Much Ado About Everything

Pun within the title (considering the contents of the final episode) not intended, but consider it a parting gift anyway .

And so ends the arguably best anime of 2006 Spring season. It’s been a fun ride, as this anime cannot be easily categorized (not that it, or any other, needs to be). But you could safely say that it was foremost a comedy – one that never settled for familiar gags or rested on the laurels of its own invention. It kept you guessing what will happen next, and if it was ever predictable, it was in order to make fun of stereotypes.

What sealed the deal for me were its unusual, original characters. Perhaps not too original, but original enough to keep surprising you (you can’t have unpredictable behaviour from predictable characters, now can you?). Same could be said about the plot, although in this series it’s just there to put things into context and get the things moving, rather than being the focal point of it.

But it was the production values that held it all together. I haven’t seen such a well produced show in a long time. Meticulous attention to detail. Superb animation, amazing facial expressions and mannerisms, great soundtrack, great opening and ending songs as well as OP/ED animation. In fact, possibly the best OP/ED animation I’ve yet seen in a TV series (my memory is short so I might be speaking nonsense). In the end the series doesn’t have any depth beyond its facade but it’s far from mindless entertaintment.

In fact, that may be just it, the reason behind its success – it’s just entertaintment. No pretense of being something else, and none needed. Your brain will be required to watch, but you’ll need that other half of it.