Kodomo no omocha Anime review

English: Child's Toy

Synonyms: Kodocha

Type: TV

Episodes: 102

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 5, 1996 to Mar 27, 1998

Producers: TV Tokyo, Studio Gallop, FUNimation EntertainmentL, NAS, Pony Canyon

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo

Duration: 22 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Check out the Manga review here

So ya XD I think Kodocha is spectacular. It's amazing and just blows me away. It's one of those animes that make me go crazy that I'm smashing my computer with a big smile on my face because it's SUCH a good anime I can't handle it and go insane. What else can I say? I first stumbled onto this anime I just thought it was annoying, kiddy, and pointless. But I decided to take the time to stap myself to the couch and watch the anime from the top, and I am SO glad that I did. But I happened to read Manga too and Manga is more awesome than Anime. I mean they dragged the manga into 102 episodes in anime bye introducing many subplots and new characters which are never been in manga.

Sana Kurata has a charmed life. Not only is her mother is a famous, award-winning writer, but she's the star of the hit TV comedy "Child's Toy" while still in the fifth grade. But Sana's biggest concern is Akito Hayama, a pint-sized hellion who's organized the boys in their grade-school class into a mass of unending noise and violence. With the help of Rei, her manager, chauffeur and "pimp," Sana is determined to win back control of the classroom from her new arch-enemy. But as her crusade continues, Sana moves further into Akito's life, and finds that he might not be entirely bad...or entirely safe. 

The story was interesting enough to create an addict out of me. There are a lot of interesting plot points. I suppose there is no singular plot, but there are little "plotlets" that somehow connect in a weird way. In other words, when one problem is resolved, another one forms. It may seem like another cutesy shojo anime, but there are a lot of serious moments as well. 

Although the length allows for some amazing development of Sana et-al, I can’t help but feel the show would have been better suited to a 26 episode affair, rather than the epic 102 marathon with many Hayama-less sections. A little perseverance through the stodge, and the viewer is treated to a family friendly romp that will appeal to a wide range of ages.

Komocha, as an older series, does not treat the viewer to stunning visuals and gorgeous landscapes. Unfortunately, this will be the turn-off for many of those “anime connoisseurs” who only watch animation from this century: there is no HD and the characters are quite frankly fugly, especially in the latter half of the series. Simplistic lines and muted colouring techniques go hand in hand with saucer-sized eyes that dominate 50% of someone’s face. It’s not terrible by any means, and Sana’s wardrobe changes are frankly adorable. However, the lack of fluidity and repeated use of ascii-style facial reactions prevent me from awarding a higher score.

Easily the strongest part of the show, the characters and their delicate interactions are frankly touching, especially that between Hayama and Sana. Their inability to communicate heartfelt feelings is both frustrating and adorable, even more so when new love interests are introduced and the two praised apart. The supporting cast don’t play a particularly large part in Kodomo no Omocha, but there are a significant number of memorable personalities, such as Sana’s pimp Rei (yes, pimp), or the insecure Tsuyoshi who plays the trumpet whenever he feels down.

Sana Kurata is a perfect example. She is, in fact, pretty annoying because of how dense she is, but in a way, you can actually accept that o_o; And the main reason for the acceptance of Sana is cuz she's just freakin hilarious. She just is. But her age set is perfect because when it comes to stuff like, the way she believes in loving someone with almost a 10 year age difference, you can see all the flaws but still understand why Sana believes she's in love. If she was in high school, you'd think that it's plain dumb for a teen to be in love with some 30 year old. Sana can get away with a lot of stuff due to her age. Hopefully I'm making sense here o__o;;

The character I am MOST impressed by is Akito Hayama. He's so well done and developed so perfectly, it almost scares me how the author can come up with such a character o_o 

See... Akito is one of those quiet, reserved characters and so damn mature for his age. I like how he's laid back but it doesn't annoy me. Because I usually think those kind of characters are cliche and annoying because they're EVERYWHERE, but there's something about Akito that doesn't make him so cliche. He's a wreckless trouble maker, but from most trouble makers, you'd expect them to be loud and obnoxious, but Akito isn't. I think that's the thing that makes him unique, really cool  o__o; With his personality, you can do a hell lot with him which makes him one of the best, flexiable characters you can think of in a story. I especially love his development throughout the anime. It's amazing how much an impact Sana put into his life. The way the author shows Akito's family life, how you can tell he's going to fall for Sana but when it happens you're ACTUALLY surprised by it XD It's just perfect. 

