Edomae Elf

For more than four hundred years, the Takamimi Shrine has stood in Tokyo, enshrining the local goddess: Elda, a magical elf summoned from another world. The immortal elf has been served for 15 generations by the family who summoned her in the Edo period. Now, after Koito Koganei turns 16 years old, this responsibility falls onto her.

Serving as Elda's shrine maiden, Koito must balance her responsibilities with her daily school life. This proves to be difficult because Elda is a total social recluse who loves video games, collecting toys, and eating snacks. In an effort to get the lazy shut-in to experience more of the outside world, Koito juggles her time between indulging Elda's various hobbies and getting her to interact with the rest of humanity. Along the way, Koito learns more about the history of the area and what makes the goddess so loved and spoiled by the locals.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Elda Main

Koshimizu, Ami Japanese

Koganei, Koito Main

Ozaki, Yuka Japanese

Koganei, Koyuzu Supporting

Sekine, Hitomi Japanese

Sasaki, Akane Supporting

Uchiyama, Yumi Japanese

Sakuraba, Koma Supporting

Aikawa, Haruka Japanese

Koimari, Isuzu Supporting

Ichinose, Kana Japanese

Haira Supporting

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Yord Supporting

Kugimiya, Rie Japanese

Kadoi, Kirara Supporting

Kimura, Juri Japanese

Kohinata, Himawari Supporting

Ikuta, Teru Japanese

Aoi, Hiroyuki Producer

Yamada, Ryousuke Producer

Yoshitake, Shintarou Producer

Akita, Tadayuki Producer

Reviews

Sep 13, 2024

SgtSalamander

Recommended

Otaku Elf is a genuinely beautiful slice of life, with an endearing and tireless premise, which ends up being more of a fun little history lesson about Edo-era Japan than a love letter to otaku culture by about a quarter of the way through. Beginning with the story, it is founded on a rock-solid concept- a Shinto shrine in a particular spot in Tokyo is dedicated to its resident elf, summoned in the Edo period, who has always been a bit of a shut-in, but has long since become a hardcore otaku as well. It unfolds in a decidedly episodic ... manner, a lot of the time packing in 2 brief story arcs into a single episode. I think this format really works for Otaku Elf, and highlights the general vibe of what daily life with this eccentric immortal would be like, especially when contrasted with and complimented by the people around her. Though, the strong start spent capturing the atmosphere of otakudom doesn't carry through past the beginning of the anime, the rest of the show spent focusing more on Edo history than otaku culture. It was fun, and I even learned a couple things, but it's just not quite what I was expecting. One anticipates more otaku themes in a show titled Otaku Elf, after all. There's not much else to say about the story, as it sticks with this formula and executes it in a strong way from start to finish, never feeling rushed or bogged-down. Even beyond my personal feelings as a fan of the episodic format, it's just a great fit for this anime in particular, even sprinkling in some minor dramatic and philosophical points in regards to immortality and sacred duty.

However, it is the art which is the strongest aspect of this anime. It is clean, characteristic, colorful, and energetic throughout. From the smooth animation to the vibrant color palate, it is everything a slice of life art style should be, especially one which deals with the everyday aesthetics of a Shinto religious space. It really strikes a balance in depicting a sacred place in a casual way, which manages to be simultaneously striking in its contrast and familiar in its approach. There's even a blend of 2D and 3D animation in the outro, where the characters have been superimposed over a real replica of the room in which the elf Elda resides, bringing to life items specific to the show, like her collection of frog and tadpole themed minis, and the stickers on her laptop. Though, my favorite part of the art is the character design, which is very distinct and visually engaging from start to finish, with an attention to detail, animation fluidity, and application of facial expressiveness which one would typically expect from an anime movie, not a show.

The sound meets all standards of quality, not really standing out, save for the banger OP.

The characters are a perfect fit for the show they're in, remaining simple and enjoyable without feeling empty or contrived. My favorites among them are easily the main duo, Elda and Koito, as their odd relationship as venerated deity and everyday shrine maiden builds up the two of them through their unique relationship with one another- the awkward and nerdy Elda learns to rise to her station as a pillar of the community and someone her friends can depend on, while the determined and maturity-obsessed Koito learns to take life one day at a time, and enjoy being in the moment with the people who make up her life. Overall, it is clear a lot of love went in to Otaku Elf, and the people who worked on it must have had a lot of fun, which is a fact that shines throughout this show. Definitely give it a watch as a solid slice of life, even if it has fewer otaku elements than you might initially expect going in.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 28, 2023

Vi-

Mixed Feelings

I believe this show was a waste of potential.

The idea is cool and different. In short, the story is basically about the daily life of Koito (a shrine maiden - 'miko') and Elda (the deity of the shrine).
The cool and different idea relies on Elda, which is an Elf and on top of that a recluse who is into Otaku-things.

The problem is that they didn´t explore much of that uniqueness, and in the end the anime might end up just being 'another one' you will add to your list. For example: If Elda wasn´t an Elf, it wouldn´t change much except for the ... psychological effect that instead of a human she´s an Elf - they ocassionaly and randomly talk about her past (Edo period etc) but it doesn´t add much. She being recluse is poorly explored as well - they just show she´s afraid of going out and of interaction with other people and that is basically it.

-------- OTHERS:

- The secondary / support characters are fine. Honorable mention to Yord which made things more interesting and enjoyable to watch. Ah! There is Koito´s imouto (Koyuzu); the cute reliable imouto ^~^

- The animation is good enough but where this anime shines most is its art, which is very pretty in my opinion.

- Catchy OP music. As expected every seiyu did an amazing job, but honorable mention to Yord and specially Elda´s seiyu.

CONCLUSION: An anime that had potential for more but its uniquness wasn´t fully explored, but it might have a few scenes here and then that you might enjoy, specially if you are looking for a chill / easy going anime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Nov 6, 2024

Urdli

Not Recommended

Funny

Preliminary (5/12 eps)

So, there's this elf who was summoned to this world hundreds of years ago. She has no special powers but somehow gets worshipped like a goddess for no real reason. She’s been living as a hermit for sixty years because of her weird, childish behavior.

The show has her tell short, unremarkable stories from her past, but honestly, they’re so brief that they don’t add much. Her priestess drags her out of her isolation now and then, and then... well, not much really happens.

It’s more of a slice-of-life than a comedy. Instead of being funny, it’s just a bunch of awkward moments that make the characters ... cringe, which ends up making you feel embarrassed for them.

Honestly, I think this is probably only good for kids under 8. Anyone older will probably just wonder what the point is.

I’m giving it a 3/10. The art’s decent, I guess, but that’s about it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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