Why should girls get to have all the fun? These magical boys are here to save the world from the loveless... at least that's what the pink wombat who gives them their magical powers wants them to do.
In Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu Love!, the main characters are the members of the "Earth Defense Club" at the Binan High School, though all they really want to do is hang out, goof off, and relax at the nearby Kurotama Bath. One fateful day, though, a pink wombat appears out of nowhere and forces these five high school students to become "Battle Lovers" and protect Earth from a trio of villains who are taking orders from a green hedgehog. Over the course of the series, the Battle Lovers will take on a variety of fiends, including the chikuwabu monster, a chopstick phantom, a monster remote control, and plenty more strange enemies!
Will the heirs to the throne of love be able to protect Earth from those who want to destroy love? Or will the Earth Conquest Club fill the world with hate?
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Comentários
somaisbatman
I've noticed a trend with myanimelist. Works of anime that act as parodies of genres are often taken way too seriously and get poor overall ratings. Binan, which we will henceforth refer to as Magical Boys, suffered this treatment as well. Up until the final episode aired, this show was stuck with a 6.7 rating. Does it really deserve this little? Nope, it's actually one of the best things that aired this winter. Story: 7/10 Magical Boys is very cyclical up until the very end, and I think that's why it turned a lot of people off initially. For the most part, it uses a fight-of-the-week setup,an obvious homage to the magical girl genre, but just like in those shows, this can lead to a predictable, repetitive show. However, each enemy is unique and the last episode throws a spectacular plot twist, so if you can put up with this style you'll be in for a good time.
Art: 8/10
Very colorful overall, the art in this show is consistent and bubbly. It's very pleasant, and all of the characters are pretty much color-coded so you'll never get confused.
Sound: 7/10
I like the opening, it's very peppy and catchy. The same can't be said for the in-show music, which was mostly forgettable, and some tracks just keep getting used over and over, another homage to the magical girl genre that comes out as a pain instead of nostalgia.
Character: 9/10
When first introduced, the main characters are as one-dimensional as can be. Red magical boy loves snuggling, blue magical boy is lazy, pink magical boy is all about girls, yellow magical boy loves money, and green magical boy has no traits whatsoever that I remember. Some characters are introduced and immediately established as the villains. So why did I give this a 9/10? All of the characters are vividly memorable, and bonds between them develop or are revealed throughout the series. All of the side characters shine as well. My personal favorites are Goura, red magical boy's older brother who runs the hot springs, and Mr. Tawarayama, the magical boy's teacher who is probably dead. All of these characters are designed to have one strong trait, and the show plays to this very well, and there wasn't a single character I didn't like by the end (except for the photography club, those jerks)
Enjoyment: 8/10
Like its magical girl predecessors, Magical Boys has some predictable fight scenes. Those aren't why I stuck around though. A good portion of each episode is banter between the characters, and it's often pretty funny or just bizarre, and often segues into the villain's motive. Speaking of villains, they're diverse and just as strange as the conversations.
Overall: 8/10
Magical Boys is a much better experience then many people expected it to be. You may come for the mahou shojo parody, but you'll stick around for the general wittiness, self-aware humor, and overall comfy atmosphere that emerges from watching this show.
rampao
I don't always write a review, but when I do, it's for THE Magical Boys anime, Binan Kokou Chikyuu Bouei-bu! Love! (Handsome High Earth Defense Club! Love!) I first saw this anime as a recommendation to another anime that I've recently watched, and I was aghast upon seeing bishounens wearing frilly clothes and magic wands. Then my heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Yes! It is! Finally, a Mahou (Bi)Shounen anime! I quickly went to Youtube and searched for their transformations, and for the next few minutes, I found myself laughing and shaking my head at the ridiculous scene that followed. At first, I wasquite reluctant to watch it since it might feel awkward watching pretty boys undressing and magically transforming into magical warriors, but hey, I gave episode 1 a try, and from there, I knew it was sold.
I honestly felt it was too ridiculous and outrageous to be true, but it is! And that's the name of the game for this anime, outrageous! Being an affectionate parody of the mahou shojou genre, it doesn't take itself seriously, often breaking the fourth wall and (surprisingly) the characters themselves blurt out what the watchers are thinking.
And it's a comedy anime directed by the same person who directed Nichibros and Gintama too!
STORY: 7
The premise is really simple. Like the synopsis says, it's about the tale of five high school boys who transform into magical warriors known as Battle Lovers to fight off monsters. It takes on an episodic pattern with a different monster per week to defeat. But what pushed me to give it a 7 is the way it slowly presents small details every week (along with the usual monster-of-the-week-routine) that all culminates to the story's climax. It's like dangling something so obvious in front of you that you disregard it because it's too outrageous, and by the time you reach the end, you'd go "Wooooaaah!".
ART: 8
Nothing much to say here. The colors were lively and refreshing, not too painful to the eyes. It gives you a relaxed yet vibrant feel. The background is simple yet well-drawn. And of course, all the characters are very pretty (it's called Handsome High for a reason), even the side characters have unique designs.
SOUND: 8
Nothing special, but I gave it an 8 because the seiyuus did a good job with their characters, giving them a unique touch. Of course, not to mention the catchy and upbeat OP, the emotional ED, and the epic background music in climax scenes. And then there's the bubbly music when our heroes are transforming.
CHARACTER: 10
The show's biggest strength. Each character is unique in their own way. They're conveniently color-coded for easy remembering, but what makes them unique are their quirks. Quirks taken up to eleven. Like seriously twisted quirks. Of course, another aspect is that the characters themselves comment on the absurdity of the things happening around them, that they tend to read the viewers' mind and break the fourth wall, making them lovable and enjoyable to watch. At first, they seemed one dimensional but as the show progresses, they prove to be more than just a one-sided character, they have back stories of their own (specially Atsushi and Kinshiro). And one thing I liked about this is that ALL the characters had something to do with the plot, and that each character is equally important.
ENJOYMENT: 10
I really enjoyed this ride called Binan Kokou Chikyuu Bouei-bu! Love! From the outrageous and hilarious humor, to the self-conscious characters, to the heartstring-tugging scenes. There's no deep plot behind the silly facade, and that's what makes it good. It's so outrageous and (as I've said before) it doesn't take itself seriously, making it a light-hearted and memorable show.
