Entry #23: Aho Girl (SoM/A 2018)

A short quip for a short show.

This is the kind of thing I want. Not all the time, mind you, but when it comes to “Turn off your brain” entertainment, this is the closest I’ve come to absurd sublimity. People often times consider Shounen or Isekai titles as such, but for me, it’s the slapstick gag comedies that do whatever the hell they want without any inhibition. Shounen/Isekai try to take themselves seriously. That requires brain input, assuming one wants to connect to the events occurring to lavish in the “epicness” that exudes from it. This is a great example of genuinely turning your brain off, because nothing about this show is serious and nothing about it makes sense or is realistic in the slightest. Don’t even try to think about it or take it seriously.

Upon the first episode, I thought to myself “This is like The Three Stooges in anime form.” Both have episodic plots that revolve around recurring characters, both involve a lot of physical slapstick, both involve a lot of idiots, and both are genuinely enjoyable ways to spend one’s time. There’s a certain magic to it that just works.

Of course, this won’t be for everyone. A lot of the humor is pretty juvenile (Oppai and pantsu aplenty), but if one is willing to forego the easy targets, there’s a lot to like about the characters in this anime. The chemistry between them speaks wonderful volumes, with notable emphasis on the main male-female duo of cheerful idiot and antisocial stick-in-the-mud. Every character has a great gusto that carries the show farther than what it would without it.

And perhaps more than anything, the pacing and vocal performances are absolutely phenomenal. Really fast and all-out. People are screaming left and right, putting their absolute all into every line, retort, and action (lots of wrestling moves). I adored this short anime, and it’s probably my favorite “short” anime ever. Despite its hesitance to develop any of the characters in any traditional fashion, I would absolutely recommend this title assuming one is after that same enjoyably dumb fun as I am. It’s a riot of niche proportions, probably.

Final Score: 7/10

The rating for this title and all others can be found on MyAnimeList.

To see the ratings for all entries in this Summer and all others, check out the Summer of Anime Archive!