erdman.verona - 2016-12-14 17:16:06

It was pretty good

gottlieb.favian - 2016-01-09 04:34:01

Synopsis:  This is a review of the three seasons of working and the one hour final episode. Working is a slice of life anime the catch is instead of taking place at a school it  takes place at a restaurant named Wangaria. In this restaurant fun is had but I can't say much work gets done in some cases. In fact I feel some characters should have been fired on day one. The show in general uses the same jokes multiple times so if you like to laugh at the same thing told slightly differently this may be the show for you.

Story:  The main idea behind this story is to follow each of the people who work at Wangaria and watch as their lives unfold. Overall though there are four overarching subplots between the three seasons.  They can be summarized as such the romantic relationship between Takanashi and  Inami, The romantic relationship between Todoroki and Sato, the managers missing wife and the question of who is Yamada? Some of these subplots are more interesting then others but, overall I feel they are stretched out way to far. The main plot is the relationship between Takanashi and Inami. Basically Inami is afraid of men and it is up to Takanashi to fix her androphobia.  There are signs of recovery from androphobia in the first season but I feel the second season sets that plot on the back burner and focuses on other plots. Then this subplot doesn't get resolved until the last season.  Most of the subplots in this series are stretched out for comedic purposes so if you don't mind seeing the same joke multiple times you may find it funny. 

The missing wife plot could have been solved in season one and the Yamada subplot could have been solved sooner as well. The only reason that these two plots aren't solved right when the solution is introduced is due to the fact that it could be made funnier if it wasn't solved right away. Granted this depends on your idea of funny. The last subplot is the relationship between Sato and Toradoki. This is a simple relationship of guy likes girl but girl doesn't notice him.  Once again though this plot is dragged out using the same tired jokes across all three seasons until it reaches a resolution. 

 If they would have solved these plots sooner I feel that the main romantic relationship between Takanashi and Inami could have had more focus. But, instead jokes come first and we barely get a kiss by the end of the series.   What I do like about the story though is it does actually have some progress. Unlike many Slice of Life shows that have no real ending or leave subplots open Working does its best to resolve the majority of its plots in a decent manor.  

Outside of the main plots we see each of the co-works interact with each other and develop relationships throughout the series. At heart this is a comedic series based on a 4 panel comic so maybe I was expecting to much in the way of developing relationships. But, at least it did better then most.

Animation: The animation is typical A-1 pictures animation. Its nice to look at and fits the setting well. I have no complaints with the animation outside of the fact that it does seem very generic. None of the characters stand out and could easily be replaced with the looks of the main characters form any other series. So basically pretty but boring. 

Sound: The sound is pretty upbeat and fits the show well. I can't think of any tracks that really stood out to me though with the exception of the opening. The openings do a great job at showing what you are getting into with this series and are some of my favorite openings to date. The voice actors/actresses also do a good job in their roles and fit the characters well.

Characters: There are multiple characters in this show and some definitly have more development then others while some are just their for comic releif.  The only character who you can say developed in this series is Inami and the rest end up being side shows to her's and Takanashi's relationship which doesn't even take off until the last season of the show. 

Takanashi: Our main character who loves cute things. I feel Takanashi is a character who is mostly defined by his obsessions. Takanashi loves cute things and that is really his only major character trait.  His only other major trait is his hardworking attitude.

Popura: Like most anime shows these days there always has to be the one cute/moe girl. That is Popura for this anime. I can't say she gets much development in this series and is mostly their as comedic releif and to be a role model for the new workers. I don't think she really plays an important role in any of the subplots. 

Inami: The girl who is afraid of men is the main focus for this series and overall one of the few characters who actually gets some development even if it took three seasons and a movie. Inami is a shy girl who eventually falls in love with our main character and learns to love him instead of hit him. As I mentioned earlier I think her development could have been faster paced due to the slow progression during the second season.

Yamada: A mysterious girl who starts working at Wangaria in season 1. Her real identity isn't shown until the final season and overall I find her to be a rather unintersting character. I do realized this is an anime and isn't going be completly realistic but still this girl does not do any work at all and the manager even knows this. So my question is why is he still paying her? That is my major complaint with this character it makes no sense that she should be employed at Wangaria.  

