In an era where comedy in anime is defined by what it is not rather than what it is Aho Girl stands among the few would rather be judged for its own merits. Likewise it holds no regard for what has traditionally worked in the past Unless youre speaking about series author Hiroyuki. Aho Girl is undeniably the next step in the evolution of Hiroyukis signature style last seen in his previous work The Comic Artist and Assistants. Aho Girl takes what elements worked and expand upon them tenfold. Whatever mild character development or instances of a serious tone found in Hiroyukis previous series which even then was rather rare to come across are completely abandoned in Aho Girl. There is absolutely nothing here that could even remotely be considered serious or deep. Rather Aho Girl is 100 comedy. It is nothing more nor nothing less. Story and Characters There is little sense in separating these two categories when they not only exist but thrive in a mutual existence. The premise is not only enhanced by the characters found here but it also serves to put said characters into the situations we see in this series. Quite simply Hanabatake Yoshiko a high school girl is idiotic beyond repair. Her childhood friend and according to her perspective her lover Akuru Akutsu amusingly referred to as Akkun a clever pun on Japanese honorifics is along for the ride much to his dismay. He as well as the colorful cast of characters they come across bear witness to humanitys most dangerous idiot. 400https://tvdate.com//AhoGirl.jpg Shes still probably more intelligent than people on social media... Though I summarized it quite elaborately the premise is nonetheless simple. It is reminiscent of a dynamic that is fairly common in media that focuses on comedy. There is the straight man who is stuck with someone lesser usually in regard to intelligence. That is what is put on display for us here Initially at least. As the series goes on it unfolds into something much grander in scale. This is done by incorporating new characters into the various shenanigans we witness. As such we attain a greater understanding of the psyches of our characters. Thanks to the series executing this so well we come to understand that most if not all characters in this series are Just as insane and unstable as the titular idiot girl herself. I would argue that this idea isnt as prevalent in the anime as it is in the manga after all the anime is merely a fraction of what these characters end up doing but the idea is conveyed just enough that it adds to further enjoyment of the series. The series thrives thanks to how each character is essentially a foil to each other. Thing of light refracting through a prism. Allow me to speak about a few of these characters that make the series what it is. What has already been said about Yoshiko is all there is to say. However though she is idiotic in every sense of the word she nonetheless acts as the center of this series. As episodes go on the series no longer limits itself to Akkun working to put an end to Yoshikos antics. Heck some segments dont feature Akkun at all for better or worse. We instead see Yoshiko interacting exclusively with other characters usually oneonone. If Yoshiko is the bread of the series these characters serve as the butter. I have referred to Akkun several times up to this point but I would like to dedicate a portion of this review specifically to him. He is undoubtedly the highlight of the series. There is something that is simply entertaining about a man who struggles every step of the way when dealing with an idiot who is as insufferable as anyone could be. Perhaps there is something relatable about seeing someone having little to no choice but to put up with someone so dumb. Though what really makes Akkun the highlight of the series is how beyond surface level he is as inept as Yoshiko though in different regards. His personality is selfdestructive whether it be his obsession with perfection or his lack of social skills as well as his unwillingness to try and fix that. As dumb as Yoshiko is she is nonetheless pleased with life. Akkun? Not so much. When viewed from this perspective the dynamic found here is all the more entertaining. Unfortunately however and this is an issue most prominent in the anime but Akkun is ultimately pushed to the sideline in the latter half of the shows run in favor of Yoshiko interacting with other characters. This simply comes down to what chapters were adapted. While the series is certainly entertaining as a whole the segments which feature Akkun offer significantly more laughs than those that dont. 350https://image.myanimelist.net/ui/5LYzTBVoS196gvYvw3zjwLTuBTALu9FmPTZo3Fu3Z0 No clever joke here. I just really like this GIF. That aside there are plenty of other characters that are nearly if not just as entertaining. Though shes not as vital to the series as Akkun my personal favorite character would undoubtedly be the degenerate member of the disciplinary committee who takes a liking to Akkun. Obviously this trope is hardly new. However as it does with nearly everything Aho Girl turns it up to eleven essentially giving it a fresh coat of paint. While it is another case of it was better in the manga purely because of how much more content it features any segment featuring the disciplinary committee girl her name is actually not mentioned at all in the animes run is plenty entertaining. The last of the primary cast is Sayaka the actual straight man of the series. There isnt much to say about her from an individual perspective but she works very well as a stark contrast to every other character present. There are many more characters to be found in the series serving minor roles. If I were to speak about everyone at length there would be no end to this review. Nevertheless whether Yoshiko is