Mizuki Usami is a passionate member of her school's art club, but the club has a problem—Usami is the only member who takes her craft seriously! The lazy club president constantly sleeps through activities and Collette hasn't regularly attended club activities in quite some time. Uchimaki Subaru, despite being an exceptional artist who could win an award if he tried, is obsessed with drawing the perfect 2D wife.
Light-hearted and comedic in tone, Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! follows Usami as she struggles to do art club-like activities, often obstructed by her motley crew of good-for-nothings and her distracting crush on Subaru.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
WFCgbow
Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! or also known as Konobi was one of the best animes I have ever watched in my lifetime. My heart went doki doki a lot lol. I bet many people thought this will become the romcom of the season, I did personally to but it's just a goofy show overall. The story is something certainly I don't complain about, because the comedy and art always makes up for it. I just thought it kinda slow-pasted and a little boring at times. The art was amazing. very fitting for the anime. Character designs worked well because it was very lightheartedand also the studio made the most important scenes have the prettiest colors.
To include in this, I loved the music as well. The music is so different from most anime openings I listened to. The voice actors made the voices sound really good to.
Now the characters were somewhat relatable, and because of that I loved the characters a lot. Collete is the funniest character lol.
Overall, I think anyone would enjoy a comedy and kind of romantic anime so please give it a try.
HaXXspetten
Sometimes, a strong character cast is really all an anime needs to be successful. Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru (or Konobi for short) is a perfect example of an anime which technically doesn't do anything particularly different from your average romcom, but it accomplishes what modest goals it has with flying colors. We have a standard middle school club setting and barely any plot development to speak of; the show is simply about the everyday events the characters experience in their lives, and their interactions with each other. No more, no less. But with characters as interesting and likable as these, and some goodlaughs to go with them, that's really all you need to still deliver a very funny and entertaining anime.
The story mainly takes place inside a quite typical middle school art club room. What are not quite so typical though are its members. Uchimaki Subaru may be a very talented artist, but contrary to what you'd maybe expect, he's not very interested in drawing apples, statues or landscapes. The only thing he's interested in drawing... is waifus. Perfect. Uchimaki is like a tongue-in-cheek representation of what people like to joke around that the average anime viewer is like. He's very devoted and serious when it comes to his waifu drawings, he claims to not be interested in 3D girls at all since they're impractical and "incomparable to 2D greatness", and he even gets into trouble with his schoolwork because he's too busy watching 30 episodes of seasonal anime every week. I'm sure a lot of the viewers can relate to at least some of those things, and the ways Konobi sort of breaks the fourth wall time and time again is part of what makes it so amusing to watch.
At the same time though, Uchimaki's world views are much to the dismay of his fellow club member Usami Mizuki, who doesn't have any interest in anime at all and thus finds his drawings to be in rather questionable taste. But at the same time she also finds out that he is a very kind and easily approachable guy on a personal level, and she just couldn't help but fall in love with him over time as a result... however since Uchimaki is only interested in his waifus rather than noisy 3D girls, she's in a pretty tough spot. A spot which Konobi also makes great use of to be a consistent source of really great comedy. Especially since Usami's feelings are clear as day to literally everyone other than Uchimaki, and they never stop making fun of her for it.
Then there's the resident oddball duo consisting of Imari Maria and Collette (family name unknown). Maria is the only one whom Uchimaki can converse openly with about his interests, as she's the only other character in the show who's also into anime and manga. In a certain way she's even more hopeless because she's seemingly gotten quite a bit of chuuni fever from it as a result. Though unlike your typical chuuni girl, Maria doesn't really play her character straight but rather it's more like an occasional chuuni act she just pulls out because she thinks it's fun. She doesn't appear to be too delusional on the inside, but for some reason likes to act like she is. Collette on the other hand... where do I even start; this girl is borderline incomprehensible. Everything she does seems completely random and not properly thought through, like a little kid with way too big of an imagination. She also wants to be a super hero, so naturally seeing Maria's confident chuuni act was like finding the person she always wanted to be herself, and thus she wastes no time at all in asking to become her apprentice. And so we end up in a situation where a pretend-chuuni girl tries her best to teach an underclassman how to become a real one. You don't see that every day. There's also the (nameless) president of the art club in there but there's not a whole lot to say about him because his shtick is basically just to fall asleep wherever and whenever possible, and never actually contribute anything useful to the club.
