Chio's School Road

Have you ever had an anime studio that disliked so much to a point where you absolutely refuse to check out the other works after witnessing some of the shows that they made? Well, I have a big problem with a Studio Diomedéa who up this is point was the studio that I greatly dislike due to them ditching out a truckload of mediocre to awful series that barely had any soul to speak off. Beatless was the breaking point for this studio as that show was horrendously written that was filled with awful pacing and cringe-inducing production scheduling where every 4-5 episodes that would bepointless recap episodes that barely did anything. That show was so terrible it couldn’t finish it’s 24 episodes run correctly as the final 4 of that shit show had to be done in September… Because of that I literally gave up on Studio Diomedea by avoiding all of the past and future works. This was until I was introduced to a little slice of life comedy series Chio’ School Road from my friends however due to my hatred with Studio Diomeda for they epic failure that was Beatless into Chio’s School Road with low expectations where I know the show is going to be another third-rate anime. I actually thought this anime was going to suck. >>> 12 episodes later with the English Dub version >>> Looks at the computer black screen smiling. Wow, They have finally done it. They finally made an anime that didn’t suck Chio’s School Road is easily one of the best comedy series I have even. While it’s not on the same level as Hina Festival it still was a fantastically made series that remained funny from start to finish. Chio Miyamo is a self-proclaimed “below average” girl who likes playing shoot-em-ups and Western games. For all, she says she’s “below average”, though, she’s anything but that, given her overactive imagination and her willingness to pull dangerous and impractical stunts. Her most exciting part of the day just so happens to be her commute to school, and it’s not at all hard to see why from delinquent gangs to parkour, kabaddi to competitions with friends, there’s no way that the journey to school could ever be a boring one. Despite the show being plotless in nature I actually enjoyed the story. The premise itself may be bland at first, however, took that bland and actually made it hilariously entertaining that has a lot of charm and heart. The characters interactions are very well handled and hilarious to watch as the way the characters react to certain situations and is nothing but comedy gold where we the viewer would laugh for days thanks to the show amazing comedy structure. The comedy structure in Chio’s School Road is brilliant as not only the comedy/gags are well timed but they also lead a worthwhile impact to the viewer. Not to mention this is one of the few comedy series that completely avoids the repetitive comedy syndrome where a series would abuse it’s comedy to a point where the comedy and series itself start to it’s losing its charm. If you a fan of video games than you will absolutely have a blast with Chio’s School Road as it loves to reference very notable video games such as Assassin’s Creed, Payday, Uncharted, etc. I also really loved how the show was able to blend in its game references with its brilliant comedy structure and as a result, we get a bunch of hilarious scenes that were not only funny but very reliable to the eye especially for Chio’s character. Now like with Hina Festival the series has intriguing social commentary for example in one of the episodes we learned that Chio’s is specifically into Western games however due to living in Japan she doesn’t get much chance to play them mainly because they are either overpriced or never got a release at all. Her reaction to towards this is very relatable because that’s how gamers feel in real life where they cannot get the game that wants due to a big paywall that the Japan gamers have to pay. This doesn’t end Chio’s gives a brutal commentary on Japan’s taste in gaming where she talks why little boys in JRPG games carry a big heavy sword as well a big guy not wearing battle appropriate gear as he’s just shirtless showing his manly body holding a sword. If had any nitpicks with Chio’s School Road is the kabaddi comedy at times. While it wasn’t bad by any means but it wasn’t my thing at all especially when it’s used from some of the more lewd scenes in this show. Yes, this series has fan-service, but we will talk about that in a bit. Overall I enjoyed the story of Chio’s School Road. Yes, the story may be plotless however the comedy, character interactions and gaming references really made the show shine in a brilliant and funny way. The characters in Chio’s School Road were all funny and enjoyable in they own rights. My favourite character in the show is Chio herself. She was an absolute adore to watch. I really adored her interactions towards her daily life from Chio hanging