I've still got a lot of things to say about this anime, and those feelings can't be written in words. I really enjoyed the twelve episodes of pure hilarity, and would jump in joy and shed tears of happiness if they gave this show a season 2. It's really one of the underrated Winter Anime of 2015 (of course it's overshadowed by the other anime of the season) and I can truly say it's one of those hidden gems.
Love Forever! Love out!
PS: If you don't mind watching bishies bathing together and being all close and friendship and stuff, and is looking for a good laugh, then this show is for you. If you think you can't handle the show's self-conscious shipping (yeah, the characters at one point ship themselves), then stay clear.
chesudesu
Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! is a parody on the mahou shoujo genre. The elements it mocks are obvious and the characters actually acknowledge it - unlikely heroes flashily transforming into their ridiculous costumes with out-of-this-world powers battling monsters-of-the-week while upholding their valiant virtues of love and friendship. As a quirky deconstruction of the style, the series manages to pull it off with as few hitches as possible. Even the construction of the episodes is a parody. It is all in the episodic nature of the monster-of-the-week ploy, leaving a few hints of the over-all plot until unveiling it, albeit slowly, in last few episodes,and, of course, the all-too-grand climatic final episode. It's not worth enjoying if it is taken too seriously. After all, Boueibu is just a bunch of boys randomly given powers of love to save the Earth from hatred.
The design and animation could have been more flashy - as flashy as Sailor Moon and Free! combined. At the very least, it could be described as fitting to Boueibu's identity as a parody of a genre. The surprise, however, is the music. I expected something decent at best but I was amazed at the remarkable effort given to the sound.
Boueibu is what one would call a "basic" anime. While it is "basic", it nevertheless captures our attention with the charm of its characters and the wit of the script. The combination of the two elements is refreshing despite being only a cover-up for the series' identity as a parody with nothing else to work on save for the fact that it has magical boys instead of magical girls. It unexpectedly leaves you rolling on the floor or facepalming while laughing at its ludicrousness.
There is an irony in Boueibu in that one would have to take it seriously in order to realize that it's not to be taken seriously. It serves as an example to the anime audience to remind them of how one can still enjoy a series without taking it too seriously. It doesn't need you to think about ulterior motives or predict courses of action. Boueibu only requires one to pay attention.
It doesn't stand out too much but at least it does. Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! is a half lighthearted and half gut-busting comedy and I easily recommend it to anyone who seeks such.
TheBrainintheJar
I’m glad this exists, but not sure how I feel about it besides that. We need an anime like this. Everyone talks about how the male point of view is dominant in media. Earth Defense Club provides plenty of fanservice for females. It’s a gloriously feminine anime, all hearts and hot boys. It also has a wink-wink satirical element, which often goes against it. The attempt at being gloriously feminine is fantastic. It’s not even moe. The character design is useful to note the difference between male power fantasies, and females’ fantasies about guys. Ultra-mascular guys aren’t fanservice for females, but for males. The strength and endurancethey show isn’t automatically sexually attractive, but something males wish for themselves.
The design of the guys here isn’t macho. It’s pretty in a distinct females’-fantasy way. There is elegance and softness to their looks. It is not genderbending. The looks simply have sex appeal and confidence to them, but also a naturalness. A developed body like in JoJo clearly shows the person worked on it. An effortless body like of these characters points to superior genes. These looks are also friendly, which is necessary for sex appeal. For a change, the male design is meant to appeal to females.
It’s also good when you don’t consider this factor. The purpose of character design is to express the characters’ traits, and they’re all designed according to their personality. Yumoto’s carelessness and love for cuteness is in his wide-eyes and childish hair. Yufuin has the indifferent eyes of a lazy person. Since everyone is meant to be sexually attractive, there’s no variety in body structure. However, even a small difference in the eyes – order-obsessed Kin’s narrow ones, beauty lover Akoya’s feminine ones – tell us enough.
Once you go past the visuals, it becomes unstable. Is it a satire of magical girl? Or does it take the female catering of the genre to its extreme? It cannot decide between the two. It cannot decide whether it wants to reveal the absurdities, or have fun with the cliches.
Both elements fight, and often negate each other. The enemies are too silly to take seriously, but they’re never wild enough. They’re wild enough to be considered ‘satirical’, but it’s mostly tokenism. The transformation scenes are fantastic and well-done. After they end the characters have to get self-aware about their customes.
It’s confusing. Am I supposed to enjoy the hot-boy-and-love world, or to mock it? This balance between satire and tribute is nearly impossible. There is a way to accomplish it, but that means not being satirical. You take the genre’s cliches and push them to the limit in order to see how much Coolness Factor you can gain. This approach must never become self-aware. The appeal of it is that the creators don’t care about how ridiculous they get.
Earth Defense Club cares too much about how cool it is. Its detachment also harms the character development. At their core, they’re great. After a few episodes, you notice that half of them don’t offer much beyond their hobbies. Some are well-written, with interests that match their personality. Yumoto, Yufuin and Ryuu don’t just name-drop their obsession. They have their own unique reactions to every situation (Yufuin’s indifference, Ryuu’s aggression). Naruko, for the most part, doesn’t do anything but reminds the viewers he’s into money.
The enemies often have an inner conflict, a motivation that makes them evil. This is the basic and brilliant approach to creating antagonists. The show never builds on it though. Besides ranting for a while, they don’t do much. Their monologues aren’t funny or have any insight into why they became monsters. At first, it’s exciting how every villain of the week has clear motivations. It doesn’t manner when they end up functioning in the same manner – rant for a while and then get Love Attacked.
The last episode contains a cool twists. The creators use it like a person who just won a million dollars buying 1000 bottls of craft beers. Craft beers are awesome, but if you won a million dollars there are better ways to spend it. The twist is cool, and made the wink-wink satire makes sense. However, they literally do nothing with it. It’s revealed there was something bigger than conquering the earth, power up and defeat the big bad.
The mere existence of the show is enough to make it worthwhile. Not everyday you see an anime about hot magical boys. It had a chance to do something new, to show a gloriously feminine show and be as fun as JoJo. Sadly, in the end it’s still insecure about hearts and pink and love and hot boys. The novelty value is enough to carry it for 12 episodes but I can’t imagine this working as a second season.
