Gzerble

A slice of life series about a kid moving from the big city to an agricultural school. You heard me right. There is nothing else to it. So, what begs to be asked is "how is Silver Spoon so good?!" over and over. It is no mystery. Solid writing that is aimed at all ages, well executed art, and a ton of charm led by a strong audio department. It doesn't try to be too subtle, a mistake common to the slice of life genre, but remains a nice combination of goofy and light hearted fun.

What makes Silver Spoon so good is that it retains just the right amount of focus. It is a character driven show, with a solid premise. While not delving too deeply into the philosophical aspects (while there is some, like in every character driven show), it maintains simple resolutions for simple dillemas without dumbing things down. There is a general sense of positivity pervading everything, with an honesty that usually comes off as naive but somehow manages to come off as just right.

Of course, Silver Spoon isn't all about philosophy and character development. There is plenty of humor, usually visual, that comes off as everything from silly to clever. Themes of friendship and even hints of romance manage to be adorable without taking too much of the focus away from the slice of life aspect. The intricate balance of all these aspects just works, and ends up feeling quite memorable and not just another run-of-the-mill school life / slice of life combination in a different setting.

But is Silver Spoon enjoyable? Oh yes it is. Considering that it is focused on agriculture of all things, it is more enjoyable than it should be. This is light viewing done right, starting off with an episodic structure and as the main character connects with the others becoming more and more coherent but without losing its feel. Really, it is surprisingly well done.

Writing (Story and Characters):

Silver Spoon is well written, and that should be stated right off the bat. Slice of life is usually praised when it tries to be deep and clever, but this is one of the cases where it isn't, doesn't try to be, but still deserves a lot of good words. It is on the goofy side at times, resorting to slapstick and poop jokes to lighten the mood, but manages to give a strong vibe of its own. This is one of those cases where going outside the mold just works.

That being said, the story of Silver Spoon in itself is rather generic. In US media it has been done to death (though usually more "cowboy" themed), and makes a lot of appearences in Chinese movies (usually as a side-story to other themes), but this is a uniquely Japanese take on it. Surprisingly enough, the choice is to be somewhat more character driven rather than the more world driven slice of life shows. It works, and simplifies things a lot.

The protagonist is deeply in the center of the show, and does a good job steering the viewer as we learn along with him the nooks and cranies of the show's world. The clear division between main and side characters allows the plot a wide berth, and manages to touch lightly on many aspects rather than delve deeply into few. This is afforded by a well balanced cast, which gets slowly developed (though sometimes in the most silly of ways). Of course, the only character who really shines is the main one, but others get their moments in the sun, keeping the feeling fresh.

This is a classic way of storytelling in fiction that a lot of shows forgo in favor of a more modern wide-cast or narrative based approach, but sometimes it just holds up. Silver Spoon has a good "return to the basics" type of writing to it, which matches the theme of the show very well (both from execution and aesthetic standpoints). What makes the writing shine is that it doesn't feel forced, in order to make the the show a product, but feels organic and earnest.

Art (Animation and Sound):

Where the writing is good, the artwork is rather decent. The use of visual gags and themes is rather heavy, but not over the top, and is combined with well executed audio to make it feel like a part of the show rather than something tacked on. The audio/video brings life to the writing, but doesn't really manage to kick it up a notch.

Perhaps the weakest point of the series is the animation. This isn't so much a dig at the animation which is actually good. There are plenty of moments where the animation is reduced to a nearly still picture or scrolling through one, and while it is a nice visual tool it is somewhat overused. Still, the backgrounds are solid yet varried, and the character designs while standard are well done. There are plenty of visual gags that are usually well done and fit well with everything else. The lighting and palettes are fashionable and rather well executed. Overall, it's a rather solid showing.

Audio-wise Silver Spoon manages to be solid. The voice acting is good but not spectacular, the soundtrack is surprisingly well done and a good fit, especially the ending theme and the more light hearted pieces. The sound effects make the visual gags work, and are cleverly used. What really makes the slice of life work is the use of sound as ambient noise (chirping, buzzing, and the such). The audio department gives an exceptional execution of what it needs to do, though not quite at the top tier as it doesn't have much of a wow factor.

Silver Spoon's artwork makes the world interesting and convincing, but not spectacular. For a mundane show, it is obviously the right path, though perhaps could have been sharper. But then again, it does well enough, especially on the audio front.

Overall:

Silver Spoon is a surprisingly well rounded show that other than lack of action has more or less everything. Anyone looking for a light hearted slice of life show should have a good time watching this show.