The supermarket is an important building in any city, for they provide a convenient way to purchase a variety of food in a family-friendly, safe environment. However, these stores changes in the blink of an eye once the unsold bento boxes go on their nightly half-off sales! War breaks out and friends become foes as each person fights for honor, pride, and dinner. There are no longer any people in these supermarkets, only Wolves and Dogs—winners and losers.
High schooler You Satou is painfully introduced to these battles after unknowingly stumbling into the war zone, but instead of choosing to avoid these nightly fights, he wants to join in. After seeing Satou's lack of fighting skills, upperclassman and Wolf Sen Yarizui invites him and Hana Oshiroi, a girl who enjoys spectating the brawls, to join her Half-Priced Food Lovers Club to show them the distinction between the Dogs and the Wolves. Together, they learn what it truly means to fight for your food.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Archaeon
Times are hard, and in these days of global economic crisis and recession more and more people have joined the hunt to find the best bargains. As with anything in life though, experience is what counts, and veterans in the ways of saving money will usually have the upper hand in the war of the aisles. While there are a few young hotshots who have a natural talent for finding a store's bargain products, the truth is that wherever there are discounted groceries, there will undoubtedly be kings and queens who rule over them. Now it may sound as though that whole paragraph is nothing morethan a flowery representation of Ben-Tou, Asuara's light novel series (and its anime and manga adaptations), about Satou You, a highschool student who unwittingly becomes embroiled in an all-out brawl between people wanting half-price ready meals, but that's actually incorrect. Surprisingly, it's more akin to the reality of discount shopping than most people think, but while there's generally a lot of shoving, actual combat is ... uncommon.
Ben-Tou has a relatively simple storyline that isn't encumbered with complex philosophical questions or existential uncertainties. The plot is straightforward, but very typically shounen in its repetitiveness and predictability, which may explain why there are attempts towards the end of the series to add a layer of depth to the narrative. Unfortunately it doesn't really work as the show spends too much time trying to be funny, justifying all out brawls in grocery stores (which never seem to attract the attention of the police), and servicing hormone crazed teenagers.
The sad thing is that Ben-Tou has potential as a concept, but when it comes to execution the author, and then everyone else, seem to have left their artistic sensibilities by the wayside. There are some genuinely good flashes of inspiration in the narrative that come about because of the fact that each territory is "ruled" by the strongest fighter (or "wolf"), in that area. Sadly these sparks of inspiration never really amount to anything, and the anime becomes little more than a parade of characters, brawls, inane comedy and pointless fanservice.
Given that this is supposed to be an action anime, one would assume that the emphasis would be on making the combat scenes look good, but unfortunately that isn't the case. The characters are decent enough, but the reliance on stereotypes can make some viewers think that the designers lacked imagination. In addition to that, the settings for many of the show's fight scenes are grocery stores, so it's remarkable that the post-battle shop floors remain unscathed. The animation quality is fairly reasonable, but it's not up to the standard that David Production are capable of (they made Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra), and the series can sometimes look like a rush job (which may explain the unusual postures and the odd jumps and glitches).
The opening sequence features the song "Live for Life: Ōkamitachi no Yoru" by Manami, an upbeat rock song set against a backdrop of character introductions, action and fanservice that make a surprisingly accurate presentation of the show's content. There's also an additional introduction for episode four that focuses on Shaga Ayame while "Treasure" by Kato Emiri plays out in the background. The melodic ballad used for the ending theme, "Egao no Housoku" by Ise Mariya, serves as a nice counterpoint to each episode, and the rather placid sequence fits well with the idea that it's a post-battle scene.
As for the rest of the music, although the series is well served in the variety of pieces on offer, the usage of particular tracks can seem a little repetitive.
Ben-Tou likes to wear its shounen heart on its sleeve, so the dialogue is filled with juvenile sentiment and lots of shouting. Like almost every other action/harem/comedy/fanservice anime out there, the script is a little too reliant on familiarity with the genre, but within that there are a few decent little deviations from the norm (mainly about fighting for discounted food). Unfortunately the acting is pretty much what one would expect from this type of show - lots of effort and not much actual skill, but maybe that's to be expected. The four leads have little experience with serious roles, which isn't an indictment of their abilities, but rather an observation about the anime industry's propensity for churning out mediocre titles that cater to the minority of fans.
Seriously, stop wasting talent. It's too hard to come by.
In true shounen fashion the characters are about as one-dimensional as they come, and there's very little in the way of refinement throughout the series. That said, the main focus of the story isn't to develop each person, but rather to put them in situations where the warrior mentality can be prominently displayed. Unfortunately it doesn't work out that way as Ben-Tou is a veritable who's who of stereotypes, and pretty much every trait and personality associated with genre are on display, especially the wishy-washy lead male - Satou You. The problem is that viewers may become too familiar with a character's behaviour outside of combat, so watching them fight can often raise several questions, the main one being why does someone who is supposedly capable keep getting slapped around by Shiraume Ume.
Like many harem lead males, Satou You seems to be a bit of a masochist.
As a concept, Ben-Tou has some merit, but somewhere along the way a decision was made to try and appeal to a specific fanbase, and that's what ultimately lets the show down. The addition of multiple love-interests, inane comedy, innuendo and fanservice seem tacky at best, and can often feel more like hasty additions to the plot. Although there is some entertainment value in the series, this is mainly due to the fact that audiences can watch this as though it was a half-decent action movie.
The truth is that Ben-Tou could have held up a mirror to the real-life tribulations of discount shopping, but sadly the show fails to realise its potential because it tries too hard to jump on the harem/comedy bandwagon, and this gets in the way of it being a true parody.
Yukariki
Ben-To is philosophy. Ben-To is art. Ben-To is everything, but bad for your health. How does a show deliver such greatness that cannot be matched by other action shows? The answer is simple: Ben-To knows its place as an over-the-top parody work. Most shows suffer from being blatant copies of each other and turn bland by the time the second episode pops up. However, every single episode of Ben-To is simmered, well-roasted, and served with refreshments. The show’s main appeal is its dramatic fighting sequences and Production David does well. Do not fear the “absurd” premise. In shopping malls, it is a well-known fact that discounted goodsare pretty much fought over; Ben-To just takes it into account and increases the fighting factor. The ridiculous over-the-top action scenes are rendered and always intense; not even a typical pool episode can hinder the awesomeness of punching people’s stomachs for the sake of an unagi don bento. Speed lines are used graciously and the action can be seen easily due to the presentation it is drawn, the OP being a great example.
Do not also be let down by the huge amount of cliches and archetypes; this is a parody of action shows. You have the Rei Ayanami clone, the perverted ordinary high school student, a perverted girl, and more. However, what Ben-To does is something spectacular: it plays with the tropes and archetypes and puts it into the most awesome setting of all, a supermarket. There is a lot of interesting twists into an archetype, trope, and setting that is admirable in creative standards; it is very rare to see a work so understanding and playful of its tropes and Ben-To does it well.
