Heaven's Memo Pad - Reviews

I marathoned this anime for the October (Catch up with Summer) Monthly Marathon. It was a rather fast paced anime with enough of a plot to keep it interesting, and enough character development to make it enjoyable.

Plot: The anime consisted of several smaller plotlines that all tied into the fact that Alice (the NEET detective) is a computer genius. One thing that carried the anime plotlines, but left a small plot hole, was how quickly Fujishima was accepted into the lives of everyone he met. (Also, how he stays as long as he does after saying how often he moves in the first 5 minutes of the anime...)Still, the anime has a flow to it, allowing for character development and rich background stories.

Animation: Released in Summer 2011, the anime is par with others released during the same time frame. The lines are crisp, the backgrounds are eye catching, and the ramen looks edible. A lot of the plot points were detailed designs or small objects, and the animation detail on these items was incredibly well done.

Sound: The score on this anime was decent, mainly due to the sound director Jin Aketagawa (noted for animes such as Nodame Cantabile and Honey and Clover). The sound allowed for some intense scenes, but also more mellow interractions between the main characters.

Characters: Unless a backstory or detail was important to the current plotline, it wasn't given. Some characters are introduced and made central in plotline, only to disappear off the face of the earth in the next plotline. Apart from a few important figures, the characters remain static. For the few who star in a plotline, the character development is engaging and has good depth.

Great music, great animation, where can you go wrong? With everything else. 

Kamisama no Memo-chou has one of the weakest opening episodes I have ever seen. I watched one more after it, it was actually much better, but after the forst one I just had so much antipathy built up in me, that I just dont feel like giving this anime a chance. Maybe if I wait a few days/weaks/lifetimes, I will forget the first episode and start it from the second one. Dont think so though...

Animation: 9/10

Music: 8/10

Story: I have to compare this to Gosick. A lot of similar characteristics between the 2. Differences: while Gosick is set in a very stylish early 90s theme, this one is as boring as it gets: modern day Tokyo. While Gosick has interesting main characters, here we get nothing. While Goscik is logically (mostly) sound and the conclusions are actually somewhat smart, here the logic went for vacation and the conclusions are on the level of a 5 year old. let me give you an example: second episode. Girl takes the bag his ex yakuza father left him to a loli detective, she never met and doesnt even look into the bag. Yeah... Normally, our little detective should have called the police and thats that. Game over. Next, they find a phone in the bag, but much later. Okay: so the girl is concerned that her LOVING and CARING father doesnt leave any method of communication behind, but doesnt think to actually search that bag properly. The anime want to make us assume the detective is smart, because she knows a lot of background information of people, when they go meet her. Wonderful. So hacking a school database(obviously it had a firewall stringer than FBI, like all school databases) and being able to use facebook makes you a fucking genious. Apparently. Having a good basic premise doesnt actually mean you can mash up everything you want into the story and it reamins good. Complete fail. No creativity at all, barely manages to even create the illusion of intelligence. 0/10

Characters: Weak. Compared to Gosick, all the main characters seem cliche, insignificant and weak. Character evolution is all messed up. We get the shy japanese kid, who gets involved with strange people, has a lot of doubts at first, but after that, he starts to work wqith them, even meet up with dangerous yakuza to solve the case. Look good yeah? Well it would be good, if the lack of trust issue wouldnt be solved overnight. Episode one, guy is reluctant to do anything, episode two, he does whatever is asked of him. Its called evolution for a reason. This is not character evolution, its just obligatory character change, to create the illusion of actual evolution. Its insulting to the watcher. 3/10

Overall: Dont watch this. Watch Gosick. It has its flaws, but beats this anime to a pulp in every aspect that actually counts. Medicore score of 5, but only thanks to the high budget animation and music. 

STORY:

The story follows Fujishima Narumi, a normal 16 year old boy, who is new in town and doesn't have any friends. He manages to befriend a female classmate, and thanks to her, he meets a lot of other people. One of them is Alice, the other main character, a tsundere hikkikomori and a self-proclaimed detective. She takes him as her assistant, and they solve cases together.

As interesting as it sounds, the result is actually pretty boring. It's all talk and no action. The cases usually do look interesting at first, but their solution is almost always predictable and unexciting. Apart from the very few moments given to the actual detective work, the episodes are filled with simple character interactions and, of course, fanservice. There are a loooot of suggestive shots of girls, and in every episode is at least one semi-naked one (in her underwear or wrapped in a towel). The first one appears not even 3 minutes in. There are also many scenes with the girls groping each other, taking baths together or undressing each other. And, of course, it wouldn't be complete without Narumi "accidently" walking in on them. All in all, there really isn't much to talk about. You don't need your brain for this one.