2.5 hot boys out of 5
BanjoTheBear
(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!, contrary to its name, showcases a lot of hate, or at the minimum, dislike. Be it those around you or a pair of chopsticks, the show demonstrates that people often have those aspects of life that somehow seem to rub us the wrong way. Personally speaking, I’m not too fond of the Beatles’ music. Their style just doesn’t do anything for me. But where negative emotions are found, there is always positive thinking just around the corner. That is, if nothing else, the show provides us with the message that “allyou need is love.”
STORY
Earth Defense Club follows five high school guys – Yumoto Hakone, Atsushi Kinugawa, Io Naruko, En Yufuin, and Ryuu Zaou – who are one day visited by an alien life-form known as Wombat. Upon his arrival, the men are forced to become the “Battle Lovers,” using their newfound powers to bring warmth and happiness to their fellow students turned monsters.
“Magical girl” anime are a staple of the medium, and are really only possible under its format. Thus, Earth Defense Club capitalizes on this very idea. En, Yumoto, and the rest are themselves “magical girls,” but it becomes pretty apparent that the show isn’t truly about this subset of anime. Instead, it’s the parody that it generates that gives it its distinct edge. The shiny transformations are plenty, the corny one-liners are in full-force, and the enemy happens to be winning until the group (eventually) unleashes their super, “all together now” move to save the day. It knows exactly what it wants to do at all points throughout the series, because it targets so many different facets of what it is poking fun at. Delving into so many areas that make up this genre, though, leads to an inherent problem: distinguishing the intentional parody from what it is legitimately trying to do. Because calling everything that the anime does “as part of the parody” makes it seem like it can do whatever it wants without ever being in the wrong.
For example, the show is quite repetitive in its presentation, with a new monster to defeat per episode. The lead up to the victory might be slightly different – a small argument between friends disjoints the group, the enemy is defeated literally seconds after arriving instead of prolonging the fight, etc. – but witnessing the same conclusions day-in and day-out don’t reinforce the message of love it’s trying to get across. Instead, it only hurts it by revealing its inability to explore all sides to the subject it is tackling. On the other hand, the anime’s “plot twist” at the end coincides with its original goals of being not just light-hearted but carefree in terms of coherency. By being so ludicrous in its narrative, it allows the audience to understand that the show still understands where it initially came from. The aforementioned repetition is a bit more rampant than the unique scenarios like the conclusion, so the overall effectiveness at being a parody isn’t as strong as it could have potentially been.
Still, not all of the repetition works against itself. More specifically, there are two venues in which it leans in its favor: the casual conversations and the bathhouse. The former is strange due to how normal it comes off as being. The club members often have “Seinfeld” discussions, or talks involving the most basic of concepts. They might make a comment about the food they like to eat, the interests they have, or about what it means to be mature. While the dichotomy between the down-to-earth talks and the silly, “magical girl” moments contrasts nicely, it’s the connection between the two that’s the most important. For the “Battle Lovers” might seem to have random conversations when in fact what they say between each other directly leads into the problems at hand. Meaning their everyday words are not just relatable but contextually relevant, too.
The second venue gets a bit more esoteric, but it is alluded to. Looking at the show as a whole, nearly every set of events includes a bathing scene at the bathhouse. Why? Is it just to show the men naked as much as they can? Or is there a deeper meaning? It turns out its both. Of course, it’s supposed to be a bit of fan-service. But there is an important detail about the bathhouse; it’s Yumoto’s and his brother’s. Considering his position as the masthead of the group (and his brother’s former status as the greatest “Battle Lover”), the bathhouse is a metaphor of love. Baths are warm, quite relaxing, and bring about a sense of comfort. Love is the same way; when it’s received, when one bathes in it, it induces heightened elation as a result of these very same feelings. The final move is even entitled “Love Shower,” implying the gentle and water-like substance that love tends to be. Thus, the guys who daily cleansed themselves in the baths they adore so much weren’t just destined to become champions of love; they were surrounded by it for longer than they ever knew.
ANIMATION
Earth Defense Club doesn’t boast the best of art styles. It’s rather boring to look at, with the same drab club rooms, the overused school locations, and the bathhouse that has nothing but the previously mentioned love-water. In other words, the repetitiveness does not help the anime whatsoever in this circumstance.
The character designs are fine for what they are, and may even be a parody on their own. Each of the main characters is only distinguished by their color of hair and for their signature color – En is blue, Atsushi is green, Ryuu is pink, etc. – while in “Battle Lovers” mode. The same can be said for the student council members; each is refined and effeminate when compared to everyone else. The monsters that appear are quirky but such designs work well with the comedy of the show. For instance, the super-handsome, ballerina man becomes a “Black Swan” whereas the creepy, grade-loving nerd becomes a screw due to the ones he apparently has loose in his head. Like the conversations, each isn’t chosen out of thin air; their designs are based on the issues they are facing before they become these evil creatures, proving that there was a nice amount of attention placed here outside of just a variance in color.
Actual animation is somewhere slightly below average. Much of the show has the group of guys talking among one another at length. Meaning, lots of sitting without much movement is had. Even when they are taking part in their fights, the variance in abilities is so minimal that the show chooses to reuse the very same scenes as much as it can, highlighting its inability to animate what needs animating.
CHARACTERS
Much of the cast of Earth Defense Club has nothing else about them besides the personality shtick they each hold. Ryuu loves girls, Io loves money, Yumoto loves to cuddle, En loves to do nothing, and Atsushi loves to be friends with others. Even the student council members have their own loves. The word love is being used frequently here on purpose; it’s the whole point of the anime to make it abundantly clear that there is not only someone willing to give love but also something to love as well. As the introduction stated, there exists parts of the world around us that we don’t particularly like all that much, even if it happens to be irrational. And the students who become the monsters throughout the series have their hatred manifested, but it’s always trumped by the love the club (albeit forcefully) brings to these despondent individuals. In other words, love isn’t an emotion that is lost once less-than-happy feelings are acquired. It’s always around us; it just takes a bit of understanding – and perhaps a joint magical effort – to make said love come true.
