the better offerings of this summer, unless there are many more anime with amazing plots and stuff. I personally found ReLIFE to be heart-warming and fun throughout.

RATING : 8.5/10

PROS :
– identifiable characters
– funny
– ending is awesome

CONS :
– plot progression may be a tad on the tried-and-tested route

 

Sakamoto Desu Ga?

Did you ever watch an anime where the protagonist is a super-cool guy, with everything he does being touted as the epitome of coolness? Well, you may or may not have, but if you really want to see a new anime with such a lead? Look no further, because Sakamoto Desu Ga? is such an anime.

The titular character, Sakamoto, is a high-school student in his first year of high school. But he isn’t just any other regular student; he is the definition of suave. The very first episode confirms this fact with more examples than I could care to count. The efforts made by his classmates to somehow bring him down to ground-level, only serve as stepping-stones to Sakamoto’s growth in fame over the whole of his school. For example, the way Sakamoto fights against a typhoon to save a sparrow, armed with nothing more than his umbrella, is one of the many amazingly incredible things he does.

The anime is the definition of suave comedy, or more accurately, Sakamoto is the living example of swag in perpetual motion. It begins from the opening theme itself, with the song extolling Sakamoto’s awesomeness. The whole show is carried on Sakamoto’s able shoulders, and he clearly stands up to it. Sakamoto’s character has been designed amazingly well; on the outset, a cool protagonist feels cliché but the show really makes use of both conventional and out-of-the-box situations to show off his awesomeness. But even though Sakamoto is the strength of the show, the creators have not ignored the other characters. Sakamoto’s classmates are realistic and we viewers can sympathize with their feelings. The only extremely unbelievable thing in the show is the girls’ reaction to Sakamoto’s presence/absence; it’s really over the top, but it helps to set the tone of the show.

Overall, if you want to watch a funny anime in a school setting with a few slice-of-life elements, Sakamoto Desu Ga? is one fun way to go.

RATING : 8.3/10

PROS :
– lead character is cool as hell
– good animation
– suave humor

CONS :
– may be too over-the-top for some

NOTE : Sakamoto Desu Ga? is Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto in English.