It's a very simplistic show at heart, mainly consisting of shorter skits (about 5-10 minutes each) and not much actual plot progression. But honestly it doesn't have to be anything more than it already is. Just seeing these characters live their daily lives and interacting with each other during it is more than enough to provide a solid anime, simply because of how likable all of them are and how good the comedy is. There are a lot of meta cultural references taking jabs at modern anime fans (all in good fun of course) as well as a lot of more traditional romcom elements that are used quite tastefully. I should probably mention though that any romance fans out there might be disappointed in hearing that there is almost no romantic progression between Uchimaki and Usami at all in this anime, but you only need to watch a few minutes of it to figure that out on your own. It was never going to happen because that's not actually what Konobi is about. It's an infatuation used solely for the sake of comedic effect, not feels. Poor Usami.
It may be a very "standard" anime as a whole, with a common setting, normal animation quality and soundtrack usage, and no real plot progression to speak of. But the only thing an anime of this nature really needs in order to blossom is likable characters and generally good comedy, and that is exactly where Konobi's strengths lie. And as a result this was definitely one of the shows I was looking forward to the most every week this season; it's just so much fun to watch every time.
Shvetko
Hi there,i decided to do a review of a romance/comedy anime called:Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga aru! or on English:The art club has a problem!I decided to put in a tl;dr for each score next to it.Let's get right into it,shall we? Story:7/10 Hilarious plot at first,kind of falls off later. It was interesting to say nonetheless,i really liked the idea of Subaru being into 2D girls and that he is in the art club so he can draw them,other than that the story is pretty bland,they go on with their daily lives and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that,each of the episodes are interesting. Art/Animation:9/10Beautiful,colorful and very original art style.
Holy the art is amazing,each of the characters has unique looks,but still fall in the same art style.It is colorful and just a delight to watch,the animation was alright,nothing amazing.
Sound:8/10 Opening/ending are great,other songs could have been better.
Not much to say,i love the opening and the ending,they are very catchy,but other than that the soundtrack is not very memorable,it is good enough,better than most other romance/comedies.
Comedy:10/10 This doesn't count for the overall score,it was hilarious.
This is just an add-on,and it doesn't go with the overall score,but i wanted to just mention it.The whole anime is hilarious!the characters are funny,the comedy doesn't feel forced and goes well with the characters' personatilies.
Characters:10/10 Funny,clever and fun to watch.
Oh boy,the characters,they are the best thing about the show!All of them are original and funny,they are well done and each one of them fits their role.It wasn't the best development in the world,but it was a pretty good one.There was not a single character that i didn't like.
Enjoyment:10/10 this and the characters alone are worth the watch.
As i said earlier,it has some great comedy,it never gets boring to see what they are doing next,this comes from someone who was watching the show when episode 1 aired.
Overall:8.6/10 Worth the watch,one of my favorite romance/comedies
The show did have some problems like the conclusion which was satisfying,but not exactly what we wanted though.I can't recommend you enough this anime if you are a fan of slice of life/romance/comedies,even if you are not i think you are going to like the characters and the comedy,it was brilliant,for those who seen the show and wonder why i gave it a 8.6/10(which falls into the category 9/10) and saying stuff like:you are overrating it.Well,maybe,but hey!that's just my opinion and it shouldn't offend anyone,if it did offend someone i kinda feel bad but those people are just wasting time,and should focus more on enjoying things rather than hating on them.
Conclusion:If you read my whole 511-ish words long review(i don't think i counted the exact right number,somewhere around 511)i am really grateful,i was kinda feeling depressed recently and this anime really helped me,and hopefully this review will make you give this anime a shot!also +71(582-ish words in total) words for this conclusion part,see you next time,guys,this was a really fun ride.
Thunderfrog
Kono Bijutsubu, or "This Art Club Has a Problem!" When perusing the new stuff coming in 2016, I was really excited for this one. I'm a huge Chunibyou fan, and seeing the art was similar was pleasing. Story: 6 It doesn't take much to draw a lot of Chuunibyou comparisons based on archetypes and character design. However, even though there's a girl with Chuni in Kono B, it's story is its own and no where as serious or life-defining, but instead is much more about a girl with a crush on a guy who only digs anime chicks. It's very much "adventure of the day", with no intermixingplot elements to bind the story, other than a girl crushing on a guy who likes waifus.
In some anime, there is basically 0 plot development. This is one of them. Where you start is where you end. If you like that sort of thing, where no one gets too heavy and it's all in good fun, you might be a fan.
I prefer a bit more of an unfolding story.
