Before I get any further in this review of Yuki Yuna is a Hero: Churutto! I want to mark one parallel in the anime world. While watching these 12 one-minute episodes, I was reminded of the BanG Dream! chibi projects Girl Band Party Pico! The reason I appreciate these chibi projects is they take the edge off the drama of the BanG Dream! series. The tears of disappointment. The hugs of encouragement. The ever-present threat of Raise A Suilen to mash all girl bands standing against them into dango balls. Okay, the last one was a touch of BanG Dream! humor, subtle and dark, but funny in its own way. But leave it to chibi-style to offer a touch of grace and warmth and friendliness ...
[We interrupt this review to advise all anime fans who are under the delusion that chibi = sweet and innocent, we offer this one word appraisal of chibi used for evil purposes ...
KAGI-NADO
We now resume the review already in progress.]
... that Itsuki's singing career was jeopardized by her devotion to the Shinju-sama. That's nuts!
The premise of Churutto does follow the sweet and innocent aura. The five girls of Sanshu Middle School Hero Club have expanded to twenty-seven. These are the five main hero arcs of the franchise, the teams of Yuki Yuna, Washio Sumi, Mebuki Kusunoki, Wakaba Nogi, and Shiratori Utano. I am unacquainted with the last named hero, much less her teammate. But a hero is a hero. How they handle Sonoko Nogi who would be one two teams … unimportant. Keep an eye out and count … twenty-seven sweet chibi girls of various timelines come together. Get past this and all is good. And the mission that unites these mighty girl warriors ... the creation of the perfect udon. No Vertex were harmed in this project. Heck, they didn't show up. So, what do these twelve one-minute episodes offer?
The classic process in the making of this noodle which so perfectly represents the Japanese spirit. The strife between the advocates of udon, soba, and ramen, and how Aya enlightens us to the commonality of the family of noodle (I personally was raised on ramen, preferring to eat it using 'sticks a la true Oriental smack and slurp fashion). How desperate loner Chikage was drawn into a more perfect union with the other 26 hero-girls through the spirit of udon (which is preferable to dying in a state of madness in the series ... love that chibi touch!). How diversity of all possibilities of ingredients we add to the udon works to unite us in the quest of that enlightened perfect assortment understood be each individual. Esoteric nonsense in the end, but this is far better than the bloodlust we meet in the prior three seasons.
Speaking of lust, there still is that quality of 'sexier-than-thou' among the girls centered on 'endowments.' The ideal udon is soft, and white, and plump, and round ... qualities of the feminine physique which one finds ideal. And yes, Tamako Doi needs to be restrained (again, restrained is far better than being blown apart by the proto-typical Mankai power upgrade which harms the girls as they need to use it against the Vertex).
The spirit of these chibi episodes has one big positive. The upbeat cheerfulness of Yuki Yuna is front and center in these episodes. And, better news, there are three Yuna persona. Smiles to the third power. But chibi anime is made for the ultra-cuteness of the characters. Churutto is a good primer for all the girls who show up in the series ... but you got to watch fast! Sixty seconds of cute and silly demands extreme concentration.
As for the seasons of Yuki Yuna is a Hero, you also have to learn of these girls on the fly; as blood and gore flash on the screen you tend to miss out on points of personality. It's kind of like that Alice Cooper song, Only Women Bleed.
Pity.
Screenshots
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