This is my first review, but I have written "mini reviews" for two other animes I completed before, as status posts.
I might do a review for every anime I complete from now on if I have the time and if my "mini review" is suitable.
Note: this review is a direct copy/paste of the "mini review" status post I made about this anime but with some touch up editing
I should also mention I haven't read manga or LN.
[LIGHT POTENTIAL SPOILERS DEPENDING ON WHAT COUNTS]
I'm sure you're impatient by now, so....
Let's jump in!
#Overview
Management of a Novice Alchemist, or MoaNA(lol unintentional reference), is cute. That's really the highlights of it. There doesn't seem to be any deep story or meaning, none of that touchy touchy stuff or anything that inspires any strong emotion. None at all.
Simply put, it's just a cute anime that features a group of cute girls getting in and out of trouble in a fantasy setting.
I didn't expect any more or less, really. But it makes me feel like, "That's it?". "There's nothing else about it?"
Definitely fits the genre of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things. If you call running an alchemy shop and adventuring on the side "cute things".
For the most part, it is pretty cute, so if you're into that kinda thing, you'll enjoy it!
(Personally, I'm not that into the genre myself)
#The Good/Positive
The drawing/art style is cute, I like how the proportions are realistic (namely, chest sizes).
Trivial thing to mention, but when you're like me, a person who doesn't care for that stuff, it can get annoying. G cups are way pushing it, in some anime I've seen. Points added for this but not too much.
Watching the girls go through their daily life and running their shop is enjoyable too. It's pretty important, cause that's this anime's selling point. I'd say they achieved it quite well. I'm typically not into cute girls doing cute things but it was a fun, lighthearted experience. Points added.
I happen to enjoy fantasy world stuff, and MoaNA certainly fits that description. There's magic, alchemy (magic meets science and witches' stuff), battling monsters, and exploring the outdoors for loot. What more could you need, right?
If this was a game, I'd definitely consider playing it. If it was a game where you could run around, battle the monsters yourself, and go back home to brew potions as well as selling them.
Points added for fitting the fantasy world setting, but that brings us to the next topic....
#The Bad/Negative
So, you might be wondering, "why would she have problems with this anime about cute girls?"
I don't, but there's a reason why not everything gets 10/10, right?
Including this one.
Mainly, sometimes this sorta escapes the fantasy setting.
Probably you:
"Didn't you literally just spend a section talking about this in The Good?"
I did indeed. But emphasis on the sometimes.
Such as when our lively protagonist, Sarasa, invents new things to sell in her little shop.
Some of the stuff is a bit too real/like our reality, if you can believe it. Like the magic stove. Or the inflatable tent. Not really stuff that's in a fantasy world.
Without someone from modern life directly influencing in the story, this seems a bit off. (Not a single isekaied character!)
Luckily, there's not a lot of this happening, so we can all easily blame it on magic.
"Yup, I just ~~programmed~~ brewed the ingredients to use my magical power to do certain things!"
That doesn't necessarily mean I'm super happy about it...
I also feel like there is a lack of character variety. The main characters are ofc cute girls of certain ages, and everyone else of mention is a villager.
Just a villager, most of them on the older side.
*Why isn't there even a cute little village kid? *
*Or even a guy around the girls' age to help them out a bit now and then?*
Ok, fine, not every series can involve stuff like that but I find it hard to believe Sarasa would live there for a whole 6 months, but not meet a single kid.
Maybe she does in the manga/LN, but if I see cute girls, I think it's only fair to include cute children. Other than Sarasa herself in flashbacks. I get that some animes can't have as much variety because of how they are, but it was definitely possible here. Maybe it takes away from the focus....of the girls being cute I guess. Still not satisfied as I am someone who believes variety is essential.
Lastly, I should note that for being a novice alchemist, Sarasa is OP. Like, no joke.
Village overrun with hell flame grizzlies?
Call Sarasa! She's more powerful than the rest of us, she'll clean em up lickety-split.
Village threatened by a humongous salamander?
Call Sarasa! She's more powerful than the rest of us, she'll shred him to bits in seconds.
In both these situations, which happened in the anime, Sarasa is the main mind at work and does the majority of the hard work herself. She's incredibly OP compared to, well, everyone. Her alchemy skills are off the chart as well, she's able to invent anything and make plenty of potions without failure.
And whenever there's a problem, hers are the big ideas. I guess you can blame that on her being MC though.
Her OP ness can't be denied. Sure, blame Ophelia Millis for being such a powerful alchemist and taking her on as an apprentice. And for saying she has outstanding powers.
It bugs me a little, not incredibly so, but it does. It's not as annoying as fanservice in my eyes, but definitely something I'd mention in a short summary.
So much for being a novice. 0_0
You'd point out that I watch plenty of isekai with OP MC in them, but think again:
__Are they expected to be novices?
_Is it in the flipping title (of those anime)?_
No.
Points deducted because titles count. If the show isn't fully like the title, it's worth mentioning.
#Do I Recommend?
Yes and no. I definitely wouldn't rave about this super excitedly, because 1), mostly shojo does that for me and not too many other genres, and two, this anime doesn't stand out to me that much. Not when compared with other sights I've seen and enjoyed.
I don't see myself remembering this to recommend to others in the future. It just doesn't catch my eye.
Pretty much a cute little escape from Reality for about 20 mins every Monday. (Yes, I capitalized Reality. On purpose.) That's all there is to it for me. Just another show to add to my list, to boost my anime count, to kill time and entertain myself on Monday evenings.
My personal opinion aside, I'll still be... What's that word I'm looking for?
Hm.... Fair? Unbiased? Somewhere around there.
So if you like the following:
- cute girls
- cute girls getting in and out of trouble
- fantasy (not too much)
- watching someone run a shop
- a unique bond between student and teacher
- a light, barely there dose of Yuri__
You should give it a try.
(Should also mention I don't care much for Yuri, so it affects the score a bit)
Ty for reading my review! Hopefully this won't be my last one ^^