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You see all sorts of musicians in anime - jazz, rock, death metal, classical, pop... But until now there has not been, to my knowledge, an anime series devoted to electronic music. Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou has righted that wrong at last and put electronic music in the spotlight where it deserves to be. As a fan of electronic music, I really cannot begin to express how much I enjoyed the series.
It takes electronic music seriously, it shows both the artistic and the scientific side of it. Being a DJ requires vast knowledge about different types of music, the ability to imagine how various tracks can ... be put together and the technical skills to operate the equipment. But this anime also shows one of the main aspects of electronic music - its creativity. Anything can become rhythm and melody, from the pitter-patter of raindrops to the sizzle of oil in the fryer. Music is everywhere, but it takes a talented person to discover it, and Agetarou is just that person.
His wonder at discovering the DJing world is infectious, you cannot help but root for him, because he goes through things most people understand - chasing his dream, learning things about the world, trying to connect with people... The anime has a rather accurate depiction of the path of a young DJ, including the difficulties he faces and the obstacles he has to overcome, including stage fright, inexperience and envious rivals.
The art differs very much from the moe aesthetics and does not have and 3D, so it might take some time to get used to it for some people, but I personally found that the rather simplistic art style often reminds of graffiti, contributing to that feel of night clubs and underground parties. The music is on point, some of those songs will stay in your head for a long time. The series has quite a bit of humour too, just take a look at those character names - Big Master Fry, DJ Oily, there is definitely a theme there.
And I really like how despite tackling serious themes with accuracy, the anime stays light-hearted and has a general feel-good atmosphere. Agetarou has good friends and a nice family and is surrounded by helpful people, and is himself an overall nice guy, and at times it really brought tears to my eyes when his music once again showed the best in people and united everyone.
All in all, this anime is a must-see for any fan of electronic music. And if you are not a fan, you should still give it a try, maybe it will change your perspective on this type of music! Good chill.