Medaka Box

Medaka Kurokami is, in the truest sense of the word, perfect. Beautiful, intelligent, and athletic, Medaka's dream is to make others happy. So when she runs for Student Council President of the prestigious Hakoniwa Academy, winning the election with 98% of the votes is only to be expected.

The very first thing the boisterous new president does is set up the "Medaka Box," a suggestion box allowing students to submit any kind of request for assistance. Together with the cynical Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, her childhood friend who has been strong-armed into helping, Medaka fulfills these requests at a ridiculous rate. For every job completed, she adds flowers to the student council room, with the aim of filling the entire school. However, the two are about to find out that helping others may be a lot harder than they think as they begin to uncover a devastating plan centering on the academy and even Medaka herself!

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kurokami, Medaka Main

Toyosaki, Aki Japanese

Hitoyoshi, Zenkichi Main

Ono, Yuuki Japanese

Shiranui, Hansode Main

Katou, Emiri Japanese

Kikaijima, Mogana Main

Kayano, Ai Japanese

Akune, Kouki Main

Namikawa, Daisuke Japanese

Unzen, Myouri Supporting

Park, Romi Japanese

Nabeshima, Nekomi Supporting

Kotobuki, Minako Japanese

Miyakonojou, Oudo Supporting

Katsunuma, Kiyoshi Japanese

Yatsushiro, Kenna Supporting

Nakao, Eri Japanese

Hitoyoshi, Hitomi Supporting

Itou, Yoshiyuki Producer

Beniya, Yoshikazu Producer

Saitou, Tomoyuki Producer

Katou, Masazumi Producer

Reviews

May 9, 2012

Stark700

Recommended

Perhaps one of the most hyped up anime of this Spring Season. Based off the popular manga Medaka Box, the shonen manga written by Nisio Isin (author of the Monogatari series including that oh yes, infamous toothbrush scene from the who can we forget, Nisemonogatari), has officially became an anime. Now, is that a good or bad thing? Hmm..with roughly half the series airing already, let's put our heads together and find out.

First of all, there seems to be a trend of strong and unusual female leads this season. Koko from Jormungand, Yuuko from Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, Rea from Sankarea, just to name a ... few. Then, we have Medaka Kurokami, the beautiful and well-endowed student council president who has in her mind, no problem showing of that voluptuous body of hers which is right now, one of the main reasons some of us may be watching the show. Beyond that, she is nearly perfect and achieves what we can see as inhuman feats. But most curiously, she wishes to help the helpless and does so by creating a suggestion box. You can probably figure out where the title of the series comes by this point. Then, we have the other characters starting with her lucky or maybe not so lucky childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi. He reluctantly joins the council for the sake of his childhood friend despite the strange put-ups he has to endure daily. (such as Medaka stripping in front of him with little care) Then, we have the other characters. The student secretary Kouki Akune who became an instant fan boy of Medaka and the blue loli Hansode Shiranui who seems to have an eating habit that surpasses the hunger levels of a saiyan. Although these characters are all appealing and makes us anime fans watch further and learn more about them, what are their backgrounds? From here and out, I definitely wants to see more of that than what they do in the council everyday. Lately, another character by the name of Mogana Kikaijima is introduced and so far, we know that she is obsessed with money. To her, it's all about the money, money, and money.

Now, the art and music seems to be alright from what's seen so far. However, I do realize that Gainax is NOT putting their effort into it as much as I originally hoped. The characters are blend, not original and not cutting edge. The absurd amount of fan-service seems to also seems to be thrown into our faces every 5 minutes. To me, that shows lack of effort on their behalf. I honestly expected more.

Some of the music does mix in during the scenes but let's face it, it's not worth a Grammy Award. The OP for this series is somewhat catchy especially those Medaka cameos in nearly every scene. It makes sense after all to have our starring president in it as she's also the title character. However, "Happy Box"? The title of this seems a bit ambiguous. That suggestion box is filled with notes that expresses concerns that I highly doubt would be something "happy" for the council to read.

