Anime Hajime Review: Binbougami ga!

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Binbougami ga. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Every living being on Earth is allocated their fair share of good fortune. This Fortune Energy is the singular force that keeps the world in balance. And it's up to the gods to maintain harmony.

However, an anomaly exists that could threaten this stability.

Sixteen-year-old Ichiko Sakura (voiced by Kana Hanazawa) possesses high levels of Fortune Energy. Higher than anyone has ever had. Because of this, she's been blessed with good looks, intelligence, outstanding physical prowess. Her life is as comfortable as it can be.

This has become a big problem.

Ichiko’s energy is so great in fact, she can absorb other people’s luck with her presence alone. This has caused other's Fortune levels to plummet. To rectify this, the God of Misfortune Momiji (voiced by Yumi Uchiyama) has been sent in to remove Ichiko’s Fortune Energy.

Convincing someone to give up their own good thing isn't the easiest thing to do. Thus resulting conflict is much bigger than anyone could've predicted. It's unclear if the world can handle a personality clash of this magnitude.

Series Positives

Ichiko

Binbougami ga was an incredible show. This was an anime for anime fans. So if you’re not into this medium, two things. One, although I’m thrilled to have you here, why are you here? Two, you should still check this show out anyway.

Hilarious

I've seen a ton of outstanding comedy series. But it's been a long time since one has made me laugh so hard. And so often.

Momiji

This series did not give a s@#$. The show refused to take itself serious. Which was in direct parallel with its characters. Granted there were serious bits, but the series did whatever it wanted to do.

There was no fear of breaking the fourth wall. Everything was over the top and vibrant. This series was full of movement. It was loud and fast paced. And it was all executed perfectly. Other shows have tried and failed, to do what Binbougami ga mastered.

Now that’s all well and good, but what pushed this show above and beyond was the insane amount referential humor.

Binbougami ga poked fun of, and at the same time celebrated, anime. There were so many references and allusions. Part of the fun was trying to find them all. You don’t need to be someone like me who watches a God awful amount of anime to get the full enjoyment out of this series. 

If you’re a casual viewer, you'll get a lot of the jokes. For example, there were references to One Piece, Naruto, Detective Conan (that was a fun one), and Lupin III. Not to mention a ton of Dragon Ball Z.

Ichiko and Momiji

Every character brought with them their own brand of comedy. Alone they were funny. But together they were outstanding. Everyone fed off each other. The show mixed its different pairings and groups. All without any of them feeling awkward or bland.

But at the heart of it all was Ichiko and Momiji.

These two stole the show. They played off each other well and created one of the most memorable pairings in anime.

Neither of them knew how to give up. Thus neither of them were capable of backing down. I mean when they went at it, they freakin’ went at it. Things got broken and bystanders needed to stay as far back as possible.

These two thrived in this show’s energy because they were this show’s energy. Everything focused on their rivalry. Nothing happened without Ichiko or Momiji doing something to the other.

It didn't take much to imagine these two building a strong love-hate relationship. But seeing it come together was so much fun. Binbougami ga couldn't have worked without them.

Series Negatives

This was hands down one of the funniest and, dare I say, best anime I've seen. Maybe not quite top ten, but definitely top twenty.

Early Jumbled Focus

The actual story to Binbougami ga was good. But it wasn't always the smoothest.

It came down to Momiji. I'm not about to bash her character. That's the last thing I'm going to do. She's one of the selling points of the show, as I've already mentioned. The issue was the show wanting to do too much with her.

This only happens in one or two of the beginning episodes. But Momiji seemed to contradict herself. She said her mission was to take Ichiko’s Fortune. 

Except some of her earlier actions suggested she had another goal in mind. In the end, it made sense what she was doing, but the story needed to buff out the edges.

Momiji seemed to want to play the role of Ichiko’s conscience. This was fine, but Momiji’s introduction didn't show her having any interest in that. What this ended up doing was calling into question the entire Fortune Energy plot point. It became a bit complicated.

The show did figure out how to make both work, but this was a distraction I can't ignore.

Final Thoughts

Who doesn’t love a good comedy?

Sure tension filled dramas and deep plots are addicting. But to me, nothing beats a good laugh.

I'm so happy this series exists. I can throw it on and get a smile in an instant.

To all my fellow anime geeks, this is our kind of show. It was made for people like us.

Binbougami ga stands right up there as one of the funniest…scratch that, as one of the best anime out there. Plus the very end of the last episode hinted at a second season. Isn’t that exciting?

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