around to her closest friend Manana, Chio’s buying a BL magazine from a store to Chio simply playing these western games. Her reactions towards her daily were amazing as it relatable to the eye. Next, we have Manana and like with Chio she was a character that I really liked. While she didn’t develop as much as a character compared to Hina Festival’s Hitomi and Anzu but she still a great and hilarious character that I adored. Also, god bless Funimation dub actor Mikaela Krantz for doing a fantastic performance as Chio. Next, we have Manana and like with Chio she was a character that I really liked. She is an interesting individual who often gets drags into Chio’s shenanigans where she reacts towards Chio’s shenanigans in the funniest ways showcasing that she, not just your typical boring best friend character that we all seen before. Chio and Manana have a love/hate relationship with each other were despite them growing up they are still close friends even though they argue with each other every now and then. For example, in episode 6 Chio attempts to scare Manana by Chio popping up from the bridge fence, however, thanks to Chio’s lack of grip energy she gives up the prank by calling her. Then Manana comments on Chio’s behaviour in the most hilarious and factual way possible where it made Chio cry for forgiveness. After Manana forgives her the two aim to get themselves out of the bridge fence as they communicate with each other like actual best friends about the getting off the bridge fence even if they failed in the progress where they both ended up getting stuck in a more worse scenario where it causes them to argue with other. Despite these arguments, they are still best friends and I adore those interactions that these two characters. They are easily the best part about this well-crafted slice of life comedy series. The other characters in Chio’s are also pretty cool and hilarious. We got the biker gang named Andou who completely change his whole life after thanks to Chio and now seen trying to live a normal life by being a decent human being. There’s also Yuki the energetic sexy girl who is not aware of her sexiness. The final character that I want to quickly mention is Madoka. She basically this kabaddi expert who has of obsession touching girls asses. While I kinda enjoyed Madoka’s kabaddi antics I thought it was too over the top and creepy for my tastes but what can you do. For a studio that has made nothing but low budget works in the past Chio’s School Road stands out for being the best-looking anime from Diomedea. I am honestly shocked of how Studio Diomedea was able to make Chio’s School Road look while Beatless looked like a dumpster fire. It’s honestly quite sad when you think about it. Besides the point, the visuals in Chio’s School ranges from good to pretty great. The characters designs were pretty good as every single character. The one thing that I was impressed by is how the show changed its art style. In one episode the series looks like your typical slice of life anime while in the other episode the series looks like an anime that has come straight out of J.C Staff with the number of facials and hair detail. The only issues that I had with the visuals were the fan-service. As much as I enjoy starting at Chio’s panties and ass I will admit the show can be a slightly degrading at times plus if your not a fan lewd comedy than this anime won’t be for you. The soundtrack of Chio’s School Road is nothing to write home about it as it just a pretty generic slice of life/comedy piece that only serves as background music for the anime. The opening theme Danger in my Tsuugakuro sung by Chio, Manana and Yuki Seiyuus is a pretty catchy song that captures the goofy comedy of the series. The ending theme Nanairoad sung by Chio and Manana Seiyuus is a great ending theme that perfectly closes the episode of Chio’s School Road. Now, this is one of the two shows from the summer 18 anime season that I decided to watch fully in dubbed and am going to be real honest the dub is actually pretty amazing. The sub from what I heard was alright but the dub version completely surpassed the sub because not only the voice acting is superior but the dub really fits the tone and comedy narrative of the series better. Chio’s School Road is an fantastic comedy series. While it may not be in the same as Hina Festival, it’s still a well-crafted comedy that I adored. The comedy is hilarious, the characters are likeable and extremely funny. The visuals for a slice of life comedy were pretty impressive, and the dub was awesome. I can easily forgive the not memorable soundtrack as the series is a hilarious fun ride that I loved from start to finish. It’s honestly shocking of how Studio Diomedea completely redeemed themselves after the embarrassingly directed mess that was Beatless. I am glad that Studio Diomedea had a new leaf after all. Well done Diomedea well done.