Yet, this work is tainted by the huge amount of fanservice. Most of the characters are females with noticeable cleavage and this can be distracting and sexist to many. I have trouble liking Oshiroi’s character sometimes as all she does is make sexual innuendos. It is problematic that the action clashes with the fanservice in many times.
The OPs are beautifully animated and highlight the show’s distinctive features. "Live for Life" is a catchy, irresistible theme song that I hum every time I remember Ben-To. The background music is pretty wacky and cool at times, showing the effort done in the sound department. All of the seiyuus sound about right, though there isn’t anyone who did a spectacular job.
The reasons that you may not watch this show become the reason you will watch the show. Its ingredient list can be skeptical at first, but it is godly. The show is more addictive than Dr. Pepper and tastier than Kettle potato chips.
Why are you waiting in line at the restaurant? Go to your nearest supermarket today and grab a bento.
Itadakimasu!
azuslu7jpg
It's like Fight Club with Lunchables. As always, my reviews are spoiler free. But there isn't a whole lot to spoil here. When I first saw this series on the coming-season chart, I laughed at the ridiculous premise. Just read the description! Teams of high school students fighting over discounted groceries, all while following some sort of highly regarded honor code? "This show has to be absolutely mindless," I thought. It is. But that's okay, because Ben-To is completely self-aware. It knows you didn't come here for the plot. You came to be entertained. And you shall beentertained.
Story - 5/10
As you would expect, the story is an absolute trainwreck. To put it briefly, at certain time in a certain convenience store, a special sticker is placed on food to mark it as discounted. Logically, there are dozens of people, waiting like vultures, to swoop in and beat each other senseless to save a few yen (sounds a bit like Black Friday, but I digress). There are leaders in these battles, such as Sen "Ice Witch" Yarizui, the president of the "Half-Price Food Lover's Club" that You Satou, the MC, happens to join. These leaders battle it out, claiming the sticker as a trophy of their victory. Those who fight with honor and abide by the rules of bento brawling are given the title of "Wolves."
This is about as bad as a story can get. The reason it gets an "average" 5 is because it is able to build a complex system around this idiotic premise, a system which happens to be interesting and funny at the same time. The customs, titles, everything about it has been thought out to an unnecessary level of detail. Really, this is as much a comedy as it is an action series.
Animation - 7/10
Ben-to is surprisingly well animated. The fight scenes are choreographed well, and there is a large variety of character models which each get their own style. There is a significant amount of blatant fanservice, if you're into that kind of thing.
Sound - 4/10
It has a pretty bad sound track consisting of several background convenience store songs and corny action music. I have no complaints about the voice cast. I don't put much weight into this category anyway.
Characters - 6/10
If you like cheeesy, over the top characters, you came to the right place. While the main character resembles Harem Protagonist #652, nearly every other character is highly entertaining (if shallow). You have the cold, calculating Ice Queen, the formidable "Kyou" sisters, the incredibly violent lesbian Ume who is constantly after Hana, who only joined the Half-Price Food Lover's Club because she wanted material for her yaoi muscleman fanfics. Lastly we have Shaga, who is one of the main fanservice magnets, and while the other girls were by no means left constantly covered, I felt she was the main source of the series' tissue material.
Enjoyment - 8/10
Let me compare Ben-to to junk food. It's bad for you, has no real value, and you know deep down you shouldn't like it. However, that never stopped me from loving every bite of this anime. If you can sit down and turn off your brain for a bit, I promise it will leave a smile on your drooling, vegetative face.
Other Thoughts
My brain is too numb for thoughts, but I will leave you with a quote. "To the winners go glory and half-priced bento! — Ayame Shaga"
Dr_Spade
The Ice Witch,the Beauty by the Lake...These nicknames at the start of opening theme along with the upbeat song itself got me quite interested.The name was awkward in itsellf but what the anime turned out to be didn't make me regret watching it.The story is quirky enough to amaze you and at times it becomes hilarious.On the other hand,it puts forward a story that you can relate to,something that is relevant morally,an idealistic view-that you have to fight for your own food to aquire it and in that way,you can realiseits true flavour and worth.Bento has a central theme-food is precious and we should realise its worth and not just mindlessly eat it but appreciate the effort of so many other people that has gone into bringing it to us finally.Thus,the meals that we eat everyday shouldn't be taken for granted but rather treated as a precious commodity.
The story starts with us being introduced to an ever-lazy protagonist Satou who does as much as he absolutely has to everyday.On a certain high-school night,when he goes to the supermarket to buy some cheap food suiting his limited allowance,that he first witnesses and gets dragged into a Bento fight and gets beat up awfully by an unknown girl who later turns out to be a senior at the same high-school as his and is the famed Western Wolf,'The Ice Witch'.
Hungry and testosterone-fuelled youngsters who fight it out with all their might to get their hands on the exclusive half-priced bentos that are made available in the supermarkets after a certain fixed time at night is what the anime is about.But it not only the food that they are after but also Honour.Warriors of such kind aquire 'nom de guerres',i.e,Honorary titles that are given to those fighters of the Wolf grade.The beauty of the nom de guerre concept is quite fulfilling.The titles of the characters build up an atmosphere of excitement.Then there are pigs,dogs,boars and other types of fighters depending on their style of fighting.
The battle-sequences are very good and smooth and you can feel the quality of animation at its best.They are very enjoyable and relatable.The music that plays in the background when battles happen gets you all fired up with its upbeatness and techno-beats.
The greatest merit of Ben-to is that it manages to merge humour and seriousness seamlessly.All that packed in a mere 12 episode series.Saito gets renowned as 'The Freak',his honourary warrior's title.Situations lead him to earn his fame as the perverted freak.How he gets tangled in unwanted dire problematic situations which always seems to end with him being further recognized as a pervert is hilarious to watch. Two scenes are worth a mention-The swimming pool incident where Saito shows his,umm..,Radar to the public and the one where the Kyo sister mistakes him as the Ice witch in the hospital and makes her confession.They certainly should have you in splits.And there are other moments that have you laughing heartily too.
Ecchi,you get it in good amount keeping in mind that its such a short series.Yuri abounds and is proclaimed by Shiraume,the student council president.God,such a dominating nature she has that not even Shaga,a.k.a,The Beauty by the Lake can avoid her sexy 'naked-in-the-bathtub' attack.She gets to know Shaga intimately in the bathtub and her bare-it-all moments with Oshoroi,her love,is tiltillating to the extreme.But all of this adds to the 'Wow!' factor.Assuredly,you won't forget Shiraume and her escapades anytime soon.
The serious parts are not compromised though.The history of Orthros,the Wolf duo,is quite deep.The sheer ignorance and seclusion from society they were made to face just because they were to strong to win against strikes deeply in the heart.It portrays that when you attain great power,you become more the lonely.Sato lives up to expectations as he plays the befitting wolf with magnanimous pride in the end.He's not something exceptional but he does his job of a protagonist nicely.