Art: 10
I love the Chuuni art style, and this copies it perfectly. In fact, a few of the characters could just be pallet swaps, to be honest. Still, this is my favorite type of color saturation / animation / art style. If you like softer and more colorful, this will do it for you. The last episodes animation is amazing.
Sound. 7
The opening score is kind of average. The end score is good but with weird visuals. The VA's are all great fits.
Character. 6
The teacher is cute. The boy is different. The main girl is crushing on the main boy. No one so far has any surprises or value other than whats on the surface. The more anime I watch, the more I prefer characters who are more than a trope. This so far is the shows only real shortcoming.
-The president, a sleepy character who loves naps
-Subaru, a love-oblivious kid who dislikes "3-d" women and spends his time drawing waifu.
- Mizuki, a generic-on-purpose protagonist who loves Subaru, but is ignored by him.
-Collete, a french student left behind by her parents. She's "the weird one." and basically Dekomori with a haircut.
A little later on, a new cast member appears, who shares many interests with Subaru, which annoys the crap out of Mizuki. She's also got 8th Grade Syndrome, refers to the "Black Flame Dragon", and is basically a bridge of concept between this show and Chuunibyou.
Sensei Yumeha is also a thing, but she's relegated to oppai fan-service.
Enjoyment. 8
It's a good "smiling" kind of a show and one you can enjoy. You -know- how most episodes will end, but it's nice to watch it happen and generally the things they try to make cute, are in fact very cute and it's pretty funny. I genuinely laugh about once or twice an episode.
Overall. 7.4
(Note, I weigh story and characters as double scores.)
Art Class is an anime worth watching for some and will be incredibly frustrating for others. The art is great even if the substance is thin, it's tropes we like watching over and over. It tries really hard to draw from other works, and ends up feeling like a weak copy.
It's a good production value kind of show, but it's very predictable and really nothing new from any other anime that's slice of life with an unrequited romance.
Pros and Cons
++: If you like the Chuunibyou art, you'll like this art.
+: Good for slice of life without a huge cast.
+: If you like low-drama.
+: Is generally pretty funny.
- - : If you want something thought provoking, like Chuunibyou.
- - -: If you are tired of tropes.
- -: 0 plot progression.
Adi
There are two types of anime I consider a “5”: those with an equal force of determinants and merits, and those that follow a formulaic and mediocre narrative used quite often. The difference is that shows described by the former are usually on the negative side, whereas shows described by the latter can still be a good watch; Konobi is the latter. Produced by studio feel (who’ve brought the likes of OreGairu and Kiss x Sis) comes “This Art Club has a Problem!”, a hilarious, lighthearted rom-com with emphasis on “com”; Seriously, this show is funny. Definitely one of the greatest strengths of this show isthat it knows how every other rom-com plays out and instead of trying to simply be another one, it adds a couple pivotal twists to the setup and focuses more on the comedy aspect, making this show a unique and refreshing rom-com yet still allowing itself to be held back by the limitations of its genre-type.
Konobi follows the story of a cute middle schooler, Mizuki, and the exploits that follow as she pursues her die hard crush on Uchimaki Subaru. This is where the first pivotal twist comes into play. Subaru is a certified otaku, the only girls he’s interested in are what he calls, “2D girls”; yes, Subaru has 17+ waifus. No joke. The second twist is not so much a twist but a unique way of keeping things fresh, it’s the setting: an art club. The only reason Subaru is in the Art Club of his middle school is so that he has the means to paint his 2D waifus day after day. Now imagine the struggles that Mizuki is accompanied by when she tries to pursue her crush on a man who’s only interest is in anime and manga girls. It can only be hilarious, right? This twist to the genre and premise sets up a plethora of extremely funny gags that surprisingly, aren’t a hit and miss.
The reason the gags aren’t a hit and miss because unlike many other comedy-centric shows, it doesn’t rely on slapstick/chibi humour or what I like to call, “reaction humour”; reaction humour is a show’s attempt to make the viewer laugh by having its characters react to something absurd in an overblown and eccentric fashion. The reason reaction humour is almost always a hit and miss is because since it’s unpredictable and comes out of nowhere, it literally either hits your funny bone or misses it. While Konobi does have humour like this, it is never solely reliant on it. Rather, Konobi constructs its gags around a specific physical or abstract object (e.g. ruining someone’s painting and covering it up), and the humour is pulled from the anticipation of how the characters will eventually interact, react, and deal with the object. The humour is not wholly “predictable”, but on some level you build an anticipation in your mind about the end result, and when the show either matches or subverts your expectation it’s funny regardless. The hilarity that ensues throughout the show is never consistently funny, there will always be a couple gags that may very well not entertain you, but for the most part the show’s humour is well above average in terms of consistency of quality. Whenever you have a show with an overabundance of jokes it is a given that some may turn out being predictable and occasionally seem lackluster.