As for individual character exploration, the anime fails to do this properly. And quite often when it is attempting to have the cast be more than their singular trait it comes off as poorly handled. A situation like En and Atsushi feuding lets us witness the “power of friendship “ – which is itself another parody – is fun, but doesn’t do much for the characters outside of having them realize what they knew all along. And it’s this constant return to the status quo that makes it impossible for the characters to see any sort of important growth. Reiterating at this point, but the repetition that is always used once again prevents the show from giving the guys any sort of meaningful focus since it always ends up the exact same way: small talk in the beginning, fight monster to save them, and end up taking a bath together.
Arguably, though, there is a character that does see a change in his person that does follow along with the parody elements of the anime. Kinshirou Kusatsu, the student council president, joins the forces of evil to gain the title of “Chevalier White.” His motivations are left clouded for nearly the entire time outside of hating that which is foolish, wanting to eradicate anything that, to him, is a blemish on this planet. While his behavior is quite arrogant, there are hints of something kinder: the ending theme and specific parts of the show reference a previous relationship between him and Atsushi. Everything eventually comes to light; Kinshirou believed to have lost his friendship with Atsushi thanks to some curry, holding a years-long grudge against his previous best friend. It’s absolutely silly that their division was caused by a simple meal. This not only reinforces the notion that we as people have some rather strange dislikes but also fits snuggly within the confines of the anime’s already ridiculous premise and direction. Once this massive misunderstanding is cleared up, the show continues down its parody path: the two groups come together to save the Earth from destruction. In the end, everyone lives “happily ever after,” with no amount of curry being able to change this.
SOUND
The opening theme is actually surprisingly catchy after listening to it quite a few times. The clapping and group-singing work with the orchestral instruments to give a track that is pretty generic but oddly fun to listen to. While it doesn’t cause one to “fall in love” with the piece itself, it’s at least not as lame as much of what the anime normally offers. The ending theme is split; the latter half is pretty interesting due to the increased emotion put behind it but the first half is somewhat slow and boring. But that’s sort of the point: it’s in essence, and as was discussed slightly earlier, a “love song” from Kinshirou to his former friend Atsushi. Sadly for the track, though, nobody is going to be missing it any time soon.
The soundtrack is rather forgettable, being used mostly for simple background music as opposed to setting any sort of mood or being worthy of a replay. The tracks themselves are usually calm and dainty during downtime and magical sounding when the guys embark on their escapades. But nothing in particular is significant and the music isn’t lovely to hear, making it a less-than-stellar OST overall.
As far as voice-acting is concerned, the performances were average at best. A special shout-out is deserved for Kazutomi Yamamoto as Yumoto for his somewhat feminine voice for the peppy, happy-go-lucky, and always energetic kid.
ENJOYMENT
When first getting into this one, I knew it would be strange. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the “magical girl” genre, but the show did its best at making it funny and comedic. The novelty though quickly wore off the further along it went, with the “same” enemies being dealt with and having to sit through Yumoto’s grating personality. Many of the jokes rarely brought about laughter because everything else around it was just not good.
However, there was one, recurring joke that usually managed to make me smile. And that was Mr. Tawarayama. When the show often forgot or remembered him, combined with his sickly status, it made for some pretty entertaining scenes. Better still were the tongue-in-cheek reminders of his condition when the show would pan over the clubroom with their teacher slumped over in the corner not doing much of anything because he was quite literally dead. The final joke was even based on the teacher, giving the anime as funny of a send-off as it could hope to attain.
Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! is a pretty intriguing parody that is unfortunately dragged down by everything else around it. The characters are weak, the art is lackluster, and the music is not worth mentioning. Despite all of the love the Earth Defense Club provides, this one does not get, or deserve, love of its own.
SUMMARY
Story: Good, nice parody on “magical girls” that utilizes some of its repetition to its advantage
Animation: Bad, boring art style, purposeful monster designs, below average actual animation
Characters: Bad, one-dimensional characters that exemplify love, little growth due to repetition, but Kinshirou at least follows the themes and parody elements
Sound: Bad, okay OP, okay ED, bad soundtrack, average VA work
Enjoyment: Bad, the novelty wears off quickly with only Mr. Tawarayama providing the laughs
Final Score: 3/10
Crez
Are you sick of the magical girls formula? Have you asked the obvious questions like "Why doesn't anyone recognize them?" while watching Sailor moon? If you have then THIS is the best possible anime you could watch! (Something went wrong when I posted this and it cut off midway, this is the edited and completed version ^^) Story: 5 fairly bored guys go to Binan high school and have club together called the "Earth defense club "lol"" where they do practically nothing. One day when two of the guys are taking a bath at a local bath house they regularly visit, when a pink fluffy animal that looks likea wombat drops down and ask them to help him protect the earth against monsters!
Together with the other guys in the club they become "Battle lovers" heirs to the throne of love! With frilly outfits and everything!
Yes! Everything you just read is just as silly as it sounds, and that's what makes it great! It rips off a typical magical girls scenario and uses it to ask all the questions you've always wanted answers for, while making fun of it to the extremes! Not only that but it makes fun of typical bishounen show fanbases, and since I belong to many I laughed and shipped to my hearts content! As many magical girls shows it's mostly fillers with a lot of fan service, but it doesn't feel like filler since they focus a lot on the relationships between the boys in multiple forms!
The final episode has the most unexpected plot twist since Mirai Nikki or even Death note if I may say so by the way.
Characters:
The main 5 are Yumoto, En, Atsushi, Io and Ryuu. They are accompanied by their trustworthy(That was sarcasm) side-kick wombat, whom you'll get to know incredibly little about. The 5 MCs are all pretty basic and stereotypical, but they are on purpose. What really makes them is the relationships between them and the whole parody thing. They are sorta paired up in Ryuu & Io, Atsushi & En, and Yumoto & Wombat, the first 2 pairs are best friends with each other. Putting the fact that I ship them both very hard they work off each other so very well! They aren't your everyday best friends who are perfect, no they bicker, and disagree with trust for the other just like normal best friends. This makes them all the more amusing and comfortable to watch as they learn more about each other.
We also have three villains who I won't go into any detail on since that might spoil some small details that I think everyone should experience first-hand on their own. I will say this tough: They are voiced by Kamiya, Fukuyama and Terashima, in other words: It's pure perfection.
