Introduction
The third episode of Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun recently aired, so we’re here to give you the lowdown. Whether you’re interested in starting or eventually marathoning this anime, or you’re already three episodes in and want to see whether our thoughts match up, you’re in the right place. This mini review will take a look at the overall story and our expectations for the series, what’s actually happened so far, and whether or not we think it’ll be worth watching in full. Just in case you want to skip that section, there’s spoilers for the first three episodes below. You ready? Let’s go!
Story
Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun follows, funnily enough, a boy called Aoyama, who happens to be both a football genius and a total germaphobe. Sounds like two things that definitely couldn’t coexist, right? Right. This is where the comedy comes in, with Aoyama-kun’s obsession with cleanliness affecting him and his team.
This anime is mostly sports and slice-of-life, with the story following Aoyama’s high-school life and club activities, as well as how those around him view him. As for actual plot, the only hint we’ve been given is that there is a certain reason why Aoyama-kun chose Fujimi High School and not one with an amazing football team, which could mean there’s something deeper there. Other than that, I don’t think there is a linear plot, per say.
Expectations
As much as I’d like for this to be more sports than slice of life, I’m expecting the opposite. Maybe a few soccer scenes here and there, but overall I think the focus will be on Aoyama-kun cleaning things and avoiding dirt in humorous ways. As for the comedy, I’m expecting Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun to go full-blown Sakamoto Desu Ga? on us. I want him doing ridiculous things and everyone thinking he’s amazing for it. Overall, I’m not expecting this anime to be mind-blowingly amazing, but I expect it to be thoroughly enjoyable.
What’s Happened So Far (Episodes 1-3)
Episode 1
The first episode starts with a flashback to the U16s final, being watched by what I know is stalker-girl Moka. Aoyama scores, and his teammates run towards him in celebration - only for him to dodge all of their attempts at skinship because it will get him dirty. This really sets the tone for this anime. Then it’s straight into what is a pretty awesome OP, White by Bentham. The OP animations are usually jam-packed with hints about what the series will be like, and the slightly darker undertones in the opening have me intrigued.
Next we have a scene of Aoyama-kun cleaning stuff in a Sakamoto-style fashion - only to be told off by Zaizen for being late to practice because of it. On the pitch, Aoyama also has a huge female fanbase - even though he’s still cleaning and not even playing. We’re shown this will be the type of comedy to have plenty of chibi scenes mixed in with the usual animation, too, with Aoyama in particular reverting to chibi mode when he’s avoiding germs.
There’s a lot of tension between Zaizen and Aoyama, that much is clear. Zaizen has a huge issue with and doesn’t seem to understand Aoyama’s condition, and the coach repeatedly intervenes - to the point of throwing Zaizen over her shoulder. However, by the end of the episode, Zaizen admits that Aoyama is a great player and truly loves football, and offers him his number 10 shirt - only to be told Aoyama would rather die than take it in its dirty state.
One of the most unforgettable moments of this episode has to be the appearance of Takechi, one of Aoyama’s biggest fans and former teammate, who has a habit of lifting his shirt and flexing his abs for all to see. His attitude is pretty funny, and I’m assuming he’ll be a returning character. The other epic moment is Aoyama’s goal at the end of the episode, which he gets thoroughly dirty for.
We also find out the reason why Aoyama chose Fujimi as opposed to an elite school - and it’s not the dark reason I was hoping for. Nope, it’s because the school has washlet toilets - you know the ones, the typical Japanese toilets with the butt shower. Turns out Aoyama likes to be clean in all respects…
Episode 2
Episode two is all about Moka. It starts with a flashback, explaining her relationship with Aoyama and her desire to talk to him. Then, the soccer club start realising that their club room is getting cleaner and cleaner - and it’s not down to Aoyama. So the not-so-mysterious mystery begins. We all know it’s Moka.
The comedy with Moka seems to be based on the fact she’s a yandere stalker, which I’m not too sure if I’m keen on or not. The way she whips out her lock picks is more creepy than funny. It’s not long before Aoyama finds her in the club room, and she bursts into tears, only to be told she’s cleaning wrong rather than being told off for breaking and entering. When the rest of the team find out, they get an apology out of her and ask her to become their official cleaner as manager. I wonder how this is going to go down.
The focus of the episode then shifts to how great Aoyama’s towel smells. And so, everyone seems to turn into a stalker, with each team member taking opportunities to sniff it, except Zaizen. All this towel sniffing sets off Moka’s yandere mode, with her whipping out a bat full of nails, but painted with flowers and a kitty cat. Not that it ends up being completely useful, as most of the school and even people from other schools show up to try to grab Aoyama’s towel, and he swiftly avoids all of them. The episode ends with Zaizen giving in and smelling the towel, too, and being transported to a magical place… Don’t give into peer pressure like that, Zaizen!
Episode 3
In the third episode, the team head to a family restaurant together. There’s also a dodgy-looking girl apparently following them around. That’s not their only issue, as Takechi soon shows up, abs and all, once again telling them that they’re not worthy of being on Aoyama’s team. Somehow, this ends up being an eating contest between Takechi and Yoshioka.
The next day, Fujimi High has another match. Dodgy-looking girl turns up conveniently washing something badly in front of Aoyama, and it becomes clear she’s trying to keep him away from the game by getting him to clean their club room. Aoyama ends up getting locked in with her, and she strips off her shirt only for him to collapse on the floor. Luckily he’s saved (?) by Moka, who breaks in wielding her bat.
It turns out the team Fujimi is up against are a rough lot who play dirty - I can imagine this won’t go down too well with Aoyama. As soon as he steps onto the pitch, you can tell he means business. He aims for the goal with his first kick, and manages to dodge all of the opposing team’s attacks - that is, until he’s shoved to the ground. The dirt makes him totally useless for a while. In the end, he ends up coming back in full force, countering with goal after goal. It seems he really does hate losing more than he hates getting dirty - and so he gains another fan in the dodgy-looking girl.
Expectations & Impressions After Episode 3
I feel like Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun is a pretty solid show. The comedy and characters are consistent and entertaining, even if they’re not laugh-out-loud hilarious. None of the first three episodes felt better than the other, with an equal balance of comedy moments, soccer scenes, and in-between slice of life elements in each.
It’s not as Sakamoto-esque as I had hoped - in fact, having watched the first three episodes, I think it resembles Handa-kun more. Just like Handa-kun, I also feel this will appeal to the same audience and be received the same way - people will either enjoy watching it or think it’s one of the worst shows they’ve ever seen. As for me, I’m in the first camp.
As for the future of the show, I can see Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun staying this way for most of the season. I’m hoping for a semi-dramatic climax towards the end of the anime, as hinted at in the OP, but I won’t be surprised or particularly disappointed if there isn’t one.
Keep Watching or Drop?
If you enjoy the first few episodes, you’ll most likely enjoy the entire season of Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun. I would recommend not giving up after episode one, but if you don’t enjoy episode two, you probably won’t enjoy it overall. I definitely think it’s worth a watch, but I understand it might not be for everyone, as the comedy is based around what could be construed as an illness rather than a personality trait and it does feature some pretty creepy characters. However, if you can get over that and see this anime for what it is - a quirky, harmless, slice-of-life comedy - you’re in for a pleasant ride. Personally, I don’t think this is the best anime of summer 2017, but it’s nowhere near the worst. I’d give this a rating of 7/10, which is more than enough for me to keep watching Keppeki Danshi Aoyama-kun this season.
Author: Ellyn Barnes
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