The romance element of the show is heavily downplayed, and rightfully so. Its consistent comedic and lighthearted nature wouldn’t dare allow for serious and touching scenes of romance. Every time it seems as if Mizuki is about to move from a platonic relationship with Subaru to a romantic one, it’s always just another setup to prey on and make light of Mizuki’s naive and earnest pursual of Subaru. Many of the show’s episodes are divided into 2 parts, with each part following the exploits of another character or another subplot; this division sometimes makes the show feel episodic but the events that happen always impact the characters and their surroundings, so there is a sense of continuity throughout the story. This division of episodes into comedic shorts greatly compliments the pacing as well, things never unnecessarily drag out and the viewer won’t ever feel bored through repetition.
The characters are just… there, they all have their own contrasting personalities but they can still just be summed up in one liners, for the most part. This is perfectly fine, considering that the show never tries to be a super realistic revolutionary romance story, it’s just a gag show, so as long as the characters are likeable and funny, for all practical purposes they can be considered “good” characters.
Studio Feel are really upping their animation game; this show has dazzling visuals. Just the first episode alone has this breathtaking scene where Subaru is drawing Mizuki in the art club room, with shimmering sunset light beaming through the window, enveloping the entirety of the comfy art room in a warm, cozy colour palette that is just captivating to gaze at. With subtle, meticulous and distinct dust particles drifting through the air in a carefree manner as well, studio Feel brought this show to life. With Konobi added to their resume and OreGairu Season 2’s scrupulous character animations, they’re well on their way to approaching Kyoto Animation level beauty.
The voice acting is pretty standard as far as anime goes, but one thing that should be noted is that Ozawa Ari, the voice actor of our protagonist Mizuki, also voiced Sakura from the equally hilarious show Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. Coincidentally enough, both shows are actually fairly similar in terms of plot, so if you liked Gekkan Shoujo I cannot recommend Konobi enough. The soundtrack for the most part is again, pretty standard, but there are a couple tracks that are surprisingly distinct and potent. They add a sense of emotion to all the scenes and make the whole experience just a little bit more enjoyable overall.
Enjoyment: 7/10
Despite the show not being anything spectacular, it is fairly memorable. I was entertained a lot, I laughed a lot, I found Mizuki cute a lot, and amongst other things I was able to leave this show satisfied with and happy overall. The gorgeous visuals, the surprisingly potent soundtrack and then strong voice acting left a reasonable impression on me as well.
Overall: 5.5/10
Again, the show does nothing spectacular, but with a couple amusing twists to the rom-com setup it allows for a solid and entertaining watch throughout. I’d recommend this to anyone into who likes both romance and comedy, but usually prefers the latter over the former. For similar titles, again, I’d recommend Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun.
I hope this review was informative and helpful.
LegendAqua
Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! is a gag comedy anime about a dysfunctional art club with eccentric members and our main protagonist Mizuki Usami like it's written in the premise, hilarity ensues...obviously. So LA pose a question...is it funny?. Well before LA can answer that, LA needs to get to the technical first. In terms of characters, we got an eccentric bunch of characters, yes even the main girl Mizuki Usami voiced by Ari Ozawa who draws apples all the time and has a crush on the 2D anime waifu "artist" Subaru Uchimaki voiced by Yuusuke Kobayashi, we also have Collette voiced by Sumire Uesakathe underclassman and member of the art club who is the trickster chunni type, President voiced by Kentarou Tone, the ever sleepy and sleeping president of the art club and Yumeko Tachibana voiced by Nana Mizuki the new advisor of the art club. If there was a character that was LA's favourite it actually goes to the Nao Touyama character of Maria Imari, an eccentric chunni who knows she is a chunni but still is one and a sorta of love rival to Mizuki halfway through the anime. Maria for what a "new character" introduced halfway through, she quickly and smoothly integrates int the cast and has GREAT chemistry with Usami and Uchimaki. Really since Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! is a character-situational comedy, the character stands to reason be the focus and brings out the comedy as well.