manipulating her teacher into having an improper relationship with a student who doesnt exist or her mom working tirelessly to pawn her own daughter off to Akkun for life there is nothing in the sense of repetitiveness here. If anything mentioning those examples of secondary characters should prove how unpredictable but all too enjoyable the characters and situations are. Not once does the series rest on its laurels and play it safe. While not every joke is a home run one example being the final episode which uses chapters that were never intended to serve as conclusion to form a makeshift one for the adaptation theyre never boring. And not once will you think Ive seen this humor before. While the series may use tropes as a foundation or premise for a gag the actual humor is wholeheartedly unique. That said I would argue that the humor feels a bit stretched thin in the final episodes but once again I believe that is attributed to what the anime adapts rather than poor directing and whatnot. All in all Aho Girl is a rollercoaster from start to end. There is simply nothing in the anime landscape that is truly comparable to Aho Girl mostly in concept but it would also be true when said for quality. Presentation Art Animation Audio Everything previously mentioned would be for naught if the anime were poorly produced or directed. Thankfully Studio Deen did an exceptional job with the handling of Aho Girl. While the art is simple and relatively standard it remains consistent and is complimented by the effort put into the animation. Given the high energy comedy put on display it is only suitable that bubbly and fluid animation accompanies it. When put side by side with other 4koma adaptations there is significantly more animation in Aho Girl as opposed to static and reused frames. Furthermore there are several instances where the animation staff went above and beyond to deliver on a joke. A prime example would be the fight scene between a bananawielding Yoshiko and gang members in episode 11. However one aspect that I truly appreciate and that always stuck with me past the shows original airing is the unique opening sequences for every episode. While there isnt anything technically impressive to be found here every episode has a unique visual gag that is showcased during the opening song. That more than anything else gives me the sense the production staff enjoyed making the show. Not only that it is a successful attempt at encouraging the viewer to watch the opening sequence every time. https://2.bp.blogspot.com/WMgni310Ls/Wbg8heCTqeI/AAAAAAAA7kM/hsjD5t2zE4XPBLB9ajEqjKBVhYlcUHxACKgBGAs/s1600/Omake2BGif2BAnime2B2BAho2BGirl2B2BEpisode2B112B2BYoshiko2BBanana2BAttacks.gif Speaking of the opening ZenryokuSummer by angela is a certified bop. I could think of nothing else that portrays the zaniness and high energy of a series such as Aho Girl than this song. Furthermore while hardly as memorable Odore Kyukyoku Tetsugaku acts as the shows ending song and is perfectly serviceable even if there is no animation to accompany it the song plays over the conclusion of an episodes final segment. Another aspect of the audio is the voice acting present and it is clear that the actors gave it their all for this show. So many of the jokes in the show are enhanced if not simply created by the remarkable job done here. I would like to highlight Aoi Yuuki as Yoshiko who offers an insanely broad selection of voice ranges for the character and Tomokazu Sugita who accurately captures Akkuns never ending frustration. Enjoyment Ultimately your enjoyment will be largely dependent on your toleration for lowbrow and simplistic humor. While Aho Girl is undoubtedly creative it does not require your brain to think much in the slightest. However I consider that to be something that works in its favor. Given the rapid onslaught of jokes and short run time to cram them all into simplistic humor allows the viewer to soak it all in. Additionally this makes it great for repeat viewings. Overall I must say I hold a soft spot for Aho Girl. For better or worse this show got me into following anime on a seasonal basis. As such it was one of my earliest experiences with the medium. I cant entirely say Id enjoy the series if I had first experienced it today but I firmly believe there is plenty of value to be found here. Series creator Hiroyuki has clearly refined his style here and it shows. The series being as simplistic as it is is very accessible to anyone willing to accept dumb humor. But its greatest bane is how far it is willing to go to achieve uniqueness and prove its creativity. While the anime is held back slightly from being truly outstanding by the nature of its medium being the fact that content must be cut and fit into a 12minute format in addition to how not every joke will land given how concerned it is with maintaining a fast pace. Nevertheless Aho Girl deserves much more credit than it often receives. I believe the comedy here is relatively untapped in the anime and manga market at large. That said the only author I believe that can truly grasp it is Hiroyuki himself for the time being at least. As it stands Aho Girl is his magnum opus in a sense. While its hardly perfect not that its trying to be what it does accomplish is too outstanding to be overlooked. https://dg31sz3gwrwan.cloudfront.net/fanart/329821/12233290q80.jpg I award Aho Girl an 83/100. On a ten point scale I would award it an 8/10. There is so much more I can say about the series. As such I will also be working on a review for the manga which is definitely the complete Aho Girl experience. While that review will share some amount of the content found in this review I aim to make it a sort of directors cut adding in and adjusting stuff to better analyze and convey my thoughts on the manga. Keep an eye out for it