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Review

by Rebecca Silverman,

Denki-Gai [Collector's Edition + CD]

Sub.Blu-Ray 3+DVD

Synopsis:
Denki-Gai [Collector's Edition + CD] Sub.Blu-Ray 3+DVD
Things are never really business as usual for the crew at the Denki-Gai branch of Umanohone bookstore, but they get truly thrown off track when Hiotan gets a fever and a worried Kantoku goes to her house to check on her. Things don't get much more normal when Sensei tries to make chocolate for Valentines Day or when the gang goes cherry blossom viewing, or when Hiotan and Kantoku get locked out and have to spend the night in a manga café...”usual” takes on a whole new meaning as the Umanohone crew assembles for their last set of misadventures in the world of selling ero manga.
Review:

Denki-Gai has never really followed a set pattern for its storylines or episodes, sort of flowing freely from one weird scenario to the next, picking characters to spotlight at random, and generally just running with it. This third and final set of four episodes, once again on both DVD and Blu-Ray, seems to take this even a little farther than previous sets, with even less cohesion between episode halves and more weirdness. It actually works pretty well, especially since this collection has a healthy dose of sweetness to temper the randomness. Sensei and Umio, Fu Girl and Sommelier, and most of all Hiotan and Kantoku get more romantic moments than they have previously, all with a lot of awkward thrown in to make sure that we're still watching the same show. Hiotan/Kantoku is probably the best done of these when you think about playing the basic romance story straight, but unfortunately this also means a lot of romance clichés and tropes make their way into the two episodes featuring their rocky relationship: Kantoku repeatedly leans over a prone Hiotan talking about how she should be more cautious because he might lose control, and Hiotan gets flustered by a variety of silly things, such as him cooking her something to eat. These tropes are, to an extent, amusingly turned on their head when the Sensei/Umio romance takes the stage. Where Hiotan was ill, Sensei is plastered, so while Hiotan just sort of fluttered around looking mildly uncomfortable while Kantoku got exasperated, Sensei almost barfs all over some business man on the train and demands to use Umio's lap as her pillow, causing him to utter one of the most amazing screeches I've heard in a while. (Good job, Ryota Ohsaka!) Essentially, Sensei takes the masculine role that Kantoku is playing in the other relationship, being the aggressor and taking advantage of the situation in the way he threatens to. While I generally do not find drunk people funny, this was an exception, and Sensei's antics are entertaining.

Generally speaking, Denki-Gai has maintained a very skillful lampooning of the tropes of romance games, anime, and manga, throwing some light novel jokes in as well. In fact, the final episode contains the best light novel parody name I've heard in a while: Everyone on Earth Except Me Has Become My Little Sister. (Please no one write that.) This comes out in Sensei's drunken romantic aggression, but also in titles like Prince of Shuttlecock (especially good when you consider that a yaoi doujinshi of the title is how we learn of it), or when G-Men shows up in a Santa suit to distribute confiscated materials and one man who receives a title says, “I'll use it like it's my own daughter.” Other humorous touches that work well are the chocolate murder scene in episode 9 and Fu Girl's attempts to rise to Sommelier's heights.

The half-to-third episode storyline format falters in a couple of places, and it can become a bit wearying as the series races to its conclusion. The longest story in this set is one about how a couple of the characters became interested in ero manga in their childhoods, and this manages to be both touching and funny at the same time. The stories featuring Tsumorin feel very repetitive, like she's really only good for one or two plots, and are the weakest parts of the set. On the other hand, the random return of “Lime Cat” makes for a fun little spoof, as is the post-credits scene.

Like the previous releases, this set of Denki-Gai comes in an oversized plastic envelope and with a soundtrack CD, two cardstock pin-ups, a double-sided poster, and the third issue of Umanohone Magazine. I am, and have been, a bit puzzled by the use of cardstock for the pinups – this time G-Men in a bikini and drunk Tsumorin in a short yukata – since they would have to be framed to be hung up, as the stock is too heavy for an adhesive. (I'm assuming no one wants to put tack holes in them.) The English translation of the magazine is much better this time, and the titles mentioned are much more in line with how they are translated in the show itself, making this an easier, more enjoyable read. It's particularly good for the section about the cosplay the characters don in the final episode; they don't give anything away, but hints are provided so you can guess who people are supposed to be. The soundtrack CD this time is strictly background music, which is not particularly exciting, but decently enjoyable.

Denki-Gai is a fun series, and its ending, which more just stops than actually resolves anything, doesn't do anything to elevate it above that. For the price, it would have been nice if this was a little more than that, but there are no regrets once the series is finished. It's a great way to escape from real life for a while, or perhaps to get fiction-writing ideas, a goofy little confection of fun. If you just need a chuckle, Denki-Gai has you covered.

Grade:
Overall (sub) : B
Story : C+
Animation : B-
Art : B
Music : B

+ Some very funny parts, often related to the subversion of tropes or lampooning various parts of Japanese pop culture. Actually quite sweet in places. Childhood storyline is engaging. Better translation for the magazine.
Tsumorin doesn't really add to the story, episodes feel even less cohesive than before. Last part before credits isn't quite strong enough to be the finale. Price is still prohibitive.

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Production Info:
Director: Masafumi Sato
Series Composition: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Script:
Yuki Enatsu
Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Mio Inoue
Makoto Moriwaki
Storyboard:
Michio Fukuda
Masakazu Hishida
Takayuki Inagaki
Keiko Kanai
Taketo Oshita
Masafumi Sato
Hiroyuki Shimazu
Kenichirō Watanabe
Episode Director:
Takashi Andō
Yasuyuki Fuse
Kiyoshi Matsuda
Masafumi Sato
Hiroshi Tamada
Hideaki Uehara
Kenichirō Watanabe
Kōji Yoshikawa
Music: Hiroshi Takaki
Original creator: Asato Mizu
Character Design: Yurie Kuniyuki
Chief Animation Director: Yurie Kuniyuki
Animation Director:
Hisashi Kawashima
Tomoyuki Kitamura
Satoshi Kubo
Yurie Kuniyuki
Hitomi Matsuura
Takuji Mogi
Yasuyuki Noda
Mai Ogawa
Noriko Ogura
Madoka Ozawa
Konomi Sakurai
Takurō Sakurai
Shiro Shibata
Yasue Sosogi
Ryozo Sugiyama
Fuyumi Toriyama
Ai Tsuruta
Toshiya Washida
Sound Director: Takuya Hiramitsu
Producer:
Shinji Horikiri
Yoshiya Kojima
Shunsuke Matsumura
Tomohito Nagase
Yuichi Yamada
Licensed by: Ponycan USA

Full encyclopedia details about
Denki-Gai (TV)

Release information about
Denki-Gai [Collector's Edition + CD] (Sub.Blu-ray 3+DVD)

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