reggie.spencer - 2017-02-11 04:19:12

I really enjoyed this, mainly because of the characters! Each one had such a unique and amusing personality. I was a bit disappointed there was no larger arc, or even an ending really but I still enjoyed myself the whole time.

torphy.rahsaan - 2017-02-05 01:24:19

An apathetic protagonist is one of the biggest turn-offs to any premise, even in a slice-of-life show. Perhaps that’s why I chose to skip Tanaka-kun is Always Listless when it first aired last spring. Nevertheless, there have been cases when shows with characters that shouldn’t work become massively popular. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand that phenomenon, nor if I even want to. I’ll just enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is a show about two high school boys, known only as Tanaka and Ohta. The two of them are inseparable friends, although from an outside perspective, it’s hard to see if Ohta gets any sort of benefit from it. You see, Tanaka is perhaps the world’s most lethargic person, and can’t go five minutes without falling asleep. Ohta takes it upon himself to get Tanaka to class as often as possible, although there are always special circumstances that challenge this friendship.

I do realize that the above text may be the worst way to express what this show is, because it completely misses the reason why you should watch Tanaka-kun: the comedy. Tanaka-kun is full of characters and situations that are both funny and heartwarming, perhaps even a little dramatic at times. Nevertheless, Tanaka-kun’s watch value lies purely in its comedy, and there’s little wrong with that. The problem is, I expected a little more from it than that.

People I know who’ve watched this show like to draw comparisons to one of my favorite comedy anime, Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun. While the two shows are in no way related, they heavily rely on the same kind of humor. The problem is, Nozaki-kun had a lot more substance to it than just its humor. It was informative about the process of creating manga and even had some couples we were rooting for. I think it’s pointless to even draw comparisons to Nozaki-kun, because it’s obviously aiming for something higher than what this show tries to achieve.

Nevertheless, I can praise Tanaka-kun for its presentation, if nothing else. The art style is colorful and soft on the eyes, and the opening theme is remarkably soothing. I don’t remember any of the background music, probably because it was too quiet. ‘Tis a shame.

I honestly think Tanaka-kun is one of the more wholesome and relaxing anime I’ve seen. I think I can safely say that Shin’ya Kawatsura is now one of my favorite anime directors, having directed some of my favorite slice-of-life anime. That being said, it’s hard to call this my favorite anime I’ve watched this year, because there’s still a lot more waiting on the horizon…

Getting tired… >.>

Score Categories:

Story: 7/10
Characters: 9/10
Animation: 8/10
Sound: 6/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

crist.renee - 2017-01-27 06:51:11

Chill as hell.

rachelle.toy - 2016-06-24 00:10:37

Introduction

Going into the spring of 2016 airing season, I had planned a slate that featured the most anticipated action and drama shows of the season, and I admittedly only added Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge as an afterthought. I really just wanted to have a slice-of-life series that could serve as a breath of fresh air amidst the action shows that the season had to offer. With its lovable characters, along with its uplifting and stress free interactions and story, I fell in love with Tanaka-kun from the start, and ended up with show I enjoyed much more than I ever expected to. What was initially meant to be a side-dish to the main course of the summer 2016 airing season, turned out to be my AotS!

Plot and Characters

The story of Tanaka-kun has a similar pace and feel to Silver Link’s other, and arguably most popular series, Non Non Biyori, in that there really isn’t really a focus on a developing plot throughout the season. It however, does not suffer as a result of this, because that’s not really it’s intended purpose. The show focuses on Tanaka, the sleepy eyed, lethargic high schooler whose laziness and lack of motivation puts even Hōtarō Oreki-san to shame, and Tanaka’s close highschool friend part caretaker part human taxi, Ohta-kun. One of the many charms of the show lies with the interactions between Tanaka and Ohta, and the viewer comes to love both of them as a result of it. As the viewer learns of Tanaka’s listless life philosophies, Ohta plays the voice of reason and motivation to keep Tanaka progressing through his daily routines. The viewer comes to love Ohta because of how much of a “big brother” role he plays and how much he looks out for his friend, whether that means carrying Tanaka to class to avoid being late, or hand feeding him at lunch to ensure a he doesn’t go hungry.

Despite such a complementary main duo, Tanaka-kun’s greatest strength and charm lies in its supporting cast. The show’s approach is kind of unique because the supporting cast members are the most dynamic characters in the show, and the ones we come to feel for the most. Tanaka-kun is not really a show that aims to follow the emergence of Tanaka out of his listless ways and in fact, it’s much the opposite. Tanaka and Ohta maintain the same philosophies throughout the series, but don't get me wrong, we love them for that! The many charming characters and personalities that are introduced throughout the series are were the personal conflicts and character development lies. We the viewer observe these characters as their lives are touched through the various interactions with Tanaka and Ohta even when main duo isn’t always trying to do so intentionally. Despite being such a light hearted show, it still manages to sneak in relevant life issues with meaningful morals behind them.

With the characters being the show's strongest point, they are the main reason why I fell in love with it. With an interesting array of supporting cast members, I always found myself cheering for their successes, cringing at their awkward moments, and feeling for their heartwarming moments. Not to mention, the entire supporting cast is adorable! You will be hard pressed not to have a ‘best girl’ by the end of the series.

Art and Music

While the animation for the show is nothing too impressive, the art style complements the show nicely. The palette uses fairly bright colors, often paired with earthy tones to produce an interesting contrast that is also easy on the eyes. Character movement is fluid and natural as far as I could tell, though by nature, the show is not very animation intensive. Occasionally, the “camera” will freeze on a character’s reaction or expression (usually Ohta) for a few seconds before a new frame is introduced. Likely a matter of budget, these moments can be distracting at first, but don’t really take away from the overall experience.The background art, like the OST, is pretty standard for the slice-of-life genre, save for a few particularly good looking scenes which I display examples of throughout this review. I was alway particularly fond of the high school's interior design, appealing to a unique and modern aesthetic.

Each episode is sandwiched between a good OP, and even better ED. The OP features the song “Utatane Sunshine” by the band Unlimited Tones in their anime debut, while the ED features “BON-BON” by CooRie, which often reminded me of "ZZZ" by Sayaka Sasaki from the Nichijou ED.

Overview

Though I probably ended up enjoying Tanaka-kun to a point greater than the sum of its components, I had fallen in love with the series because of its unique charm and lovable character from the very start. If you're not a seasoned slice-of-life fan, or someone looking for a complex or plot driven show, you may find Tanaka-kun to be slow or boring and thus not for you. I personally enjoy a viewing experience that leaves a smile on my face the whole damn time, with a ‘listlessness’ and charm that neglects real life worries for a euphoric 24 minutes every week. Especially amidst a crazy spring season of over the top action and drama, Tanaka-kun was a perfect palate cleanser that surprised me with how quickly I fell in love with the show and its characters.

angelita67 - 2016-04-23 21:07:04

I've only seen 3 episodes so far so I can't really review the whole serie, but from what I've seen, it's a light hearted slice of life anime, the situations are funny, and the plot is centered on a type of character we don't see all that much.

Personally I find it refreshing, to see a character giving himself so entirely to the act of not doing anything.