But beyond that, there are also those little stitches we pay attention in every episode such as the blue loli Hansode Shiranui eating 24/7, Medaka's random symmetrical poses with the other characters, and Kouki Akune's narcissism. Strangely enough, I found these little things to be quite amusing from time to time even though they are served as comic reliefs (or maybe not later?). I mean, after all so far, this series is mostly amusing and entertaining and not one of these deep emotional series like Clannad: Afterstory where we cry tears that will fill the Grand Canyon.

However, in later episodes, Medaka Box lies the smackdown and delivers some unexpected action that some of us may have not expected. Yes, it still falls under the common cliches and fan-service but at this point, who really cares? This is one of those series where you expect the unexpected from our cast, ours truly the Student Council.

This series is something to keep an eye on (especially if you're into the comedy, shounen type genre) but NOT to hype over (especially for those who've read the manga beyond this point). It has its good but also the bad points. If you're a fan of comedy and entertainment, then this series is definitely for you. If not, then just sit back and watch this for the lulz. Later on though, you can expect Medaka lay some smackdown on those she sees as troublemakers to the academy. All in all, this is a busy series. Its first six episodes of half-stories may shun away viewers and make some hit that "drop" button. But if you can survive that, then you might be worth in for a little treat beyond the fan-service and cliches. If it's anything, this show does bring some entertainment especially in the middle of the week where you work your ass off at work or school. But hey, that's why we have anime like Medaka Box to kill reality.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 26, 2012

Selsica

Mixed Feelings

Oh the things this could have been. When one of my favorite manga became slated for an anime adaptation you can bet your ass I was jumping for joy, however the initial ecstasy was soon power-slammed into the ground and pissed on as time flew by. Penned by phenomenon known as Nisioisn, the Medaka Box manga started mediocre but eventually established itself as a wonderful clusterfuck combination of every genre known to man. The problem with the anime is that it didn't get past the mediocre part.

Story - 6

Gainax produced a 1:1 adaptation of Medaka Box's first arc, but this faithfulness is one of the ... anime's fatal flaws. By choosing to animate the series with only 13 episodes Gainax trapped the show in its slice of life phase. The problem here is that Medaka Box wasn't meant to be slice of life, it was meant to be a jumbled mess of battle, romance, fourth wall breaking, screwed up villains, and character interaction. The series pretty much focuses on the introduction of the story, and introductions aren't really that stimulating.

Art - 5

The inconsistency in quality is quite apparent, you can clearly tell the budget was saved to animate the last few episodes. One might mistake Medaka Box for an anime made in the early 2000's as the quality is far below the average series produced today. Rejoice though, for the budget can be found hiding in the final arc of the series! Unfortunately the first part was done so bad that I doubt many people even made it to the final arc, which is quite a shame really. In contrast to the questionable animation plaguing the opening sequences, the latter half of the series is animated quite nicely. It displays the vibrancy of Medaka, the immense power she wields, the emotion filled faces of her enemies, and all her splendor when what little sanity she has is substituted for the primal fury of a wild dog.

Sound - 3

There is no better way to start off a series than with a vapid J-pop song that doesn't compliment or tie into the story in any way, right? Thank god Medaka Box has one of these opening sequences to distract us from the generic ending song. All jokes aside though, the only thing memorable in Medaka Box's soundtrack is how unfitting the music is with some scenes.

Characters - 8

Enough with the negativity! The characters of the series are depicted as well as I could have hoped, showing each persons unique traits in a flavorful way. Akune's aura of superiority, Kikaijima's aloofness, and Medaka's overbearing superiority are fleshed out skillfully in the narrative. If you enjoy watching overpowered characters accomplishing a myriad of insane tasks then I definitely recommend this series. Characters are the driving force of Medaka Box, and while there are many who dislike overpowered characters, for those who do this anime is a special treat.

Enjoyment - 6

My views may be biased as a manga reader as I know the series should have been longer and had a quicker pace but I still enjoyed the show, if only for the ending. While the slice of life portion may have drudged on and on, the battle arc at the end nearly redeemed the series. Nearly.

