Akiba’s Trip The Animation – 03

Well, I wasn’t expecting that – an episode of Akiba’s Trip outscoring a KonoSuba. Where this week’s Kono felt listless and scraping the barrel, Akiba’s Trip had a manic energy to it (along with an idol group called Manias) as it ditched the bugged ones story for a straight-up exploration of various kinds of obsessions, which can all to easily be taken up to 11 in a place like Akiba.

It starts, innocently enough, with Tamotsu catching a moment of an idol concert Nikawa is watching, and like a diamond arrow, sends him into the soaring space of fandom. His obsession with the idol (who just comically phones it in) in all possible media frustrates Mayo, whose patrol plans with Tamotsu are completely overrun by his various idol-worshipping activities. That, in turn, leads Mayo to stress eat over at Carl’s Jr. (tacky product placement FTL).

At some point, Tamotsu’s obsession shifts from merely consuming idoltry to really getting down into the nitty-gritty of audio, maxing out his GonzoCard many times over with impulsive purchases of increasingly dubious equipment, only to literally bowl his roommates over with his very expensive realization that it’s better just to hear the idol in person.

Then things shift to the girls, who get swept up by a famous former-idol, now super/hyper/mega-whatever producer who calls the trio MANIAS and books them for numerous photo shoots in increasingly revealing outfits and increasingly lecherous photographers.

Eventually, things get so bad Arisa is being casually asked to lie in bed and take off her top, but when Mayo and Nikawa hold her back, the producer and photographer reveal their true selves as Bugged Ones. Just like that, the episode snaps back into what the show is about, having itself gotten swept up in the stories of its characters getting obsessed with things.

Arisa and Mayo fight the Bugged Ones, and Tamotsu joins in since he started taking every possible part-time or temp job he can to pay his debts, the constant cycle of odd jobs becoming its own obsession. Being the producer’s part-time janitor pays off, as he’s able to save his sister.

The recovered famous producer then quickly hooks up the trio for a little idol concert event that looks the business (and is sung by the three lead seiyuu, performing as “Headphones”, their group from Sore ga Seiyuu). 

They only perform in front of a handful of people, but that’s fine with Mayo, who seems to like the attention she gets from Tamotsu, who ends up with a new idol group to, well, idolize. Will all of this be forgotten next week? Probably. Was it still not just fun, but a shitload of fun? Absolutely.

Akiba’s Trip The Animation – 02

This week Tomatsu gets oriented in his new role as Mayo’s underling, and his new, more powerful form as an elite hazoku. He comes up with the name “Electric Mayonnaise & Friends”, the first friend being Arisa, who is game for some bugged one-hunting.

Their target this week is a disgruntled replica gun and military supply store manager-turned-hazoku, who reminded me of Orange from the old run-and-gun game Gunstar Heroes. He has ammo that can tear clothes away, which turns out to be just as bad for Tamotsu and Mayo as the bad guys, since they’re the same basic entities (albeit with opposing ideals).

The fact that a defeated Hazoku doesn’t return to being a normal human, but simply evaporates, is revealed to Tamotsu after Orange is brought down, creating new, fresh stakes for him. Arisa isn’t a Hazoku, just really really strong; I wonder if there’s more to her than meets the eye (even though she reveals quite a bit throughout the episode).

Akiba’s Trip continues to be inoffensively competent and reasonably fun. But KonoSuba is a tough act to follow, exposing this show’s lack of narrative depth. That being said, the characters have distinct (if broad) personalities and good chemistry, so I find myself looking forward to the next leg in Akiba’s Trip.

Akiba’s Trip The Animation – 01 (First Impressions)

The Jist: Otaku Denkigai Tomatsu is enjoying the day in Ahikabara with his little sister Niwaka when they find themselves in the middle of a battle between mysterious, evil “Bugged Ones” (AKA “synthesizers”), ordinary people taken over by shadows and given superhuman strength. They are beaten back by the bat-weilding redhead Mayoka Matome, who Tomatsu saves and who saves his by cloning her powers on to him with a kiss.

With his new strength he’s able to disrobe all the affected humans, dissipating the Bugged Ones. He then looks forward to continuing the battle beside “Mayo.” He also meets Ahokainen Arisa, a cosplaying otaku kindred spirit who has superhuman strength but isn’t a Bugged One.

You Should Watch This if you are up for a simple, straightforward, shall we say…dumb action/adventure romp set in Akiba with a healthy portion of ecchi, what with the rather silly undressing aspect of defeating the (very vague) evil enemy. The violence is actually pretty precise, with each punch, kick, leap and stab carrying the right impact. It’s a colorful show with inoffensive music and decent voice work.

You Shouldn’t Watch This if you’re looking for anything deep or innovative, or if watching a guy (and a girl, for that matter) undress lots of women (though the Gonzo logo on one girl’s panties was an interesting easter egg). And while clean, the animation is also very simple and embellished, and while he seems brave and selfless and there’s nothing particularly hateworthy about him, Tomatsu is an extremely derivative, meh otaku whose running commentary wears thin.

The Verdict: I’m on the fence, personally. That may change once I’ve watched the remaining Winter shows on my list. I always give Gonzo joints a try, as there are so few of them and I root for their success. I hew more towards “clean” than “lazy” on the animation side. On the other hand, this has the look of a paint-by-numbers show with (so far) yawn-worthy ecchi thrills. The combat action isn’t bad, and I found Arisa surprisingly funny, so I’ll go another week. But I can’t recommend it yet.