Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!

Manabi Straight! follows the lives of a group of young high school girls living in the year 2035 while they attend the all-girl Seioh Private High School. Since the birth rate has dropped dramatically, schools are being closed down due to the sheer lack of students available to teach. Morale in schools has dropped dramatically, and Seioh is no exception.

The story begins when the main character, Manami Amamiya, transfers to Seioh. After some initial hijinks involving a futuristic scooter and a swim meet, followed by an inspirational school song performance, she is inducted as the student council president. The story that follows pertains to Manami working with Mika Inamori, the only other student council member, and three other classmates named Mutsuki Uehara, Mei Etoh, and Momoha Odori, in student council matters. After some remodeling of the student council room, Manami and her friends set forth to plan for the upcoming student festival.

(Source: Wikipedia, edited)

Amamiya, Manami Main

Horie, Yui Japanese

Inamori, Mika Main

Nonaka, Ai Japanese

Etou, Mei Main

Hirano, Aya Japanese

Odori, Momoha Main

Fujita, Saki Japanese

Uehara, Mutsuki Main

Inoue, Marina Japanese

School Principal Supporting

Satou, Ai Japanese

Shimojima Supporting

Usui, Takayasu Japanese

Kibukawa, Kyouko Supporting

Hisakawa, Aya Japanese

Kakuzawa, Takako Supporting

Kurokawa, Nami Japanese

Amamiya, Takefumi Supporting

Tachibana, Shinnosuke Japanese

Kondou, Hikaru Producer

Yamanaka, Takahiro Producer

Takechi, Tsuneo Producer

Hirao, Takayuki Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation

Reviews

Dec 28, 2024

_huske

Recommended

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight is a wonderful, adorable and incredibly melancholy series that I believe is horrifically underrated and absolutely worth your time if you've watched any amount of slice of life shows.
I was quite surprised to find that it had such a polarising score especially for a show where nothing happens, needless to say I expected a Moé show in which girls generally sat around a kotatsu and did club activities. I could not be more wrong; this show is possibly the absolute best CGDCT moé show out there, I do not say this lightly

The first half of the series (episode 1-6) ... is completely set on developing the characters. When I watched the show I was completely shocked, the amount of character development which in a weaker show would be completely brushed under the rug gag characters were fully realised and relatable characters who I feel had depth. This is shown no better in Aya Hirano's character "Mei", not only does she have the best episode but they take the general "shy-girl/tsundere" archetype and develop this character in 2 episodes better than any other show I've seen do in 12+. For example, I believe Mei has far more interesting character development than Sakaki from “Azumanga Daioh” which had significantly longer to develop their shy-girl character. This applies to all the five main girls sans Momoha. Manamii, Mika and Mei all have chemistry in between each other that makes you believe in that a real friendship can exist which is not something I can say for a good amount of other CGDCT Moe shows.
By the seventh episode you are on the end of your seat hoping these characters can get the best possible ending that they can and that they excel in their future prospects as adults.
The second half of the series (episode 7-12) is set on the goal of the school fair, this is the goal looming over the series. A deadline giving you anxiety on the ending of the series and a constant reminder that the series will end. I will be omitting this from the review due to the spoiling nature of it, but it is absolutely the pay-off and ending that this series needed.

The art-style of the show is nothing less than gorgeous, it has this “hair-gradient” style that I don’t believe was used in a show prior, and defines the look of these characters. This hairstyle I believe was used extensively in “Higurashi Gou” but in a way less visually appealing and cheaper manner, in comparison Manabi Straight is absolute visual eye candy, this goes from the opening song all the way to the ending Claymation sequence. The show looks extremely high quality and looks absolutely timeless whether watching on a CRT tv or a modern flat-screen monitor. The series relies on grungy greens and blues to emphasise the grim and gloomy nature of the series for a good amount of the show, while using warmer colours while showing the characters in a more “normal” setting.

As you may notice I have not mentioned the setting of the series yet, this is because despite the first episode constantly pointing out that it sets place in the future, the rest of the series kind of has it as a backdrop for the characters and plot which take the full centre-stage, this doesn’t mean that the plot isn’t .
The future of this world is a Japan in where the birth rate has dropped so low that there is not enough teenagers interesting in going into high-school that they begin to go into the workforce as soon as possible, to the point where high school attendance has completely plummeted and the experience of high school is getting so much rarer. This is not necessarily the most out there plot that anime has to offer but it is significantly more grounded and depressing than the outwardly cutesy and moé appearance of this show may let you on to believe.
I was constantly thinking while watching how the depressing nature of most high schools, this dystopian future depicted in the show and the hash blues and green used in the show could possibly even give conditions for a girl like Manami to exist. The students of this show represent this feeling and atmosphere, as every time they're shown they're generally depressed. This is for the one exception they're talking or referencing the newly revamped student council. Where they are generally off the walls energetic and what you'd expect most of the bland background characters to be in a show like this, I believe they are meant to contrast the off the walls main character types (such as Manami) attitude that most adults seem to share while looking back into their past as teens, to the attitude that 99.9% of high schoolers feel while in high school, complete apathy.

