brekke.phyllis - 2017-04-23 01:38:43

8 minutes was not enough

vstracke - 2016-11-23 19:32:41

Una serie para pasar el rato, sin gran trama pero divertida.

tamara47 - 2016-04-17 16:38:37

Tonari no Seki-kun follows the misadventures of a silent, misbehaving student who likes to play with toys and other knickknacks in class, while the girl sitting by him watches and narrates his antics. While this is yet another school anime, it's not your average show in the genre. Instead of putting focus on the daily lives of students in class, Tonari no Seki-kun's focus is on imagination.

The normal setup for an episode is that Seki, our almost-completely-silent main character, sits in class and gets bored, which results in him pulling out a toy or game.  Yokoi, the female student and the voice you'll be hearing for most of an episode, begins to notice what he's doing and becomes intrigued. We view the many shenanigans of Seki through Yokoi's crazy imagination, making up stories for a game of chess or seeing a vivid image of a bear mountain-climbing. She gets way too involved viewing what he's doing, causing her to frequently get caught while Seki goes unnoticed.

Seki's playthings range from using his erasers as dominos, playing a cross between chess and shogi, and bringing out his recurring toy line known as The Robot Family, an obvious parody of Transformers featuring a mommy, daddy, and kid robot, all complete with a theme song. The Robot Family is probably the greatest recurring joke in the show, as oftentimes while Seki goofs off during a school event like an earthquake drill or backpack inspection,  they all do what he should be doing. Each time you see the robots, Yokoi becomes more attached to her imagination of them. 

Episodes of this anime go less than 8 minutes each, making it a show that you can probably watch in one sitting. Episodes never feel slow or dull, as we find Seki creates different methods of not giving his teacher attention. There are other characters who get minor but recurring appearances,each with a personality unique and troublesome for Seki's playthings. One character who appears from time-to-time is a "free spirit" and never cares if he picks up and plays with Seki's toys, occasionally breaking them by mistake or putting them all in harm's way. One more character does not like Seki's goofball toy adventures, wanting to actually pay close attention in school unlike Seki. Obviously the cast is pretty sparse, because the real stars of the show are Seki's toys and Yokoi's mental image of them. If there were any more characters they would only detract from the show's emphasis of watching Seki goof around.

The animation is fair, it's nothing too amazing but nothing terrible. I love the artwork of the show, it's rather simplistic but effective for the work. The music features an opening and ending like most other anime, both of which are fantastic. The opening theme is a fast-paced song by none other than Yokoi about how much of a bother Seki's many "spectacles" are. The song is played while showing various gags by Seki, which includes animating, storyboarding, and colouring the opening!  The credits theme is even better, a song called "Set Them Free" which is a song played as we look at Seki drum with pencils on random school objects. "Set Them Free" is a jazzy piece surprisingly performed in perfect English. This is catchy, upbeat, and memorable. The show also has an insert song, as I mentioned, for the recurring line of robots, which is, too, a spoof of your average mecha opening theme in anime. Other music featured in the show is nothing very memorable, but has a range from calm, slow tracks up to intense, atmospheric pieces.

I've seen the show in Japanese beginning to end and have only briefly seen the dub. The Japanese voice work is great, as we hear Yokoi get into whatever adventure she is making up in her mind. The rest of the cast, including Seki, works fine, they're not anything too amazing because you barely get a chance to hear anything but Yokoi. The dub is fine, it features renowned voice actress Monica Rial (Bulma from Dragon Ball Z, Stocking from Panty & Stocking) as Yokoi. Her usual high-pitched voice works for the character, while Blake Shepard has close to no lines voicing Seki aside from a few sounds like going "shh" or laughing hysterically. It's a fine dub from Sentai, nothing too crazy good like Cowboy Bebop, so you can see and enjoy the show in either language and have a similar experience.

The show is easy to follow and is a thoroughly entertaining way to kill time just like the main character. 4/5

fmiller - 2015-08-06 12:26:09

There is really no hating a short that is so entertaining as this.