But there are some cons too.The Wizard could have been given more screen space and some greater role to play.In the end,despite being the West's strongest wolf,he ends up feeling insignificant as he leaves the country for studying abroad.Beardy,Brunette and Monk could have been more associative with the Ice witch and gang but perhaps they were purposedly kept as the loyal friends and fight-buddies.Hercules Combo turns out to be a manipulating wimp which disappoints slightly considering the terror he brought about at first.
But all these are very minor things and not exactly flaws when you weigh them against the merits of the anime.So,in the end,not much remains to disappoint you.
Orthros' unique combat style is one cool thing to watch.The God of Discounts idea is quirky but fun.The battle sequences are of quality and the friendship factor is well-fitting.You get comedy,you get some lovely ladies baring it all,action,and quirkiness.So,conclusively,Ben-to is a good light-hearted watch which can make your day.If you have pride,if you have honour,leave your thoughts aside and join in the fight with the wolves.Ben-to may not sparkle with class,but with its glamour and glitz,it sure does leave a lasting impression.
LIQfilms
Ben-to is a good example of a show with a lot of potential for a rule-of-cool anime with a lot of dumb over-the-top action sequences but ultimately fails in regards to lack of any interesting characters to root for while having, in what I believe, to be sub-par fighting choreography and animation. I honestly really wanted to like this show, I really did, but the lack of any fun characters or engagement dragged on through each and every episode as the anime tries its hardest to be silly and over-the-top without carrying over the same charm it had in the beginning. It feels likeit wants to be over-the-top but suffers from serious tone problems which don't integrate all too well with the silly premise and story they throw us into. Allow me to elaborate:
Ben-to is a show in which people battle it out for the tastiest and the best bento boxes in numerous department stores around the city. Each part of the city is governed by a different gang and turf and the such with many people having unique nicknames based around their fighting styles and personality traits. I'd argue that one of the most interesting things about this show was precisely that - I found all of this to be incredibly fun and interesting in a stupid way. We learn that there are several customs and honours that each ben-to fighter must abide by and each character takes the art of beating the everlasting hell out of each so seriously it's comical in that sense. The insane rumours these fighters conjured up about special people, the insane nicknames given and the general stupidity of each turf war having their own insane laws and the such was a fun and dumb idea and this works very well for the first few episodes or so as we see our main character who learns the joy of beating the crap out of someone just for some cheaper ben-to.
But, while this idea does set-up a lot of possibilities into what is possible and how insane you can go with this idea, the anime suffers from two problems which I feel hold it back. The first being, as I've said, a lack of interesting characters to care for, all of which are annoying mind you, but the show's gimmick begins to wear off really quickly as they don't really do too much with this concept. Sure, there are new fighters that join which add some more history and depth about this strange fighting festival that takes place but as we travel along the show, the cool and over-the-top fights seem to take a back seat to boring character backstories which are equally generic as they're uninteresting. That's not to say that the anime doesn't have some cool looking fight scenes, it's just that many-a-time I found myself bored with the character interactions and a few times I felt kind of disappointed with a fight that had been building up for a while and had no payoff as we suddenly skip past it removing all of the dramatic tensions of the moment.
The anime suffers from the same problem I believe the currently airing Keijo does; the gimmick is so stupid at first that it's fun when you first start but the lack of interesting characters begins to drain on you the more you watch and by the end, the novelty has worn off entirely.
The biggest problem with this show is the comedy and the characters that go along with it. The main lead is kind of forgetful, as they typically are for these types of shows, and doesn't really do anything all too interesting. He develops a passion for ben-to fighting but doesn't feel like he changes throughout the story, aside from gaining some random strength despite no training and no experience in the art of fighting. Hana was a character simply defined for her love for BL, frequently writing stories involving our main character. She also has an insane lesbian stalker named Ume Shiraume who is the biggest bitch I've ever seen. She frequently beats down on the main character for no reason for the most mundane things. I expect the creators wished for me to laugh at this but all I kept wondering was why this guy kept receiving the horrible treatment that he does. He is hit, slapped and has hit clothes torn off numerous times which all felt completely unjustified as he had never done anything to warrant this treatment.
In fact, all of the characters treated him in this fashion and it just comes across as mean-spirited. As an audience, we enjoy seeing a character receive karma for something mean they've done and it feels satisfying as a result, but here, all it does is make me feel as if the characters are horrible people. There was one scene in which one of the characters threw out the guy's game console for no reason and upon attempting to rescue said console, ends up hurting himself and ends up in the hospital. Granted she does show some remorse, but not before putting him threw more agony for no reason.
The only other two characters worth mentioning is the annoying blond lead, mainly defined for her tits and the white-haired girl, only defined by her quietness. All of the characters in this show are all caricatures of anime stereotypes and none of them are unique enough to break away from this mould. When the show clearly wants us to root for one of these characters, I find it generally hard to do so as I found them all so uninteresting making the scenes in which the narrative stakes are high (as high as you can possibly get while fighting for products on Black Friday anyway) feel weak and kind of dull. As the anime ran on, this problem only got worse. To be fair, there is an attempt at character development and intrigue in regards to the Kyou sisters but it's kind of integrated half haphazardly into the plot without having too much time to fully develop.
The art style was generally appealing to the eyes and the character design as well as the colour design was pretty spot on. While in motion, the animation did suffer from some animation error and at times it could look kind of jarring but nothing to take me out of any scenes. The music was pretty forgetful as a whole with the exception of the opening theme which is catchy as hell. The main thing with Ben-to is that it feels as if it wants to be silly and the over-the-top but it never gets to that stage and instead feels kind of lukewarm which makes the anime feel kind of forgetful. Ben-to is not the worst series in the world but it does leave a lot to be desired which is unfortunate considering how fun the show could of been if the characters were more likeable and if it were more over-the-top.
Kurano
I expected Ben-To to be a generic harem anime about how the main character uses bentos to makes girls fall in love with him. (Ok, that might not be generic, but still, I expected something along those lines) Thankfully, I was wrong, or else I would've dropped it right at the spot. Ben-To is an anime that I never expected to enjoy so much, yet I did because of the good comedy, awesome action, unique characters, and, most of all, the shock factor that it both revolves around food, and they're literally risking getting beat up for that food!! Story: 8/10 Basically, Sato Yo went to geta half-priced bento one day, but then he got beaten up and loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he has no memory of what happened in the supermarket. A girl then warns him (Sen Yarizui, AKA the ice witch) never to go to the supermarket again. However, Sato goes again with his friend, Oshiroi Hana, and gets beat up again. Yarizui then invites them to the Half Priced Food Lovers Club, where she teaches them all about being a "wolf" (figher for half-priced bentoes)
The story is very comedic, with Sato getting embarrassed and the fights full of action-packed battles. The characters have their own special names, which the "wolves" refer to by. Then, there are "boars," "wolves pride" and "rulers of the east and west". This turns the plot into a great story, basically talking about how much fighting for bentos mean to them. It's surprisingly deep, for an anime about food. I'm also surprised how there are rankings, and how they use everyday supermarket items as weapons. Overall, a good story.
