Junk Food: The Anime is nothing more than its title, a consumable like a hundred others meant to pass the fleeting time idly by in slice of life entertainment, but of course, with a twist that's meant to sustain its identity, uniqueness unnecessary. For Himouto! Umaru-chan, it's Doma Umaru who lives a perfect 16-year-old life whenever outside the apartment she and her big brother Taihei live in, a polar opposite to the situation within the building's confines as she mushes into a rotten freeloading bloodsucker of finances and tranquility. She echoes the NEET lifestyle bar her surreal exterior "UMARU~N" transformation when the situation arises and her close relationship with Taihei. This stark contrast between Umaru's parasitic recluse persona taking advantage of the comfort and security her hardworking salaryman for a big brother provides her, lazing around like a bum while constantly inconveniencing Taihei, and her image as the most loved, most talented, effortless in both academics and athletics high school student cycles in every episode.
And I've got to say, I actually find it decently average. That's a praise.
More praises to come! So while everyone and their grandmothers describe Umaru in the same vein, I have little vexations reserved for her. She's a pest, but the author's approach on how she's written and the usual mindset I've equipped whenever I click an episode make her an adorable pest--at least, more tolerable than some other melancholic girl. Having to see her in the lens of fiction truly abated much of the annoyance I'd naturally have for someone as childish as her; it's the cherry on top. But what makes her rather endearing to me?
It's that formulaic gimmick itself that replays multiple times per episode when she's in her Hamster form. Her slothful escapades involving Taihei comes off as entertaining more frequently than irksome (since the comedy is usually at his expense). It's so predictably cliched in anime fashion, and that's what makes it amusing to me. At times wholesomeness chimes in which puts Umaru back to upright senses. This kindles warm awkwardness in the atmosphere as both siblings exchange direct acts of care. In this way, Himouto! Umaru-chan tries to manipulate the viewer to gradually trivialize Umaru's irresponsible demeanor, but then you remember, it's junk food anime! Entertaining the audience despite twisted conditions is the name of the game.
And talking about wholesomeness, I do have my limits in disregarding their character progressions. The anime always balances and/or overpowers it with more mischief and disrespect from Umaru. I can't say I like that, but it's your typical SoL comedy anime so I just learned to shrug intricacies like that off without much indignation, as with other incompetencies. This shift in judgment to accommodate the story's intent allowed me to enjoy this more than I thought.
Insert: Hamster Umaru's infantile image over childish and teenage behavior, her voice acting, her manipulations and ulterior motives driven by hedonistic desires, and other elements combined to make her work as a character.
I can't say much about anything else really. Production-wise, I don't think anything really stood out. The characters are basically cardboards with chemistry. I like Sylphyn, though, bless her.
~~Junk Food: The Anime~~ Himouto! Umaru-chan is laden with cliches from the start and it doesn't shy away from them at all. Overtime I grew to just feel it through and not be too bothered. Nothing new, just another bag of chips that was decent while it lasted.
19 out of 27 users liked this review
