wiza.jaeden - 2015-07-11 22:14:04

Kiniro is a Slice-of-Life Highschool anime that knows what it wants to do and, for the most part, does it right. It's easy to get invested in the characters, but at the same time, they're more than just cardboard cutout stereotypes. What really distinguishes the anime though is the frequent use of hilariously badly dubbed english lines. The two "british" characters Alice and Karen often drop random english words somewhere, but it's clearly noticeable that they're voiced by a japanese VA who has no idea what they're supposed to sound like, so they just end up sounding like japanese people trying to pretend they're... british people trying to pretend they're japanese...

Ouch, my head hurts now.

justice01 - 2015-06-21 21:30:15

Kinmoza is adorable! Yes, this is a show about cute girls doing cute things. So what makes Kinmoza stand out from others of its kind?

Its premise revolves around a Japanese girl obsessed with Britain and France and a British girl obsessed with Japan. If that doesn't provoke a reaction from an anime fan then maybe knowing that the show plays with references to nerd culture, and other anime will peak your interest. 

On top of the unique premise the show is fast paced and it's easy to like the cast. The show is very innocent overall. None of the girls have any real drama going on in their lives, so instead the mundane set of problems that come with high school and the characters reactions to them are often silly but still relatable. 

It makes the show a sweet pick-me-up. Its sitcom style humor isn't laugh out loud but instead fun, cheery and most of all, cute. If you want to indulge in something light-hearted and carefree, this could be your answer.

smith.nico - 2014-08-12 03:15:08

Robin Williams died today.
I cried for a bit.
Then I watch Kiniro Mosaic
and then everything was okay.

Overall score:

Mrs.Doubtifre/10

rick85 - 2013-09-27 01:41:25

Kinmoza (which will now be referred to as Kiniro Mosaic) is a slice of life, moe, cute girls doing cute things, style anime. Actually, cute is an understatement. This anime emits cute from everything it does. The characters, comedy, music, art, etc. Everything is cute.

Things start out with Shino visiting Alice in England while they are in what I assume to be elementary school. Essentially for the entire episode they can't understand each other at all and it creates a very odd and funny setting. It also ends with a very funny and very cute segment at the end. Then a time skip where Alice is not a transfer student in Japan, and that's where the rest of the show takes place.

The characters support each other pretty well. A lot of them are not even that memorable in the long run when you compare them to characters from other slice of life shows like K-On or Lucky Star, but they fit into the overly cute feel of the show very well. Even Shino's gimmick (which is really liking Blonde hair), seems so stupid but it works so well.

The cast of girls consist of 5 mains. Each of them with a distinct personality. There's obviously almost zero character development, that's not important here. While the girls do tend to fall into an anime stereotype for the most part, I never got the feeling like it was that which dictated the show. It was the situations or just overal cuteness with really drove it. In other words, the characters being stagnant does not drag down the show in any way at all.

The animation is simple but I feel like it fits the show. A lot of the more noticable things are moe faces. The studio, art style, etc are from the same studio that did A-Channel, but that's really where the similarities end. The show is very bright and colorful. It adds to the fun feeling the show has going for it and gave me the kind of feeling that the anime was kind of popping out of the screen. A very similar anime besides A-Channel would be Yuru Yuri, which I would say share more in common with Kiniro Mosaic.

The sound is pretty decent. A lot of the music is really not that notable, aside from the last episode where they pretty much had an entire soundtrack, but the OP and ED are enjoyable (and cute). The voice acting is pretty good too. Again... it's cute. Two of the characers are supposed to be native English speakers and still can't pronounce things that great, but I can forgive that because there really is not a show that has set a precedent of perfect English voice acting.

I can't end the review without adressing the final episode. It was one of the greatest episodes I've seen in all of anime. The last part was especially terrific.

Do you like blonde hair? You should watch this show. It also helps if you like moe, slice of life, and just an overhwhelming feeling of cuteness.

hassie.donnelly - 2013-09-24 21:03:49

As always, my reviews are spoiler free.

Here’s a riddle for you: what comes around at least once a season like clockwork, but is never exactly the same as the time before? Ready? Good.

It’s a Cute Girls Doing Cute Things Slice of Life (CGDCT/SOL)!

Kiniro Mosaic is 2013’s summer offering, and like its spiritual predecessor Yuyushiki, it pleasantly surprised me. If you’ve read one of my reviews on a CGDCT/SOL series before, you know how I like to say that each one has (or tries to have) some special gimmick or plot device to differentiate it from the cascade of similar series. Kiniro Mosaic does this by dropping off some cute blonde British girls in that worn out Japanese high school we all know so well. That’s really all there is to it; however, it was enough to keep my mind bright enough to survive the more serious series of the season. So let’s beat the dead horse (well, the skeletal dust) a little more and take a look at some more cute girls going to high school.

