StoryListen to the background noise in ISSUP (the international study of
something umm.... perverted) long enough and you hear the same anime
show names banded about after a while. From Strike Witches to Queen’s Blade, I usually end up watching them all for the “lulz”. One that really caught my eye, however, was the amusing sounding Nyan Koi: an ecchi romp that comes with more than its fair share of delightful cat ears.
Telling the tale of the unfortunate Junpei Kousaka, the show revels in
this poor guy’s misfortune. After knocking the head off a neko-statue,
he is cursed by a deity and told he must both worship cats and also
appease 100 kitties or he will be turned into a feline himself! This
plot line takes a backseat to the developing harem Junpei finds forming
around himself, even though he is only interested in the coy Kaede.
Addressing all aspects of male fantasies, the barrage of moe, tsundere,
kindergarten friend and twins that the unappreciative male finds
flocking to him somehow seems more believable than many other similar
ecchi titles.
As the episodes tumble aside effortlessly, the writer's come up with
new and creative ways of torturing the poor protagonist; from an
aggressive challenge from tomboy Nagi - who suddenly takes a liking to
the curvaceous Kanako’s sweater-puppies, to the mysterious twins with
contrasting personalities who both love and hate the brow-beaten
schoolboy, Junpei's misery is what makes the show so humorous. Although
Nyan Koi’s
strange pretence eventually transforms into a typical harem, its
friendships and group dynamics are what keep the show a step ahead of
the competition.
Although there is a sense of “been there, done that” with certain
romantic aspects of the show, an abundance of bizarre genres save Nyan Koi from becoming a bland snooze-fest. The typical swimsuit and hot spring
features are redeemed with magical girl transformations and moments of
outright ecchi. It is often the small things that stand out, and
usually the perverted ones at that, but a series that makes you laugh
out loud is definitely not one to be ignored.AnimationFocussing on the main characters, the animation is gorgeous; their
subtle, feline like eyes or the cute neko-style top lip give an
unmistakable kawaii flavour, usually reserved for catgirls in
ecchi anime. However, there are moments of slippage, when faces look
extremely sketchy and rushed. This is usually redeemed by the use of
very successful comedy reactions, in both humans AND animals. The
backgrounds are highly detailed and compliment the brightly coloured
foreground features perfectly, especially in some of the fast paced
scenes that make excellent use of CG effects.SoundI’m really not a fan of music used in harem or romance shows – the
whiny, girly tones just aren’t for me. Luckily, the generic fluffy crap
is reserved for the OP and ED and so is easily skippable. The ongoing
use of “Chopsticks” in the background is cute and fits the slow-motion
comedy scenes perfectly. Ultimately, what stands out for me in the
audio department is the excellent voice acting; care and consideration
seems to have gone into each seiyuu, so they make the personalities of
their assigned characters simply shine.CharactersAs someone with Neko-phobia, I can totally relate to Junpei’s awkward
predicament. Being forced to revere cats so that he doesn’t transform
into one would be an utter nightmare, but he handles it well,
especially considering his allergies. Starting out as somewhat of a
distant and cold character, his experiences with kitty-kind soon warms
his heart and helps to guide him through the tricky minefield of high
school love. Feeling sympathy for the poor guy, it seems the more girls
he meets, the more people there are to kick his sorry ass!
By far, Kanako was my favourite character. Her tough exterior and gross
make-up is a thin shell to hide the lovelorn girl within, and it is
this vulnerability that gives the tsundere a lovable side. Her
transformation into a gorgeous, buxom babe is perhaps predictable, but
not unwelcome. Kaede is a typical ditz who seems to be picked up on
every guy’s skirt radar. Although she is a little flaky, her reactions
to Junpei are often hilarious and not as annoying as some other female
harem characters I could name.
The other half of the cast are made up of the pet kitties belonging to
each human character. Their personalities are as diverse and colourful
as that of their owners, and this only goes to add a new dimension to
the humans as it seems their inner monologue has substance. Often short
and cutting, the cats seem to hoard the best one-liners in the show.OverallAs a dog lover, I really have no place enjoying Nyan Koi quite
as much as I did; much of the comedy is aimed at cat owners who will
truly appreciate the aloof nature and stereotypical actions of the
feline stars. Still, the humour is easily accessible to everyone,
especially with the addition of the diverse female harem (and
accompanying kitties). Amazingly cute and continuously funny, Nyan Koi suffers
from a few forgivable flaws. Overlooking the blemishes, the show avoids
being a typical "boy surrounded by a host of beauties" and brings
something new to the anime world. In short: if you love pussy, I highly
recommend this show.
=^.^=
Screenshots
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