Toradoki: She is another character is more or less defined by a single trait. In this case its her love for the stand in manager. Outside of that she is rather uninteresting as a character.

Sato: The cook at Wangaria and one of the few characters who actually works. He is a "cool" type of character who ends up playing out many of the jokes in the series and tries to get Toradoki to notice him.

Soma: The other cook in Wangaria. Basically, nothing is known about him and that is the way he likes it. The viewer is not told anything about him and just glimpses of his personality are seen.  He is very similar to Izaya from Durarara in both personality and voice actors. 

Enjoyment: I can't say that Working was enjoyable all of the time but in most cases it was a decent time sink. One of my major complaints with the show is it could be more realistic. In some cases I feel that if this was the real world almost all of these people would be fired on the spot. Sure Inami's androphobia is a key plot point but still if you hit customers or co-workers you should be facing some sort of repercussion. As mentioned earlier there is a similar case with Yamada. So, if you can over look the fact that it this show is basically a slice of life anime set in the workplace instead of a school then you may get something out of this show.

esta.robel - 2015-08-15 16:21:50

This anime is a great slice of life comedy. The character development is amazing, and at the end you can relate to each character, and hope that their problems end.

denesik.odell - 2015-07-29 07:39:09

Working!! is a fun, mindless slice-of-life show that revolves around the characters and their relationships while working in a family diner. While it's not the "greatest" show out there, it still pleases.

The story itself is... well, there is no real story to the show. It's more like a compilation of moments and interactions. There is some driving force behind character motives, but everything seems to be more or less melodrama. Plot devices are used freely, but not creatively -- the main character joins the store because... the girl asking him is cute?

Animation is very solid. It gets the job done, and is fluid at times, but nothing great or eye-catching. Backgrounds are detailed enough to portray depth, but nothing more.

In terms of music, the opening is very catchy, which might be a nuisance for some. I, however, enjoyed it. It embodies the show rather well. Soundtrack isn't anything spectacular, but acts as decent background music to portray tone. I didn't particularly take note of any stand-out tracks. The ending is solid. The show is (currently) only offered in Japanese dub; the voice acting performances were solid.

Again, the characters are really what drive the show. Now, I'd be hard-pressed to say that most of these characters are really good on their own, the show relies on them interacting with the rest of the staff to provide comedy and "plot." Takanashi is your generic, clueless main character. Just forget about him. Taneshima is cute, and energetic. Inami is the main source of "driven plot" for the show, with her attempting to overcome her "androphobia". I personally found her cute and entertaining, though the show's constant use of her as a vessel to try and make things interesting got tiring after a while. Todoroki is interesting, though I don't think we get enough of her background that's hung in front of us for several episodes... Yamada is hilarious. Besides them, I couldn't really care about the other characters. Souma is just a pain in the side; I dislike his character "development". And, on that topic, we do actually see some development in these characters. Not so much their traits, but there relationships. I'm glad the show was able to at least pull that off.

I have to admit, for a slice-of-life show about more or less "nothing specific", I more or less enjoyed Working!!. It made me laugh out loud at times, and was just clever enough to scrape by. I think I'll watch the second season to see how things pan out... eventually.

larue77 - 2014-10-04 02:16:53

Working!! is very good at doing nothing. My favorite part is when almost all the same stuff happened every episode for the first 8 episodes. Season 1 of Working!! should have been called "The Endless Eight 2.0 Plus Some Random Shit We Put At The End To Make It Seem Like Something Actually Happened During This Show".  I recommend Working!! to anyone who finds reading old history textbooks a little too fast paced for them. All in all the show was great, gonna go ahead and give it 4/10!

kbaumbach - 2013-07-25 03:45:15

I remember when I first heard of Working and read the "plot" I thought well.. that sounds boring. A restaurant crew?

Don't be like me - give the show a chance and you will realize that this is a good example of when characters and comedy become the focus and you won't care about the rest.

Story: As mentioned, this is about a restaurant crew and their day to day work. This show could take place anywhere and in any setting - as long as it has these characters it would have been hilarious anyways.

Animation: The animation in the show is decent enough, but I do have one big gripe: There are these advertisements or news announcements (they are in japanese and not translated) that take place throughout the show and really detracts your attention sometimes. I don't know what that is about but it's worth mentioning. It is by far the shows biggest flaw.

