Kare Baka: Wagahai no Kare wa Baka de R

First thing I gotta say about this anime: wholesome. There is just something about this anime that is so wholesome, and I don’t think I can quite pinpoint exactly what makes it seem this way to me. I think it has something to do with the fact that most of the characters are not smart. This show definitely pulled off the “dumb, but the kind that’s cute” well, and I can tell that was one of the huge the goals of the story. It’s an over-the-top and innocent comedy. The opening was also, from my limited anime-watching experience, quite original. You would have to watch theopening in order to get what I mean. Now, on to the reasons why I rated this only a six. First off, despite the opening being quite original, it does get a bit repetitive after you’ve watched a bunch of episodes. As a result, it kinda loses what made it funny, because well, you end up already knowing what’s going on in the opening after seeing it a couple of times. There are also times when the humor is a bit predictable to me, so it doesn’t end up as funny to me as I think it could have been if there were some tweaks to the timing or presentation of the humor. Since this is supposed to be primarily a comedy anime, I think that’s kinda important in terms of what to improve in this show. Another reason is that there were a couple of interesting characters that were sort of mentioned or introduced, but they never really got much screen time nor explanation about their personality. I really kinda wish there were more episodes in this anime that introduced these characters further (such as the male lead’s master and grandmother). Finally, there’s the problem that is quite common in a lot of anime: you watch an anime, then realize that the anime is basically telling you to go read the manga if you want a continuation of the story (and you know this anime is telling you this because the last episode just isn’t satisfying). The last episode of this anime is basically just like the other episodes in this anime (meaning it doesn’t feel like a “last episode”). But I guess that makes sense since this anime doesn’t really have much of a overarching conflict that needs to be solved nor any plot. There’s only so much of a story you can show with only eight episodes that each are only five minutes long. Despite me rating this a six however, this does not necessarily mean that it’s a horrible anime. I actually started really enjoying it after a couple episodes in because it really is such a cute anime. The art is simple, but it’s clean and easy on the eyes. It fits well for the shoujo demographic. The animation’s not terrible either, for a comedy anime. I was able to be invested enough in characters like the male lead and his interactions with the adults in his life. I also haven’t personally watched many over-the-top comedy anime that were aimed towards a teenage female audience, so it was a pretty refreshing experience for me. In addition, I liked the idea of this whole story having a male lead that is good-looking, but, instead of intelligent and perfect like many other shoujo male leads, a dumb guy. This is a great set up for an awesome parody of shoujo manga tropes. I wouldn’t say that this comedy anime is going to fit everyone’s sense of humor, but personally, I did enjoy it. It’s not an anime I would scream at everyone to watch, but I suppose it’s an alright anime to pass some time with if you want something comedic and shoujo-y, yet not drama-heavy.

How could an anime be so random, so funny, so bazaar, and so unbelievable? -Story- There really isn't a story. It's more of a slice of life kind of story or a "whatever happens" story. Even so, still very enjoyable and funny! -Art- The art successfully shows the matching expressions to the situation. That's the most important thing in anime comedies. Overall the art is good. The characters are drawn decently enough not to look disfigured. The background and characters aren't very detailed in color (but tis' all good if the characters are hot >_>) -Sound- The fact they purposely made the intro like that, deserves a slow applaud and asarcastic "job well done". -Characters- The characters are so... indescribable... Each one of them are exotically weird in different areas yet all them are hard to hate because of their innocence. Not one of them are normal except the female lead. -Enjoyment- There's so much to laugh at throughout the series, it's hard not to laugh. The things you'll think that are weird become laughable in the anime. -Overall- If you want an anime to give you quick great laughs, weird looks, and lots of face palms, go right ahead and watch this anime.

Kare Baka is an absolutely hilarious little ONA, with a wit and comedy acumen that makes flawlessly efficient use of its brief runtime. Since the writing is so good, I'll say the story is the strongest aspect of this title. Hilarious, well-written, and even at times endearing little show. I like how the main couple works even though the boyfriend is dumb, because he is earnest and good-hearted. The comedic timing overall is excellent and the jokes are universally funny. The "Earth Deliberation Meetings" were all excellent, especially the one where they talk about the TPP, a highly relevant geopolitical issue during the time ofits production, but largely discuss what they think the acronym means before getting sidetracked. Pure comedy gold. I cannot overstate just how effortlessly hilarious this vanishingly brief anime manages to be with such a simple premise. Everything else meets the basic standards of quality. The art is good, only carefully portioning out its animation for maximum hilarity. The sound is good, with fast, snappy voice work, and moments of bizarre exclamations to add to the absurdity at hand. The characters are the source of the comedy, so they're great, especially Ponta, for his benevolent yet dumb-as-rocks outlook on life, and Piisuke, for his overzealous attempts to join in on conversations only to make totally outlandish claims each time he tries. Overall, Kare Baka is simply a great time, and it is easy for me to recommend to anybody looking for a quick laugh.