Art: 7/10
Standard anime art. It's colorful, but the art style has been used a lot of times. Not good, yet not bad, either. Looks good, scenes are animated great. There really is nothing else to say besides that.
Sound: 8/10
The seiyuu did a great job, doing voices that fit the characters perfectly. The BGM was good, but aside from the battle scenes it's pretty average. The OP is upbeat, which fits a series like this one. The ending was not bad, but the song didn't really fit the series, in my opinion.
Character: 9/10
This is one of the categories where it truly shines. Character design and seiyuu fits the character's respective personality, and everyone had a colorful and unique personality, which blends into the overall story and humor. I also got attached to some of them, like Orthrus and Ice Witch. Everyone was great, and I found the characters to be very enjoyable with their interaction with each other. Only downside is that there's barely any character development, but I didn't really expect it to cover every character's backstory in a mere 12 episodes, or even 3-4 characters. Still, it didn't hinder the experience for me and the characters are fun to watch even though.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. I also couldn't believe how deep this anime was, and how an anime about FOOD would be one of my most favorite in this season. The action scenes were cool, and the story was unbelievable. This all adds to the experience, however.
Overall: 8/10
If you like comedy, action, and totally unbelievable concept in one anime, look no further. This isn't your generic ecchi, action, or comedy. This is a whole other experience, an experience I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy.
Nasty001
The end of this 12 episode anime has been aired, now we look forward to next' season's anime with similar twist than this, nuff said, so..............Hummmmmmmmm, If one is to look at this 12 episode anime the 1st thing that would come to mind is "BLACK FRIDAY," yes it's a day after memorial day in the US where a few overruns would be sold on a special discount and surly chaos follows when every last customer would duke out for it. In this anime's case, this is something where the author takes of something that happens in real life and make it really reallyelaborate. This 12 episode anime's genre which is action, comedy and martial arts did played up to it in fact everything in this anime is about those 3 said genres. So for the story I'll give it a "Fair" number 6, since there is no plot in it and everything is focus on a few pieces of discounted TV dinners- which by the way is called "Bento" in Japan but the entertaining part is when all hell breaks lose for a pack of rabid wolves out to get a cheap meal.
Art: Mediocre 5.
Don't ask, I always rate it like that.
Sound: Good 7.
I like the female sieyus who did the voices of the main female casts, I like that the voice of Satou is the same sieyu who also voiced Aki from "Baka to test," co'z it really does play well as a moron for the said character, I like the opening theme, but I hate the closing.
Character: Good 7.
I like the way the characters are compared to that of a canine hierarchy, since that's what the author projects them otherwise they won't be called "Wolves."
So who are they:
Oshiroi Hana- In the opening she called "The Muscle Cop," but actually she a blogger with a steady stream of fans, by canine standards she's a wimpy fox, just like one she follows the pack ( in this case it is the members of the half price food lovers club) but stays in the shadows and takes advantage of the chaos to silently steal some of the prize (referring to the bento) , I kinda hate it when she makes no effort to resist Shiraume Ume's sexual advances, either she enjoys it or she can't.
Satou You- Somewhere in the mid part of the 12 episode anime he was given the moniker "Hentai," I hate it when his character is a dichotomy that's because he's willing to duke out with his cousin Ayame during bento brawls but is chicken to duke out with Ume . By canine reference he's a mongrel, in the 12th episode, it is establish that he has feelings for Sen. Then again, one might say that the comedy genre is him.
Yarizui Sen- one of the top wolves in the bento brawling business, who goes by the moniker "Ice Witch" which is taken from some popular sports drink, she the president of the Half Price Food Lovers Club and she only has 2 members, one is a mongrel (Satou) and another a wimpy fox (Hana). I kinda like that she contributes a lot to the Martial Art genre of this anime.
Chapatsu- I like the way her body is drawn and also being in a bento brawl as well, but I will never understand as to why the author of this anime only focuses on her body, but has forgotten to give this hot character a face.
Shaga Ayame- Well, I like it that she severs as a fine fanservice of in this anime, since the way she's drawn really makes her hot. l like it that her role is that of a former Gabrielle Ratchet gang, goes by the moniker "Beauty by the Lake," since this anime has a small harem element in it, she kinda fills the void of a sister with a brother complex with Satou, actually they're cousin who attend different schools. She one unusual bento brawler co'z she uses chopsticks as her weapon, which is kinda lame for a white wolf like her.
Sawagi Kyo sisters- both are members of the student council from Ayame's school, both came from a well off family, whom are into bento brawling for fun and it is nice that they are added since this anime won't be complete without a rich girl (or girls) who is bored and is looking for some action kind of thing.
Shiraume Ume- a student council president from Satou's school, who has hots for Hana and has rage for Satou, her beating up the poor muchacho (satou) more like adds to someone who is a unlikeable character in this anime.he also some one whom I wish that the Ice Witch would duke out with. By canine standards she can be considered a Guard Dog since she's very possessive of Hana and the muchacho happens to be her attack dummy. Like Ayame, she also provides some fanservice to this anime.
So, since it is the chiquitas who are the main focus of the action genre, such rating is deserving for them, actually the rating is for the chiquitas (female leads).
Enjoyment and overall: Fair 6.
The enjoyment of this anime is focus more on the action and martial arts genre than the comedy regardless of how predictable it is. There is no plot here and the story is too simple, for a 12 episode anime like this where everything revolves around scrambling for few pieces of discounted TV dinners may seems stupid, the elaborate fighting thing that goes with it is "Fair" enough to provide some entertainment..
The end
Time for my TV dinner were I got it for a 20% discount from the grocer.
Jeffrey-sama
It comes as no surprise when Japan comes up with another one of their crazy concoctions. Their creation this time is Ben-To - the anime where half-priced bento are serious business and risking one's life for one is the norm. With an idea as crazy as that, it's no wonder there are so many skeptics out there questioning the entertainment value of Ben-To and its ability to compete with the other shows airing in the same season. While a new idea does have its advantages (e.g. viewers are likely to be more curious), there are also disadvantages that follow (e.g. not applying the logic ofsafety). Now, let's see how Ben-To fared.
Art (8/10)
While the typical mecha fight boasts giant lasers and flashy machine guns, the brawls in Ben-To only involve human beings and their two weapons: their hands and feet. Thus, it may seem hard for an entertaining fight to make its way into the show. However, I was surprised at how wrong I was after seeing the first few fights in Ben-To. Not only were they exciting to watch, they were also animated well. The movements of the characters may have been a bit choppy but I considered that to be acceptable since humans are not like well-oiled machines - our movements are not perfectly smooth. The other artwork, including the characters, was also decent and easy to watch.
