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This series deserves a MUCH HIGHER SCORE than its current 6.7-ish.

Mou Ippon contains a realistic depiction of high school girls playing a niche sport. Perhaps the niche nature of the series accounts for the low score; sad if so, because the judo moments are fantastic. I know absolutely nothing about martial arts but I am nevertheless RIVETED. This has all the necessary story beats to qualify as a wonderful sports anime in its own right.

If you're put off by the age or gender of the protagonists... don't be. Give Mou Ippon a shot anyway. The depiction of the sport is great, but it's the series' ... ability to capture the personalities, struggles, and ages of its protagonists that really shines. Their manner of speaking, their insecurities, their goals--the writing is pitch-perfect for their age and life experience (and the sports genre itself, to boot).

On the subject of realism: These girls aren't the long-legged, big-eyed, no-one-actually-looks-like-this anime girls people are used to seeing in anime. They aren't forced into characatures of optimistic anime protagonists along the way, either. They have chubby cheeks and stocky bodies, with baby fat and the kind of builds you'd expect girls in judo to have. It's sad that such a depiction is so uncommon, and it's wildly refreshing to see these truer-to-life characters on the screen in defiance of the unrealistic norm.

The animation in the judo sequences sings (animation cost-saving measures are used judiciously where they appear), the character writing is engaging and witty (some of the best of the Winter 2023 season), and the pacing as of the first 6 eps works incredibly well. Truly love this show, and if you like CGDCT or sports series or good character writing, I encourage you to give it a chance. The staff and cast are clearly passionate and skilled. Hidden gem in the extreme. This is a rock-solid sports anime. Deserves a much higher score than the general MAL user has deigned to give it, so please don't be put off by the low numbers here. <3

This anime. This one. This thing right here. It's the weirdest, dumbest, most out-there anime series I've ever been forced to lay my eyes on, and I have seen a LOT of weird anime in my day. Upon completing the season, I am left with just one question. That question is:

WHERE OH WHERE DO I GET MORE OF OUR BOY KONGMING?

As you might be able to tell from the above, I absolutely REQUIRE a second season of this gem.

Plot Summary: An ancient Chinese general gets isekai’d into the middle of modern day, party-central Shibuya, where he uses his military knowledge to help this ... random singer girl achieve EDM vocalist stardom via his innate understanding of Instagram and also crowd control. Like... that's it. That's the plot. It's balls-to-the-wall weird AF, y'all, but it WORKS, and it is so, so good.

STORY/WRITING: This plot takes a host of disparate elements (Three Kingdoms history, Shibuya nightlife, the music industry, drama) and SOMEHOW makes what should be an "everything but the kitchen sink" disaster work. While it's just one season right now, they end it at a perfect spot. Even if the series doesn't get a second season (TRAGEDY) this works as a satisfying standalone series...something I can't say for a lot of other titles that totally leave you hanging. But more importantly, the writing strikes a perfect balance between the absurd elements of the plot and the real, heartfelt emotional beats of the characters, who are all so believably written that you can't help but root for them as soon as you hear Eiko sing or Kongming scheme. Just magic, y'all. Just magic. I swear to God the first four minutes of episode 1 are the most tightly and effectively written opening minutes of an anime I HAVE EVER SEEN. Like the way they establish tone and character and concept so succinctly is literally mind-blowing, and somehow they managed to work a genuinely emotional moment and a killer acoustic track into a discussion involving CRYPTO CURRENCY??? WHAT??? Color me impressed.

ANIMATION: It's by PA Works. It's pretty. Great sight gags and visual comedy, lovely character design, Shibuya looks great and true to life. No complaints.

MUSIC: Music plays a central role in this series, and all of the songs are very good and catchy. The insert songs could've had more variety, but that's all the criticism I've got. And don't get me STARTED on the OP, which is the best of the year for me by a wiiiiiide margin. Whoever thought to do a Japanese cover of a Hungarian Eurobeat song as the OP was experiencing galaxy-brain-level thinking, and for that, I commend them.

THE VIBES: The above says a lot about why I love this show, but it's far from the main reason I love Ya Boy Kongming the way Mayaya from Princess Jellyfish loves TKP (kudos if you get that reference). And it took me a while to really, truly put my finger on why I love this show so damn much. But after much reflection, here's the main reason I think everyone should give this show a shot, even if (perhaps ESPECIALLY IF) they think the premise is too buckwild for their tastes:

**Everyone should give this show a shot BECAUSE IT'S GOOD.**

Wait, wait, hear me out. I don't mean it's “good quality” (though it IS that). I don't mean “good writing” (though it HAS that). And I don't even mean “good music” (though it has THAT in spades, case in point being the ridiculously perfect OP)… I mean it’s “good” in the sense that it’s a show about good people being good to each other and doing good for one another in a world where not everything is guaranteed to be good.

