Let’s Say Something Amazing Right Now!
- Episodes : 12
- Genre : Comedy, School, Slice of Life
- Airing Date : July 2019 – September 2019
- Producers : Passione
Contains Spoilers
Joshikousei no Mudazukai (Wasteful Days of High School Girl) Introduction and Story
As the title suggests, Joshikousei no Mudazukai chronicles the ‘wasteful days’ of a group of high school girls, namely Nozomu Tanaka, Akane Kikuchi, and Shiori Saginomiya, who each acquire nicknames befitting their personalities early on in the series along with the rest of their class. These nicknames were first thought up by Nozomu and include "Ota" for Akane, who is an aspiring manga artist and avid vocaloid and BL otaku, “Robo” for the virtually emotionless, bacteria-obsessed Shiori, "Loli" for their diminutive classmate Saku Momoi, and "Baka" for Nozomu herself (this one given to her by Akane and Shiori) for reasons immediately obvious.
In terms of plot, Joshikousei no Mudazukai is quite light. Baka is determined to get a boyfriend during high school despite her lack of social graces and mental facilities (not realizing the school she signed up for was girls-only isn’t helping either). Ota struggles with trying to become a manga artist, particularly when it comes to drawing bent knees, and Robo is mostly preoccupied with her various experiments. The trio mostly jokes around with each other and their classmates as they live their everyday lives.
1. Solid Comedy
Obviously, the most important part of a light series like this is the humor and we think that Joshikousei no Mudazukai overall delivers. This series has a sense of self-awareness but still embraces a lot of chaotic stupidity that keeps things entertaining throughout as Baka’s ridiculous antics frequently spiral out of control. We thought the balance of physical, wordplay, and situation comedy was also well done, offering up some nice variety.
2. Good Character Dynamics and Development
While a lot of similar shows struggle with giving enough time and development to the whole cast, Joshikousei no Mudazukai is actually one of the best shows in recent memory when it comes to this. Each character is given their chance to shine and their stories all intertwine naturally as well, keeping the show feeling connected. This focus on side characters and their relationships, like their teacher Masataka Sawatari (aka "Waseda") and his funny interactions with chuunibyou misfit student Minami "Yamai" Yamamoto, are a big part of the appeal without sacrificing from the core trio.
3. Strong OP & Voice Acting
We’re always fans of original music sung by the voice actors and Joshikousei no Mudazukai’s opening song "Wa! Moon! dass! Cry!" is no exception and really stands out with its infectious offbeat rapping and charming, “homemade” qualities that work well with the visuals. Likewise, the voice work is excellent throughout with big names like Haruka Tomatsu and Aki Toyosaki (who are also members of Sphere) Rie Takahashi and Chinatsu Akasaki all giving great performances.
"Wa! Moon! dass! Cry!"
1. Familiar Character Archetypes
While poking fun at itself a bit with its on-the-nose nicknames, Joshikousei no Mudazukai’s characters largely draw from established tropes and when your show is built entirely around character interactions, sometimes it can feel a bit samey with other cute girl school comedies. We think the execution and overall feeling of the show more than make up for this but if you’re looking for highly original characters with complicated backstories and whatnot, Joshikousei no Mudazukai is not the show for you.
2. “Nothing Happens”
This goes with the genre, but some might argue that nothing happens in Joshikousei no Mudazukai. In some respects, this is true as there aren’t that many moments of tension, complicated plot developments, or amazing animation sequences that will leave you awestruck. Compared to some other shows, though, we’d say that things like Ota discovering the true identity of her favorite vocaloid producer actually add more depth than your typical cute girls doing cute things anime out there so this is a nitpick at best.
3. Fanservice
While unlikely to be a deal-breaker for most folks, there is a tiny bit of fanservice in this anime that might put off some, particularly with Lily’s somewhat over-the-top lesbian antics. There are a couple of skits revolving around breast size jokes and also a character literally called Loli but everything is kept very PG-13 so unless you are really sensitive to stuff like that, it doesn’t really factor into the show as a whole. If you’re looking for a lot of fanservice, this is also not the anime for you.
Final Thoughts
Altogether, Joshikousei no Mudazukai surprised us a bit in a good way and has a ton going for it that makes it a standout in its genre. In some ways it feels similar to last year’s Asobi Asobase, and is definitely worth checking out if you liked that show, while still being very much its own thing.
We highly recommend Joshikousei no Mudazukai for fans of wacky school comedy. Let us know your own thoughts in the comments section below and be sure to stick around Honey’s for more of all things awesome, anime and otherwise! See ya~!
Author: Oskar O.K. Strom
