Kyou kara Ore wa!!

The term hidden gem gets thrown out a lot in media, but I would absolutely call this anime a hidden gem. Without an official English name listed here the show roughly translated to "starting today I am..." is a mix up of a fun, slapstick, comedy with a delinquent drama where high school kids are all in some kind of gang constantly getting into fights with each other. The mix in tone of serious and parody works surprisingly well here though the majority of the time. I actually prefer the name "Self proclaimed Bad boy" which is used as a title card in the first ... episode.

A really fun main cast make this mash up of gimmicks work starting with the duo main protagonists. The dirty fighting Mitsuhashi is usually the center of attention, and his mix of clever and goofy cheating balances out well with when he gets serious. To Itou who is almost too honorable to be a delinquent really. A very positive masculinity character trope who is a bit bone headed, but very good hearted. Then there is Imai who I think is the best character in the show, and just brings this unique goofiness to the mix on top of his over the top bravado. Also the show does a decent job with the female characters who surprisingly are not used for fanservice bait. For this time that is pretty rare. It features a little bit of romance as well. The visuals are pretty good with a lot of nice hand painted backgrounds. I watched a 1080 version which I could not tell you if it was a Blu-ray version, or some kind of upscale but it looked great. You will have to sail the high sees to find this show though unfortunately. The music is good throughout with a very catchy and fun ending song.

There are a few negatives with only one of them not really being personal opinion based. The show does not have a real conclusion, and kind of just ends. Being an OVA series I assume the tapes just stopped selling well so they kind of just stopped after finishing a 2 episode story arc. The manga that this is based on covers a lot more than the anime does. Now something that is very opinion based is some of the story lines feel repetitive with many of the villains feeling very one note. Also I think Imai could have not been the butt of the joke 2 or 3 more times to make him look cool more often. Sometimes the show forces Mitsuhashi to be the hero a few times too many when Itou or Imai could have been a better option.

8/10 Give the first episode a shot if a delinquent dramedy, or even just a different type of school anime with some delinquent fights thrown into the mix sounds appealing. If you are a fan of GTO this is 100% worth giving a shot. If you don't like the first episode then I would say this show is not for you. The hour long episode 1 does a good job showing off what makes the show good, and introduces you to most of the main cast. I have been on a retro anime kick recently, and I am glad that I gave this series a shot.

Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! is an absolute gem in the world of comedy anime, delivering non-stop laughs and memorable moments from start to finish. This series follows the hilarious misadventures of two unlikely friends, Takashi and Shinji, as they navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence with their own unique brand of charm and ineptitude.

What sets Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! apart is its brilliant blend of slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and endearing character dynamics. Takashi and Shinji's bumbling attempts to carve out a place for themselves in their new school and the world at large are equal parts relatable and uproarious. Whether they're stumbling into absurd ... situations or inadvertently causing chaos wherever they go, their antics never fail to elicit genuine laughter.

Moreover, the supporting cast is equally delightful, with each character adding their own eccentric flair to the mix. From the suave delinquent Mitsuhashi to the eccentric martial artist Itou, every member of the ensemble contributes to the series' comedic brilliance in their own unique way.

But what truly makes Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! shine is its heart. Beneath the layers of absurdity and comedic chaos lies a touching story about friendship, loyalty, and the trials of growing up. Despite their flaws and foibles, Takashi and Shinji's bond remains the beating heart of the series, grounding the humor in genuine emotion and adding depth to their characters.

In short, Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! is a must-watch for any fan of comedy goofy anime. With its sharp wit, lovable characters, and heartwarming themes, it's a hilarious roller-coaster ride that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. So buckle up and prepare for a wild journey filled with laughter, because once you step into Takashi and Shinji's world, you won't want to leave.

Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! is an OVA about two boys who, bored with their lives, decide to take advantage of a school transfer to reinvent themselves as delinquents. At first, they don’t get along at all, but over time they end up becoming really good friends.
Even though it has 10 episodes of about 40 minutes each, which seems like plenty of time to develop the story and characters, the anime sticks to typical archetypes and doesn’t try any kind of growth or evolution. I get that it’s supposed to be a comedy, but personally, the tone didn’t really work for me. I only laughed once ... at the hair joke, and even then, it wasn’t much. Compared to other comedies, I’d say it hasn’t aged well.

The fights, which are a big part of the anime, don’t have great animation even considering when it was made. What really annoyed me was how, in several scenes, they cut to a passing train instead of showing the fight, and the fights themselves always end way too quickly. On top of that, most of the characters that Mitsuhashi and Itou face are just generic delinquent stereotypes. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem in a comedy, but since the humor doesn’t land, it just ends up feeling boring and repetitive.

The main characters are also pretty stereotypical. Mitsuhashi is the biggest example he cheats all the time to win, isn’t honest, and makes fun of other people’s bad luck, especially Imai (the leader of another school and supposedly his friend). On the other hand, Itou is more honest and loyal to his friends and girlfriend. He doesn’t pull pranks and often helps others, but this also means he gets dragged into fights. Since he refuses to cheat, he loses a lot and always ends up being saved by Mitsuhashi. While their dynamic could have been interesting, it stays super shallow and doesn’t go anywhere.

The worst part is definitely the ending. It’s completely open probably the most open ending I’ve ever seen. Honestly, it feels like they could’ve stopped at episode 5 or even earlier, and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. There’s no character development, no closure to any of the storylines, and no real conclusion.

In the end, Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! just isn’t a very good OVA. It doesn’t work as a comedy because it’s not funny, the characters are poorly written, and the ending is incredibly unsatisfying. While it might have some nostalgic value for fans of its era, I don’t think it has much to offer for modern viewers.