Asobi Asobase

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As one delves deeper into the rabbit hole of animanga, we often forget the initial enjoyment we had, the willingness to try something fresh, the laughter that these works are supposed to bring us. We grow to criticize these works for being something they aren’t, rather than trying to find joy in what those pages hold.

I first was introduced to the “Asobi Asobase” anime through a youtube recommendation, a short and out of context clip which piqued my curiosity (indoor pool scene), leading me to watch the series, OVA, specials, and read the manga from the start to end. Thus, I believe that I ... am fairly adequate in my qualifications to speak my opinion in order to convince you the reader why “Asobi Asobase” is not just worth your time, but perhaps one of the greatest manga you will ever read—as such in my own case.

In order to perpetuate this argument, I will be exploring 5 main aspects of this manga.

Plot:
Asobi Asobase is a story centered around 3 girls as they navigate their second year of middle school, bound together by friendship in the “Pastimer Research Club” in which they actually play a variety of time passing games/activities. Rooted in the genre of comedy slice of life, the story has no solidified plot point which drives the characters necessarily. However, this doesn’t mean it is a meaningless read, far from it. Every chapter introduces a different game, whether it be Janken or Batsugames. Throughout these episodic club meetings, the girls grow closer and form a bond that while stays strong, faces comedic challenges throughout. Something important to understand is that Asobi Asobase is not entirely set in a real world setting, as the author poignantly introduces sci-fi and other mind-boggling elements throughout that really spices up the plot as well as bring a laughter to the reader. Although the focus of the story does shift towards other characters towards the end of the story, I would argue that the humor and enjoyment doesn’t change. All of the characters bring something unique to the table, and I think that this is what really allows Asobi Asobase to shine through as a true gem in the world of comedy manga.

Characters:
Speaking upon the topic of characters, it is shockingly well how fleshed out the characters are despite the fact that this manga is primarily a slice of life. Take the 3 main characters. Hanako, a shy but diligent girl at first glance, but is also the type to go batshit insane when with people she is familiar with. Olivia, thought to be a kind foreign exchange student, but in reality is just a happy go lucky girl that doesn’t think too much—though the part of her being kind is definitely true. Kasumi, a girl with glasses that’s bad at studying, but moreover perhaps the strangest of them all with her wild fantastical fetishes. They couldn’t be more different, yet opposites do attract, creating a beautiful symphonic relationship dynamic that could perhaps even make the people with an average rating of 3 on MAL crack a smile. Other than the main cast, the side characters really feel like they contribute to the process and aren’t just there as “npcs”. Each character feels like they have a real purpose to be on the pages, and I would argue some of them are sometimes even funnier than the main cast.

Art:
The art in this manga is exquisite. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean like Vagabond or Berserk level of detail, but the art is amazing in the sense that it perfectly conveys jokes while also being pleasing to the eye. You have to be soulless if you don’t at least laugh once at the many faces of Hanako, or the contrast between the cute and realistic art which creates an amusing juxtaposition. Honestly, with this level of art, I really seek to understand why this manga isn’t more popular.

Comparisons:
The humor in this manga is similar to the likes of Grand Blue and Gintama: gag humor, unafraid to make explicit jokes, not to mention the many cultural references that really drive a good laugh.

In conclusion, just trust me on this and read this manga. I promise you won’t regret it. Well, I mean, if you have enough time to read this review might as well no?

Everything aside,
Thanks for reading.

WOOOO its finally fully translated :))!! I loved it a lot!!

It was perfect and flawless in the beginning. Every chapter seemed a bit stand alone, but as it progress stories and plot lines started forming in very goofy ways!!

I think the art is 10/10 amazing and spectacular

However the story in the final chapters got a little messy, rushed, and aimless. I, personally, think its worth the read, but if you are highly attached to the main trio and want a satisfying end, I think it can be a little disappointing. The mangaka definitely lost a little interest in the main characters and changed focus ... to other background characters, now the main characters in their new manga "Outsider's Paradise."

Asobi Asobase is known for one of the best and craziest batshit nonsensical comedies you're going to find in the otaku industry. The art contributes greatly to give you at first the feeling this is just another school manga, but oh, boy, this is one of the many ways it's going to troll you. In fact, as probably the series which made me laugh the most in my life, I regret all its qualities really end right there.

The author maintains a great pace up until the first 100 chapters or so, but then she starts adding some new characters who don't even add anything to ... the plot, are funny or developed afterwards. The comedy starts to suffer from ever more exaggerated tones and the story ends quite abruptly. Everything turns out therefore to be forgettable and like a waste of time.

As for the side plots (even a comedy must have one), one of the idyosyncratic paths this manga chose was for example trying to match one of the cast's members with a (transgender) woman. Well, the issue here is that it has no synergy with the flow or the mood of this series (like many of the sub-stories), and to make things worse, the "character arc" is, like I suggested, never concluded.

In short, it was all laughs, but no substance. Things got, as expected, eventually obnoxious and unsustainable. The author failed at the basics and gave all too much focus to the sidelines. The entire building finally fell apart and we were left with the feeling that maybe it wasn't so funny after all.

Verdict: 3/10