MetaThPr4h

If I learned something from watching Gabriel DropOut, is that going to hell is definitely the superior option. Get ready for this hilarious comedy that reverses the roles of angels and demons! The story is simple but interesting due to the comedic setting it creates: our protagonist, Gabriel, was a kind, top tier angel who always helped others. However, after coming to Earth she developed an addiction to online videogames and became incredibly lazy. From there we meet other angels and demon with personalities that don't fit the standards we give to them, creating lots of great comedic situations playing around that. Going back to Gabriel,I love how much of an asshole she can be to the others, it's a fun twist to the happy and kind main protagonist we usually have in these type of stories. Playing that role instead, we have Vignette, an “angelic demon” if that makes sense. Being completely different to Gabriel, she is a very responsible and kind-hearted girl who is always there to help and bring happiness to everyone around her. How can a demon be this pure? No idea, but I can already tell you that she has some of the most heart-melting smiles that anime can provide. Next we have Satania, the cutest, most “evil” demon that exists. In order to conquer the Earth, she will do things as terrifying as refusing to do her homework or recycling a water bottle with the cap still on. I'm genuinely scared, I swear! As scary and powerful as she wants to be, she still miserably fails at everything and is the constant subject of bullying from Gabriel, and especially from Raphiel, that completes the main cast. Don't let her angelical looks fool you, she's a sadist that has teasing Satania as her favorite pastime. I have no idea what's going on in heaven to have girls like this as the most promising angels. Gabriel DropOut has the biggest concentration of best girls I have seen in quite a good time, all of them are great and likeable, and the interactions between them are so fun to watch. It doesn’t matter who you choose as your favorite, secondary characters like Tapris, an adorable angel that surprisingly behaves like an angel included, you are picking a great and lovable character. The character design, backgrounds, and overall art style of this anime is well executed but nothing mindblowing. I felt that compared to other Doga Kobo works it didn't have as many impressively animated scenes as usual, however, the story itself doesn't really have that many moments for them to happen, and when there is the chance, they are done and look great, so I have no objections. In the sound department is mostly what I expected from a comedy anime, with songs that fit well with the tone, but aren't really that memorable. The same can't be said for both the opening (Gabriel Drop Kick) and the ending (Hallelujah☆Essaim) two great songs sung by the voice actors of our four main characters that are two personal favorites of this season. From the opening I especially love the part where the tone of the music adapts to whichever character is singing, using a calmer tone for the angels and a more intense one for the demons. The ending theme is mostly made by nice looking still shots together with the really catchy song. In conclusion, Gabriel DropOut is a very entertaining comedy anime that plays with the interesting idea of angels and demons and subverts your expectations of what their personalities should be like. I personally had a blast watching it, really enjoying each episode and getting so attached to the characters over the course of the series. I can't see how an anime that made me look forward for the Mondays doesn't deserve to be a favorite of mine heh, I highly recommend this anime to anyone looking for a nice comedy series to watch!

Stark700

Every now and then, I often go through a bucket list of things when deciding to pick up a new anime. Make no mistake, Gabriel Dropout’s list consists of some of the most generic tropes you’ll discover in anime. Does that automatically make the show unwatchable? Absolutely not. I mean, the show is like a soup with all sort of generic ingredients in it to bring out the flavor. However, it’s a show that can also be a delight for fans who wants to see some colorful entertainment. On the surface, the series doesn’t really stand out much. It’s essentially about angels and demons who havedescended to Earth to learn about humans and their life style. Main female protagonist Gabriel “Gab” graduated at the top of her class but upon landing on Earth, she becomes a lazy hikikomori who is more interested in video games than anything else. It doesn’t take long for viewers to understand what her character is like as the first episode establishes her role as pretty straightforward. The other characters also take little time to make their way into the story as well. As a slice of life story, there’s not much linear storyline or complex plot going on. Every episode consists of segments that makes up for its storytelling. In fact, most episodes can consist of multiple storytelling segments with little relations to another. However, what makes this show special is the character cast. It’s a small yet effective character cast that consists of Gab, Vigne, Satania, and Raphiel. Gab and Raphiel are the angels while Satania and Vigne are the demons. Contrary to what viewers may expect, these characters are more like antithesis of their archetype. Gab hardly has an angelic personality but is instead portrayed with a lazy and spoiled attitude. Satania is pretty much a harmless villain as her devious behavior is often overshadowed by her own idiocy. The idea is that these characters all came to Earth to adapt with society. Yet, they have their own motives that is satirized by comedy. Speaking of which, the humor of this show plays a big role to fulfill enjoyment. Like most comedy/slice of life stories, it tries to sell its humor and does it quite well. The most effective way it does so is with the character chemistry. With such a small cast of characters, we can easily see how their relationships are without overthinking it. Take Satania and Raphiel for instance. Raphiel often teases Satania while the latter tries to cause mischief with hilarious results. On the other hand, Satania always tries to “compete” with Gab but somehow falls short for whatever reason that comes up. Vigne stands at the middle ground as she a more mature character yet also has her own outrageous moments. That being said, the show also introduces some lesser impactful characters that spice up the character chemistry. One of the more noticeable characters though is Tap, an angel that adds her own bits of magic into this show. In retrospect, the key success to these characters isn’t how their roles are portrayed but rather how they bring the show’s humor to life. As a manga reader, the adaptation is faithful but doesn’t follow every chapter in a linear order. I can also say with disappointment that there were some chapters that should have been adapted. As a standard 1-cour show of 12 episodes, it’s not all too surprising. In the meantime, the humor can be a hit or miss for some fans. Its attempt to sell comedy will not meet everyone’s standards and from the first episode, it can be the deciding factor of keep or drop. Finally, I have to admit that Gabriel Dropout lacks character development. There’s not much change to any of the main characters while we don’t learn much background story about them either. While some could say that slice of life stories like this doesn’t need them, it can still be disheartening for fans who are more interested in those elements. Adapted by Doga Kobo, the show is quite colorful. Literally, every character stands out in some way from their different hair colors and their extra accessories. (Gab’s halo, Satania’s devil-like hair piece, Raphiel’s crosses, etc) Production quality is also simple yet effective to bring out the gimmicks. There’s not much fan service (although there’s a beach episode) so expect more or less comedy as the series’ main way of servicing the fans. The character expressions also works quite well to supplement with the show’s humor. Soundtrack isn’t all too impressive although it gets down the idea right for its OP and ED theme songs. What should feel impressive is the character voice mannerisms. They fit them so well. Gab’s voice really makes her sound like a lazy sloth while Satania’s devilish laughs gives her the impressions of a devil. By the time I finished watching Gabriel Dropout, I felt like the character voices really outdid themselves. Should you watch Gabriel Dropout? It sounds like a tough question but really has a simple answer. If you fancy comedy without relevancy with its storytelling, then this is the show for you. It has humorous gags and characters shine with their personalities. However, if you’re more into something serious or development in storytelling, then look elsewhere. For me, this series has the virtue of being funnier than what it looks like. Now that’s a certain kind of fun.