***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Seikai. Reader discretion is advised.***
Series Synopsis
Japan has risen to become the country with the highest public morality. This clean society is a result of the Law for Public Order and Morals in Healthy Child-Raising. The act bans foul language as well as any and all forms of erotic media. Even dirty words and suggestive hand movements are forbidden.
Tanukichi Okuma (voiced by Yusuke Kobayashi) attends the country's top morality school. He hopes to rid his association with his father, a radical opponent of the public morality laws. And due to his father's teachings, Tanukichi has a vast knowledge of the perverse.
For his expertise, the student council recruits Tanukichi. His job is to protect the school from the notorious erotic terrorist Blue Snow. To help him is the Student Council Vice-President, Ayame Kajou (voiced by Shizuka Ishigami).
Ayame has made a name for herself as the no-nonsense enforcer of the council's mission. But in reality, this is nothing more than an elaborate front. For the VP's true identity is non-other than the one and only Blue Snow.
As her alter ego, Ayame spreads pornographic materials across the city. She revels in obscenities to protest against the moral authorities. She wants Tanukichi to join her because she believes that he still loves the purity of dirty jokes. |
| Tanukichi and Ayame |
Series Positives
I want to preface this review. Despite my fandom, I'm aware much of anime is nothing more than fan service fuel. This includes many of the shows I love. It makes sense why some people would be turned off by this.
Many series over use tropes and are pure anime bull s@#$. But there are still plenty of fun shows that are worth watching for those who enjoy the medium.
There are also plenty of series that do have rich stories and deep characters. Some are outstanding marvels of animation. I make it a point to highlight these whenever I come across them.Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Seikai (Shimoseka) wasn't any of that. This show is the epitome of raunchy, crude, and risqué humor. There were no boundaries this series was not willing to cross. And it was great.
The Characters
All the characters in this show were hilarious. That said, late comers got overshadowed. Why this was so will become evident soon enough.
Tanukichi played a serviceable straight man. He was more reactionary than I would've otherwise preferred. Plus, he fell into some rather lame character traps. Yet for the kind of insanity that happened in this show, particularly to him, he was a near perfect fit.
Otome Saotome (voiced by Satomi Arai), an artistic protégée, served as the perverted illustrator for SOX. Violent and self-centered, she only cared about her art. To the point where she was willing to violate her teammates, a.k.a. Tanukichi, to find her inspiration. Her complete disregard for the well-being of others made her hilarious.
Then there was the gem known as Ayame. The very concept of her existence was great. Not only did she have a dirty mouth, she was also smart. Though she appeared random and wild, she was never without a plan. One way or another, she was often a step ahead of everyone.
Then there was the gem known as Ayame. The very concept of her existence was great. Not only did she have a dirty mouth, she was also smart. Though she appeared random and wild, she was never without a plan. One way or another, she was often a step ahead of everyone.
The dynamic of SOX was a harmonious display of controlled chaos. But they were only the tip of the iceberg. There were two more characters that made this show all kinds of memorable.
Hyouka Fuwa (voiced by Saori Goto) was incredible. Period. She worked with the kind of humor I find the most rewarding. Monotonic, subdued, and caring just enough to be a reliable, uncompromising ally. Where Ayame went out of her way to make a scene, Hyouka was a scientist. She was only following her nature.
Yet even Hyouka was nothing when compared to this series' crown jewel. I present to you, Anna Nishikinomiya (voiced by Miyu Matsuki).
Yet even Hyouka was nothing when compared to this series' crown jewel. I present to you, Anna Nishikinomiya (voiced by Miyu Matsuki).
Going off the first few episodes, Anna was a boring, dull, lackluster, and lifeless character. I didn’t care about her.
Then she completely lost her f@#$ing mind. Now she is one of my favorite characters ever.
Anna came out of nowhere. The scene where she snapped was by far the funniest moment of the show. It was amazing in the way it played out. It did not care about what’s okay to say or do in any show in any country.
Then she completely lost her f@#$ing mind. Now she is one of my favorite characters ever.Anna came out of nowhere. The scene where she snapped was by far the funniest moment of the show. It was amazing in the way it played out. It did not care about what’s okay to say or do in any show in any country.
Anna was the reason why any character introduced after her "awakening" was irrelevant. No one could come close to matching her.
Commitment
Let's think back to Seitokai Yakuindomo. I praised that show for not being offensive only for the sake of being offensive. It did what it did with no apologies. Since then, I've seen plenty of series that have crossed the line for pure shock value. Nothing more. It's easy to see when a show is forcing something in. These types of stories never commit the entire way.
Shimoseka wasn't that. It destroyed the line and was proud of it. Every joke was innuendo based. Except most were more barefaced than they were subtle. And you're in for a real mind spin should you watch the uncensored version. I made sure I did. If you want to say this show went too far, I won't argue.
This is a series fueled by dirty jokes. It’s probably going to offend somebody. To me, the willingness to go balls to the wall was commendable.
Series Negatives
This section won't be long. And I don’t want that to come off as me saying that this show was flawless. It by no means was.
Yes, this series was funny and yes it had some of the funniest moments I've ever seen. Yet there are series, like Seitokai Yakuindomo, which are funnier throughout. There are series with more laugh out loud moments.
The first few episodes of Shimoseka proved that. While you could say the series was climbing the hill, it was still lacking. Reaching the tipping point did take some patience. Trust me, though, it's well worth the wait. But the shock won't last the whole way.
The first few episodes of Shimoseka proved that. While you could say the series was climbing the hill, it was still lacking. Reaching the tipping point did take some patience. Trust me, though, it's well worth the wait. But the shock won't last the whole way.
Shimoseka was over the top. Too bad by the end it was a little too much for its own good. The pacing turned choppy. Things started to make less sense. Plots and schemes became more convoluted. In the spirit of the show, it blew its load way too early.
Final Thoughts
I do enjoy smart, intelligent humor. But immaturity does ring a little truer for me
Shimoseka is not for everyone. If the idea of even potential nudity makes you uncomfortable, stay far away from this show.
With that warning out for those who care, I cannot recommend this one any stronger. While everything does fade towards the end, Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai remains a lot of fun throughout. This is definitely a series I want to see more of.
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