Well on speaking of comedy, the comedy in Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! is at best character-driven and because of it can be really subjective as to if you like it's humor or not. Do you like off-handed gags that brings out a characters motivation but as compensation have some of the gags be nothing but one off or have over exaggerated reactions, is the humor you're looking for more of a Chekhov's gun material where previous gags builds up to a bigger and better gag down the line, then this is the kind of comedy that you're in for. LA won't say that this comedy is FOR EVERYONE and laugh out loud, the anime's comedy at best got a couple of chuckles here and there from the characters reaction faces alone. Now LA won't say that Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru!'s comedy doesn't meet ALL of the criteria LA just said as the comedy have some smaller detailed comedic moments (like background off-handed situations to running gags from way previous episodes making surprising comeback comedic one-offs later) as well as Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru!'s best strengths is it's character chemistry with the main cast of the art club, really due to the characters chemistry with one another and bouncing off comedic moments and reacting in kind really makes the comedy shine for the better, thus LA can really overlook it's running gags as that is only the foundation for the comedic moments to work off of.
Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! also has some sentimentality moments mainly with characters like Yumeko Tachibana trying to bring the art club together during the cultural festival, Moeka voiced by Aimi Tanaka with President in one episode and Usami for your romantic sentimentality in which YOU KNOW where it's going. The sentimentality is what counts even if straight after the heart-warming moment leads straight into a comedic one-liner etc.
The only BIG issue with this is that since these eccentric characters have at best some lingering running gags to them (Mizuki's crush and tsundere act and apples, Subaru's cluelessness and 2D-waifu gags and Yumeko being a ditz and misunderstanding the situation to Collette and Maria's chunni misunderstandings). But LA already explained above how the repetitive running gags can be overlooked on how the situational comedy builds and work with the running gags instead of making it stale.
In terms of animation by Studio feel. overall was presented with a nice and decent consistency as well as the poppy and vibrant character designs, even in the most comedic moments, they do resort of "anime emoji faces" but LA kinda sees that as kinda the point. Nonetheless the animation's overall ok consistency and atmospheric backgrounding makes the animation ok.
In terms of voice acting, well for a rather manzai-form of comedy, most of the voice actors either are the "boke" (the moron) like Uchimaki, Collette and if you wanna add her Yumeko-sensei or tsukommi (wise guy) the most obvious one Usami and LA will give liberties to President as this as well. Maria is more or less BOTH of these all due to her chunni-personality being ramped up and her situational moments can BACKFIRE on her. Nonetheless from this LA's favourite voice actors goes to Ari Ozawa and Nao Touyama because of this. What LA found more a "playing against the type" character was Nana Mizuki as the shy-ditzy Yumeko-sensei as she usually voices the more "badass with a tragic backstory" type of character...it was just something LA noticed is why LA brought it up.
Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! isn't quite the best comedy anime this season, it's at best slightly above average at best depending on the running gags or newer gags that were brought up. So LA posed a question to you at the start of this review, is this anime funny?...well if character chemistry, well-timed comedic skits and likable and eccentric characters does it for ya, then quite easily Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! is a good comedy to watch from Summer 2016, LA won't say it's the "best" as it depends on taste for comedy, comedy is subjective after all, but if you want a pure situational comedy from Summer 2016, then Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! is a perfect choice.
Vaenny
Finally, a romance that I can tolerate! It's not too cheezy or too dramatic, the perfect mix for a romcom. At first glance, it may look like another moeblob comedy. Well, I can tell you with a straight face that it's not. Despite its cute character designs and simple plot, this series captured my heart. How? Well, for one, it's told in the perspective of the female lead. You may think it's a shoujo series, but it shows traits that even shounen comedy series would display, meaning it's made for both boys and girls. Another thing that I liked was the art style. As stated before,it's all cute and adorable. But upon closer inspection, you can see how detailed the background props and animation was. In terms of art, this series tops any anime of this season. Of course, that's expected since the show is about an art club.
To summarize, it was a great experience watching this anime. I whole-heartedly enjoyed it 'till the end, and I'm sure you will too! Maybe then, you'll see the joy of being in an art club!