Characters (8/10)
The entire show essentially focuses on the main protagonist, Satou Yō, and how he grows from being a grovelling loser (a Dog) to an elite fighter (a Wolf), when it came to bento battles. Throughout the series, you see him slowly grasp the ideas of these battles and learn about the honor and respect that comes with being a Wolf. In the beginning he is depicted as an ignorant and stubborn high school boy who is running low on money for food. But as time goes on, his transformation is evident and, in the end, he becomes arguably the strongest and most respected fighter in the town. The visible growth and excellent development of this one boy already makes the entire series worth watching, though I would've liked to see more development for the other characters as well.
Sound (9/10)
Firstly, I found the OP to be very fitting as it was upbeat and full of energy, easily helping one to get into the spirit of watching some bento battles. The ED, on the other hand, was softer and more mellow, which I found was a nice way to end each episode. The BGM was very good and quite memorable, especially the music played at each of the supermarkets. Voice acting, like the other aspects of this category, was also great.
Story (8/10)
When I first read the synopsis for this anime, I asked myself, "Will this kind of story even be interesting?" After completing Ben-To, I can definitely answer myself and say that "Yes, it was definitely interesting." I went into the show not knowing what to expect and I think that's best way to go. Ridding yourself of doubts and expectations, and becoming open to this new and crazy idea will definitely maximize your enjoyment. To be honest, the whole story is unrealistic. But, think about it, this is the world of anime - not everything has to be believable. When you forget about everything and just watch the show by itself, chances are, you'll enjoy it.
Overall (8/10)
Ben-To has gone where no other anime has gone before - and it has paid off. Overall, I felt it was a successful series. I, for one, would like a season two as I thought the ending was open-ended. I recommend Ben-To to anyone looking for a action-packed comedy series with a touch of fanservice; you definitely won't be disappointed. So what are you waiting for? Grab some bento to eat while you watch Ben-To!
keiina
There are many type of anime viewers, and each have different taste. Nothing can be done about that. I present to you a review of the anime Ben-to The premise of the series is very simple, people fight for half priced ben-to in convenience stores at night. The battle for half priced food has its own rules, supposed to be followed by the participant who refer to themselves as wolves. that's all there is to it. Anyone who trash this anime because it doesn't have a deep plot, twists and much character developments is retarded. It's only purpose is to entertain you by comedy,action, a tiny bit of romance and lastly fan service. Before watching an anime, you better set your expectations right so as not to be disappointed. Ben-to is really simple, that's its very nature. if the you hated it because the story is messed up and the events are random, it's not the fucking fault of the creators of the anime but yours for having stupid expectations and by being pretentiously deep.
Regarding enjoyment, it was a really fun anime to watch. The gags hit and the fight scenes are enjoyable to watch as well. About the characters, you will love some of them and you will hate some. The interaction between them are mostly the source of fun in this show.
Lastly, if you exclusively enjoy anime with deep plot and all seriousness, then stay the fuck away, as I said, there's nothing others can do regarding a viewers taste. but if you enjoy the occasional "don't think about things" kind of anime, I think you can enjoy Ben-to
animelambie
The premise for this show. That being said, it was pretty enjoyable. There’s something kind of really hilarious watching high schoolers Street Fighter-it-out for half priced, convenient store bento boxes. (Ew…) From an technical standpoint it looks kind of generic. I like that the characters are all recognizable, but the animation is only okay. You can tell that most of the effort was put into the battle scenes, and even then there are short cuts. But they were good short cuts, clever effects and angles and timing made the fights appear dynamic and exciting to watch. The music was also all over the place—I remember hearingsomething resembling African tribal music as well as Italian opera—but in it’s strange goofy way, it also fit the sort of survival of the fittest, overly dramatic approach these high schoolers take to getting their discount meals.
Character-wise, our main character, Yo Sato, is that stock male character you see in harem anime—pretty average looking, sort of a weenie, not too unique or memorable; the kind where all the girls have unreasonable crushes on him for no apparent reason. Heck, even his brawler name is ‘Pervert’. He deviates from the stereotype a little bit--he gets some character development and the girl he likes also likes him back for legitimate reason.
The other members of the harem are all bento brawlers. ‘The Ice Witch’, Sen Yarizuri, is one of the strongest fighters around, very stern and detached, mostly because she doesn’t know much else aside from her survival of the fittest wolf mentality. Yo’s cousin, Ayame Shaga, is known as the ‘Beauty by the Lake’—there’s not really much to her (but she does use chopsticks in battle :D). The last is Hana Oshiroi who nicknames herself ‘The Muscle Cop.’ She was by far the most enjoyable character in the series; easily excitable and into writing yaoi erotic fiction who wins her bento by sneaking in and taking it while everybody else is brawling. There are other trope-y charcters, including the little moe girl who’s pure evil and the domineering lesbian student body president...
The show is unabashedly fanservicey. Not really my thing, but I understand why it’s there. It never really got in the way of anything in the show, so I was fine with it.
What I did like was the Darwinian theory that sort of plays in and how it does allow for some character development in our lead. He rises from dog to wolf and comes to understand that it’s not just about half priced meals, but it’s about honor and dignity and all that.
I supposed if I could sum up to someone what anime is in a 12 episode anime series, this would be the one I would recommend. It’s got the typical stereotypes, fighting, naked girls, but it was legitimately entertaining and funny and did put it’s spin on it with it’s unique premise.
NameWithheld
I have always been apprehensive about Japanese comedies. I have generally been content to stick with things like Fullmetal Alchemist, Kekkaishi, Soul Eater, etc., shows that are funny but don't go all out. However, The Devil Is A Part Timer was absolute genius, so it encouraged me to try another comedy. How does Ben-to stack up? Eh, this is a little more what I pictured a comedy anime to be like. However, it gets a solid "good" from me. It is not nearly the comedic gargantuan that The Devil Is A Part-Timer is, but its serviceable. Like a lot of anime comedic themes, one of themost endearing aspects of Ben-to is how earnest it all is. Beating the tar out of people to get a bento at half price is clearly something that the characters take very seriously. Austin Tindle and Trina Nishimura both deserve praise for their work here.
However, the amount of base sexual perversion in the show is somewhat unsettling. Never have I seen textbook cases of sexual harassment (both male and female) played for laughs like this. Some of it is funny, but there is waaaay too much of it. Maybe it's the language gap, but Ben-to didn't really excel. It's good, I guess.
moseslionheart
It is no doubt in this era of globalization, everything was expensive not to mention food. When an item gets cut then there is the seizure of the goods, who is faster then he is getting is the impact of the globalization era. Asaura ingenuity of the author of Ben-series To the theme of the impact of the current era of globalization and does not doubt that everything will be cheap and satisfying game and more great stuff again from Asaura is the theme of youth in the spotlight in this series because it nomads are independent teenager or a period in which they need savingand accurate details in order to survive.