I know this may come off as needlessly harsh or edgy, but I believe if you do not see the beauty in a show like this after watching the full 12 episodes (plus the OVA) you have either: been home-schooled since birth by led sniffing cocaine-addicted parents, have an I.Q. below 50 or an inbred contrarian troll.

Thanks for reading this complete ramble review of a show I love; I hope that when/if you’ve watched it that you feel the same excitement for it that I do.
I love Manabi Straight and I hope that you do too.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jan 11, 2012

Yukariki

Mixed Feelings

Education is considered one of the most important tenets of civilization. In many ways, education has helped people understand each other; for example, reviewers write about what they like and dislike in a work and the masses can respond to them by either clicking those two buttons below all reviews, or directly thanking/criticizing them.Thank an English teacher every time you f-bomb a reviewer. Language is the greatest tool invented by humankind. Without language, we will not be civilized. We will not be able to watch anime or invent baconnaise.

Many parents and teachers claim that school is a forum for thinking. School is the place to ... learn how to collaborate. In the real world, most projects require more than just one person. If one cannot work together, one loses many opportunities. Chefs have to work together with assistant chefs and waitresses to serve the best food; delays and a lowering of quality can happen if the employees are obtrusive and inexperienced. There are many cases that the teacher-student relationship blurs and this is why school is so great; namely, we all can learn from each other. There is no other place for learning many things besides a school.

Manabi Straight’s setting argues that the quality of education, the importance of school, and teamwork will degrade in the future -- it is set around 2035. Some viewers, interested in the field of education, may also argue that this is happening today. Colleges are becoming more expensive and it seems more practical to start in the workforce; my mathematics teacher said that an experienced plumber will earn about the same revenue as a doctor in a lifetime. In America and Britain, education systems are on the verge of a revamp. Japan’s student scores on science exams has steadily decreased, but the students feel less stress; this is quite unlike its neighbor, South Korea, which has problems with student suicides. What should the education systems do? What is the meaning of school today? These are great questions to ponder for politicians, people in the education field, students, and parents. Without a doubt, this is a fantastic setting that asks us to think about the future.

Manabi, a new student, has elected herself as the Student Council President and, inspired by the school anthem’s lyrics, has started creative projects to vitalize the school. If there is one reason to watch the show, it is to watch Yui Horie’s fantastic Kushieda Minorin-like performance. Her character personifies the idealistic view on the meaning of school. She is a genki girl that believes in the power of friendship; her humor and gregarious personality is admiring. A natural-born leader, Manabi manages to lead the student council despite her status as a newbie. Her struggle as a character is awe-inspiring and drives the story forward; if you are a college admission officer, you should immediately accept her into your college no matter how prestigious it is. If you did not feel any emotion from her singing the school anthem in the first episode, you have no soul. She is just that awesome.

Like Azumanga Daioh, the work also has a character people can relate to. Voiced by Haruhi, Mei personifies those students with a strong sense of responsibility. Everyone knows at least one Mei in our lives; we also have different opinions on people like her. She is a fantastic character because her archetype appears in other works. In Manabi Straight, we see her archetype through a sentimental lens. This is to provoke our minds into changing our perceptions of characters and people like Mei. Thus, Mei is the most realistic and human character in this whole series.

Takako, as well, deserves a mention. She should have been a main character. A mentor to Manabi, Takako is a bored student council president in a typical rich girl’s school. Until she meets Manabi, school is nothing more than a place before work. Her character becomes dynamic and more humane. Thus, her character is complimentary to Manabi’s. Both characters develop the themes together and their interactions are the most interesting ones in the show.

Sadly, this is the end of positive aspects of the show. Everything else is as stale as a live-action Disney show.

The story is hampered by the other characters: Mika, Momoha, and Mutsuki. Mika is the shy girl character and her path to adulthood is predictable and pointless. Momoha is one of those characters that is “unnecessary, but oh well, let’s add her because she is moe”. Mutsuki is genki and that’s about it; she is clearly Ritsu from K-On!. These three people slow down the story to a snail’s pace, using terrible jokes that people really don’t care about.

Thus, this brings up another point. What is the focus for this show exactly? Manabi Straight has an impressive setting and this work has the potential to be deep and thought-provoking. This reminds me of a work like Sora no Woto, a combination of K-On! visuals and antiwar environmental themes. Why can’t this work do that? Instead, it goes back and forward. Pacing is abysmal. Mika is not the main character; Manabi is. Why are we hearing her thoughts instead of Manabi’s? The story and theme feel underdeveloped thanks to teetering and its most dramatic moments succumb to it.

