Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu (Winter 2010)

Genres: Comedy, School, Romance

• This anime doesn't offer a whole lot of philosophically and intellectually stimulating topics, but Baka to Test is an anime that I've heard about for the longest time that I haven't started fully until recently. What I ended up getting out of this was a funny, light-hearted, relaxing yet entertaining piece of work and a surprisingly likable main protagonist to make the watching experience even more rewarding.

Story: 8/10

• Spoiler, click to view

  Baka to Test takes place in Fumizuki Academy, which uses a system where basically the best students receive the most privileges, while the worst ones are treated the crappiest. In an A-F ranking, A Class is treated with luxury, while F Class's classrooms and facilities are shoddy, poor, and neglected. Akihisa, our main character who's not very bright, yet always comes up with a unexpectedly funny idea that he literally pulls from the back of his head, finds himself in F Class, alongside clever strategist Yuuji, the questionably perverted cameraman Muttsulini, Hideyoshi, a boy with strongly feminine features yet with a polite personality that usually enables him to avoid trouble, Minami, a hot-headed transfer student with a body complex, and Himeji, a timid yet talented girl who winds up in F Class due to a fever that limited her skills during a test. It gives off a similar vibe to Classroom of the Elite, though this anime came out way before it. Fumizuki also utilizes a unique "Summoner Battle System", where the characters summon Avatars (chibi versions of themselves, reminiscent of JoJo stands) with power levels equivalent to their test scores. The characters engage in these fights throughout the series, though most of the charm comes from the various gags and predicaments they land themselves into.

Art/Animation: 9/10

• I am personally fond of the character designs, they are slender, yet colorful. The frequent comedic moments show them making all sorts of funny faces (especially when they reference other anime) which leave me catching my breath after dying of laughter. The animation is surprisingly fluid, especially with the Summoner fight sequences. It hardly looks like SILVER LINK's cut corners on this one. There's also an interesting usage of background colors with polka dot flairs.

Sound: 7/10

• Musically, the soundtrack doesn't really do anything out of the ordinary, and I am personally not fond of Asou Natsuko's opening. milktub's ending theme is a lot more engaging, but the cast ending theme is forgettable. Hiro Shimono does an excellent job of fleshing out Akihisa's energetic personality, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, the OLDCODEX vocalist, also is a fitting voice for Yuuji and is personally irreplaceable for the role. Overall, I think the voice cast is very fitting, the main characters don't really sound too old. Hitomi Harada's impression of Himeji may sound the most forced in comparison, but I find it funny whenever she talks, so it doesn't bother me that much. Akio Ohtsuka, who we hear a LOT in anime, does a great job at belting out the rigid teacher Mr. Nishimura, AKA Iron Man's dominating lines.

Characters: 8/10

• Again, I am fond of the character designs. Akihisa's charm comes from not the fact that what he does makes a lot of logical sense, but it's that randomness that just makes me go "He's out of line, but he's right." The many hilarious predicaments he lands himself into makes me want to see more. It also helps that he's not a jerk- he actually has a very friendly personality. The chemistry he has with Yuuji is worth a ton of giggles with every moment seen together. As I am not fond of perversion, I think the series could do without Muttsulini. Aside from Muttsulini, I also dislike Shouko. She's way too obsessive around Yuuji. Her way of forcing Yuuji to be around her and never letting him get a chance to breathe can come off as definitely funny, but as a character, I'm not convinced that she herself is likable. It's funny to see Himeji and Minami literally engage in a tug of war with Akihisa, in order to win his feelings for them, but his airheadedness just keeps the series going. It's a pity for them.

Enjoyment: 8.5/10

• The concept of Summoner Test Wars is interesting, and while the comedy can get suggestive at times, the interactions with the main characters make up for all of that. I also cracked up consistently with the many other anime they reference, such as JoJo and Code Geass. I have heard that the female cast is nowhere near as engaging as the male cast, and I agree to an extent. Also, this series is quite harmless. It doesn't get crude that often- and its fanservice moments didn't last as long as I thought.

Pros: Summoner Test War is a unique aspect of the series; Akihisa makes for a likable and energy-filled protagonist who'll make one go "He's out of line, but he's right"; Funny references loaded throughout

Cons: Fanservice mainly derives the series of its energy; tired clichés and tropes that lean to the suggestive side are especially off putting