A story about a boy who procrastinates in class like all of us, but he takes it to the extreme by doing some elaborate things in class.

The animation is solid and it's art style is light, so that if you are just waking up or want something to kick off your anime watching session. This will definitely be the one to kick off any day, and brighten it if your starting it or ending it.

Beautiful opening and ending themes that make it have a relaxing feel throughout it's minimal duration.

senger.alexandro - 2015-03-24 12:14:04

Such a Great and Interesting Idea which is EXACTLY what we need sometimes in our Schools !! ... a little bit Childish, the same for the DRAWING but, Overall it's so Funny and " Omoshere " ... ^_^

blaise.williamson - 2014-10-31 02:45:00

A rewritten version of my Tonari no Seki-kun review.  I'm not really sure what I was smoking when I wrote that last one, but it was garbage.

Tonari no Seki-kun is a short form (8 min per episode) comedy series focusing on two school age characters Yokoi and the titular Seki.  The basic format of each episode is Yokoi is trying to focus on class and Seki is doing something extremely elaborate to goof off which distracts her.  If this sounds like a very simple premise that's because it is however they are able to do a wide variety of things with it.  Seki's antics and Yokoi's reactions are always over the top wacky fun.  I would personally recommend this show for anyone just looking for some lighthearted comedy with cute characters.

Now who won't enjoy this show?  Well if you're the sort of person who doesn't like episodic series this certainly isn't for you, as other than a couple of totally inconsequential running gags there really isn't any sense of continuity between episodes.  If you're the sort of person who demands complex characters in all your anime then you probably won't enjoy this either.  The characters themselves are very likable, but they're mostly one or two note.

Moving on to some of the technical and artistic aspects of the series.  The character designs are cute, but very simplistic.  I don't think this really harms the show since they don't really need to express much and also they look pretty much like they do in the manga.  The animation is okay though it certainly isn't impressive at all.  It makes use of lots of still images and the movement itself isn't particularly fluid.  There's also a couple of uses of CG although they're unobtrusive.  Music is probably the strongest piece of the show in this category with the ending being the highlight of the bunch: a fantastic piece of jazz drumming played on school supplies.  The background music is simple, but it enhances the whimsical mood of the series.

Since each episode of the show is so short I would recommend giving it a try even if this isn't the sort of thing that you'd normally be interested in.  It's cute,imaginative, and does a great job of transporting me back to being bored in class in school without the nightmare that is actually attending class.

Final score: 6.5

moshe.beer - 2014-05-26 05:37:44

It's harder to review shortform anime, because there's entirely different mindsets behind both their creation and consumption.

The "Story" grade here is really more of a premise grade, seeing as it is a shortform anime based largely around comedy. The premise is that a girl is constantly being distracted in class by the guy sitting next to her, who finds every conceivable way to goof off during class time. All manner of ridiculous yet weirdly plausible-sounding hijinks ensue.

The only two characters of note are the girl, Yokoi and the titular Seki-kun himself. Since Seki doesn't really talk, 90% of the show is made up of Yokoi's narration and reactions to his antics. Being voiced by Hana Kanazawa, she is of course, a delight to listen to. Despite never saying a word, you still feel like you understand Seki-kun during the show. I mean, c'mon... school is fucking boring. I'm sure most of us can relate to finding creative ways to waste time in class.

His personality is mostly established through facial expressions, and more impressively, through his behavior. You start to notice the patterns when you watch this show. You see how he thinks, he see how he reacts to things and you get uncannily good at anticipating his next move... though he does through the audience a few curveballs, being the crafty bastard he is.

Yokoi is a bit more straightforward. She's your typical industrious schoolgirl who just wants to concentrate and do well in school. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tries, she's unable to resist becoming engaged in Seki-kun's fantasies.

The dynamic is interesting because it grows over time. At first, Seki-kun seems blissfully unaware that she's watching him, but starts to catch on and adjust his plans accordingly. When she starts taking a more active approach in influencing his little games, he reacts accordingly. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses, which is part of the fun of the show. It turns what could've been predictable and stale into something that develops and becomes more fresh over time.

