somaisbatman

I've noticed a trend with myanimelist. Works of anime that act as parodies of genres are often taken way too seriously and get poor overall ratings. Binan, which we will henceforth refer to as Magical Boys, suffered this treatment as well. Up until the final episode aired, this show was stuck with a 6.7 rating. Does it really deserve this little? Nope, it's actually one of the best things that aired this winter. Story: 7/10 Magical Boys is very cyclical up until the very end, and I think that's why it turned a lot of people off initially. For the most part, it uses a fight-of-the-week setup,an obvious homage to the magical girl genre, but just like in those shows, this can lead to a predictable, repetitive show. However, each enemy is unique and the last episode throws a spectacular plot twist, so if you can put up with this style you'll be in for a good time. Art: 8/10 Very colorful overall, the art in this show is consistent and bubbly. It's very pleasant, and all of the characters are pretty much color-coded so you'll never get confused. Sound: 7/10 I like the opening, it's very peppy and catchy. The same can't be said for the in-show music, which was mostly forgettable, and some tracks just keep getting used over and over, another homage to the magical girl genre that comes out as a pain instead of nostalgia. Character: 9/10 When first introduced, the main characters are as one-dimensional as can be. Red magical boy loves snuggling, blue magical boy is lazy, pink magical boy is all about girls, yellow magical boy loves money, and green magical boy has no traits whatsoever that I remember. Some characters are introduced and immediately established as the villains. So why did I give this a 9/10? All of the characters are vividly memorable, and bonds between them develop or are revealed throughout the series. All of the side characters shine as well. My personal favorites are Goura, red magical boy's older brother who runs the hot springs, and Mr. Tawarayama, the magical boy's teacher who is probably dead. All of these characters are designed to have one strong trait, and the show plays to this very well, and there wasn't a single character I didn't like by the end (except for the photography club, those jerks) Enjoyment: 8/10 Like its magical girl predecessors, Magical Boys has some predictable fight scenes. Those aren't why I stuck around though. A good portion of each episode is banter between the characters, and it's often pretty funny or just bizarre, and often segues into the villain's motive. Speaking of villains, they're diverse and just as strange as the conversations. Overall: 8/10 Magical Boys is a much better experience then many people expected it to be. You may come for the mahou shojo parody, but you'll stick around for the general wittiness, self-aware humor, and overall comfy atmosphere that emerges from watching this show.

rampao

I don't always write a review, but when I do, it's for THE Magical Boys anime, Binan Kokou Chikyuu Bouei-bu! Love! (Handsome High Earth Defense Club! Love!) I first saw this anime as a recommendation to another anime that I've recently watched, and I was aghast upon seeing bishounens wearing frilly clothes and magic wands. Then my heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Yes! It is! Finally, a Mahou (Bi)Shounen anime! I quickly went to Youtube and searched for their transformations, and for the next few minutes, I found myself laughing and shaking my head at the ridiculous scene that followed. At first, I wasquite reluctant to watch it since it might feel awkward watching pretty boys undressing and magically transforming into magical warriors, but hey, I gave episode 1 a try, and from there, I knew it was sold. I honestly felt it was too ridiculous and outrageous to be true, but it is! And that's the name of the game for this anime, outrageous! Being an affectionate parody of the mahou shojou genre, it doesn't take itself seriously, often breaking the fourth wall and (surprisingly) the characters themselves blurt out what the watchers are thinking. And it's a comedy anime directed by the same person who directed Nichibros and Gintama too! STORY: 7 The premise is really simple. Like the synopsis says, it's about the tale of five high school boys who transform into magical warriors known as Battle Lovers to fight off monsters. It takes on an episodic pattern with a different monster per week to defeat. But what pushed me to give it a 7 is the way it slowly presents small details every week (along with the usual monster-of-the-week-routine) that all culminates to the story's climax. It's like dangling something so obvious in front of you that you disregard it because it's too outrageous, and by the time you reach the end, you'd go "Wooooaaah!". ART: 8 Nothing much to say here. The colors were lively and refreshing, not too painful to the eyes. It gives you a relaxed yet vibrant feel. The background is simple yet well-drawn. And of course, all the characters are very pretty (it's called Handsome High for a reason), even the side characters have unique designs. SOUND: 8 Nothing special, but I gave it an 8 because the seiyuus did a good job with their characters, giving them a unique touch. Of course, not to mention the catchy and upbeat OP, the emotional ED, and the epic background music in climax scenes. And then there's the bubbly music when our heroes are transforming. CHARACTER: 10 The show's biggest strength. Each character is unique in their own way. They're conveniently color-coded for easy remembering, but what makes them unique are their quirks. Quirks taken up to eleven. Like seriously twisted quirks. Of course, another aspect is that the characters themselves comment on the absurdity of the things happening around them, that they tend to read the viewers' mind and break the fourth wall, making them lovable and enjoyable to watch. At first, they seemed one dimensional but as the show progresses, they prove to be more than just a one-sided character, they have back stories of their own (specially Atsushi and Kinshiro). And one thing I liked about this is that ALL the characters had something to do with the plot, and that each character is equally important. ENJOYMENT: 10 I really enjoyed this ride called Binan Kokou Chikyuu Bouei-bu! Love! From the outrageous and hilarious humor, to the self-conscious characters, to the heartstring-tugging scenes. There's no deep plot behind the silly facade, and that's what makes it good. It's so outrageous and (as I've said before) it doesn't take itself seriously, making it a light-hearted and memorable show. I've still got a lot of things to say about this anime, and those feelings can't be written in words. I really enjoyed the twelve episodes of pure hilarity, and would jump in joy and shed tears of happiness if they gave this show a season 2. It's really one of the underrated Winter Anime of 2015 (of course it's overshadowed by the other anime of the season) and I can truly say it's one of those hidden gems. Love Forever! Love out! PS: If you don't mind watching bishies bathing together and being all close and friendship and stuff, and is looking for a good laugh, then this show is for you. If you think you can't handle the show's self-conscious shipping (yeah, the characters at one point ship themselves), then stay clear.