Renkin San-kyuu Magical Pokaan is a Japanese anime series that first aired in 2006. The story is set in a world where fantasy creatures, such as vampires and werewolves, coexist with humans. The title of the series is a play on words, combining the word "reinforcement" (renkin) with the sentence "3.9 magical Pokaan." The central characters of the series are four young girls who belong to different fantasy species. Each girl has her unique abilities and characteristics, adding to the diversity of the group.
Final Thoughts:
Maybe Remic thought it would be a nice jape to put in a really serious looking theme tune, but it kind of doesn t work when you use the same tune with every episode. I also have to give them credit for trying to blend the fan-service with the humour to make it relevant, even if that is the weak point of the comedy.
Each girl has her unique abilities and characteristics, adding to the diversity of the group. The main protagonist is Liru, a werewolf girl with a cheerful and energetic personality. Pachira, a vampire girl, is carefree and loves sweets, while Aiko, a witch, is serious and responsible.
Renkin San-kyuu Magical? Pokaan: GA, meet Bottle Fairy
Renkin San-kyuu Magical? Pokaan is a magical girl comedy from 2006. It was brought to us by Remic. Never heard of them? Well, they don’t have many credits to their name so that’s not a surprise. Let’s hope it gives as favourable first impression.
We follow four princesses from the Netherworld. The witch, Uma, the vampire, Pachira, the werewolf, Liru & the android, Aiko. One of these things is not like the others, not like the others, not like the others. The four of them are living in the human world and all kinds of shenanigans ensue. That’s the basic crux of the comedy in the series, the bizarre outsiders getting into strange situations.
The biggest weakness in the comedy is simply that the series sometimes puts its desire for more fan service over its humour. Its “jokes” that revolve around under garments or nudity tend to be the weakest. Sometimes they get a funny one out there, but they’re mostly just too predictable and not in the Space Balls, I can quote this by heart because it was just so memorable, way. No, it’s in the “this joke was obvious and really heavily telegraphed” way.
With that aside, this series does have a lot of funny moments. It melds the zany absurdism of a series like Galaxy Angel with the supernatural outsiders trying to engage with humanity aspect of Bottle Fairy and the two do mesh well. The whole “drinking game” episode is really funny. So is the sentai team parody episode. Actually, those two both remind me of episodes from the aforementioned Galaxy Angel but with completely different execution. The tanuki bit is one that involves some more ecchi elements, but still manages to be a surprise and pretty funny to boot. There are plenty of other funny bits as well.
The series has one of those casts that only works in a comedy. The characters are zany, a bit shallow and, fortunately, have a good amount of comedic potential to their interactions. Remic could do a good four series more of this and not exhaust the possibilities. Even the minor characters who show up once or twice tend to have enough moments to be memorable. The invisible girl being the prime example. Which effectively makes them a strong cast for a comedic work. Although Aiko’s desire to become human is a bit odd. It’s like they were inspired by the best series of Star Trek but couldn’t be bothered to put in the more substantial characterisation that makes that motivation make sense.
All of you who are familiar with my reviews know exactly what my complaint is in regards to the art. Yes, it’s our old nemesis, excessive fan-service again. At least in a totally not serious series like this the only way it detracts is just based on the general crassness rather than being detrimental to the tone or impractical. I also have to give them credit for trying to blend the fan-service with the humour to make it relevant, even if that is the weak point of the comedy. I kind of like the character designs (they might’ve overdone the invisible girl’s make up though) and the artistic direction is generally really good.
For our main cast we have Nabatame Hitomi (also Aida Mana), Hirano Aya (also Haruhi), Saitou Momoko (also Solty) & Akesaka Satomi (also Korokoro) as our main characters. The four of them give really good performances and work well together. Then we have the music. This is one of those series where the theme tune doesn’t remotely fit. Maybe Remic thought it would be a nice jape to put in a really serious looking theme tune, but it kind of doesn’t work when you use the same tune with every episode. It would be another thing completely if they kept changing it to other tunes that ran completely opposite to the tone but they never do. The ending theme tune changes regularly, but the opening is just the same overly serious thing every time and it just comes across as inept.