XanWasting
this anime is rather bland. you'll forget the episode you just watched two hours later, since there is no plot at all (apart for episodic ones). The comedy is weak, with a hint of slice-of-life humour, more situational than actual comedy. the romance consists of one girl crushing on a not interested, oblivious boy, and the cour ends without anything changing. well, that said, this isn't a bad anime. it looks good, music is well fitted for this anime, and character are cute. there aren't that many cliches used too. I'd really like to elaborate, but there's really nothing more to this anime. spoiling it is impossible. If Ihad to sum it for for TL;DR, i'd say we get a full cour of fillers for some good, interesting anime.
which is ...good? bad? i guess good, cause the art is good, right? watch only if you have time to waste watching anime. nothing lost, nothing gained with this one.
verytiredboi
[Story] 6 For the most part, KonoBi takes place in a generic school setting where the main cast spends their days in the Art club. The story revolves around the art club members but mainly focuses on Usa and Uchimaki. Throughout the show, we get to see Usami-chan's experience in having to deal with Uchimaki-kun's addiction, and don't worry, this story isn't that dark. This sets up a handful of hilarious scenes and minor plot twists that might squeeze out some air from your nostrils. The story doesn't do anything in particular with the school setting that would've changed the story drastically if it didn't takeplace at school. The romance is sprinkled in here and there, but any real romantic developments are usually shot down with a one-liner from Cole-chan or anyone from the supporting cast. Overall, the story is nothing groundbreaking, but it is able to keep your interest if you are willing to give the show a chance.
[Art] 7
Studio feel. got the job done here. The animation takes a dip in the middle of the series, b/c im sure KonoBi wasn't presented with a commendable budget where they could splurge on animation. For the most part, the animation is very smooth and can be VERY gorgeous when it wants to be.
[Sound] 6
Again, the OST is nothing too special, sets the mood for the most part, and gets the job done. Casting and voice acting was pretty good imo too. Nothing else to say really...
[Setting]
Most of the action takes place on a Middle School campus, where the character's would occasionally be seen in their houses or walking together on the street. The setting isn't used to a particular advantage, more as an excuse to put all these cute characters in one place. Nothing noteworthy.
[Character] 8
The character designs are nothing new, but all of the characters are extremely kawaii and fit perfectly into a middle school setting, my favorite of the bunch being Imari, duh. The characters are extremely relateable, Usami in particular, and this makes for a more believable, entertaining story in the long-run. You don't see much in the category of character development, and you could go as far as to say that there wasn't any at all.
[Overall] 7
In short, this show isn't an investment, you can pick it up at anytime and expect to see some good waifu/Imari action, and a good laugh or two. I know saying the characters are cute isn't a good reason to watch a show, but please just watch it, even if its for the cute Usa/Cole/Imari scenes. If you're the one who assumed that this would be another generic school/romance/comedy show, YOU WERE RIGHT, but this show steady pace keeps the watcher's devotion to story and character's and their daily interatctions with one another.
[P.S. This is my first review EVER so if it was bad, I know, I read it too. I just had to review this so that people know that its not that bad of a show. Just give it a chance.]
Apdo1
Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! (dat copy and paste doe) is just one of the many ordinary series that are just out there to make us laugh, and to enjoy the shit loan out of moe. It's basically a daily lives of high school student type of series, where you got this club that not so many people are interested in. And the students within the club ended up doing stuff that's fun, and carefree (in term of their freedom to choose what to do, what sorts of activities) despite just being a fucking "art club". And the centralization of focus are solelyconcentrated on those clubs activities, and some external setting with its support/minor character in the story, to expand their gag for each episodes. And so far, this anime has been pretty entertaining, mainly, the fucking moe. Plus, there's this romance between our MC (who's dense af, just like any other Harem MC out fucking there....) and... I guess, the heroine of the story, Usami Mizuki. And so far, everything that's happening in this anime, or from what i see, is very generic. Although the things that're not so generic and cliche, or just too typical of an anime of this kind to do are.... comedy that this series are showing you. Well it's not really all that different from other of those typical ones.
And if you're expecting a good story out of this, then let me tell you this. It's a fucking slice of life anime, you don't expect a story out of it. You should prolly expect cuteness, gag, chill and relax environment, etc. because that's just the priority in most of any slice of life shows. Although I haven't finished watching the anime just yet. I could clearly predicted that our MC and our Heroine will never get together and they will ended up stagnating their relationship, ending nowhere, and restart from the very fucking beginning. This shits happens alot in these kind of romance anime where they teases you with some romantic scene, but something tend to happen in order to not have the intended things (developing love, getting their love through the MC or something) to happen. Or else that would just be the end of the story. Or possibly, not the end, but the end of the overall gag of the series that revolves around Usami Mizuki's interaction of embarrassment; in order to gradually win our MC over and make love, or began their romance maybe.
