StoryAnime that accomplish little more than provide an excuse to string
together amusing sight gags could probably be considered a pillar of
the industry. Muteki Kanban Musume does not stand out in this
category due to its unoriginality, but it has an infectious energy and
shamelessly performs its running gags in an admirable fashion. Of
course, it helps that there's little plot to get in the way.
Muteki Kanban Musume is entirely episodic, so there really is no
"story" per se. Each episode outlines two loosely related but
standalone incidents occurring in the Hanamimachi Shopping Arcade and
centered around the antics of poster girl Miki Onimaru, which gives the
series its overall relaxed feel despite the frantic action in each
vignette. The lack of real development in the series prevents any
seriousness from interfering with its comedy and proves a fair trade
for the show's resultant predictability. Muteki Kanban Musume's singular devotion to its purpose (entertainment above all else) makes the show painless and easy watching.
However, in the place of a bland and predictable final installment, the
show delivers episode 12 as a punch line. This funny twist alone
deserves 3 points in my book for introducing continuity at the 11th
hour when no one expects it.AnimationHere, the series gets the job done. While Muteki Kanban Musume never delivers any jaw-dropping moments, the visuals remain nimble
enough to keep up with the sight gags, and the fight scenes show enough
quality to deserve central billing in most episodes (albeit with
occasional lazy stills or recycled segments). The show ably executes
each of its parody sketches (see the Super Sentai parody, and the
Shoujo-ish bits in the final episode for standout examples) and the
animators manage to capture the overall camp of the series as a whole.SoundThis show is over the top and the voice cast is along for the ride.
Miki Onimaru's seiyuu, Hitomi Nabatame, performs gloriously, shouting
nearly the entire time while still managing to deliver her lines with
excellent comic timing; playing across from the heroine, Ami Koshimizu
turns in a surprisingly nuanced performance as bakery's poster girl
Megumi Kannazuki. Following the example set by the two leads, the rest
of the cast attacks the script, no matter how absurd, with admirable
gusto and their energy really sells every scene. Among an otherwise
uninteresting musical score, only the OP stands ou. Its epic sweep
starkly and humorously contrasts the mundane (unrealistic and violent,
but mundane) plot-lines of each episode.CharactersYour enjoyment of Muteki Kanban Musume either lives or dies on
how you feel about the characters, because each episode solely consists
of character driven humor set in motion by Miki's over eagerness to
solve every problem through violence. However, everyone in the Arcade
has a second side to his or her character. Miki has both a heart of
gold and a penchant for violence. Ohta, the grocer, is both the most
normal shopkeeper of the bunch and a devout Super Sentai fanboy.
Nishiyama, an odd-jobbing street tough who lives only to fight Miki in
one-on-one combat, proves to be a disciplined and responsible worker
who ends his sentences in the super-cute "nya". And that's only part of
the cast. Each character has a role to play in the show in addition to
the Hanamimachi community, and each character's secondary quirk
contrasts his or her more overt role for maximum comedic effect.OverallI offer this rating with a fair sized caveat: If you're looking for
intelligent, boundary pushing anime, you're not going to find it here.
This series performs admirably within itself, and is at once totally
predictable and fairly funny. While Muteki Kanban Musume never
quite reaches the sublime comedic heights that other random slice of
life anime have achieved, each episode managed to set off at least one
giggle fit. If you're looking for a good palate cleanser between
bouts with more serious anime, you will find this show refreshingly
straightforward, funny, and pleasantly familiar.