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Akiba'S Trip The Animation
Episodes 1-3

by Paul Jensen,

How would you rate episode 1 of
Akiba's Trip: The Animation ?
Community score: 3.3

How would you rate episode 2 of
Akiba's Trip: The Animation ?
Community score: 3.8

How would you rate episode 3 of
Akiba's Trip: The Animation ?
Community score: 3.8

The otaku promised land of Akihabara can never seem to catch a break in the anime world. It's always being invaded by one group of baddies or another, and in the case of Akiba's Trip The Animation, the offending monsters are called Bugged Ones. When humans are converted into Bugged Ones, they get stronger and go berserk, causing all kinds of chaos. The good news is that they're vulnerable to light, so naturally the best way to defeat them is to get rid of their clothes. Hardcore otaku Tamotsu would prefer to ignore the whole Bugged One situation, but that's no longer an option for him. After an encounter with the enigmatic Matome Mayonaka, Tamotsu is part of the battle for Akihabara whether he likes it or not.

Akiba's Trip is a little easier to figure out if you go with the alternate spelling of its title: Akiba Strip. It's a nerdy comedy full of cultural references and in-jokes, and that otaku humor is paired with the gimmick of having characters defeat their foes by stripping them. It's a setup that will either entice or alienate a viewer very early on; it shouldn't take more than an episode or two to figure out if this show is for you. The good news for anyone on the fence is that while there are plenty of characters in various states of undress, the fanservice doesn't feel as slimy as you might expect. Humor is generally prioritized over sex appeal, and both male and female characters find themselves on the receiving end of clothing-shredding attacks.

Once the initial shock of the premise wears off, it becomes apparent that there's more to Akiba's Trip than just a silly concept. While the first episode sticks to well-worn otaku activities like collecting rare figures, the second and third dive deeper into individual subcultures. Airsoft-gun-toting military otaku get the parody treatment in episode two, while Tamotsu falls down the audiophile rabbit hole in episode three. The writing leans more toward gentle mockery than outright ridicule, and the jokes are usually pretty amusing. The one weak effort thus far has been the obligatory pop idol storyline, which feels more like a rehash of old material than any of the other segments.

There are a few attempts at emotional sincerity, but they're brief and mildly successful at best. Even the action scenes tend to be more goofy than serious, though this approach does at least match up well with the show's visual style. Akiba's Trip plays fast and loose with its character models, foregoing consistency in favor of bright colors and abundant energy. It's not the first series to go down this route (expect to hear plenty of comparisons to KONOSUBA), and some viewers may find that it takes some getting used to.

If you plan on following Akiba's Trip from week to week, you'll have an immediate decision to make when it comes to language tracks. Funimation is releasing dubbed episodes on about the same schedule as Crunchyroll's subtitled version, so you'll be up to date regardless of which format you go with. Casting choices and performances are pretty solid in the dub, and the voice actors seem to be having fun with their roles without going overboard. The dub script has a tendency to toss a few extra jokes into the dialogue, which I'm sure will ruffle a few feathers here and there. The rewrites aren't terribly obnoxious though, and the original meaning remains intact in most cases. Both audio options look like reasonable choices at the moment, so I'll watch both whenever possible and note any big differences that I come across down the line.

As long as you're wise to the double meaning of the title, Akiba's Trip essentially does what it says on the box. It's a self-deprecating otaku comedy with an abundance of fanservice, and it's pulling off a decent balancing act thus far. The main characters are likable enough to carry the lightweight story, and the series has already found a workable narrative format. As an episodic cultural comedy, it's better than I expected.

Rating: B

Akiba'S Trip The Animation is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.


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