But overalll, this anime was pretty generic in term of setting, story, romance gag, dense MC, characters, the overly weird and illogical thoughts of a character to do a particular things, or actions that aimed to be cute (Take Collette for instance, or the female supervisor of the art club) and so on. But nonetheless, this anime is so god damn CUTE (or moe...) AF. But because i have seen several of these types of anime before, my enjoyment of the series are also being affected by that as well. However, it's still a funny anime to watch. Not for the story in particular, and maybe for the romance that would unlikely happen between our MC and heroine. But the moe gag should keep you on your seat, while watching the anime. Coz that's like the only thing about these kind of series that make anything out of their content amusing, or enjoyable to watch. Even though i did sometime skip some parts just because it's pretty repetitive, and boring at times. It's still an ok series to watch. Give it a go.
PyraXadon
High school anime are a dime a dozen. Whether it'd be moe-related, a bunch of students in a club or whatnot doing stuff, or maybe even the dramatic story detailing a person's life, high school is the most overused setting for any given anime. So, how do you make such an anime? Well, throw in a couple of oddballs in a seemingly normal club and you'll get a basic setup for your standard average anime of this type. Konobi is just another piece in the long art gallery of high school anime where it doesn't really give us anything new, butdamn is it entertaining.
Story: Our story follows Usami Mizuki and her exploits in the art club. After having its new member by the name of Uchimaki Subaru, she begins developing a crush on the boy and his superior art skills, only to find out that his only motivation for even participating is the fact that he wants a place in order to create the "Perfect Waifu." Followed with their energetic and naive kouhai and their extremely lazy senpai, the title of "The Art Club has a Problem" is...pretty self-explanatory here.
Being honest here, Konobi is really nothing special. Lovestory sideplot that goes nowhere, episodic stories that more or less return the series's status quo every week with every new episode, cliche situations, everything is pretty standard and so tropey that there's really no way to actually describe other than generic. They're all plotlines that've been done before and as someone who's seen these stories before, they were all predictable and not really worth the time to ogle over in anticipation as to what would happen next. So, what's really the intrigue here with Konobi?
Well, in simple terms, it would be the way these situations are portrayed. They're all pretty standard, yes, but the series plays with the straight man/funny man dynamic where practically everyone but Usami, our main protagonist, plays the strange/interesting person role while she throws out her own retorts. Some of the character interactions are somewhat entertaining I admit, and the characters breathe a slightly different light into these generally bland and boring story concepts, thus giving them a slight different appearance to them, enough to be technically different, even if not really at its base level.
So in the end, what is Konobi? Konobi is a series that slathers a new coat of paint on what would be considered as boring and tired storylines, thus giving the show a different perspective with its straight/funny man style comedy as well as utilizing the art club gimmick heavily so that it doesn't just feel like a bunch of characters doing something that doesn't even relate to the title or synopsis of the series. (Lookin' at you, K-on.) It's entertaining, but at the same time, but doesn't have enough to make the story interesting enough to be amazing or anything.
Overview:
+ Mildly entertaining
+ New coat of paint on old tropes
+ Uses the series's gimmick often
- Still more or less the same generic tropes
- Romantic subplot got tiring
Characters: Slice of life needs interesting characters. If there aren't interesting characters, than you have failed in making an good slice of life anime that separates itself from the hordes of clones with a different name to them.
First there's Usami Mizuki, our main protagonist. Mizuki...isn't actually all that interesting. Her entire schtick in the series is to have a crush on Subaru while also hating him for his waifu loving tendencies and his overall detachment with the real world. (Boy like that's not overdone.) She's also got a bust complex, has low tolerance for random bullsh*t that happens around her, the usual. While not really all that interesting in terms of character, her role in the series as the straight man comes into play a lot in the series usually retorting Subaru or the laziness of the club president. As a result, she's usually the one creating the air of comedy or strange situation as the catalyst to a lot of events. But aside from that, she really has nothing to actually explain her character.
Then there's Uchimaki Subaru, the other main protagonist. As mentioned before, his reason for even being a part of this series is because he wants to be able to draw the 'perfect waifu'. As an otaku-type character with detachment from the 'real world' and focusing solely on fictional women and their traits that make them cute, Subaru...really isn't all that interesting either. Really, the main characters are probably the least interesting characters in this entire series. His antics get Mizuki mad, and then creates the majority of conflict within the series whether they'd be major or not. Most of the runtime is devoted to Mizuki's crush on Subaru and really, with uninspiring characters, there's really nothing to actually talk about with them in particular.