Art direction is generic and the lighting feels underexposed. This is probably a stylistic choice, but it makes it hard for viewers to see. Character designs are standard lolicon. It does not venture into more creative territories. There is nothing daring or expressive that ufotable did. It is just so bland that words can’t express it.

Any anime enthusiasts will figure out the clock tower’s bell. It is a commonly used sound effect, which also appears in the Umineko visual novel series; I assume the Golden Witch is rolling her head in her grave. Manabi’s OP and ED are standard forgettable j-pop songs. Sound, as a whole, is ordinary at the very best.

Sometimes, I think too deep into many things; Manabi Straight’s setting is one of them for sure. Thus, it is a pity to say that I am disappointed in such a promising setting. For a work with such a huge potential to be more than just moe, it feels lacking. A bore, most of the characters should have been cut out. It focuses on the wrong things at the wrong times and there is no limit to its genericness. Manabi Straight is just a slice-of-life show featuring lolicons doing cute things. It does not sit well with me.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Aug 28, 2018

Dionkeykong

Not Recommended

Funny

Another day another anime another review where i have to come up with interesting things to say about said anime.

But this is not just any other day,it's a rainy day and i'm dead tired.Only thing keeping me awake is my pure hatred which i'll try to transfer into this review as best as i can.

And where to start really?When an anime such as Manabi Straight is so devoid of..Anything to be honest.

Let's get the story part out of the way since there's no story to talk about..It's just another slice of life anime..Cause we needed one in 5 minutes,correct?Well no we didn't need another Moe-SOL ... anime in our lives but market says otherwise and the rest of us who were not hit in the head as children have to suffer for it...Basically all you need to know about this anime is that it's about a school FULL of girls and more specifically the student council which tries to overcome some problems such as "oh no my nail just broke,what is the society gonna think i won't be able to get married" and "oh my god the festival we planned is gonna get cancelled OMFG i'll die"..I would commit suicide too if those were my only problems in life..

And don't whatever you do be fooled by the description and think of this as an anime where dark themes are explored in any way at all..You might have thought that they would at least explore the reason why kids choose not to go to school or why school is deemed unnecessary or at the very least a mention of the ever decreasig population..And you'd be wrong,very wrong..In fact this anime is just about cute girls and their cute things.Sure there are times where they try to pull off some dramatic scenes but they are so obviously fake that even a 3yr old would die laughing.

And speaking of kids why don't i share some thoughts on the characters?

Well there are characters for sure and many of them but who cares?Did the writers care?Not in the least it seems cause apart from Manami the rest of the cast is like watching a dead horse race.

I'm prepared to bet you all of my hair that the stuff had a meeting and said "right lads,moe sells..So to prove how idiotic the moe lovers are i have a proposal to make..Let's make only the main character interesting in some way and not bother at all with the rest of them,see how that pans out".

And boy did it work cause anyone with working brain cells could plainly see that this cast is a farce.To put it into perspective Manami while offering nothing new in terms of characterisation,is at least a joy to watch and full of energy..In contrast the rest of characters are like they overdosed on these new zombie drugs.In fact if you search the term "generic archetypes" a photo of this cast is gonna show up..Somwhere along the way they did try to breathe some life into them but it was hopeless.The show was already consumed by the moe-fog and as a result you can't connect with them as characters to the point that if someone came into the school and killed them all you wouldn't even notice.

So even if it had a story it woudln't have the characters part right.

Visually i can't say i'm dissapointed but i'm not over my self with joy either.The character designs consist of a faux chubby loli style which is all the rage in the circles of child molesters in the late years.No facial features whatsoever,with huge eyes and they look like they're a LOT younger than they're supposed to be.The backgrounds and the tone is well done,nothing fancy but they cleverly hid that under tons of vibrant colours..So it's like sleeping with a woman who has tons of make up on and when you wake up next morning you are next to a 40yr old man.

This might be the result of the absence of a director.The role of the director was taken upon by a team of creative staff members.Now i can't very well sit here and say the whole thing worked cause yes the visuals were nice-y but again it lacked story.

In their defense the last episode was at least a lot better than the rest of the series.So there you go,if you want an anime with fluffy shit all around and a cherry hid in the mountain of shit,go ahead and watch it.

Now before you march in with your opinions and whatnot i want you to do an experiment with me..Try and read every review,every comment and try not to find the words cute,moe,romantic or other similar words to describe the show.

Manami is at best a generic mediocre borefest..And we had enough of these already,in fact 80% of the shows produced are the exact same copy of each other.So yeah sure they're heartwarming and all that crap but in the end they're not special..In fact they're not even worth of mention.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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