Ben-To is the theme of the anime bento already struggle to get the discount. The struggle here is a fight between members of the bento with street fighting self defense for those who get a discount that is labeled "honor" gained the nickname of wolves while they are merely subordinate and earned the nickname of the discount food fight over the dog. So many conflicts in the anime and the development of the more interesting story.
Story: 6/10
In terms of story, this anime has the unique power of ideas and made good at exploring the discount, it is in today's all that certain discounts and cheaper it would be a bone of contention even though the rest of the stuff and that's the power of this anime but it's unfortunate that a plot was made impressed imposed proven easy and classic stories, seem boring because there is no social relationships between the characters and the look seemed only a matter of bento in their minds.
Art: 8/10
This is the advantage of this anime, Art presented seems so strong, especially in the bento proved to exist in each episode presented bento is always different and look so delicious when seen, as detailed in drawing food. Not only is it a picture of the character is also very strong in the anime where there is a lot of female characters and everything can be spelled "Kawai" Yarizui especially the main character who can make the audience fall in love.
Sound: 6/10
It is also a weakness of this anime, the soundtrack is presented not so inspiring and the lack of sound when there is a moment of action characters. However, if the observed soundtrack lyrics are presented to illustrate the story of this anime here the rest is.
Character: 6/10
Unfortunately the character of this anime, in which the main character in the plot to be Yarizui that figure fails Kudere played and impressed looks like a normal High School girl who likes to talk and look serious when describing the characters who figure Kudere quiet, mysterious and compelling. Not only are there other weakness is apparent lack of chemistry between the characters prove to all the characters seem to walk alone, look Yarizui that only focus on the bento discount regardless of the friends around him, too terobsesu Oshiroi by Satou to be a novel without knowing Satou Satou figures more closely and the appear to struggle alone get a discount bento without any cooperation among members of the club. But the pull of the character here is the development of each character and leads to a strong friendship.
Enjoyment: 6/10
I enjoyed this anime is less so because there are so many factors "Impossible" from the anime where the previously weak Satou suddenly seem so strong and can beat all his enemies, wounds that do not make sense when there is so badly needed at least one week of healing and the worse they think of themselves is an animal who only think of only lust.
Overall: 6
Since I focus on the story, then the value that I think is pretty good for a short anime series and I think there should be no sequel of this anime
GL
In a parallel world where half priced Ben-Tos are worth risking your dear life for, Satou 'Pervert' You finds his calling. Ben-To left me positively in awe with it's ridiculousness, it is not an anime you watch for the dramatic accuracy of it's science, nor the unwavering strenght of it's plot. No. It's a solid anime where comedy meets action. A place where supermarket employees are treated as Gods, losers settle for instant noodles and victoriously emerged heroes of war get rewarded with the tasty half priced Ben-Tos. Story & Characters: Ben-To doesn't strive on exceptional story like many other animes I think well ofnor does it give you a fair share of interesting characters that grow during the show fabulously intertwining with the numerous plot twists. But the synergestic power of the weird setting, the simplistic characters and the 'generic' story fit in together quite well creating a show that is very well worth watching. The characters barely made any development save for few exceptions, but that is not what this show is about nor should you focus on it when watching the show. Obviously you should avoid the show if you're all about the story and character development but the comedic value of this show was high.
Art & Sound:
The art in the show was mediocre yet very fitting in a sense that the show wasn't likely even trying to be overly beautiful nor exceptionally accurate in it's portrayal of the show. The fanservice IS there time to time, but it wasn't really overly annoying in my opinion except for a few scenes towards the end of the show. I absolutely loved the ridiculous theme musics of the supermarkets they played in the background during the supermarket scenes (and thank you subbers for remembering to sub them), but otherwise music and sounds wasn't anything I really paid much attention to.
Enjoyment & Overall:
In a world where I didn't enjoy stupid and random shit as much as I do, Ben-To wouldn't be worth an 8. It is definately not an anime for everyone and even in between the people who do enjoy weird stuff, it might not be a fit for everyone. Overall I enjoyed the show, it had enough action to keep you interested and the jokes weren't 'cheap' either. I liked how overly dramatic they made fighting for a packed lunch could look like and in a way I could relate to it as a poor student myself (but no, I don't go around punching people when I'm seeking for chicken for sale). It's very likely that after few first episodes you've already made up your mind whether the show is good or bad, and you should trust it. The show won't be getting dramatic changes later on but it stays interesting to those who enjoyed it to start with.
Talonic
Bento now i have to say im one of those people who dont really put to much thought into ratings infact if you look at my list they are all practically 7+ so i wouldnt pay to much mind to my ratings of this anime either but lets get to the actual explaining :P Now the story, first of all i thought "oh a fight over bento's? eh sounds lame" but once you really get into it and once they start explaining the rules, the pig's and dogs' and wolves of the story really just get you hooked in and makes you think "oh damn howmuch fun would that be?"
It really is an outstanding story with a bit of school love and i mean a bit not much at all, lots of fighting but the real enjoyment comes out from what goes on between the wolves, pigs and dogs. If it didnt have those things it would certainly be alright yeah but not outstanding!
The art well i dont really have any complaints about it, it was above average and good all round. Though someone might be able to point out the flaws of the art i dont really care much for the art as long as it isnt stick figures and they bother putting the effort in to make things look realistic isnt that all that matters?
Well same with sound it was very good and quite interesting at times, the fight music and all, quite interesting choices made and some i didnt get the point of which occurs in an episode it practically is something that only occurs that one time and for only a few seconds but i guess its just to make out that she doesnt want the other person to see it.
The characters were interesting and the 'Ice witch' and 'Pervert' were certainly my favourite characters im sure if you watch it you'll figure out who they are (im been vague to prevent spoiling things) The Ice witch because shes powerful and quite knowlegdable about the art of 'Bento Wars' or Bento Royals' whichever, or what ever you wanna call them, in the end it doesnt matter, anyways how she helps 'pervert' to become a wolf and teach him the difference between wolves, pigs and dogs. Though he learns from other characters in the story like 'brunette' and 'monk' oh and 'goatee' as well.
The 'pervert' is interesting because he seems to be quite unlucky and its funny on how things end up, it really is just hilarious watching what bad luck occurs to him, XD. How he likes the ice witch is also quite interesting. And then there is the 'bento gods' cant remember the actual term so ill use a title of one as an example "The Oil god" but the one of the Ralph store seems to attract his attention as well! XD even the cliche' pool scene has the added fervor of his bad luck and the bento royal!
I truly enjoyed this anime its one of those that you have to watch from start to finish to truly love which isnt hard since its 12 episodes long, but even if you dont watch start to finish its certainly is an awesome anime to get into.