ANIMATION:

The animation is pleasant and colorful, though it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's not all that detailed or realistic for that matter, but it's nice to look at. And as far as I could tell, there weren't any blurry or deformed shots. The only (hilarious) mistake I noticed was that the girls' chests kept changing sizes. And speaking of characters, moe is typical for it's lack of diversity when it comes to character design, especially with female characters. Apart from their hair and the colour of their eyes, all girls look exactly the same, no matter if they're high school students or adults. Small stature, long legs, big eyes - all doll-like and as cute as possible. But I suppose it could have been much worse.

SOUND:

Like in all anime, even here the dubbing is of high quality. I was pleasantly surprised with the involvement of Ono Daisuke and Sakurai Takahiro, my two favourite seiyuus. Both the opening and ending songs fit well with the image of the anime, but they aren't that great on their own. The soundtrack doesn't stand out; you don't even notice there's any music at all.

CHARACTERS:

Narumi doesn't have any special characteristics at all. He's like a background character, who was suddenly promoted to be the hero. His personality is completely flat. It really feels like he's there only to make Alice look smarter and more interesting. She herself is a seemingly super-smart person, but all she ever does is talk about what a unique snowflake she is, cry, talk about being a detective, boss people around and talk about how much better she is than everyone else. Her only actual skill is finding everything out on the internet. Then she miraculously appears at the end of the episode and saves the day with her judgment. Seriously, even Narumi does more than her. But yes, she is the most interesting character in the show, because just like Narumi, even the secondary characters are paper thin. Each one usually has just one character trait, like being a flirt or having short temper.

OVERALL:

Challenge completed. And I'm glad it was so short. Seriously, Santa. To quote Calculon: "That was so terrible I think you gave me cancer." Anyway ... If you want more than just cute girls being cute - if you want an actual story or at least likable, solid characters with some development - don't watch this. You'll be wasting your time.

Watched for the AP Secret Santa 2014

One of the most annoying things about the anime industry is the seemingly ingrained belief that bandwagons, when jumped upon, have the mystical ability to carry studios into money. It's a sad fact that every season will undoubtedly see the release of one or more shows that clearly attempt to piggyback on the success of something that has gone before. Thankfully following trends isn't necessarily a bad thing, and every so often a series comes along that can be considered a superior example of its genre.

Unfortunately that also means that the majority of titles that do jump on the bandwagon are mediocre at best.

Originally a light novel series by Sugii Hikaru, Kamisama no Memochou (God's Memo Pad), tells the story of a socially awkward high school student, Fujishima Narumi, and his exploits with the NEET Investigation Firm (apparently "It's The Only NEET Thing To Do"). The story begins with a series of text messages that lead to a seemingly unrelated scene in a love hotel involving a school girl, a businessman, a delinquent of some sort, and an attempt at blackmail that ends with an ashtray to the head. Narumi, having recently moved to Tokyo, finds himself geographically challenged to the point where he's in a perfect position to see that same girl jump out of a window.

After that things get a bit random.

One of the major problems with Kamisama no Memochou is that the plot doesn't really have any particular goal or objective. The story is told in a series of short arcs that often have very little direct relation to each other, and while this does tie in to the idea of individual cases at an investigation firm, the lack of any real focus causes the narrative to meander before any conclusion can be reached. In addition to this there's a surprising degree of contrivance apparent in the development of the plot, and while it's true that certain events are necessary to implement the growth of particular characters, it's much more preferable to have such things implied, inferred or even insinuated.

That said, there are some interesting threads woven into the plot that lay a good foundation upon which the story can be told, and if one is able to ignore the obvious prefabrication in the narrative then there is a degree of entertainment to be found.

Which brings up the issue of the company that Alice runs.

NEET simply means "Not in Employment, Education or Training", which is a roundabout way of saying that a person is not just unemployed, but also has no real intention of finding a job. Given this fact, how can a NEET Investigation Firm exist when the simple act of working means that a person is no longer a NEET? To many folks it may seem like nothing more than splitting hairs, but in actuality it's the most prominent example of the mentality behind the series (more on this in a bit).

Because Kamisama no Memochou is set in the "real" world, there's a degree of mundanity to the artwork that is surprisingly well suited to the series. There's also little in the way of flamboyance where the characters are concerned, but while the design principle seems focused on normality, the series suffers from a certain tired old saw involving beauty and people who aren't very nice. On the plus side, the animation is pretty decent for the majority of the show, and is only really let down by some poorly incorporated CG or the odd repetition of particular sequences (there's one in the first episode - see if you can spot it).

The series opens with a rather straightforward introduction to the main members of the cast, all to the tune of "Kawaru Mirai" by Choucho. On the other hand the main ending theme, "Asunaro" by Suzumura Kenichi, is set to a montage that focuses on Alice and Narumi, and features lots of tumbling negative words and rapid fire photos. In addition to this the first episode concludes with a a rather dizzying series of photographs and images against the backdrop of "Colorado Bulldog" by Mr. Big (and if you want to know who they are, google it or ask your older siblings or parents). As for the background music, while the tracks on offer are varied and atmospheric that doesn't mean that they're always necessary, and in truth several scenes would be better without any sort of accompaniment.

