Anime Column] Midterm Review of 2015 Summer Anime by Anime Writers

There comes a moment when watching anime while enduring the heat of a plasma TV and headphones in an air conditioner-less room makes everything more interesting. Having reached such a state of nirvana, the anime writer gives a mid-term review of the 2015 summer anime that have reached the turn of the year!

The lineup includes the sensual "Jail Academy," the action and sign language of "GANGSTA.", the fantasy and mystery of "Rokka no Yusha", the addictive theme song of "The Boring World Where Undertones Don't Exist", and "Million Dolls" about an idol otaku. We hope you will enjoy these five works that will make your summer even hotter!

Prison School

Set in a private high school that boasts an overwhelming ratio of female students, this school comedy depicts the school life of five male students imprisoned in the punishment wing for the crime of peeping. The sexy punishment by the backstage student council, who act as the guards, tends to catch the eye, but the suspenseful depiction of the students' attempt to escape with all their might is also a highlight of the film. The film is also a heartwarming portrayal of a man who calmly deals with unexpected happenings and is prepared to defecate for the sake of his freedom. The story, which is full of intrigue and betrayal, is filled with a sense of tension reminiscent of the classic prison break film "Ana (Hole)," to paraphrase the film's parody subtitle.

The director is Tsutomu Mizushima, whose " SHIROBAKO " was a huge hit. However, here I must introduce him as the director of "CRAYON SHIN-CHAN," the film that launched his career. His skill in the production of "Ketsudareki-Walking" and many other butt-related performances is only appropriate for this work, which is unusually passionate about buttocks. Kenji Ootsuki's cleverness in including the lyric "puripuri," which is similar to "buriburi," in the opening theme "Prison of Love" is also astonishing. I would like to congratulate the director on his comeback to the buttocks.

GANGSTA.

This is a hard-boiled action film about a handyman duo who handle all kinds of requests, from security to murder, in the mafia-ruled town of Ergastrum. Although Ergastrum has many sunny days, the handymen who take on dirty jobs go through the back alleys, so the little bit of blue sky seen through the gaps between the buildings leaves a strong impression on the viewer. In the action scenes, only those with different abilities, known as twilight species (twilights), climb over the walls of the buildings and battle under the sky. The battles in which the Twilights are freed from the narrow alleys and run through the city in all directions are nothing short of exhilarating.

Another feature of the film is that it tackles difficult expressions head-on. The hand movements of the two handymen are meticulously depicted, and the film is full of action-oriented charm. The scene in the first episode in which Nicholas raises his voice and becomes furious, combined with Kenjiro Tsuda's passionate performance, is a masterpiece.

The Six Heroes of the Six Flowers

In this otherworldly fantasy, six heroes with the power to save the world gather in the Promised Land to prevent the return of the Demon God. Although there have been many anime based on light novels in recent years, this anime succeeds in differentiating itself by adopting a Latin American worldview. The main character, Adretto, who calls himself the strongest man on earth, fights not with bows and magic, but with secret tools. His fighting style is both sneaky and stylish, as he combines a variety of items such as explosives, smoke screens, and poisons to knock down his enemies.

Mystery elements are incorporated in the game, and one of the interesting aspects of the game is the unraveling of the mystery that unravels the culprit based on the actions of the characters. Each character's action is finely rendered, and the large amount of information on screen makes for a story that keeps the viewer on his or her toes for even a moment.

It is a boring world in which the concept of "undertones" does not exist."

This dystopian comedy depicts the activities of SOX, an underhanded terrorist organization that plans to liberate sex in Japan, where sexual expression is forbidden under the Public Order and Morals Act. The paradoxical approach of self-imposed restrictions on-air due to the radical theme is interesting. The film also serves as a barometer to measure the extent to which expression is permitted by checking the restricted portions.

In the film, there are even scenes in which most of the dialogue is obscured by the regulation sound, but the word "vibrator" is hidden by a motor sound, making it easy to guess the content of the dialogue. The fact that Saotome Otome, a member of SOX and a shunga artist, has mastered the Osamu Tezuka touch must be out of respect for those who fought for expression.

Million Dollars."

There are many idol animation works that do not show the otaku in the audience at all, but this work is unique in that it brings in the otaku's point of view. The most noteworthy scene is the one depicting the moment when the otaku falls for the idol Hinami Kamakura. The two are attracted to the idol not because of her good looks or performance. For them, idols are a way to fill a void in their lives that they find no meaning in. And by changing the word "idol" to "anime," this problem is brought to our attention. What will be left after we continue to watch anime? To find out the answer, we must follow the works.

（Text by Katsunori Takahashi)