When Kongming wakes up in Shibuya confused and alone, people are nice and good to him from the jump as he gets adjusted. No judgment, no mockery, just earnest kindness and offers of help in a world that isn't keen on either. And then he in turn is like, “I’m going to do good by making these people’s dreams come true using my skills, in the hopes of making the world just a little bit better overall,” and he does so WITHOUT CUTTING OTHER PEOPLE DOWN. And it doesn’t get shoved in your face or talked about; it’s just part of the show, goodness inherent to its characters and plot.

Anime after anime, season after season, we get dark shows that’re fixated on being “edgy” and “gritty” and “dark,” but this is like “Nah b*tch, we’re GOOD TO EACH OTHER," and it’s fun and hilarious and heartwarming and earnest and totally sincere. No winks or nods about naiveté or cynicism in sight. Just real, earnest goodness. Bon appetite.

And that’s so f*cking rare, y’all.

Yeah, there are some sh*tty people in the show. Episode 2 sets up a rival for the main girl, Eiko, and that rival is underhanded and fights dirty. But people don’t insult the rival or get mad; Kongming just does his best to propel Eiko higher in spite of the odds. And then there are more rivals later on that Kongming HELPS and TREATS KINDLY after trouncing them with his tactics, cementing one of the core unspoken principles of the show: "Don’t focus on the haters; just do your best. And maybe show people who are hurting some love along the way." And that’s a beautiful thing in a world that often prioritizes getting even over being kind.

Anyway. Watch it if you can. This show is good for the soul, and our boy Kongming is the kind of hero we need more of in the world of anime.

Time to go watch it again. Just imagine me singing Chiki Chiki Ban Ban as I moonwalk away into the sunset, all right?

(Some of the above text I wrote for a Tumblr post, so if you see any of this verbiage repeated on that site, no worries. I gave myself permission to plagiarize myself, promise.)

SHIBUYA GOLDFISH IN A NUTSHELL: This series is High School of the Dead but with flying goldfish instead of zombies (and a little less fanservice).

I'm three volumes in, and this is a great "turn your brain off and let the bizarre story wash over you" kind of read. Easy to follow, not a lot of plot, just "survive the giant goldfish who now fly through the air and hunger for human flesh." That's it; that's the manga! Nothing more, nothing less.

Does this series have depth? Nah!
Is it funny? Sometimes!
Is it fanservicey? Also sometimes!
Is that art all right? Yeah, mostly!
Will zombie-story fans like this? Yeah, probably!
Is ... there action? Yeah, and some of it is even good!
Does it make sense? Nah, not really, but I don't really want it to, so that's OK!

If you wanna read a story about goldfish eating people (complete with a body horror and gore), read this! If you don't, then don't! The story is exactly what it says on the tin. You can and should judge this book by its cover. And in this case, that's perfectly all right.

This series is shocking on three fronts: It's shocking because I didn't expect to like it, let alone LOVE IT; it's shocking due to its overall quality; and it's shocking because no one seems to be talking about it.

TL;DR: If you like idol shows, you'll love this. If you DON'T like idol shows but appreciate well-written characters and realistic drama, you should absolutely give this a chance despite the subject matter. This is a DRAMA SERIES ABOUT IDOLS, not your standard "idol show," and the distinction is an important one.

ART: It's incredible. It's like the character animators are fighting for their lives. Every time the ... characters are onscreen, they're drawn with these little animation flourishes absent from even some of the big-budget shonen titles dominating recent seasons. It's one of the prettiest anime I've seen in ages. Even the CG parts (limited to the dance numbers) are cleverly masked with 2D elements, blending nigh seamlessly with the rest of the series.

STORY: I'm not an idol fan as a general rule, but this series isn't (strictly speaking) and "idol series." It's ABOUT idols, sure, but at its core, this is a coming-of-age character drama about anxiety, confidence, dreams and drive. If you're like me and you typically turn up your nose at idol series, this one might be the exception. I know it's MY exception. The drama (which is gentle and not overly "dramatic") carries this series, as do the loveable characters and subtle writing. I'm rooting for all of the characters, and the ones that seem one-note or thin at the outset all get their moment to develop, grow, and ultimately shine.

MUSIC: It's an idol show. There's music and singing; that's part of the gig here. But the music is very nice, and as of "Yellow Rose," WOW. I'll be humming these songs for weeks.

I've seen so few people talking about this show online, and it's wicked depressing that this series is likely being overlooked due to the idol element of what's otherwise a truly solid character drama. In the end, I didn't expect to write a review of this series, much less such a positive one. I'm enjoying so many series during the Fall 2022 season, but this show might be my unexpected fav of the season. I just wish others would give it SHINEPOST a chance to sparkle like the hidden gem it is.