Though alot of animes out there have comedy and action this really just takes the cake the 'cliche' pool scene i mentioned earlier also has a very funny bento there and i have to say you have GOT to watch it to learn it, as it would be a massive unfortunate spoiler if i did here in this review.
Well overall a grand anime, and one of my favourite 12 episode animes. Its just not long enough to be one of my top favourite animes as im one of those guys who get attached and wanna see MORE! but not to much if they have 38 more episodes i would be so happy but i guess it would be alot less action packed if it did. Only boon of short animes more going on.
Since im babbling on in a review it will probably be ignored but ive written this much and not discarding it.
I recommend this anime to those who like action packed funny animes and dont care to much for it been a relatively short anime compared to some out there. And dont mind a tiny amount of "Senpai is all i need" think thats what he says XD well you gotta watch this anime just WATCH IT!!
Agent_Redacted
Ben-To, taking "fighting over food" to the next level. Ben-To an anime about fighting for discounted bentos. Those who successfully get a bento is allowed to eat the bento, and those who failed to get a bento must forfeit and scram with their cup noodles. There are many factions, and individuals who stand out more than the others are given titles such as "The Wizard" or "The Ice Witch". To be frank, I was actually taken by surprise by this anime. It was unexpectedly entertaining to watch. Although the abstraction of overreacting concerning discounted bentos may seem ludicrous, it was actually fun to see somethingas unique as this in display.
The story of Ben-To is quite simple with barely any good plots. Still, the show was very fun to watch overall. It's like watching Durarara with bentos.
Only problem with this show are the fighting scenes. They feel too bland most of the time and sometimes fast-paced so I couldn't get the full experience of joy I wanted. Other than the fact that some characters are overly retarded, I think this show was fine.
Recommended to those who are bored and want to watch something nice.
Lord_Odous
The quick review: STORY: 7/10 Not the most original plot, Ben-To actually delivers well using themes such as supermarket, food and hunger as the backbone of the story. ART: 8/10 The fighting scenes are definitely a blast to watch. Ecchi elements meaning that female characters are often designed to be well-endowed. SOUND: 8/10 Pre-battle - the heartwarming, family-friendly supermarket jingle; during-battle - the hot-blooded, fist-pumping rock soundtrack = WIN.CHARACTERS: 6/10
So-so cast of characters but still likeable. The writers did fine to develop the main characters well and flesh out the side characters enough.
ENJOYMENT: 9/10
Ben-To is hilarious, addicting, and highly entertaining to watch.
The long review:
STORY: 7/10
Do you remember the time where you were so hungry that you could easily gulp down an entire cow? Do you remember how extra-delicious the food was just because you were THAT hungry?
And indeed, hunger is a very powerful motivation that can drive us a desire for food so strong that, we could as well push ourselves beyond our limits to obtain it.
Using this as the central plot element, Ben-To turns out to have a very easily relatable plot where the viewer can understand well, without the need of scratching one’s head, why the characters in Ben-To are so determined to get the half priced bento.
Fighting is how the hungry wolves in Ben-To decide the winner for the half priced bento. I find it awkward at how the characters are never shown to train their brawling skills, yet they can quickly adapt to the deadly battlefield and look perfectly natural in it, as if they are born to fight for bentos. Hmm…
Oh, did I forget to mention that in Ben-To, while you got beaten down to a point where you lose consciousness the day before, your wounds heal so fast that you are in tip-top condition to fight again the next day?
There are additional themes in Ben-To, such as friendship, rivalry and also a little bit of love (maybe) to spice up the plot a bit.
The central theme of Ben-To is easily relatable enough that it’s a solid 7 to me.
ART: 8/10
I am really fond with the fighting scenes of Ben-To. They are drawn and animated in detail, and the camera angles are decent.
Character designs are average but fits well with the anime.
There are several ecchi scenes so you can expect the female characters to be drawn voluptuously.
Oh and finally, the food! Although they aren't real, they are drawn decently enough that may make your mouth dripping with saliva!
I don’t find any slip ups in the animation so it will settle with an 8.
SOUND: 8/10
Ben-To has a rather… unique soundtrack. Supermarket jingles play a big role in the soundtrack department and I really like how the producers use them. Before the bento fight starts, you will listen to the heartwarming, family-friendly supermarket jingle while waiting for the “half pricing god” to finish pasting the discount stickers onto the delicious bentos. Once he’s done and the rumble begins, a heart-pounding, fist-pumping rock track will be played to signal the change of the overall mood of the show. This alone always got me excited, I must admit.
The OP and ED of Ben-To are decent songs to listen as well. The rest of the soundtrack are nothing memorable, but functions well to fit into the scenes they are inserted into.
The voice acting are fine, although Oshiroi’s voice may annoy me sometimes.
8 points to the sound section!
CHARACTERS: 6/10
The character cast in Ben-To might be its weakest aspect. You have Satou You, the male protagonist who is clueless at first, but once he got the hang of things, he turned out to be pretty much a stereotyped male lead: determined, never give up, kind, and lots of resolve. Oshiroi is mostly for comic relief with her sexual fantasies with Satou and how she uses him as fan fiction material. Yarizui is your “cool and badass” character in which she isn’t one who speaks a lot but packs a lot of fighting prowess. Finally, you have Ayame who is the boldest among the four and isn’t afraid to use her sexual appeal.
Our 4 main characters do develop somewhat throughout the course of the show. I will not spoil much for you, but you should note the usage of the word “somewhat”.
The side characters do enjoy sufficient screen time to flesh themselves out and make themselves memorable enough for the viewers. However, some villains only appear for one part of the show and dissapear soon after. So they might be less memorable to viewers, then.
It’s decided that this section will earn 6 points.
ENJOYMENT: 9/10
As mentioned in the short review above, Ben-To is funny and action-packed enough to keep me entertained every single episode. The plot is good enough to prevent things from getting stale. Also, personally I myself don’t mind a little bit of fanservice here and there as long as it doesn’t steal all the spotlight from the main aspects of the anime. The fighting scenes are good enough to keep myself at the edge of my seat (kudos to the brilliant soundtrack) and make my blood boiling.
One does not need to take the anime too seriously or else you may fail to grasp the main idea of watching Ben-To. Just relax, let your eyes and stomach do the watching and you will enjoy every single flavour of Ben-To.
Being highly entertaining and amusing makes this section deserves a healthy 9.
Other Thoughts:
Finally, do not expect any superhuman, otherworldly powers from Ben-To. The fights are still, at least to me, human-like. Watch out for the ecchi elements in case they aren’t your cup of tea.