There’s a little bit here and there, but the series is always quick to remind you that all of these girls are looking for handsome boyfriends. Because, you know, it’s a comedy about a group of girls and if you didn’t remind people they were straight they’d be shipping them all together. Although, let’s be fair, it could have very well just been that they had some good jokes about their romantic misadventures. This series does have quite a few of those. What are they supposed to do, have the same kinds of jokes about them pursuing other girls? That sounds like something I’d write. (New comedy, Tuesdays after the case files of Detective Hildegard. Except not really.)
Final Thoughts:
Magipoka, is a pretty solid comedy. Not the greatest one of all time, certainly, but it is quite good. If you enjoy zany absurdity, or the whole outsider trying to fit in types of comedy, give it a go. You’ll probably get some laughs out of it. My rating stands at a solid 7/10. Next week, So Ra No Wo To.
Although "quirks" is probably not the right term, it will have to do since there was not enough substance to call it "awesomeness". By simply slapping polar thematic opposites together and seeing what will happen according to formula, a remarkable depth of (asymmetric) individuality is revealed. While it is by no means sufficient (as I personally would like to know more about Aiko than was provided in the OVA), a very good balance of "who" to "doing what" was achieved, and might have become too tedious otherwise.
Lastly, Yuuma is a android girl who is kind and gentle. Throughout the series, the girls face various situations and embark on comedic misadventures. They interact with humans and other supernatural creatures, leading to humorous and heartwarming moments. The show combines elements of comedy, fantasy, and slice-of-life to create an entertaining and light-hearted atmosphere. Renkin San-kyuu Magical Pokaan explores themes of friendship, acceptance, and understanding. Despite their differences, the four girls form a strong bond and support each other. They learn to embrace their individuality and find solace in their shared experiences. The show also touches on the concept of coexistence, as humans and fantasy creatures learn to live harmoniously in the same world. The animation style of Renkin San-kyuu Magical Pokaan is vibrant and colorful, enhancing the overall charm of the series. The character designs are cute and appealing, capturing the essence of each girl's species. The soundtrack adds to the light-hearted atmosphere, with catchy opening and ending themes. Overall, Renkin San-kyuu Magical Pokaan is a delightful anime series that combines elements of fantasy, comedy, and slice-of-life. With its endearing characters and light-hearted storyline, it offers a pleasant and enjoyable viewing experience for fans of the genre..
Reviews for "The Role of Gender in Renkin San Kyuu Magical Pokaaj"
1. Megan - 2 out of 5 stars.
I was excited to watch "Renkin san kyuu magical pokaaj" after hearing some positive reviews, but I was left disappointed. The storyline is confusing and lacks coherence. The characters are one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with them. The animation quality is also subpar compared to other anime series. Overall, it failed to live up to the hype and I was left feeling underwhelmed.
2. John - 1 out of 5 stars.
I couldn't stand "Renkin san kyuu magical pokaaj". The plot is nonsensical and all over the place. It's hard to follow what's happening, and the characters are uninteresting and forgettable. The animation is lackluster and doesn't do justice to the potential of the show. I couldn't make it past the first few episodes before giving up on it. I do not recommend wasting your time on this anime.
3. Emily - 2 out of 5 stars.
"Renkin san kyuu magical pokaaj" is a jumbled mess. The story jumps around without any clear direction, making it hard to invest in the plot or characters. The humor is also hit or miss and fails to deliver genuine laughs. The animation style is outdated and the voice acting feels forced. I had high hopes for this series, but unfortunately, it fell flat in almost every aspect.
4. Alex - 2 out of 5 stars.
I found "Renkin san kyuu magical pokaaj" to be underwhelming. The pacing is slow, and the story takes too long to pick up. The characters lack depth and their motivations are unclear. The animation quality isn't anything special and fails to capture the magic and wonder of other fantasy anime series. Overall, it's a forgettable show that I wouldn't recommend to others.