AHO-GIRL, Episode1
Produced by: Nihon Ad Systems, Kodansha, Movic, KlockWorx, Sony Music Entertainment, King Records, BS11, Animatic
Studio: Diomedia
Genre(s): Comedy, School
Episodes: 12-minute episodes
Premiere date: July 4, 2017
Synopsis: Yoshiko is a genuinely stupid girl (she can even manage to get all 0’s on multiple choice tests). She hangs out at school with her childhood friend, who she claims to like, and he has to put up with all her ridiculous behavior! – MyAnimeList
Uh, yeah… I don’t quite know what to say after watching the first episode of AHO-GIRL because, well, it’s kind of hard to put into words what to say when you don’t know what the hell you just watched. I want to say that it has this sort of Puni Puni Poemy/Excel Saga/Haruhi Suzimiya/Azumanga Daioh quality to it, but I feel that saying that gives the series way too much credit in both its comedic delivery and storytelling. Instead, this first episode of the series felt rather dumb and immature, kind of like watching way too much The Tom Green Show and Jack Ass but without that idiotic charm. I want to say that I actually feel a bit less intelligent for having watched this first episode… and I’m not sure if I will come back to it to watch the second episode.
I know that sounds a bit harsh and unfair, especially since it is really hard to give final judgement on a series after just one episode – but there was so much that annoyed me about this episode that I really, really am loathing watching another episode of the series; even if they are only just 12-minutes in length. I would rather watch an episode of Survivor or The Jersey Shore than have to subject myself to watching another episode of this series.
The characters are rather obnoxious and uninteresting. The story is absolutely bananas. (And what the hell is up with all those bananas anyway?!) The way the characters interact with each other is completely annoying. And I know this is only an anime series, but I find it rather distasteful the way the male protagonist of the series, Akuru Akutsu, treats the main female protagonist of the series, Yoshiko Hanabatake. Yes, she is dumber than a single-celled amoeba missing a cell, but the way he degrades, derides and physically and emotionally abuses her is rather insulting and patronizing. I know, it’s just an anime series and the characters aren’t real, but to portray Yoshiko the way she is and have Akuru abuse her the way he does, it’s just a bit sickening to watch.
If you want to take a chance on this series – go ahead, be my guests. But there is no way that I could ever encourage of condone someone to ever watch AHO-GIRL in any way, shape, or form. Um, on one good note, at least the animation style is pretty decent.