Sound: A catchy opening and solid voice acting give this a decent score.

Characters: The shows biggest draw is their cast of characters and their odd personalities as well as how they clash with each other. Worth mentioning is that Inami has tsundere qualities but unlike every other tsundere I know, she actually has more reason that "it's embarassing" I love tsunderes as much as the next guy, but it's refreshing to see someone have a different reason for it.

Overall: This is a very enjoyable anime and I recommend giving it a watch. The only reason this doesn't score 9 or better is for the weird thing I covered in the animation section. Also their is a "trap" character in the show so if you have major problems with that then perhaps you want to stay away. He does have decent reasons though.

jalyn47 - 2013-07-07 21:43:04

Working!!Interesting anime indeed, although not very at the same time. But still fun.Story: 6Story? What story? Teenager works part-time at a resturant, funny characters, hilarity ensues. That is about it. If you're looking for substance, try something else. You won't find it here. The story isn't it's strong point by any means and that's understandable. That's just the type of anime this is.Art: 7Art is fine, nothing spectacular. Girls are cute and animation is fluid enough. At no times do I notice a cheap animation change or something that looks stupid. If you're an animation fanatic you won't find any problems, but you also won't find anything spectacular. It's better than average but not great by any means.Characters: 9Probably the strongest point of the series. I found all of the characters oddly interesting and was never bored with when the series would focus on any one. The reactions between them and how they all deal with eachother is fun to watch and is the highlight of the series. For example Inami falcon punching the main character gets me everytime and the odd love triangle between satou, yachiyo and the boss. Even the main characters sisters are great. Makes the whole thing worth watching, otherwise it wouldn't be a very good series by any means.Enjoyment: 9I highly enjoy this series. Right after Durarara, this is my favorite series for this season. I look forward to seeing it each weekend (gets subbed on sundays) and I think of it as a plus for the weekend. It definitely isn't for everyone. It's a very relaxed, pointless series meant for fun only really. No story or substance, just fun characters doing seemingly unfun things but still making it an interesting watch.Overall: 8Fun series, definitely worth a watch. I recommend it to people who can watch something like this and still enjoy it. Something with barely a story and mainly fun. If you liked Seitokai no Ichizon (like I did) then you'll probably love this.

aletha59 - 2013-05-20 19:33:23

For this review, I'm going to try to be as spoiler-free as possible so that someone who wants to know whether or not this anime is for them can find out without ruining it for themselves.

Honestly, skip to the bottom if you want to see if this is right for you. Then, if you're even more interested, you can read the entire thing.

Story:
Given that this is a Comedy/Romance (Comedy plays more heavily than the Romance in this anime, though the Romance carries the plot through two seasons) there isn't much plot to be found. However, the interactions between the characters and how the relationships develop makes it worth the journey. Not much substance, so it gets a low grade, but you're not supposed to be watching this show for the plot.

Animation:
Working!! has a style that fits well with the characters and the atmosphere it's trying to create. It's detailed, bright, and overall well done in terms of general quality. Sure, there are shows with better animation out there, as this isn't the BEST in animation, but it can definitely hold its own and is very pretty.

Sound:
General sound effects come off as natural for a modern family restaurant. However, I have to say that Working!! succeeds in both of the Opening themes and Ending themes. The first Opening won't leave your head for ages to come as is to be expected of a Comedy series in this vein. The first Ending is sung by the male characters in the show and it showcases the talents of the voice actors. The same can be said for the second Ending, which has a different sound than the first Ending but still captured me instantly with its style. The second Opening, however, I was hesitant about at first. I heard it and immediately thought that it was trying too hard to be the first Opening. But giving it time and listening to it apart from the first opening, I found that it holds up on its own.

Characters:
This is where the show stands out the most and where you should find the most enjoyment. I'll go through each character, including their quirks and relationships to the other characters. Nothing romantic though, that's half of the fun of this series!

Takanashi Souta:
The main character, you could say. We find out the most about him and his family throughout the series. He's a minicon, a person who has a weird fascination (NOT LUST) with small and fragile things (the thing he finds cutest in the world is the water flea). He's the most responsible member of the staff at Wagnaria and does his job efficiently. He has a complex for cross-dressing as his father made him cross-dress as a child. Does all the housework at his home, including cooking, cleaning, shopping, and caring for the family. He has four sisters:

Takanashi Kazue:
The eldest of the family, she's a lawyer who uses law as a weapon... literally. She throws law books at Souta constantly. Divorced and has emotional problems, but actually cares a lot for Souta and the rest of the family. Dotes too much on Nazuna.

