Manabi Straight! 1

Warning! EXTREME CUTENESS/LOLINESS/MOE AHEAD

I have watched the first episode for the 4th time and it still gives me an extreme rush of euphoria! Oh gawd I was staggering around the house and swearing like a wounded marine and praising Manabi Straight! This is how Seinen anime should be done!!~ I think I will burn it and watch it over and over during my next weekend mounting shift :D

Manabi Straight! is probably the first anime directed by a board of directors instead of a single director, and the brilliance of the direction is best seen through watching the anime itself instead of viewing screenshots.

Basic Info

Started Airing: 7th January 2007
Fansub Group used: Azai
Genre: Seinen Moe (Targeted at males aged 18-30). Another inferior Seinen Moe anime would be Ichigo Mashimaro.
Animation Studio: UFOtable
Adapted from: A 2-volume manga created by UFOtable but illustrated by an external artist who's pen name is Tartan Check serialised in the Seinen magazine Dengeki Daioh

Episode Summary: It is 2035 in Japan where the birthrate has reached a critical low, the social fabric of the traditional school system is collapsing and many schools are closing. Children are choosing to learn what they want and become employed at an early age instead of going to school. In a typical all girl's middle school, Manabi has just transfered in and is hell-bent on reviving the school spirit that was experienced by students many years ago.

Why watch Manabi Straight!: Big names for the Seiyuus voicing the characters of a refreshing storyline. Horie Yui of School Rumble fame voices Manabi, who is surprisingly similar in basic behaviour to Suzumiya Haruhi, even though Manabi herself is NOT tsundere. She is just nuts. Hirano Aya who voiced Suzumiya Haruhi instead voices Etou Mei, who is a complete opposite to Suzumiya Haruhi's basic behaviour (but Mei is tsundere). I would describe Mei-tan as having Kyon's personality: Critical, cynical, logical, practical, but yet mysterious.

Seems that Hirano Aya is getting all the tsundere roles nowadays. 'Cause she excels at being tsundere. She mentioned in her blog that it is very difficult to play tsundere characters though.

In a nutshell, the basic premise of Manabi Straight! is a direct reverse to The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, and is every bit as intriguing as the later.



The episode opens with a train scene, much like Kanon. But since this isn't done by the Japanese animation powerhouse Kyoto Animation, we can't expect the same quality can we?

Actually I should not flame UFOtable just like that, because the animation quality can somewhat compete with KyoAni, even though it isn't exactly on par. Quite a few viewers thought it was a KyoAni work at first.

As for the first screenie...

Possibility 1: Manabi is an alien. This is incredibly dumb and unrealistic, so I doubt it.
Possibility 2: Manabi is being alienated by her previous classmates because she is the only student that wants to make a difference to stop the decay plaguing Japan's social structure.



Social Fabric Distortion 1: Due to lack of students, Seiou Academy's annual swim meet, an "ancient" tradition is in danger of being terminated for good.

Manabi doesnt care and gatecrashes the whole event, despite the fact that her official transfer to Seiou Academy is the day AFTER the meet. Looks like she did her part without realising it, similar to Haruhi-sama.



And she doesnt swim freestyle, nor breast stroke, nor butterfly, but MANABI STYLE... I'll let the screenshots do the talking.



The day after the swim meet, we are properly introduced to Hirano Aya's character, Etou Mei. Yes I believe there's some lesbian shit going on here, since this is an all girl's school. Lol didn't realise it at first.

Mei-tan thinks that its an extreme waste of time to attend the stupid Student Council's General Meeting as she has already made plans for the afternoon.

Additional info: -tan is a Japanese honorific similar to -san and -kun. It is supposed to be a mispronunciation of -chan which is supposed to be cute and derogatory at the same time. Used to signal and closer sense of intimacy between girls.



Well apparently the rest of the school thinks the same way. Lolz.

Social Fabric Distortion 2: Due to falling school morale, almost no normal students wish run for council as they consider it a huge waste of time, due to Mikan's dismay.

Manabi gatecrashes (again!) the student council meeting, and demands to be the student council president. Despite low participation, the dumbass school principle still doesnt allow her to join. Guess which bitch is accelerating the decay...



This is when the insert song comes in. Another first episode insert, but this ain't no lousy quality insert, considering that Horie Yui did Scramble!, the opening theme for School Rumble. This was very well timed, and the quality of the ambience is on par with the scene when Suzumiya Haruhi belted out God Knows. I can see it happening in 2007 now, UFOtable vs KyoAni. If only our school songs were like this:



We're living here now
It's the season for meeting
The dazzling rays
Dreams are gathering
The youth we share are ongoing miracles
The future of the colourful sakura petals are dancing in the sky
Ah ah~ at Seiou's
Our joyful voices
Ah ah~ at Seiou's
Resound in this school
During these glittering times
Together with our companions

Ah ah~ Look up!
The green leaves are far away
Ah ah~ Seize the time
For sure, for sure
During these glittering times
Together with our companions...



This is so distinctively Seinen. Seinen anime is ALL ABOUT nostalgia (this is why kids find Seinen Moe anime less interesting than older guys). It invokes a deep sense of nostalgia and somewhat a little bit of regret in me. I mean I do miss my JC life no matter how much stress or how little sleep I get. Its way better to hang out with a bunch of classmates daily without social cost who share interests in similar subjects than a section of soldiers following orders. And even when I was in school, when ever did I take the school song seriously? ACS forever, or never?


Keeping spoilers to a minimum, this is the reason why this anime is named Manabi Straight!

"My motto is..."

MASSUGU GO!~ :D (Straight ahead!)



GOD SPEED AZAI! MAY YOU FINISH SUBBING EPISODE 2 ASAP!!!! :)