Story - 7/10

Several years before the main story takes place, our main character, Shino, goes abroad to England for a homestay with her parents’ friend. She has a daughter about the same age, Alice, and together they prove with nutbladder-bursting cuteness that language and international barriers cannot break the bond of friendship. Or something like that. It was in 21x9, so my eyes hurt. Maybe England just has a different aspect ratio than Japan.

Anyway, back in modern times, Shino receives a letter that Alice is coming to Japan (probably, since they can’t read English, but can somehow remember thousands of runic symbols known as Kanji). But to Shino’s surprise, Alice has already invaded the land of the rising sun, and is now going to her school. Not only that, but she is in Shino’s class and will be living with her from now on. Conveniently, she has learned perfect Japanese.

Alice joins Shino and her friends Yoko and Aya in the adventures of doing cute things. But hold on to your hats, because Kiniro Mosaic is about to nail you with a curve ball: another blonde girl has landed in Japan!

Indeed, hearing that the “genki girl” roll had yet to be filled in their group, Karen enters the picture. She is Alice’s childhood friend and she also does cute things. Cool.

Kiniro Mosaic gets a pass here, because it is cute, funny, and everything that a CGDCT/SOL series needs to be. It has a new gimmick to play with and I had a good time watching. I can’t ask for much more out of an anime of this nature. Sadly, it was nothing too special or memorable.

Wow, it even promotes Yuyushiki. I told you that they had something going on together.

Animation - 7/10

Overall, Kiniro Mosaic does a solid job with animation for a seasonal one-off. There’s nothing really complex to talk about here, but I’ll shed some light on the major things.

I liked the character designs quite a bit. They reminded me of something Kyoto Animation would make. They are pretty simple, but done well. It seems that Alice and Karen got the most attention; they are markedly more detailed than the others and have the most unique designs. A pallet of bright pastel colors is used, as these shows often do.

Backgrounds are, like the characters, simple but well done. They also use that bright pastel color pallet. A variety of locations are presented and quality is persistent. Good for them.

Animation itself is generally mediocre. Low frame rates lead to plenty of jerky movements. There isn’t a ton of movement, so it doesn’t matter much, but it is very noticeable.

There is the occasional usage of CG (which is quite bad, I might add), but it is infrequent enough not to be bothersome. The first episode is done mostly in 21x9, a heinous and unforgivable crime.

Look how nice it looks... But die 21x9, DIE DIE DIE.

Sound - 7/10

There is nothing to say about the background music, but the opening and ending are both great. I also enjoyed the voice acting quite a bit, especially Karen’s voice. Her broken English was always cute and funny (just like it was supposed to be, I’ll wager).

Characters - 7/10

The characters of Kiniro Mosaic make up the stereotypical CGDCT/SOL group. We have the ditz, the genki girl, the “no-fun-allowed” twintails, the straightman, and Alice (whose role is adaptable as needed).

Shino is the opposite of a weeaboo; she is obsessed with foreign things, especially things from England. She has an unhealthy obsession with blonde hair and is the soft, kind airhead that every series needs.

Alice is Shino’s counterpart, and used for the jokes requiring foreigners. She is small and cute, and hates being reminded of that.

Yoko is the strightman, usually interjecting at the end of the scene or delivering the punchline of the joke. She is a bit of a tomboy, and when it comes to Aya she is the densest being on earth.

Aya is the reincarnation of Azusa from K-On!, twintails, personality, and all. She is proper and pure and the smart one of the group. She wants Yoko so badly you can almost taste it. I was constantly shouting at the screen to just kiss already.

Just do it already, seriously.

Karen is the typical overexcited energy ball, also from England. She has not learned Japanese as well as Alice, so her speech is a bit of a running joke. She gets along well with everyone and is exceedingly rich.

Like the plot, there is nothing new, exciting, or creative, but I had a good time with these characters.

Enjoyment - 8/10

With nearly straight 7s, Kiniro Mosaic did its job as the token CGDCT/SOL series of the season. While there were no groundbreaking developments, deep themes, intriguing plot twists, or amazing characters, it is well worth the watch if you are into this kind of show. What more do you want me to say? I’m sure I’ll come up with something when the next one of these series comes out next season. Now, go watch anime or something. Maybe even this one.