Art & Sound:
If you are looking for something that is very fresh and unique in it's style and animation then look elsewhere. This show doesn't have all that good animation, and the soundtrack doesn't stand out at all. HOWEVER! Focusing on good animation and a fantastic and memorable soundtrack would have done nothing in this show's favor. The simple style and bright colors is just what this show needs for the comedy to shine, and I am so very happy that they went in that direction. It looks fantastic in the transformation sequences, and that's all I could ask for. I really can't remember anything from the soundtrack. That said you will have the opening theme in your head for at least a week! The op and ed songs get a lot of focus and are perfect for the show. That alone is more than enough for me.
Overall:
If you are bored, If you love shipping, If you are looking for a plate of brilliance, If you are looking for a good laugh, If you watched Sailor moon and Pretty cure when you were little, If you watched them just recently, THIS is the show for you!
This show takes the parody in the world of anime to another level of spot on and funny!
The writers of this show have obviously been the ones asking the questions while watching magical girls anime. They wrote this to give us their speculations on how the kingdom of girls fighting in mini skirts is ruled.
This has a lot of fan service and hints at ships which makes the fujoshis jump with joy, but anyone can watch this show, shipper or not and find it absolutely hilarious!
Judging this show for what it is and is trying to be I give it a strong 9.3/10!
I would recommend this for ANYONE.
Thanks for reading, and I will now go watch the last Nanatsu and then try to get this assignment done! Have a good one!
BAMitzEvil
Okay, so with this anime I had a lot of hype going in. I had seen many magical Girl animes, from Madoka Magica to Tokyo Mew Mew, so I was excited to see what they would bring with a magical boys twist. I was extremely disappointed. The story is a the same as any magical girl anime, they just change it to that they're boys and everyone freaks out saying it's revolutionary, which ticks me off a little as the writing is a side walk from Sailor Moon. The characters were bland and mediocre and sure they would have their odd moment here andthere, they never strayed too far away from their cardboard cut out counterparts.
The most I saw from this anime was yaoi innuendoes and that wasn't enough to keep me invested.
The art was nice. It was clear and bright, but nothing that no Magical anime had done before. Still, it brought some lacking charm to each episode.
Overall, this anime was brought down from the first episode and it made me cringe more than once, or make me want to rip my hair out.
Is it nothing more than a magical girl anime with boys, and if that's enough to get your motor going, go for it. But for the rest of you who actually want to watch something good, just watch Madoka Magica.
daidaiyu
Just as what everyone has said about Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!, it is a parody of Mahou Shoujo or Majokko anime. However, if you think that you have already watch a lot of this things that you think Binan Koukou will only bore you out, chances are, you are very wrong. Story: The story has the normal plot that every Mahou Shoujo has, except that the "Magical Girls" that are acting it are actually boys. Every episode has the 'Typical life of the characters and introduction of enemy (+Fanservice)-Transformation-Battle-Conclusion' pattern, however this anime succeeds in letting the viewers be hooked until the end by well-thought-out enemies,series of successfully funny conversations and one-liners, and a bit of drama and lessons about friendship, love and youth here and there. The story pattern is not original but the story is creatively done. I think is one of the parodies that are well-made.
Art:
The art is very fitting for its genre. The character design is very well-made; the characters, even the enemies before their transformation, are very distinctive of one another and are very easy to remember. The colors are vibrant and catchy. The background is also well-drawn. The costumes are also laudable -- they are cute yet not too frilly for the manly main characters. The ED MV is also a special mention.
Sound:
One of things I like the most in Binan Koukou is the soundtrack. The OP is very catchy, upbeat, and fitting. The ED is contemplative and very beautiful. Though the OP is not something an average person (especially a man) would add in his playlist, the ED is a different matter. In the context of the anime one may deem the ED as cheesy and even funny as it is about the friendship of one of the protagonist and one of the antagonist who are both males, but if you only listen to it as it is, it is actually a relatable story, for who among of us haven't been separated from a precious friend at some point in our lives, right? I suggest everyone to search for the lyrics if they haven't yet; it is very well-written.
While the songs are by themselves beautiful already, they also attract viewers because the singers are the voice actors of the main characters.
The background music, especially of the transformation and fighting scenes, are wonderful too.
Character:
Being a sharp-tongued and critical individual, I tend to have a person (or persons) I hate in every anime, whether because they are acting illogically, their values are totally fucked up, they are inconsistent, they do unnecessary and shitty things, they are just there for fanservice, or they are merely valued due to their existence (Some Special Mentions: Inori from GC and Menma from AnoHana. Oh, how I hate those women. Really sorry, fans of those girls.). However, in Binan Koukou, I tend not to hate everyone and love everyone. I don't even have a favorite character, though it doesn't mean that they all look flat to me. It's just that, I find them all adorable. Though they have powers, they are still shown to be humans like us. The characters are relatable while being unique, realistic while being surprising. The enemies are a whole lot relatable too, as their transformations as enemies of Battle Lovers are caused by their frustrations in life, which are same frustrations we normal people have, and just as what the message of this anime is, such things can only be cured by love.
Enjoyment:
This is very enjoyable. Take it from a person who is bored and can't focus all the time. You know what, I usually don't watch things twice. I find it ridiculous because I think it is a waste of time. Well damn, I can't help but pick a random episode and watch it over and over again. It is a shame, but I've actually memorized their lines (and even their positions) when they transform into Battle Lovers.
In Japanese and in English.
Seriously, what the fuck am I doing.
Recommended for: Open-minded people who want to have a good laugh
Not recommended for: People who are hardcore bashers of fanservice and parodies, and who only patronize anime with "meaning" and "sense " which they can "analyze", such as Code Geass, Shingeki no Kyojin, and the like. Also, people who want intense fight scenes. This is a comedy, people.
BlobbertMcN
There are great anime, there are bad anime, and there is Binan. There are anime with great twists, anime with contrived plots, and there is Binan. There are anime with well developed characters, boring one dimensional characters, and there is Binan. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! (Or Binan, if you haven't gotten that already) is an amazing anime. I don't mean amazing as in 'good', I mean amazing as in that you will be amazed. However this anime was possibly spawned, whatever stars aligned to get us here today, I am very VERY happy that I watched this. This is certainly a polarizing anime, everyone I'vetalked to have either hated it or loved it, but why? What is so special about Binan? Let me break it down:
~STORY~
So, you've seen magical girl shows right? Sailor moon, Tokyo Mew Mew, that sort of thing? Well, what if the those magical girls were instead boys? And what if those boys were completely self aware? And... hear me out, what if the great threat was a small green hedgehog in the student council president's pocket?
