And now for something completely different…..a school-based anime. Here comes another one, just like the other one.

Welcome to school! This is Haroniwa Academy, also known as Sandbox Academy. Medaka Kurokami is elected Student Council President, despite her being a first-year student, with 98% of the vote. She institutes a suggestion box, dubbed the “Medaka Box“, for her fellow academy students to make suggestions and requests. Together with her childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, (spikey head at the far right) Medaka is determined to address any kind of request by the students, from finding lost dogs to cleaning up club buildings and even fixing personalities. During the course of the series, Kouki Akune (that luscious manly hunk at the left) and Mogana Kikaijima (glasses girl) are also recruited by Medaka to become part of the Student Council. (the dorky-looking dude is Misogi Kumagawa, VP of the student council).

Oh, keep in mind that the shot of Medaka does NOT do her justice. She is certainly the most boobilicious character to come down the pike in the last 20 minutes. I HIGHLY recommend episodes 5 and 6, as they take place at a swimming pool. Roll your tongue back inside, prole!

The first season (yes, there is a second season, which just started) looks at how Medaka tries to answer all the problems that are presented to her, reforming those who need to be reformed (like Kikajima, who is a money-grubber) and giving opportunities to others to improve or at least not be as big a pain. However, the season-ending arc has her running afoul of Myouri Unzen. He is a child prodigy and the leader of the school’s Enforcers Squad. He is her first true antagonist and is known to go overboard in his methods to bring about justice. His motto?  “Justice is nothing if you don’t go overboard!”

We then learn that there is something very special about Medaka (no, not the obvious ones) and this is revealed in her fight with Unzen, which also sets up the second season. Spoilers prevent me from telling more, save that things are not as they appear.

I am starting to think that I do not want to go into the Japanese school system, as you do not get a caliber education. You have to deal with dead spirits (“Another”), Shota teachers (“Mahoromatic”), homicidal students (“Kill Me, Baby”), time shifters (“When They Cry”) spit swappers (“Mysterious Girlfriend X”) and your general run of perverts (“My Bride is a Mermaid”). One wonders what the scholastic achievements are when you have students injured and classrooms reduced to rubble.

Still, I did enjoy the show and not for the obvious reasons (and they make damn sure you are always totally aware of them.) It was just a goofy show filled with goofy characters. Can we get a happy medium somewhere?
On a scale of 1 to 10:

Artwork           8 (Too many angry eyes close-ups)
Plot                  7 (Seems simple enough)
Pacing              8 (Can turn frenetic fast)
Effectiveness    7 (You know there is something more going on)
Conclusion       7 (We have a coupler and we are using it)
Fan Service      5 (A similar show would be “Gurren Lagann”)

Overall            7 (The fight arc hurt)

And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. Anime is nothing if you don’t go overboard!