"Development" is a strong word, but you can definitely tell that things have slowly and subtly change as the show goes on. I would say the biggest fault of the comedy is that it is so consistent. it's consistently clever and consistently amusing but it rarely ever stands out. I can't point back to any one moment and go "Yes. That is comedy gold! That is the kind of thing people should watch this show for!". I suppose it's better than being hit and miss, but if everything is kind of on the same level then very little stands out.

The animation and sound are completely and utterly average. The artwork is simplistic to a fault and is just too grounded in reality for my tastes. It reminds me of typical family-friendly Japanese shows like Doraemon or something. Which at first actually turned me off of watching it, but I gave it a chance and I'm glad that I did. The OP and ED are short but sweet fyi.

Overall, this is a good example of a shortform anime with a premise that works for the format. It won't take too much of your time and it's definitely amusing throughout. Recommended.

Rewatch Value: Maybe (Based on a Yes/Maybe/No scale)

chesley.osinski - 2014-04-07 05:30:56

A short review for a pretty short series.

Tonari no Seki-kun is a 13 episode Anime created by Starchild Records about the daily shenanigans of a high school boy named Seki seen from the point of view of Rumi, his seatmate.

The series takes on a typical slice of life construct with changes to the humor and "plot" every episode, usually resulting in an act of procrastination and killing time in a boring class period and Rumi watching the acts unfold, usually with over-the-top reactions and sentimental feelings.

With a "classic" look in terms of art and animation, the series sports some sort of entertaining childish fun in presentation, like the idiotic and stupidly funny things people do in their class when bored (not really on level with Seki's but, yeah). There's quite a variety of events and things to see in the show and most of them are entertaining enough to garner your attention whether it's a simple game of Shogi turned into a fantastical story about betrayal and hope or stacking dominos and tipping them over to the sound of make-believe fireworks.

Sound-wise, honorable mention goes to Hanazawa Kana (who, by now, everyone should be quite familiar with) for doing a good job with the voice of Rumi, from her quiet and thoughtful monologues to her screams and exclamations of happiness and annoyance. The ED is also worthy of a mention since it sports uniqueness in its presentation of simple classroom jazz involving the drumming of school supplies and brilliant Engrish.

Overall, the series is a time-waster, in a good way. It's the prefect show to watch when just want to pass the time not doing much and want to enjoy something simple.

The series is wasting its time creatively. You should too.

pearl67 - 2014-04-02 17:10:20

Story: Yokoi was an ordinary young high schooler who sat next to a not-so ordinary guy in class known as Seki-kun. Instead of paying any attention to class and lectures, he usually just goofs off and uses everyday supplies as a means to entertain himself in the weirdest of ways such as making a dominoe set with erasers or even having a battle with just Go pieces. Yokoi usually tries to get him to stop and pay attention but soon gets too into the events herself that sometimes end up getting HER in trouble herself. (whether by accident or on purpose) She feels that she may one day get through his thick skull and learn his lesson but the chances of that to happen are... pretty slim, shall we say?

Pros: Most of the characters (even though it mainly focuses on just two) are pretty entertaining to watch (except for one but he only shows up twice in the show). The premise is great, I love the idea of the many different ways you can actually kill time and it seems possible to actually do all of those (probably not in the same day), even the really simple ones are fun to look at and you can't help but feel intensified and excited like Yokoi when it goes on. The animation also makes these scenes very fluid and sharp and it gets intense as it progresses (which may not seem at all possible but once you start watching, oh man). Voice acting is also pretty decent as well as the music being passable, I don't mind it.