Overall - 6

Many, many things could have done better but if you enjoy school life anime with a twist of battle shounen then I would recommend you at least try Medaka Box. Even if you're only a fighting anime fan then it may be worth it to marathon this series in preparation for season two which I predict will be MUCH better. Manga readers may be disappointed with the anime, but for a first time audience of the series this show may be quite the treat. All I have done is pointed out the major flaws afflicting the series, if you can deal with these gripes then by all means try a few episodes.After all it IS written by Nisioisin, the man who brought us beautiful works of fiction such as Katanagatari and the Monogatari series.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 18, 2012

Detective

Not Recommended

1981: A group of folks create the Daicon III and IV opening animations This group would later become Gainax.
1988: Aim for the Top! is released to massive appeal.
1991: Otaku no Video is released, comically cataloging the life and times of the mythical people at Gainax. Also released in this year is Gainax's first TV anime - Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water.
October 1995: Neon Genesis Evangelion is released to commercial and critical success.
2000: FLCL is released as an OVA sparking wonderment in the minds of children everywhere. Especially those with ADD (and it's hyperactive cousin ADHD).
2004: Gainax recreates it's critical success with Melody of Oblivion, ... reshaping the future of anime in a way that no other company could. Also Gunbuster.
2005: Gainax and Shaft team up for a groundbreaking anime - "He Is My Master", which revolutionized the idea that "no concept is too basic".
2007: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann makes lots of money and also Gainax starts remakes of Evangelion for a lot of money, too.
2010: Hanamaru Kindergarten becomes the perfect deconstruction of the "I just got diabetes" genre.
October 2010: Recreating the level of depth found in Neon Genesis Evangelion fifteen years prior, Gainax blesses planet Earth with a new anime by the name of "Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt".
2011: Dantalian takes a wildly refreshing concept and makes it even better, because it's Gainax.
April 5th, 2012: An anime of pure legend comes to be. Essentially a magnum opus of not only the best company in the industry, but possibly a pinnacle of animation itself. A lovechild between "Baked man gets artsy" creator NisiOisiN and manga artist Shouji Saeki, Medaka Box is hands down the only anime you'll ever need to see.

So you might as well stop watching anime. Here's why:

Medaka Box is the perfect parody of every anime ever. It manages to do this because it is an anime, and all other anime are anime. Therefore just by existing, Medaka Box is parodying all anime ever. If you didn't think that concept was suave, wait until you get a load of the setting. It's a school. That scenario right there perfectly satirizes Neon Genesis Evangelion (which in case you didn't know also had a school setting in it).

So what about the visuals? Let me start off by creating a metaphor. In the beginning, there was the alpha and omega. In 2012, there's Medaka's babycharmers. Capeesh? Let me end this section by creating another metaphor. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. By horse I mean Medaka's chestnukes.

What does a Medaka Box sound like? It sounds like the opposite of a really wet fart. Unless you like that the best, because then it sounds just like that. It's hard to describe the sound of Medaka Box other than unparalleled. There is indeed an opening and ending. I thought this was a nice touch. If you like music and sound, then you may end up enjoying Medaka Box very much.

How many characters can fit inside of a Medaka Box? Like more than Bleach. Oh my god there's like three new ones an episode. Are they complex human beings constantly developed by the pressure and situations constructed around them by a series of choices that affect the way they live? No. They're just character designs that sometime speak. Easily the best way to handle characters ever. Thank you, Gainax.

Pros:
+Medaka's rack. Just look at it.
+A lot of characters. If you like characters you can find them in this anime.
+There is an opening and ending song.
+Wacky random crazy zaniness
+There's a second season
Cons:
-Medaka isn't real

If you care about anime you will watch Medaka Box. If you care about what it means to live you will watch Medaka Box. There will NEVER be another anime this excellent. It is actually impossible to be this systematically perfect, but leave it to Gaianx!

^------v

Okay, yeah, you got me, all that was sarcasm.

Medaka Box takes a high seated position on my list for being extremely unmemorable. It's up there with a select few titles for being so dramatically dull that I really wish I didn't watch it. It's generic, which isn't always bad, but it's also mediocre. A level of mediocrity that I have never seen before watching Medaka Box. There's nothing offensive or out of place in Medaka Box. Somehow when you're being dragged along by this show, you are never surprised. Anything could happen, and because of that Medaka Box fails.

