Director: Akiyuki Shinbo,
Starring: Hiroshi Kamiya, Maaya Sakamoto, Chiaki Omigawa, Chiwa Saito, Cho, Fumihiko Tachiki,
Running Time: 320 minutes
Certificate: 15
Ko Ichinomiya lives life by his family’s creed of never being in debt to anyone. This doesn’t just concern money, but favours as well. It is strictly following such a belief that has lead Ko to becoming such a self efficient success. He doesn’t need to rely on his parents for anything, and that’s just the way he likes it. Then one day, he finds himself without trousers and standing on a bridge. This leads to him almost drowning, and being saved by Nino, a bizarre girl who lives under the bridge and believes she is from Venus. Ichinomiya can’t believe he is now indebted to somebody, and in an attempt to pay the debt back, he agrees to be Nino’s lover. Although, being an alien, it isn’t clear as to whether she understands what a lover is.
ARAKAWA UNDER THE BRIDGE delights in its weirdness, often relying on it to not just provide comedy, but to also stave off boredom. Nino isn’t the only person who lives under the bridge, as it has become a spot where the outcasts and mentally ill gather for a variety of reasons. The show hinges on strangeness and becomes far too reliant on it. Other than the initial set-up, the show lacks any real plot going forward. There are delightful episodic adventures, but nothing that leaves a lasting impression. It also defaults to becoming odd when it has difficulty entertaining. Instead of exploring characters and what brought them to this strange place, it would much rather squeeze another cheap laugh from its audience.
This isn’t necessarily bad, but since the characters are so enjoyable, you are likely to want to know more. Why does that character wear a star mask? What’s up with the huge man dressed as a nun? With so many weird characters, the antics just become accepted. Fortunately for us it is a very beautiful show. The animators have certainly made this show their own from the use of autumnal colours to interesting shot choices. It adds a visual distraction from the fact that the plot is nothing of consequence.
If you like a bit of nonsense, then this series could be right up your ally. The characters are a joy to watch, and the escapades do raise a number of chuckles, but with so many damaged characters you would expect a good deal of exploration to be included. Perhaps the second season will delve more into the lives of these misfits, but for now ARAKAWA UNDER THE BRIDGE, is best watched as the anarchic, colourful, slice of fun that it is. In small doses, you won’t be able to help but smile at the bonkers goings on. However, in larger doses the charm wears thin.
ARAKAWA UNDER THE BRIDGE is released on DVD on 4th November via MVM.
Check out more Anime news and reviews here!
