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This is disappointing at best, perhaps because I began watching "Kamichu!" with elevated expectations. Instantly in the first episode, I made connections to "Spirited Away". While those connections still exist, "Kamichu!" is nowhere near as deep or contemplative.

Yes, this can be considered a slice-of-life series, but that's like listening to "The Shins" as indie music - it barely skims the surface of their respective genres.

1. Firstly, the time period setting - the 80's - isn't properly utilized.

2. I feel as if the series was born after a great initial concept, followed by a war of attrition that slowly wore the series down ... into a mediocre mush of feel-good animation.

3. The soundtrack is superb for an anime series.

4. Likewise, the animation is (usually) great. There are a few slip-ups in the middle of the series.

So, my final verdict is thus a negative one:

This series might pass for a children's anime, but not much more. The plot was slow to develop, and it lacked the magic that "Minami-Ke" had to keep a viewer engaged. The "Middle-School God", or "Kamichu!", never really grew up to deal with deeper issues, which will turn off some of the older viewers. Its only saving grace lies in the superb animation and soundtrack, which wouldn't be out-of-place in a feature film.