I honestly don't know what to say about the story of Binan, it's just like any other normal magical girl show; it's episodic with a new minor bad guy each episode that the boys have to stop, using love. Except the bad guys that they stop are so ridiculous! Actually, everything is ridiculous! I don't count anything shown in the first episode as spoilers so here: The first enemy is a giant chikawabu. Yup.
This is a magical girl parody taken to the extreme - every trope from the transformation scenes that strip the transformer naked, stopping things with the power of love, attack names, catch phrases yelled at the bad guy, etc, etc, etc. They're all here, but they're all played for laughs. While Sailor moon had a talking space cat, Binan has a talking pink space wombat that gives the characters their powers. Give an inspiring speech to a villain to have them turn back to normal? Binan's got you covered... though the speech may not make any sense to anyone with common sense!
But somehow, SOMEHOW, it walks the fine line of parody and keeps it funny. That is to say, for me at least. To others, they think that it falls on the wrong side of parody, where it becomes indistinguishable from what it is parodying. It all depends on the mindset you watch Binan with. Every episode I was watching, looking out for the tongue-in-cheek comedy, the sly nods and the double entendres (of which there are many). I mean, the flashing, thrilling, sparkling and roaring prince? Tranformation sequences that are set off with a shout of "Love Making!"? Love it.
But all I've been talking about is the "writing", not really the story. Truth be told, there isn't really much of one - nothing more than the usual 'stop the great evil, one episode at a time' that most other magical girl shows have. THAT IS UNTIL THE LAST TWO EPISODES. And oh my goodness yes. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. I won't say anything more other than that I LOVE the last two episodes. Watch Binan just for those if nothing else.
~ART~
The art is kind of average, with wavering quality throughout the show. From what I've seen, I don't think the show got much of a budget to work with, so I can excuse the wavering visual quality. That being said, it never is 'bad', just nothing too special.
~SOUND~
In a similar vein to the art, the sound is also pretty average. Though I do like the transformation sequence music~
~CHARACTERS~
For me, Binan did something that doesn't often happen: It made pretty basic characters, and made them lovable as all hell! Thinking about how I'm supposed to describe how they did it is actually quite difficult. I mean, each character clearly has their own 'thing'. Whether it be money, women, friendship, freedom or... cuddles? But they all just emit their own sincere energy that you can't help but like them. Despite being pretty one dimensional, they all have they're moments of odd realism - like their reactions to being turned into magical boys - and the effect is quite endearing. The villains are also entertaining in their own right - each clearly having a theme (even if that theme is not having one) that they stick too, and their 'evilness' seems almost so quaint.
On the most basic level, these characters are parody characters, with 12 episodes to shine. They aren't supposed to be fleshed out, deep or meaningful. They're supposed to be there to make the funnies, and for me they certainly did!
~ENJOYMENT~
I enjoyed Binan, a whole lot. Every episode had me laughing, and the final two had me choking with laughter. Most of all, I enjoyed watching it WITH people - while I did enjoy watching it by myself, watching it with others and laughing with them made the show all the funnier.
It is certainly true that the series hits a lot of things that I specifically find funny, so it catered to a lot of my own distinct comedy wants and needs - so if you don't enjoy the first episode, you certainly won't enjoy the rest of it. But after now watching the first episode 4 times with different people, and laughing each time, I can certainly say for sure that I enjoyed this series. Cheers to you Binan~
~OVERALL~
Comedy is subjective. That is the fact that will determine whether you enjoy Binan or not. Despite average sound and visuals, and a pretty basic story, I did find it very funny and so I gave it an 8/10 - its humour overcoming its flaws. If you don't like Binan's humour, I can certainly see it being scored below 5, since all the things I liked about the story and characters will instantly become worthless.
Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! was an ambitious series, coming out of nowhere, and I really hope that it finds some measure of success. It's weird and wonderful, and hit all my funny buttons. So yes, good work Binan, and remember to LOVE MAKING!
Toodles~
PhantomL
I mostly started watching this show as it looked cute with the nice magical boys and I need something fun amongst some of the more serious shows I was watching that season. The show was mostly great fun and almost 'parodied' the whole magical girl genre throughout due to fourth-wall breaking statements and running gags in the show. While it isn't a show with a great story, it is really good if you need something cute, fun and wacky Story: 5 I gave it this as there isn't really much of a story. The story was mostly every week the 'battle lovers' would face a wacky villain whichthey would have to defeat, and the battle would usually carry some sort of moral. The last few episodes did a fine job of pulling everything together with a few unexpected twists, but this show isn't really one to watch if you want a deep and powerful storyline.
Art: 9
The art is really cute and easy on the eyes. The transformations are nice, the character designs are all appealing and it is just a generally great art-style. The weekly monsters all have hillarious and wacky designs and the animation is mostly nice as well. While it may not be uber detailed or anything, it is attractive and appealing.
Sound: 7
The sound never really stood out to me, it was good overall though. The soundtrack was nice and fitted the show nicely and the voice acting all mostly fitted the characters and there was nothing notably bad about it while it was not outstanding at the same time.
