Anime Review: Comic Girls

Comic Girls

Studio: Nexus

Genre: Comedy, Slice of life

Stream: Crunchyroll

If my review of Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku is any indication, I am a sucker for cozy slice of life anime. As much as I like the excitement of shounen, sometimes it just feels good to sit down and watch something simple that makes me feel good. I am also a huge fan of anime that teaches me about the processes of stuff (It’s why I think sports anime about obscure games are so appealing). Comic Girls made its debut during the Spring 2018 season and while it has a lot going for it, it doesn’t quite compete with best of its genre.

Comic Girls focuses on four high school girls who all aspire to be famous mangaka when they get out of school. The protagonist, Kaos, is the worst of the four. She is struggling to get anything published (And doesn’t even know what her own style is yet). The other three, Koyume, Tsubasa, and Ruki, write shoujo, shounen, and hentai respectively. Koyume isn’t too far from getting published, while both Tsubasa and Ruki have well-established fan-bases.

The series follows the typical slice-of-life format and doesn’t do anything too outlandish to set itself apart from its peers. Each episode focuses on two or so different scenarios that slowly progress the girls’ education in being mangaka. Each girl has a fairly cookie-cutter personality too. Kaos is unconfident and easy to scare, and as the protagonist, the show often focuses on her failing to cope with her problems. In fact, a significant part of the show is simply Kaos screaming, crying, or thirsting over one of the dormmates. Koyume is a positive ball of energy, Tsubasa is a tomboy, and Ruki is mature. These are all familiar characters that genre has seen before. While the show doesn’t do anything innovating with its characters, the interactions between each other are still entertaining.

The girls (With the exception of Kaos) don’t experience too much conflict, so it results in a relaxing watch most of the time. No episode really stands out as being special, and the same can be mostly said about the series. After watching the series, I realized that no episode of scene stood out to me. It was fun, but it also isn’t anything that I’d care to rewatch. The character relationships aren’t really endearing, which is usually a must for shows like these. It also doesn’t really take a deep look at the process of making manga. The only thing the viewers really learn is the process of visiting editors and meeting deadlines. If one is only interested in the comic-making process, anime like Bakuman would be more suitable.

Outside of the characters and story, the show is genuinely funny. I found myself laughing out loud at Kaos’ misfortune. The animation is adequate, with nothing too choppy or amazing. The show’s soundtrack is catchy but mostly forgettable.

Overall, Comic Girls is a fine slice of life series with a lot of relatable moments but doesn’t shine in any one area. It’s a bit heavy on the moe and fanservice, but if one can get past that, it’s an okay cozy series to end a day on. While I enjoyed my stay, I won’t be holding my breath for a sequel.