It fails as entertainment because there is no punch line. In its comedy genre it can't manage to pull out something truly wild because there are no rules to keep Medaka Box in check. When one character is considered so good at literally everything (I say this because she is written to be literal perfection) it is impossible to wow the audience. There's nothing a character does that isn't overshadowed by Medaka, and everything she does is just a positive extreme. If someone is fighting for a physical concept, she chastises that character and then fights for an abstraction. This can be a great technique in writing. Personifying an idea within a character is great, except Medaka does nothing with it. The talk about justice and righteousness is all just smoke to cover for the inadequate motivation the writers inability caused them to script. So yes, a bunch of crazy and unrealistic things happen in Medaka Box. Sadly, unlike some shows it does nothing with them other than present them to the viewer and move on. There are no timed gags and there are no running gags. There are no gags other than shock humor that really isn't even all that shocking. It's a comedy with no jokes.

Medaka Box, primarily being a shounen, must have some unique set up right? Nope. It's a pure concept copy of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. Apathetic boy doesn't want to do anything with his high school life, yet an eccentric and attractive female convinces him to do otherwise. They join a club together and there they meet many bizarre people. The one slight alteration between the two productions is that where Haruhi would diverge and create subplots and backplots with it's supernatural characters, Medaka Box just wants to make a battle arc. A character will come in with a problem, and then a battle takes place (sometimes over the course of a few episodes). A villain character is always introduced, and his goals are always blatantly evil. Power Rangers has more intricate villains than Medaka Box. I'd even say that the fights in Power Rangers have more suspense, despite knowing that the Red Ranger will use his super weapon or the Mega-Zord at some point to take down the boss and then everyone will go home happy. In Medaka Box, there really is no suspense. At some point, all you know, is that Medaka is going to win. Why? Because she does so every time. She's perfect.

Mary Sue. The impossible insert character or object of desire. In this case, its the desire. She has everything. Power, popularity, smarts, athletic skill, and so on. It is so easy to write this character. It is so hard to like it. There is nothing unpredictable Medaka will ever do in this anime (other than occasionally surprise the viewer with revealing clothing). Her male counterpart whose name I refuse to even look up because he's that stereotypical is no better. He's simply a self-insert. The writers want you to feel like you're on the adventure, and you live through the most logical choice in the anime - the average guy. If you're a guy, you'll immediately be able to resonate with this fellow. He's average at stuff, he's kinda smart in his own ways, and sometimes he gets angry when his friends are at a disadvantage. He's competitive with another guy who is very much like him. That's as far as the characters in this anime go. There's no interaction that's worthwhile or unique. Even the sound is pathetic, with nothing but pop tracks for it's opening and ending and all instrumental upbeat tracks for its main series. It's all paint-by-numbers.

You change the outfit colors, get new scenery, change the supernatural aspects, include a series of anime cliche episodes (pool etc.) and there you have it. A twelve episode series of nothing better than sleeping pills. The animation is clearly looped when present, otherwise it's stiff characters standing around talking. And there's a lot of talking. It's about whose abstractions are superior, semi-Freudian analysis', and whose most powerful attack really is more powerful. Of course everything has a jargon codename too, because having terminology is really "cool". For example Medaka's Forte #4 turns her hair pink and allows her to hit with the force of a dump truck. Really, why not watch Dragon Ball instead?

If you're interested in this series for its ecchi qualities, it's not even passable in that category. If you saw Medaka's cleavage and said "Oh yes! Sign me UP!" I recommend Queen's Blade, Seikon no Qwaser, and Manyuu Hikenchou instead. Even the fanservice is mediocre.

Please don't watch this anime. There is no way I could recommend this anime to anyone. Not to boys and not to girls. Not if you're ten or if you're twenty and up. Even out of irony I couldn't watch this series again. Anime like this doesn't deserve your time. There will always be something better to watch. If you're struggling between this anime and another one, pick the other one. Thank you.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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