Character: 8
The characters in the show were all wacky and unique. While the characters weren't particularly deep in whole, the main cast all had their nice little quirks (Ryuu and girls, Io and money, Yumoto and cuddling the wombat and En and being lazy) and it was a nice touch to the show. The minor characters all had nice little quirks, which was often the reasons they were turned into 'monsters' and all in all it helped add to the enjoyment of the show
Enjoyment: 10
This is the area where this show REALLY stands out. The show is hillarious from start to finish and will make you smile and laugh. Everything from the breaking of the fourth wall, to the parody nature, to the homoerotic moments to the running gags like the fact the pink wombat companion murdered their teacher all make the show one which is really enjoyable. While it may be light on plot, boueibu will be a show which will have you smiling from start to finish.
allegrotime
The concept of this show is that it is a parody of the magical girl genre. To anime fans familiar with all of the common tropes found in the genre, this show really did an excellent job with its outlandish, wonderfully wacky and accurate satire. It proved to be very entertaining in a silly way, and the hilarious comedic delivery was great. If you aren't familiar with the tropes of magical girl shows I would skip this one, as the jokes and over-the-top occurrences may fall flat for some viewers. I think this show very successfully did what it set out to do- and thatis to lovingly (yes, that's a pun there) make fun of magical girl shows… with guys! If you're expecting anything more from this show you'll be disappointed, but taking it for what it is is the best way to enjoy it! While viewing the show it is also quite apparent that it was written to cater to the fangirls who wish to pair friends in the show together as potential romantic couples… so a little fanservicey too as a FYI if you don't care for that (even though that can be fun sometimes lol). I really enjoyed the wackiness of this series, it was a lot of fun!
whiteteeth
I started watching this expecting a male version of the pretty cure series. I was in the humor for cliches and silly jokes, and a not very deep story... and i did get that, and so much more. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as i did. This show isn't advertised as such, but no matter what they tell you it IS an spoof/parody of magical girl and shounen ai genres, and fanservice for ladies. That doesn't make it less enjoyable, it actually make it become really refreshing. The five main characters are a bunch of highschoolers with different stereotypical genre personality traits (the cuteone, the brains, the playboy, the richboy and the lazy one), that are chosen by an alien pink Wombat to save the world and give love to the loveless. The funny thing is that they actually couldn't care less about this job, and even they make fun of their silly outfits and create hilarious names to their attacks.
I was pleasantly surprised how it got better episode by episode, and even though i would have love if they have given the plot more substance, i think it fulfills the purpose for what it was created: to make you laugh.
The only thing that i really think that sucks a lot are the monsters. They could have made something better if they tried... but it's ok, i was actually expecting something like that.
But anyway, hear me out, if you want something light-hearted and funny to pass your evening, give it a try.
7sheryl7
First review! Thought I'd like to do this anime some justice :) Story: 8/10 The story was fairly engaging and kept me hooked through all 12 episodes. Boueibu follows a general "Monster of the Week" kind of idea, no different from the 'stereotypical' type of mahou shoujo anime. Each episode and each monster defeated provides a lesson to be learnt by the audience.(Though it's a REAL STRETCH sometimes (the other characters point it out and all too)) However, it also has a running plot which i guess centers around the friendship they have with each other. Especially Kinshiro and Atsushi of course. So yeah, nothing too specialabout the story, yet it kept me interested so 8 points!
Art: 9/10
I REALLY REALLY REALLY enjoyed the transformation sequences! They were like upgraded and cooler Sailor Moon transformations. The fight scenes weren't half bad too :)
Sound: 8/10
I guess I really liked it since it brought back the magical theme song thing that I fell in love with when I watched Cardcaptor Sakura. Ahhhhh the good memories :D The background music was also okay, nothing outstanding though. However, other than one or two oddly placed bgm that don't fit the mood, it was fine.
Character: 9/10
They characters of boueibu are all unique in their own way. We get to see a great variety of character traits in all of them and how thy contrast with the others. This is really highlighted by the Battle Lovers as all 5 of them are very different and seem to be opposites of one and other. I didn't really look at character development since there's honestly not much you can do in an anime of this theme and only 12 episodes. However, I dropped 1 point since I felt that other than Kinshiro, they failed to further delve into the characters of the rest of the cast. An example would be Io's obsession with money "because it does not betray", which cause we never get to find out about.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Boueibu has brought me great joy as it has brought back many memories of my childhood. It is also hilarious in it's attempt to provide the audience with a parody of a genre unlike any we have seen before. THUS 10 out of 10 right here!
Overall: 10/10
While it has it's flaws here and there, boueibu has been a great journey and overall a MAGICAL experience of LOVE
Macross_Ghost
I honestly don't get the appeal. Take your standard magical girl show including a monster of the week, nude transformation and colour coded costumes and throw in some mild parody and self-awareness and you've got this show. The plot is contained in three episodes- the very first and the last two. Literally every other episode is a monster of the week basic plot with goofy looking monster designs and equally goofy dialogue. Rest assured though, the heroes who I'm never completely sure are parodying their character type or just ARE their character type will show up and stock footage transform into The Battle Lovers and ultimatelydefeat the monsters with more stock footage.
I thought the designs interesting at first until realising they're literally just gender-swapped standard magical girl outfits. Even their codenames are rocks and gems to parody Sailor Moon. In fact, half-assed naming conventions are the core humour of this show.
The music and art are the saving graces of this otherwise painfully average show that seems to have gotten a high score as it's boys instead of magical girls. That's the premise, that's the joke and it barely ever goes beyond that.
ShoutaIzukai-1
I think it's pretty straightforward that this story is a parody of all the magical girl shows out there, cause let's face it: there are a *lot* of magical girls out there. From the get-go, it's a pretty big parody without any real seriousness, but it's pretty damn funny to watch. The first 5 minutes in, I was thinking, "Girls are all gung-ho and/or dramatic, and this is how the guys react." I almost feel bad for Wombat, seeing as he got stuck with them instead of a group of girls who would help more willingly. :)
pomegranit
Before you get any ideas, I will tell you this: THIS SHOW IS A PARODY. This is meant to poke fun at magical girl shows, but not in a mean way, so I don't see a point in getting riled up about it. The story is episodical and has a different villain/fight every episode, all of which basically go down the same way. It all seems very stupid until the plot twist at the end of the series. There's also a great deal of other plot surrounding the main fight plot, so you can always indulge in that. It's laid out very similarly to Miraculous Ladybug,so if you're in that fandom, I would recommend this.
The art is beautiful, with some very nice galaxies and very clean, wholesome looking characters and backgrounds. It's not fancy, but it's simply nice to look at.
The sound is okay. The opening and closing songs are catchy enough, but the background music sometimes seems displaced.
The characters are a whole other story. They have some development, but sometimes their motivations or actions seem off. They grow on you by the end though, and it's hard to hate any character because they're all so fun.
Overall, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Much like most the of the audience, I was 'eh' about the show until the last episode, where the plot twist made the entire thing a lot more hilarious that I expected. At least watch it for that-- trust me, it's worth it, coming from a person who usually doesn't like the magical girl genre.
