How do you take a peek into the normal, mundane but otherwise colorful and heartwarming lives of adorable high school girls without getting arrested for crimes like stalking and indecency? *Silence* By watching slice-of-life-type anime like A Channel, of course. Is there really any other way? (If you know, do contact me right this instant!)
And while I thought the preceding introductory paragraph was clever (funny even), Archangel Duriel, who was looking at my outdated monitor over my shoulder, was sorely not pleased. He yelled, “How is this supposed to change the world for the better, huh?!”
While a “sane’ or “normal” person can easily dismiss a 6’10” winged, heavily armored messenger of God in their bedroom as a figment of their imagination, I guess I am not so lucky as I cannot as easily dismiss his breath that reeked of White Castle Whiskey.
“Curse you, you baka angel!” I screamed as I proceeded to poke both his eyes with two fingers. He fell backwards and howled with pain. “How dare you insult my brilliance,” pointing a finger at him as I wept manly tears. “If more people can learn how to live simple lives like high school girls, then this world will be a more peaceful place.” Right then I saw tears fall down the stubborn archangel’s cheeks. Maybe it was from my speech. Well, okay. Getting poked in the eye can do that to you too.
So the result? My fourth anime series review, A Channel. My verdict: 3 out of 5 happy high school girls, because this world needs more bubbly innocence. Do stick around and find out more about A Channel.
Prelude
A Channel is a show about the otherwise normal high school life of a group of several young girls: Toru, Run, Yuko and Nagi. There is no world to save, no sinister plot to uncover, no notebook that will send you to your death. Slice of life and comedy is what it’s about. Not much thought required to watch this one. You are treated to a headache-free time and maybe even a chuckle every now and then. This show is rife with misunderstandings and awkward situations which lead to, well, awkward conclusions.
Strengths
A Channel boasts of great production values and distinctly cute character designs. Most scenes are well fleshed out and motion sequences are well drawn. Backgrounds are stunning and detailed. Effects like sunlight peeking through gaps in the leaves of trees are rendered wonderfully to add to moods which evoke those times you walked home from school with your own friends. Everything is rendered in bright and lively colors which best describe the bubbly and light mood of the show. Voice acting is top-notch, and the background music are appropriate, light and cheery. The opening and ending sequence music are funky and catchy, aptly reflecting the overall mood of the show.
The focal point of the story is the relationship between Toru and Run, and at least in my opinion the show treats their closeness well and evokes the most touching friendship in any anime in recent memory.
Weaknesses
As much as I can enjoy watching this show forever, A Channel doesn’t really bring anything new into the table called high-school-slife-of-life-genre anime. The characters, despite being lovable at times, are cliches of characters from other similar shows, like Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star and others. The gags are hit-or-miss though the show makes an effort to be fresh every now and then.
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Conclusion
Although an enjoyable show to watch on any given day, A Channel lacks something new and bold to offer into its genre. Even though it may not reach that level where it can be called as one of the best anime of the year, I would still recommend it to people because it offers good solid entertainment, some laughs and some tender moments to warm a frozen heart on a cold day. And for that, 3 out of 5 happy high school girls, because it is nice to live a normal life with friends every now and then. Lets save reminiscing about the good ol’ high school days later, okay?
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