OVERALL: 8/10
ThatAnimeSnobRE
Just like there is junk food, there is also junk anime, and Ben Tou is a fine example. Anime regarding food usually have to do with cooking contests. How to gather the proper ingredients, how to cook them properly, and how to amaze the judges. On a basic level these shows are motivational, as they tell you about the beauty of gastronomy and how cool it is to be a chef. Ben Tou though has nothing to do with cooking, although it is about food. Instead of trying to show or say something, it is just about fighting for whom gets to buy canned foodand prepared meals from the grocery in half price. So basically, you have a bunch of guys and gals kicking the crap out of each other on a daily basis, just so they pay half as much for their dinner.
So you will now be probably wondering if this is a fighting tournament show, with food discounts being the prize. Again, you are wrong because the fighting in the show is comical and definitely not exciting. They are kicking and punching simplistically without any choreography, and with violence always being bloodless and wounds magically healing in a few minutes. Which is a good thing, because if they weren’t the money they would need to pay for bandages and doctors would cost a thousand times more than a half-priced prepared lunch.
The most interesting thing about the battles is the way the girls fight, as they do all sorts of motions than make their boobs bounce and their legs spreading and revealing stuff. So you will now imagine this is some sort of heavy on fan service anime with fighting chicks, in the likes of Ikki Tousen or Queen’s Blade. And again you are wrong, because there isn’t much fighting or nude. Most of the fan service revolves around zooming on dressed boobs and legs but you hardly ever see an actually naked girl. Most of the duration is about the protagonist trying to get his hands on the discount obentos and having his ass kicked repeatedly by chicks. In fact, he is the only one getting striped all the time for pitiful reasons. Yes, he is another one of those wimp worthless protagonists who want to come off as normal. He is constantly beaten and yet he is surrounded by pretty chicks. So this is a harem, right? You’d now think there are a dozen chicks who love him and constantly try to get in his pants. NO! They just kick the crap out of him and strip him while looking for food. That is not sexy at all and it is definitely not a show aimed at girls.
So… is this a show about, I don’t know, the economic crisis? The fact that they go through all this trouble just to get a discount can only mean that they are in a very bad financial state and the whole thing could be a metaphor for the extremes poverty forces you to head for. And again NO IT ISN’T; none of the characters seems to show the least concern for money. They even appear to have a fine time spending most of their money on videogames, clothes, and just hanging out in fancy places. They don’t even MENTION they have financial problems. They are typical anime teenagers with endless magical money.
Maybe it is about the beauty of struggling for your food. It tastes better when you need to fight for it than just buy it. SERIOUSLY? How about growing it? It will be even tastier this way AND motivate the viewer to be a farmer or a gardener. At best, this show is telling you it is all about the money. YOU FIGHT FOR DISCOUNTS WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS! I guess it’s aiming at Twitter socialists.
Aha, I got it, it is a fighting shounen parody. It makes fun of fighting by making everybody going crazy about something as pitiful as a discount. At which case IT IS NOT FUNNY! I grew bored of the idea in just 10 minutes. You can’t stretch a single joke to last for more than a couple of episodes; you need to flavor it with more jokes. Yet this whole anime is based solely on making fun of a SINGLE THING!
So after all this deduction process you realize that this show is about NOTHING! It is a retarded screwball school comedy with a concept you get bored of in a few episodes. The production values are also nothing amazing, soundtrack and voice acting are passable, character figures are generic, and character personalities are stereotypes. I find no value in this show, and very little enjoyment if you are a seasoned viewer.
orbbie
The strong shall live and the weak shall surely uh..... starve of hunger. This over the top anime is filled with everything for your amusement. Crazy enjoyable fight scenes, mistakenly called a pervert and the best part is you'll lose your composure with laughter while watching this as the main protagonist fight alongside his senpai and club members for half priced lunches. Just as the title suggests ben-to is about the satisfaction of their favorite Japanese meal with a major twist they must defeated their opponent in combat. The rules of the jungle apply and it starts at the top of the food chain. Thosethat choose to fight are called wolves and if you don't, you shouldn't even consider heading over to the half priced section without getting punched gender doesn't apply btw. This by far was my most enjoyable anime to end this year and move on to the next
story - is like non other they are FIGHTING FOR FOOD of crying out loud and I hid pride and
watched it with full enjoyment.
Art - good and characters where animated really smooth
Sound-both the intro and outro where great and the soundtrack for the fights was amazing I
honestly wanted to see alot of fighting just so I can listen to that beat.
Overall-watch this anime unless you have a problem with comedy, fighting, ecchi or just
enjoyment of that nature. Everything fits just perfectly.
RadiumPoisoning
I think in some ways this anime depicts the hardship one faces in a declining economy. That being said, it also sheds light on how humorous certain situations can be. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing less serious than fighting over your favorite food(s). If you are considering watching this anime, be forewarned--- you will laugh. As you progress through the episodes, more and more characters will pile up, each with their own "nom-de-guerre". Although some of the pseudonyms are dramatic and even historic names, Satou ends up with the most unsavory alias out of the bunch. In case youhaven't read the synopsis, Satou You is the main protagonist, along with the Ice Witch (Yarizui) and a few others that are best left out for spoiler's sake.
Now for the numbers game---
Story: 8
The story is really hard to grasp when you begin the anime. You might think, "Are these people actually FIGHTING over half-priced bentos?" Yes, they are. I bet you would join in if you saw the structure and rules behind the story in this show. I know what else you are thinking, "Wow, school uniforms, this is one of THOSE anime isn't it?" Well yeah, sort of. Ben-to really doesn't capitalize on the high school thing TOO much, but the overused setting is still there. However, the refreshing atmosphere of the grocery aisles are more than enough to keep you coming back.
Art: 8
Surprisingly good for a comedy based anime, though definitely not the best animation I have seen so far. The characters aren't cartoony and overly colorful like certain dramas, though the distinct hair differences of key characters are present. I will discuss why the detailed artwork isn't necessary later.
Sound: 7
The voice actors are great and all, but the OP didn't really drag me in like some other anime do. I think the main theme for an anime is really something that gets stuck in someone's head and reminds them to tune in every week. With that aside, the animation in the OP fits the song perfectly. It is nice that the song was actually crafted for this anime particularly.
Character: 8
Satou or Saito, is voiced by Shimono Hiro, who was really able to bring that humorously sarcastic undertone that made certain moments unbearably funny . The other characters were hit and miss, they each had their mysteriousness and past stories that will play out as watch. I think as a whole, they were able to band together as "wolves" to make a cohesive comedy.
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 8
I lumped these together because they essentially compliment each other. The big thing for me that I left out until the end of this review is THE FIGHT SCENES. Who would have thought that each one of the wolves would be so talented in martial arts? The fight scenes are really exciting and are played up each episode. With respect to animation, this makes up for the smaller details you may have missed out on. Who needs to tell how many fingernails one has while an outstretch leg is rocketing towards your face? Not this guy. You will see some special abilities as well as special enemies who try to shark the half-priced bentos without following the way of the pack.
Overall, this anime was worth watching. I brought away some pretty good laughs and ultimately learned a thing or two about the seriousness of low-priced food.
