rudy.breitenberg - 2014-03-24 18:33:59

Story: The story revolves around a high school boy named Niwa Makoto. He lives with his aunt's family since his parents are away on business. It is there where he meets his mysterious cousin of the same age Touwa Erio - who happens to tie a futon mattress around her upper body and is a self-proclaimed alien. Her staple food is pizza. Erio had been missing for half a year and was found floating in the sea. She doesn't remember anything about what happened during that period of time, but she began to think that it was the act of an alien and wanders the neighbourhood wrapped in the futon.

(Source: ThemAnime)

Pros: The art is breathtakingly gorgeous. The colors look nice and colorful and those effects on Erio's hair look so... beautiful (for lack of a better term/word). The animation is also very clean and vibrant (it especially shines in the last episode) so no complaints here.

The voice work is great too, everyone sounds accurate and there is emotion behind the lines, even the silly ones :P The OP is hilariously awful, a little to get used to. At first when you hear this it sounds terrible, but the more you hear it you can't help but feel a certain charm to it and grow to like it (keyword there: grow), the visuals help it as well as the ED, which is calm and sincere compared to its loud and rambunctous OP.

But where the heart lies are in it characters. Every single character in this is needed for the story and are a joy to be around. It's hard to describe in words but lets just say that if you took out ANYBODY in this show (even the side characters), this wouldn't be as good and could potentially, no will harm the show overall. Everyone starts off with generic roles but everntually get more screentime for development as it progresses in life and its truly remarkable.

Cons: I'd say the only problem with this is that... well, the ending might not satisfy some people, I didn't have that big of a problem with it, but others may have it so I just wanted to point that out. That and the first episode may throw you off, but if you keep going then trust me when I say though that its well worth it.

Overall: [To quote] Aiden Foote from ThemAnime.org:

'On the surface it may look like another barren stretch of land you could find anywhere but dig a little deeper and there is buried treasure to be found.'

So in other words, see it if you haven't already (or it you don't like slow paced shows but otherwise watch, adore, and be amazed)...

Thanks for reading my 26th review~

fschulist - 2013-07-22 08:48:57

Denpa is all over the place. It goes nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It's difficult for me to recommend Denpa to anyone. I wanted to like it, but it ran out of steam and its message fell flat in the end. Aside from that, I found it to be charming and playful in its own special way.

Denpa has a bizarre and eccentric cast of characters, of which I think is its strongest point. Unfortunately, most of its best characters don't get as much screentime as the stereotypical Erio Touwa, whose cuteness begins to become tiresome as the show trudges on at an unsteady pace. Strange edits and inconsistency with animation also makes this an issue for at least the first few episodes, but the art improves over time - and you start to get used to the unorthodox format. However, the character designs and scenery is generally pleasant, and it's hard to resist the art style chosen here, which is highly reminiscient of the anime adaptation of Haganai.

Ultimately, the show revolves around Niwa and his relationship with his outcast, shut-in cousin Erio - an impossibly beautiful 16-year old girl who deals with her amnesia and belief that she is an alien by hiding from the world wrapped up in a futon. However, when they're not talking in pointless and trivial riddles, Niwa's classmates - the eccentric and dorky Ryuuko, the soft-spoken cosplayer Hanazawa, and his 40-year old sexually frustrated aunt Meme, are a refreshing supporting cast. They are funny in their own way, and make up what I suppose could be called Niwa's harem. Each one of them gets their own story as well, in which I appreciate the effort.

However, I couldn't tell you what exactly the overarching story is. A few characters were unfortunately tossed aside as nothing more than plot devices (the cattle-tagged bottle rocket enthusiast Ashiro comes to mind) just when you thought you were going to learn more about them. The city in which Denpa takes place appears to have some sort of magical charm to it, but they only scratch the surface of what could have possibly been a much more engaging plot.

At times Denpa attempts to get very deep with the audience - themes involving the inevitability of getting older, losing your loved ones and your own death, the uncertainty of the future and coping with loneliness, et cetera. But it's dealt with in a strange way and is rushed through the gate so the story can move on, and it loses its impact.

At the end of the day, you do get to see the characters in Denpa develop a little bit, but Niwa's ultimate conclusion (after episode 13, which is a separate OVA but is important to the story) is his contentedness in not understanding anything that had happened to him over the course of the show - thus compelling the viewer to feel the same way.

So while Denpa had its moments, it's just difficult to take away anything from it. Not because it's hard to understand, but because it doesn't hit you like a good story should. The pieces just don't fit together. That's not necessarily bad, but it's not so great, either.

newell37 - 2013-06-29 02:36:39

Denpa Onna is a slow paced, light hearted anime. Quite the contrast from Shaft's Madoka Magica which aired the previous season. The show benefits from strong and likable characters, good art, and a feel good type atmosphere.There is less of a plot and more of a tale personal growth and change for each character, especially our protagonists, Niwa and Erio. Not only how they grow, but how their actions, beliefs, and personalities effect those around them.As stated above, Denpa does not have a super deep plot, or a really anything out of the ordinary as far as the genre goes, but the charm the show delivers is stellar. The closest show I can think of with the same charm level is Aria. However, while denpa might not have a complex plot, it does have a small one that connects the characters together.A person's enjoyment of Denpa Onna will most likely depend on how much they like the characters in the show and their gimmicks. Some have found them annoying, while others have loved them. Each character does have a distinct personality and a unique way to put a smile on your face. The show gives you a sort of X Files complex. As in, you really want to believe aliens exist in the show somehow. It does a good job messing with your head making you think one thing, and then all of a sudden you're not sure anymore. I highly recommend you check this out. You might struggle a little early on because of the pacing, but once you get to know the characters you'll be a believer. The Truth is Out There.