Cons: Animation [from outside of the cool ideas mentioned above] is stiff and choppy, as the characters barely move and give out expressions (Yokoi is the only one to have more than two emotions on in the show) and there mouths almost never move also. Artwork is pretty bland and forgettable to say the least. The episodes seemed a bit formulaic to me. Something happens, Yokoi tries to stop Seki-kun but can't help but get intrigued, and either Yokoi gets into trouble or Seki gets called on something/loses his item. Not much suspense there outside of [again] the inventions that Seki-kun makes. The ending is also pretty pathetic if you ask me. Felt that the show was one episode too long and should have been shorter than... that.

Overall: I think its an alright anime short. Not a great one like Encouragement Of Climb or Double J but not a god awful one either like Gokujyo or Turning Girls. If you want to kill some time and enjoy yourself then I see no reason why you shouldn't have a look at this.

Thanks for reading my 33rd review~

robbie.botsford - 2014-01-12 05:49:57

“Domino”

With only 10 minutes to tell its story, Tonari no Seki-kun did a great job at capturing the essence of what made the manga such a joy to read. Be it the ridiculous situation humor or Yokoi always getting the short end of the stick, I was pleasantly surprised with what Shin-Ei and its adaptation.

Yokoi and Seki-kun

With the delicate and dramatic sounding Hanazawa Kana voicing the easily distracted Yokoi Rumi, it feels like a match made in heaven. Not only does her voice perfectly fit the white haired Yokoi but that trademark squeal of hers really does help sell the whole idea of “Am I really the only one who can see what Seki-kun is doing?!”

On the other hand, you have the silent Seki-kun (Who’s grunts are credited to Shimono Hiro) who’s rocking things up with something as simple as dominos. While I really want to question things like just how he smuggled in a mini mortar tube and why he’s carrying a crap ton of erasers, I’ll just let it slide since he did such a great job at hiding it all and getting Yokoi in trouble.

Dominos

Seeing how this is the first thing you see in the manga, it’s not a big surprise that Shin-Ei would use this skit for the first episode. While I personally have never had the patience to setup elaborate domino patterns, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to do in class with a sensei just waiting to get all up in your face. Silly little jokes aside, the skit did a great job at introducing us to Seki-kun’s outrageous little games and showing us that as much as Yokoi wants to hide it, she loves getting involved too. Maybe if she was a bit more honest with herself, maybe she wouldn’t get into trouble?

10 Minutes of Pure Bliss

Even with a whole episode clocking in at 10 minutes (which I personally think is great), Tonari no Seki-kun really gains something moving over into the animated realm. Keeping things short and sweet, this show is perfect for anyone looking for a quick giggle.

“Shogi”

Continuing on from its strong showing last week, this short anime brings to life something I would normally find super boring.

Shogi

While I understand the love that some people have with watching games like shogi or checkers, I am definitely not one of those people. Sure I may have been in love with the game when I was much, much younger; but something about both the pace and the tactical finesse needed to become a great player never really rubbed me in quite the right way. However, if given the chance to watch Seki-kun take it to a whole a new level by role-playing with his pieces while Yokoi crafted up a devilish story of treacherous general, I would drop whatever I was doing to hear more.

Seriously though, I’ve always loved it when people use things outside their intended use and this episode was no different. What better way to play out an old fashioned story of wartime betrayal than with Japanese Chess pieces? Not only do you have everything you need to make two warring armies, but with Seki-kun going to such lengths such as snapping pieces in half to add realism to the story or installing trap doors into his desk, it doesn’t get much better given the circumstances.

Yokoi 1, Seki-kun 1

Seeing how the itself show is rather short, I think I’m going to start keeping an unofficial tally of who’s winning the silent war between the two. And even with Seki-kun starting out strong by coming out as the “winner” last week, I think Yokoi did a great job with getting the last laugh this week. With a brilliant eraser shot from across her desk, she managed to both save her beloved king and foil Seki-kun’s game!

So, What’s Next?

Apparently, this adaptation is following the manga chapter by chapter. While this may take a bit of the excitement away for those of us who have read the manga, you can bet I’m super excited for what should be in store for us next week. While it may not necessarily be another one of Seki-kun’s games, you’re going to have to question just what kind of background he has with the type of skills he exhibits!

(will update frequently)