Takanashi Izumi:
The second eldest of the family, she's a romance novelist who has spent so much time in her room that she can barely move on her own. Has a sort of... complex for Souta since he's been caring for her for so long.

Takanashi Kozue:
Third eldest, she works as an Aikido instructor. A horrible drunk who gets incredibly lonely. This leads to her picking up and dumping guys very quickly, which leads to her alcoholism which leads to her picking up and dumping guys. She also tries to relieve her loneliness by clinging too tightly to Souta who doesn't react well at all to this attention. Spends time at Wagnaria when she finds out Souta is working there.

Takanashi Nazuna: 
The youngest of the family, Souta dotes on her as she fits into his minicon mold. However, through this doting she's found a way to manipulate those around her and Souta realizes that he's created something that he shouldn't have. Still in elementary school, she draws the ire of Taneshima.

Taneshima Popura(Poplar):
A year older than Souta, she's incredibly short and hates that fact. She looks and acts like an elementary school student (minus the bust because COMEDY) and thus gets bullied by the males in Wagnaria. She's the reason Souta joined because despite her age she fits into his minicon mold. She's incredibly friendly and gullible and is thus popular with most people she meets. Has a complex about her height. 

Inami Mahiru:
Also a year older than Souta, she has severe androphobia and shows this by punching the offending male. Souta is tasked with watching over her and helping her androphobia go away. Aside from this, or maybe because of this, she's very shy, unsure of herself, and highly self-critical. Has a complex about her lacking bust.

Shirafuji Kyouko:
The floor manager of Wagnaria, she only works here because she can pressure the head manager into giving her souvenirs and she gets free food from the kitchen staff and Yachiyo. Rather lazy and with an infinite stomach, she causes problems for many of the characters who can do nothing about it.

Todoroki Yachiyo:
The chief of Wagnaria, she's a sort of subordinate to Kyouko and has been since she was very little. Carries around a katana at all times and sees no problem with it, being confused when people are terrified of her. Rather airheaded, the only reason she gets the job done at Wagnaria is because she's been working there for a while and had a lot of training.

Satou Jun: 
The head chef of Wagnaria, he's got the look of a person who doesn't care, but he actually cares a lot about several things underneath that exterior. He bullies Taneshima to relieve stress and loves to beat up Souma whenever Souma decides to say things he ought not to. The one smoker on the team, the others look up to him because of his no bull demeanor.

Souma Hiroomi:
The other chef of Wagnaria, he's very laid-back and always has a smile on. He knows everything about everyone and uses this to blackmail them into doing what he wants them to. He's also a sadist who will ruin your life with a smile. Aside from this, little about him is known due to his secretive nature.

Yamada Aoi:
The runaway, Yamada is a false name. She loves speaking in the third person, constantly tries to get others to do things for her (failing every time), and absolutely loves to cause drama. The one person Souma can't blackmail.

Otoo Hyougo:
Head manager of the restaurant, he has a very subservient nature which allows Kyouko to take advantage of him. Constantly absent due to him looking for his ever-missing wife. Forced to bring back souvenirs for Kyouko when he does return to do some work. Yamada clings to him and wants him to adopt her.

Matsumoto "Normal" Maya:
She is a completely NORMAL person with NORMAL interests who NORMALLY works at a NORMAL job with NORMAL co-workers. Any questions?

Enjoyment:
Honestly? This was a very fun anime that kept me going through 26 episodes and wanting more. The romances were very interesting and made for a very pleasant watching experience.

Overall:
This show isn't the best. It DOES have flaws, even if I don't point them out. It also didn't leave me with The Void, as it is just a Comedy/Romance and there are several out there like this that I can watch later. However, for what it is, it was great and I would recommend it to Romance fans and Comedy fans alike. It was a good way to spend my time when I didn't want to use brainpower like I do when watching a show that has actual plot and demands you follow it. If you're looking for something to help you relax after a long day of work or school, this is the show to watch. Especially if you work in a restaurant!

8/10