I would recommend this if: you like parodies, you like shows that break the fourth wall, you wanna pass time, you like magical girls, you like Miraculous Ladybug
I would NOT recommend this if: you are looking for a show on strong friendships/romance, you wanted an ACTUAL magical girl show, you wanted something even slightly serious
Have a great day everyone!
ashketch95
Story: Everyone knows that magical boy animes are parodies to the magical girl animes such as Sailor Moon and Madoka Magica; however, though this anime does break the fourth wall sometimes, Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu Love! could easily not be a parody because it's original in its own right. It's corny, of course, but it does it in a way that's not obnoxious. Each episode does have one enemy that the Battle Lovers have to defeat, which exception of the last two episodes, and I can see how that can get annoying, but the anime did shake up each enemy to be more interesting insteadof simplistic. There are some backstories in this anime that will make you feel for the characters. The ending, which I will not spoil for the sake of those who want to watch this, will end up shocking you completely. There is no real real plot, but each episode is enjoyable to watch. I ended up liking it. 10/10
Art: You guys know how much I don't like fanservice of any type, even when it's guys stripping while changing into their Battle Lover outfits. I know it's only a few short seconds, and I don't mind the changing scenes because of that. There are the bathhouse scenes, too, and I know it's culture for people of the same sex to walk around naked in a bath house, but I just don't dare look because it's not my place to look at guys' asses, cartoon or not. Also, the character design of the human boys are not as a cutesy as they should be. I think this show tried to create a style that was in between Sailor Moon and Madoka, but it just didn't work. I mean I love Ryuu, Atsushi, and Yumoto's design's, and Io and En's are a tad bit bland. The rival group's designs are a bit bland, too. For this, I rate it an 8/10.
Sound: The opening song is good, but it does get annoying if you listen to it at least ten times a day. The ending song is a lot better, and what I like about the ending is that the characters are sitting in a theatre watching a recap of the episode, especially the parts that inflict emotion out of them. Because there are only two songs, I don't want to rate this too harshly. I mean the battle background music is enjoyable to hear, too. You know it's a little more uplifting because it's meant to be a cute, action story. I would rate this a 9/10.
Character: I think where you find the parody the most in this anime is in the characters' personalities. They're pretty cliche, too. Yumoto is the cute, sort of gay (It may be confirmed, I don't know) leader. Atsushi is the nerdy looking type with a kind heart. En is the nonchalant person who couldn't really give a shit. Io is the greedy money making student, and Ryuu is the show offy, lady's man type (though I have never seen him with a girl for the entirety of the show). The enemy characters don't even have much personality either, except for their leader, who you will find out why he has his rage towards the end of the anime. The animal leaders are your typical ones. Wombat of Battle Lovers encourages the team to work together to defeat evil, and Zundar bosses his group around to make the world as evil as possible. Nothing special really. I feel as if I want to learn more about the Battle Lovers even after the show was over rather than the enemies' backstories when they should be more interesting. I would rate this 8/10 as well.
Enjoyment: I was always laughing during every episode. There was always a new joke to laugh at in every episode, but it also had its serious moments, too. Even though this may be too cutesy for some people, you are always wanting the good guys to win. Yes, it's one of those. Though the characters may be dull, the material is interesting to watch. The aggregated moments are so over the top, that they are funny. I guess that's what all the show is, funny. If you're looking for some deep material, you won't find it quite often. Still, I can't find the reason why I enjoy it so much. Maybe you can. 9/10
Overall: To conclude this review, it's a good show to watch. If you don't get too attached to the characters, that's fine. I wouldn't expect you to. Would I watch the sequel show if it were to come to be? Actually, yes. Maybe that show will help me answer some questions that I have right now. I sure hope so. If not, make sure you don't ask questions while watching this season alone. The overall score is a rounded 9/10
P19Amber
I was really excited for this when it first came out. I expected way more from it. It essentially followed the timeline of every magical girl anime. Regular day, bad guy appears, transformation scene, fight, follow up. The only underlying plot wasn't revealed until the last 2 episodes and I was shocked at how awful it was. A TV show? Really? Most of the monsters that appeared were just stupid as well. The art overall was not bad, but it wasn't stellar either. The music was pretty catchy. There was no character development except for Yumoto's brother. The background character that chops up wood every 2 episodes.The group itself has no development. They were all flat and boring characters. Might I add how annoying Yumoto is. Take Nagisa from free and X3 with a pinch of stupidity and bam, Yumoto. Dumb moron wouldn't shut up ever and his voice is annoying as hell. Why is the main magical boy? Atsushi was introduced first and he's the only dipshit that has half a brain, should've been him instead.
This show was boring and was a pain in the ass to watch but I didn't want to give up so I finished it. Great show for young weeaboo girls who run around going "kawaii desu omg teh yaoiz XD". Basically if your anime taste involved Ouran and Junjou Romantica, perfect for you.
Lunalun
Binan - or Magical Boy anime - whatever name you may prefer, something where we can actually say it's "new"...kind of. Still Binan turned out to be very different from what I was initially expecting, which is a good thing. Story: In the beginning it uses a "every week a new enemy/mission" style. Later there is more story development and it actually does get a little bit deeper. Also it uses parody elements, which you can already see in episode 1 (if you just want to try watching it) Art: The art is...well...normal, I guess? It is nothing special but also not bad. The colours aresimple and nice, while the backgrounds and everything is okay too, so really it is average...
Sound: It may just be my personal opinion but I really loved the soundtrack of Binan. Sometimes an OP or and ED is really good but it doesn't match the anime, well here you won't have that problem. I think the OP is just perfect for the anime and sounds good too!
Characters: Maybe it was the parody-style of the whole thing...maybe the comedy style, but the characters are very likable (imo). If you like one of them I'm pretty sure you will like all of them, maybe some more than others, but overall very nice, although some of them only develop a background later on in the anime.
Enjoyment: Well, here they just have to get a full 10 points because if you start watching Binan and you like it, than you will definitely enjoy yourself until the very end!
Overall: It is a very nice anime with colourful backgrounds, characters and music and shows you a refreshing and new perspective of the "magical someone" genre, which I think was just...delightful :D So I recommend watching the first two episodes and then decide if you like it or not.