When it comes to storytelling it's often the case that a relatively weak plot will be masked by philosophical or psychological discussions, and that's pretty much what happens here. The script has a tendency to get bogged down in semantics and there seems to be an almost desperate need to expound upon the reasons for every action taken. Thankfully the voice actors are a pretty decent bunch, and while there are occasions where the performances are a little too excitable or overbearing, for the most part each role is handled fairly well.

One of the more interesting aspects of Kamisama no Memochou is the manner in which the characters interact with each other, especially the contrast between the established relationships and the manner in which Narumi's connections to everyone evolve over the course of the series. Now while this suggests some very good character development, sadly that's not the case as the story follows the old idea that drama leads to growth.

As the main lead much of the focus tends to fall on Narumi, but aside from certain events that force him to take charge he doesn't actually change very much until the last few episodes. One could argue that his introspective monologues are symptomatic of his evolution, but in truth the conclusions he reaches aren't reflected by any substantial changes in his personality. Right up to the end of the series he remains a figure who seems ill at ease with his role, and this seems like a wasted opportunity to explore what could have been a very interesting character.

The downside to this is the lack of attention given the rest of the cast, and there are a number of points that remain unanswered come the end of the show. Who is Alice? Why did she start a detective agency? How did the rest of the team gather? Not once does Kamisama no Memochou attempt to address these questions, and worse still, Narumi doesn't even ask them. Apparently his character is content to remain ignorant of things that anyone in his situation would naturally want to know.

Which neatly brings us back to the mentality behind the series.

Intelligence is a difficult thing to gauge when it comes to stories, and one of the common assumptions is that the reader or audience will be unable to understand the choices, motivations and actions of this or that person. Writers make an effort to counter this, and the usual response is to load the dialogue with lots of big words, philosophy, psychology, psuedo-science, and other highbrow musings. The problem is that they often become so enamoured with their own intelligence that they begin to lose sight of what's important, and elements begin to creep that really don't belong or should have been thought out properly.

In the case of Kamisama no Memochou this manifests itself not just in the name of the company. One has to question the basic premise of a girl of indeterminate age (but probably around 12 or13 years old), with a mild Dokupe addiction living alone surrounded by high tech equipment. In addition to that one has to wonder why a show about detectives and mysteries would need an episode dedicated to fanservice or baseball.

This series has the potential to good, if not great, but there are far too many occasions where it takes its cues from titles like Gosick, not the least of which is the inclusion of an eccentric loli detective and her well meaning, yet slightly bumbling "assistant". As with many other tales of mystery, there's an element of entertainment that stems mainly from the viewer trying to figure out who, what, why and how, but that's where the magic stops. Although there are occasions where the show is interesting, and sometimes a little charming, these are always overshadowed by one question - who is Alice?. The lack of any explanations about her places a burden on the narrative that remains throughout the series, and while the show tries to mysticise her character from time to time, this is nothing more than an attempt to stop the viewer asking unwanted questions ("it's magic so it doesn't need an explanation").

Kamisama no Memochou is, at best, an interesting mystery anime, but like so many other shows that are the product of jumping on the bandwagon, it relies too much on the success of titles like Gosick, and too little on what it could have been.

Just a Short Review

This is a story all about an ordinary guy name Narumi who got to meet a neet detective girl Alice. They work each other and solve mystery. Even do theyre first meeting isnt that good so far they got along each other.

To be honest each ep sort of they will solve mystery but it didnt take awhile to Alice solve the mystery. Actually in the begining its like getting to know more about them and stuff so sort of introductions but if u watch so on there is where a climax is heading but it isnt the fact that some eps are boring. 

Animation

The animation was okay I kinda dont hate it I like it how the animation suits the anime and graphic but only if im using an HD version but even do it isnt it is still okay ^^b

Well theres only minimum fight scenes :/

Sounds

The OP was nice ! .. I mean I dont miss listening to it actually. Theres a background music that suits what is mood theyre doing but there is one who is an out of place 0-0. Alice voice actor  was okay but I hope it will be more cute/child like voice (since I think she is 12-13 .. age hasnt be revealed since Alice is so mysterious) Sort of like that but it is still good ^^b

Characters

Oh my I like Alice character! actually each of the characters has a screen view but it reallly didnt took awhile fo them to popped out but only for solving mystery and some sudden happenings but it is okay I have no problems with them :D

Overall

Well I did enjoy this show so far I like how Alice solve the mystery but for some reason I want some romance developing with Narumi ;-;.. Oh well the tsundere Alice wont be forgotten.The anime is good so far *thumbs up*