Morita-san wa Mukuchi OVA
What this is about: I am reviewing every single subtitled anime show during the Winter of 2011. For more information about me and my reviews, click here.
About the series: Morita-san wa Mukuchi is a Original Animation Disk (OAD) special one-shot episode that was bundled with the third volume of the manga series of the same name in February 2011. Mayu Morita is an extremely shy and quiet girl who spends so much time thinking about what she says, that she ends up saying nothing. (Sorry, no Wikipedia entry available.)
Click on the thumbnails below to view the picture in full size in a new window:
ep.1 tl;dr review: Morita says nothing, Morita does nothing; Watching paint dry is about as exciting.
Episode 1 Summary: Mayu Morita is a quiet 16-year-old girl who has always been taught to think before she speaks. However, she always ends up thinking too much, and invariably ends up saying nothing. A student leaves a library card behind, Mayu thinks about speaking up but doesn't. A friend asks about choosing between two colors on a gift purchase, Mayu thinks about speaking up but doesn't. Friends ask their opinion on whether some muffins taste good or not, Mayu thinks about speaking up but doesn't. Rinse, lather, repeat. You get the idea.
My Thoughts: When I read the preview description, I wondered whether this could be the most uneventful idea for an animated show ever: A girl who says nothing! Oh, think of the endless joke possibilities! Or, rather, the joke (singular) possibility, because it's essentially the same joke over and over again. Cute the first time it is shown, repetitive the second time it is shown in a slightly different scenario one minute later, and it just gets increasingly tiring from there.
Well, there is another running gag that emerges halfway through, when two male students start misunderstanding situations where Mayu is staring intently at other female students for various reasons and begin to imagine something, er, more, between them. Ha. Ha.
It's a one-note show that has no possibility of growing beyond that, because the whole point of the show is THE MAIN CHARACTER NEVER TALKS. It is not until the 21st minute, in the seconds before the closing credits, that Mayu says her first and only noise -- and it's not even a word, but a single "Meow"!
I should also point out that the artwork is very plain and simple, and the animation is unexceptional. But that really doesn't matter, because this is not a show to spotlight the animation, but to spotlight the jokes. Such as they are.
My pre-viewing expectations: Perhaps the worst idea for a story
How did the show meet my expectations? Yup, I was right!
The verdict:
- Bland and boring from start to finish.For more information:
- MyAnimeList Entry: http://myanimelist.net/anime/9774/Morit
a-san_wa_Mukuchi - Anime News Network Entry: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclo
pedia/anime.php?id=12135 - AniDB Entry: http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?sh
ow=anime&aid=8060 - 120-second video trailer, which is about ten times more exciting that the 24-minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3F0NLNJ
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The Blog-Roll of Reviews:
- "I think for now I am going to give this a 2 out of 5 not because I think it’s boring but because I have seen a lot of these type of anime and this is the most generic of the ones I have seen." - Everyone Has An Anime
- "Overall: 9/10 (rather aimless-ish, but I loved the yuri goggles." - Nanazzha no Sekai
- "A rather lovely and delicate work with simple designs and artworks meets kawaii girls, moe, and nekos." - Seventh Style
- "I can’t be sure if Morita-san has a future as anime, but if it does the future for it doesn’t look half-bad. Even if turns out to be a one-shot deal like this I’m happy with it." - One Precinct Another World
- ...and that's all the reviews I could find! Not much talk about this show at all.
For the first round, the goal is for 65-75% of all first episodes to receive a passing grade:
Shows from the Winter 2011 Season receiving a thumbs-up: Dragon Crisis, Fractale, Is This a Zombie?, Houkago no Pleiades, Hourou Musuko, Yumekui Merry (with reservations), Gosick
Shows from the Winter 2011 Season receiving a thumbs-down: Rio: Rainbow Gate, Nichijou OVA, Cardfight Vanguard, Oh My Goddess: Itsumo Futari de OVA, Morita-san wa Mukuchi OVA
What's Up Next (not necessarily in this order): Starry Sky, Kimi ni Todoke Second Season, Infinite Stratos, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Wolverine, Freezing, I Don't Like You At All Big Brother, Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu, Beelzebub, Level E, Suite Precure, Supernatural, .hack//Quantum, Tailenders, Isshoni Bathing, DD Hokuto no Ken, Drawer Hobs, Ojii-san no Lamp, Kizuna Ichigeki, Bannou Yasai Ninninman, Epic of Zektbach