In the severely lacking Summer season, we got a host of comedy-centred anime, and Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro (or Chio's School Road) is one of the series that initially doesn't stand out much, yet for all of its comedic shenanigans and whack-a-mole moments does it hold a candle towards its production runtime and the funny yet insane moments that it has to garner more attention. This is the series of brainchild Tadataka Kawasaki, whom started his mangaka life out of various doujins, and Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro is pretty much a rounded compliation of his doujin works. This explains why if you haven't heard of him before orread a few of his works, the star MC of the show Chio Miyamo, with her weird game analytical vibes and the whole hentai-doujin aspect, made us think that the Chio we know looks a bit off with her blushing and the thingie-of-a-bob sexual erotic feels. The awesome comedic manga adaptation follows the life of said always-imaginating Chio-chan, with her dreaded and distasteful life of going to school as a normie. So...on her way, finds spectacular and noteworthy stuff to do to at least make the "going to school" cliché much more interesting, from game references and unsung-hero status to being positions so crazy, such as the worshipped biker gang boss, the famous Indian Kabaddi escapee and more. Together with her crazy friends: Manana Nonomura the loyal (chemistry) mixer but constant revenge-cum-backstabber, Yuki Hosokawa the innocent but hidden-talented exhibitionist, and even weirder people such as Madoka Kushitori the Kabaddi master of a senior, and biker gang boss-turned-follower Andou Mayuta with Chio's alias "Bloody Butterfly" a massive turn-on, get ready for a comedy so stupendous yet so crazy that will surprise you to no end! Oh, I'm not forgetting you, Shinozuka and your unrequited love for the constantly-watching teacher, standing beside each other at the school gates! Diomedea's anime adaptation of the underrated manga series is at least faithful or even close to it, and watching every episode and read-comparing through the manga chapters of the said episodic titles made me glad that the comedy is left intact, with some things that had to be dumbed-down (such as the sexual-feel artwork) because of censorship reasons made suitable for TV production. Other than that, while both the art and animation is justifiable by how insane this series started out with, the manga is mildly superior against the anime adaptation, just by a teenie-weenie little bit, but still heaps of fun. The sound is arguably the best part of the series. Sound director Takayuki Yamaguchi did his magic here on the foundations of the currently airing Steins;Gate 0 and the upcoming Index Season 3 (as of this review), so...Anisong lovers, you have an OST that is stupendously great and delivers on all fronts to let you know that this show means business, and I mean, wacky-ass comedic business! Definitely love at first hearing for both the hyped OP (by the VAs of the main trio) and the awesome-rhythmic ED (composed by DECO*27). Despite the problems that I had started out with, this is still rock solid for similarities in the forms of Nichijou, Daily Lives of High School Boys, Gintama and the like. And like most kids going to school, don't ever do this IRL! Only Chio-chan does what you can't! This was a pleasant surprise all around and a great time well spent immersing laughter into. If you like comedy that's so insane yet watchable, give this one a shot for a really good time, you won't be disappointed.

This show is pervy as hell, but it's so funny that I was able to look past the deluge of panty shots and instances where the plot verged off into deviant territory. Chio is a great MC - equal parts daring, cowardly, intelligent, stupid, selfish and compassionate. Basically she's a total wreck, and it's a blast to see where her worst instincts will take her from episode to episode. Along for the ride is her BFF Manana, and they form one of the more endearing and refreshing tandems in anime. They're both delightfully self-interested, and frequently put each other in harms way just for thesake of enjoyment, but ultimately they still support other as all good anime friends do. Both VAs do a fantastic job bringing their chemistry to life. Whether they're performing mundane everyday tasks or getting drawn into insane nonsense, it's just fun to spend time with Chio and Manana. The supporting characters are a true roster of weirdos, and the show does a good job of building on their backstories and entwining them with one another, expanding the strange world of Chio's School Road. The show has a great hook of a premise, and its wacky sensibility made every episode truly unpredictable in the best way. Most importantly, this show really delivers on laughs.

As with all comedy shows, one's enjoyment largely depends on the kind of humour the show uses. That's why I will try to explain the kind of jokes you can expect from Chio-chan, so you can decide for yourself whether it may suit your taste! This anime often uses somewhat "inappropriate" humour. You can expect some rudeness, vulgarity and lewd situations, but it never reaches the levels of "Prison School" or "Detroit Metal City" in that regard. So if those shows were too extreme for you, you might still enjoy Chio-chan since it's tame by comparison. It has a lot of panty shots and someboob jiggles, but they are either used for the sake of comedy or are not too 'in your face'. I also like that this show doesn't rely too much on the "meme face" kind of comedy that's popular nowadays. It also has its fair share of absurdity. Oftentimes the situations the characters find themselves in are strange enough to make you laugh. Unlike shows like Nichijou for example, it's not random for the sake of randomness though. The situations in Chio-chan are often built around the awkwardness and stupidity of the main characters, so there's a bit of "cringe humour" going on as well. Though it's not nearly as extreme as the stuff you would find in "Watamote" for example. The main characters can be somewhat assholish at times, but they still remain relatable and likeable. It's fun to see them getting their comeuppance at the end of a skit! The show also uses quite a few nerdy videogame jokes. I am fond of the pacing of the show. It is not as fast-paced as shows like "The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.", but the skits never overstay their welcome either. Even if a longish skit doesn't land the joke, there's bound to be something else that cracks you up in the rest of the episode. As for the other aspects, you shouldn't expect a well thought out story or deep characters from this series. It has some nice bits of continuity, but first and foremost it's a skit comedy anime. The art style is pleasant and fun to look at and the character designs are cute and unique. The music is fine and the main tune they sometimes use is even somewhat catchy. While the technical aspects of the show aren't mindblowing, I think it's fair to say that they are still above average! If you like what you've read, then you should definitely check this show out! If you are not completely convinced after the first episode, you should check the next (few) ones as well, to get a complete picture of what kinds of jokes you can expect from this show. It's definitely a worthwile watch!