Every single one of the Omocha opening tracks initially saw me pulling a face in disgust as the overly sweet tones permeated my brain. However, a view of the entire cast dancing in formation Broadway-stylee made something originally so wrong suddenly seem oh so right. The seiyuu for Sana is absolutely perfect, expressing both her hyperactivity and vulnerability without being excessively annoying. Her singing and rapping is absolutely hilarious, and totally out of place most of the time, adding to the overall crazy feel of the show.

I obviously enjoy this anime. Don't need to make a big paragraph on that XD I HIGHLY recommend this to girls. Guys, I'm not so sure o_o; But I guarantee you, you'll like this anime. This anime has the PERFECT amount of drama. It's not too serious and deep, BUT it's not dumb and cliche what-so-ever. In fact, it's extremely very well thought out. This kind of amount is perfect for me. So... watch Kodocha XD

Anime opening Titles:

Kodomo no omocha Manga review

English: Kodocha: Sana's Stage

Synonyms: Kodocha, Child's Toy

Type: Manga

Volumes: 10

Chapters: 54

Status: Finished

Published: Aug 1994 to Nov 1998

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo, Slice of Life

Authors: Obana, Miho (Story & Art)

Serialization: Ribon Magazine

Check out the Anime review here

Wow, Kodocha was the very first manga I ever read with such a great blend of entertainment and romance and well of course to me it's a classic. I find it like no other shoujo manga and in fact, I can't find one with it's type of humor! You'll laugh at some of the ridiculous things the characters say OR do and you'll feel the pain and agony each one faces. Big or small.  This manga has been made into a lengthy anime of 102 episodes. The manga is very different from the anime. The storylines are different. I think the manga is better with the storyline  and the ending but the anime is still good. I recommend anime too.

The story is about Sana Kurata, a famous child actress, and her relationship with Hayama Akito. At first she hates him because he is a trouble maker and cold, but over the course of the manga their relationship grows into a really deep conection. The story itself is a romantic comedy, with drama mixed in. It moves quickly but nothing feels left out or missing. There are many unexpected twists and turns that make it really exciting. It's really one of the best shoujo stories since it's not in any way a typical shoujo or idol manga. One of the reasons I loved this manga was because it stands out from others of the same genre.

I am a huge fan of art.The art style is very "shoujo" so many characters do infact have the same style of eyes. However, the mangaka did a great job of expressing the emotions of the characters. For a manga of its time the art is very good, and of course the art gets better as the manga progresses.

The characters are what make the story. Each character has a distinctive trait that makes him/her special. Sana is really hyper and says the weirdest things. Hayama is cold, says what's on his mind, and never ever smiles. Tsuyoshi is sweet and a pacifist, until he snaps and throws desks all over the room. Mama, Sana's mother, has crazy hairstyles and a squirell lives in it. I could keep going. However, aside from their quirky personalities, the character development over the manga series is great. No one is perfect, and this manga shows how a lot of the individuals may not be who everyone thinks they are. Sana is also not your typical heroine. She is not a crybaby who relies on her love interest. Instead she is hyper, dense, and always wants to do the right thing. The fact that the characters aren't extreme shoujo stereotypes made the story interesting.

Yeah, if you can't tell by now I really enjoyed this series, There are lots of funny moments that made me laugh. But there are also really series moments that really surprised me! It's hard to put into words exactly why I enjoyed it, but I was not bored a single moment in this manga, even though I had seen the anime beforehand.

Overall: If you're a shoujo fan, you have got to read this manga. It's one of the most unique mangas I've read and it really is a great story. I would like to say that non-shoujo lovers would be able to enjoy it as well, because it's not all "lovey-dovey" like most. The romantic drama is secondary and is defenitely not the main focus. I highly encourage everyone to try it out.