I will come right out and say it: I have long been wanting to review this series before it had an anime adaptation. Medaka Box is a series like none I have read. When I found out that the anime of it was coming out, I promised myself I would make this the series I start reviewing as my official debut.
Plot Summary
Hakoniwa Academy has a new Student Council President: Medaka Kurokami. She declares that she is for the students and presents her suggestion box, willing to take suggestions any place, any day, any time.
Zenkichi says he won’t help Medaka even if they’ve been friends since they were toddlers and says that Medaka should do the job by herself. As if on cue, Medaka appears and snatches Zenkichi to the Student Council Room. Medaka then tells Zenkichi that no job she has done was ever difficult yet she wants his help to solve any of the problems that arise.
The first request takes them to the kendo dojo. What ensues is a confrontation between Medaka and some delinquents which ends with Medaka defeating them. She tells the delinquents that she promises to make kendo enjoyable for them. Zenkichi asks Medaka why is she helping total strangers. Medaka’s answer to him is that she was born to be of service to them. The delinquents come to the dojo and prove to Zenkichi that they do matter.
The delinquents, inspired by Medaka’s reasons, attempt to stop Hyuga who happened to be the one that made the first request. Hyuga defeats the delinquents but is thwarted by Zenkichi who tells him that while he was right, Medaka was even more right even if her methods and reasons are illogical. Hyuga refuses to listen to Zenkichi who takes him out with one punch.
Medaka tells Zenkichi that she wants him to work with her because he understands her best as she does with him. Seeing that there is no other way out now, he demands that she makes him a member of her council. Overcome with joy, she hugs him.
My Opinion
I’m not really sure it was wise of the studio to focus on Medaka’s chest so much. But this is the same studio that produced such renowned shows like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, FLCL, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Gainax has a lot of credibility behind them with these so I can let that little nitpick slide.
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| Kamina is no coward. |
I’m glad to see that my one worry about the series’ narration is being handled well. (I’m a fan of the manga, which the anime is adapted from and one thing I must point out about the manga: there is a lot of narration in the chapters.)
The way the episode opened up is a good idea of giving both fans: ones that have been wanting to see the series animated and ones who are new to the series, a taste of what is to come throughout the first season or rather, the series should it ever go that far.
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| But it gets more awesome later on. |
There is something I would like to point out about the episode and that has to do with when Zenkichi says that he is in love with Medaka. Normally romance in shounen is pushed to the wayside or…sucks. But with this declaration that Zenkichi made, this makes me invested enough to care to see where things will take him and Medaka.
The next episode is a minisode. For those that do not know what a minisode is, it’s an episode with smaller episodes in it.
