Punch line...where do I start off with this one?
(The good, the bad, and the ecchi?)
I like to look at anime in the best light as I highlight their did-well's, so as to not be overly moody, but I had to get this off my chest. Lets start off with a short summary of what the show's about. While the show cannot be summarized by the commercial transitions, my initial grievances are thoroughly conveyable through the Punch Line. If you happened to have watched the series on the TV like I did, oh well, goodbye to your reputation.
Before I go any further, I'd like to mention that I am writing this review as a part of a contract event given to me as a recommendation, so I am most likely not the target audience. With that said, let's get into it.
The good:
- Story/Linear plot development - While this show could have easily become episodic real fast, the directors did a great job to avoid filler content. What I found especially good about this series was the fact that almost every portion of the episode was important towards the end. If I were to compare the plot development of this series, I'd say it most matches up with that of a hybrid between Penguindrum and FLCL, while carving out its own unique entry into anime. I always applaud well-wrapped finish to a series, and in this case, Punch Line certainly wrapped their ends together as the character development culminated into a satisfying ending (I'll get into that later). The series description can only be taken at face value for the most part. While the series started in media res of a bus hijacking, the portrayal of STRANGE JUICE!!! and the MC tackling a terrorist out a window, the description does little justice in its description of the plot in its entirety.
Something interestingly unique about this series in its case was the structure in which the episodes were laid out. Only soon after the MC is washed onto the artificial riverbank and saved by strange juice, his soul slips out of his body. Thus begins what I call the question Arc. For the first half of its 12 episodes, the MC flies around as a ghost as he discovers more and more information about his flatmates in the Korai House. Little by little, he uncovers the deepening plot of a secret society called the Qmay group, but to avoid too many spoilers, I'll avoid mentioning them further. In the second half, in what I'd like to call an answer arc, he returns to his body to make use of his knowledge as a spirit. In this half, the unanswered questions are tied together as he problem-solves his way to a, in his words, a supremely happy and peaceful future!
- Art/Animation - I also have to give this portion a good word. As expected of studio MAPPA, even if it came before their big hits, their animation an artistries were portrayed quite well throughout the series. In this series particular, incredibly vibrant colors were used throughout, which may put some people off, but was augmented by their consistency towards the style. In regards to the art, there was never too much color clashing due to the enjoyable consistency of the style. This art, good by consistency, was made even more enjoyable by the particularly smooth animation. While unlike that of the studio's later budgets, the animation for this series was consistently well-done.
The bad:
- Music (OP/ED/OST) - Certainly not great. One of the earliest recognizable flaws in this anime was the poor use of music to get emotions across. As a viewer, I felt very detached from the plot because of the distracting background music that often stifled my potential enjoyment of certain scenes. In addition, both the opening and ending themes seriously detracted from my enjoyment due to their irrelevance as the plot furthered. As I went into the final episode, it was difficult to take the events seriously when introduced and finished off with panty-pics that had little to no sway on the story.
- Noncommitment to genre - In some show's cases, this factor actually works in their favor; not this one. At first glance the series seems to take an ecchi approach where the MC faces accidental situations that lead him towards sexual innuendos. The problem in this case, is its tendency to be noncommittal, as the bloody noses that arose from panty sightings were the furthest the supposedly ecchi show went. So if not ecchi, what was the genre? Mystery, or action, maybe a bit of both; I cannot say. The poor execution of genre swapping made the show less enjoyable because the viewer was often unable to enjoy one part of the genre before distraction from another.
- Characters - Due to the nature of the series, this was not too poor a job, but it did require mention. In contrast to the character interactions (which I praised in the good portion) the characters themselves turned out rather bland. As the viewer, I never got to understand the characters further than a surface level. In particular, Rabura and Chihoyo would have been nice to get to know at a more profound level, but were never given the chance. Nonetheless, I do have to praise the fact that each character was given equally surface-level development.
The ecchi: (short remarks)
If I had to pick out the weakest part of the series, it would have had to have been the ecchi portions. Regardless of degeneracy or righteousness, those that have the ability to appreciate the appearances of anime girls-felt nothing. For one, I do not believe the art style very well complemented the many (and only) pantyshots throghout the series. Whereas the MC literally went Über at first sight of panties, the viewer witnessed the weakest ecchi draw possible. Like c'mon, i've witnessed better ecchi in Key's visual novels. To avoid a longer tangent, I'll say, this series is not for ecchi fanatics.
Final thoughts: (tl;dr)
All in all, while Punch Line might be at first glance an ecchi anime, it slowly develops into an above-average mystery series that revolves around the character interactions of those in the Korai house as well as past acquaintances. If you were interested in the ecchi aspect of the show, I insist you turn right around. Aside from that, if you're interested in a more shounen-esque mystery series, I might recommend you give the show a chance. While this certainly was not my cup of tea, it certainly was not a horrible series to have been recommended. I hope you enjoy the show.