Now for the more fun ones. The art club president (whose name escapes me), Colette, Isami, and various other side characters like Moeka make up the rest of the cast and aid in making this show actually seem worthwhile and interesting to watch. You have the lazy moocher, the bombastic and energetic confused naive kouhai, the chuuni, and the 5 year old who wanders away from her parents so much that she needs to literally be tied to her mother to make sure she doesn't get lost. Without these characters, Konobi would've been bland and boring, and the kinds of color that they add to the series made it all more worthwhile. Hell, they had an entire episode near the end of the series devoted to pretty much just the 5 year old and the club president, and goddamn is it probably the best episode in this entire series.
Overview:
+ Interesting side characters
- Kind of boring main characters
Art: Well, if a show about the art club doesn't have good art, it's a crime, right? Well, I suppose it would be, but Konobi really doesn't suffer much in terms of art for a hilarious twist of irony. (sadly) Though to be fair, the show's naturally bright and colorful atmosphere and style does suit the light-hearted art-related series about character interactions and the spring of young love. Of course, while the art does look good, it's not that stellar in the way that I would give it a high rating (like every other one of feel's work), but hey, it's better than crappy animation.
One easter egg that I would like to address is the fact that all of Subaru's artworks in the series (since well, he does need to make art due to the theme of the series) are references to other girls in other series'. So if you see a drawing that seems familiar, chances are it's probably a reference.
Overview:
+ Fun references
+/- Good, but average artstyle
Sound: Sound...isn't really that much of a plus in Konobi. The OP "Starting Now" is probably the most noticeable and memorable of all of the tracks due to its rock sound and kind of addicting chorus, but aside from that, the rest of the tracks really aren't up to its standard.
The voice acting is also kind of average, so I wouldn't put much faith into this series being the best in the sound department.
Overview:
+ Pretty memorable OP
- Average in all other aspects
Personal Enjoyment: So what is Konobi? What did I think of it? Well, in simple terms, it was enjoyable. It had enough to it to make me want to watch episode after episode despite its seemingly ordinary story setup and I genuinely liked some of the characters that they had, even if they were only side characters. Of course, there was always room for improvement, but this was probably the best that you could probably make with a series of this genre.
Did I like this series?
Yes I did. I especially liked the character 'Moeka', the 5 year old with grown-up tastes. She's cute, she was interesting, and she was definitely not one of those annoying kid characters that you would want to punch for being a crybaby.
What didn't I like about this series?
I really didn't appreciate how the main characters were so plain and unoriginal. Personally, I think it's a mistake to make the side characters more unique and/or interesting than the main characters. Sure the side characters got their time in the spotlight to make them shine a bit more, but when your side character focused episodes are more interesting than those that follow just the main two cast members, you're doing something TERRIBLY wrong here.
Would I recommend this show?
Konobi is special enough to be considered different from the rest of the dime a dozen high school romcom/slice of life episodic shows that plague the anime seasons year after year. For that reason, I'd say if you're looking for something like that, than this is the show that you should be watching. If not, than don't bother. There's nothing stellar about it aside from being mildly entertaining enough to garner enough interest to continue watching. Aside from that, it's a pretty average show with not much else aside from its gimmick to hold itself afloat.
LucisKitsune
It's hard finding stories that know its objective and how manage it, more when the objectives are make laughs and entertain with simple things, because sometimes could en bad. This is not the case, Konobi has a great paint (literally) that would make you enjoy all the 12 chapters. First, the characters, they are very honest and pure with its nature, adults, the normal students or kids, all have a job and the most of their job is circle their problems and jokes on Usami, each one with his/her own color that paint a great episode without you to put effort in understand and connect. Second, thejokes, some so simple, another very carefully hidden, but all, all, come at the right moment to you to laugh or put a great smile on your face, in different weights, colors and sizes, so you don't gonna get bored or overwhelmed.
Third, the story, it's simple, and your guide always will be Usami and her palace the Bijutsubu (including anther scenarios), so, at least, her interaction with the others gonna be the seal of A and B part of the chapters.
With these three parts are enough, this story knows how to do things without getting lost in the process, so the objective of laughs and jokes will be present in all the anime, in my opinion, a little jewel for past the time with enjoyment.
If you felt useful this review or maybe none at all, anyway, thank you to reach this part and read my review, I wish you a good anime and I hope you can enjoy it!
warnerro
As many reviews have already highlighted the good parts of this show, which are very few. I am going to tell you about the many bad things about this show and how i believe that this show doesn't deserve anything beyond a 5 overall. STORY: 2 This show has absolutely no plot progression to speak of, it has the essence of a comedy skit anime but it tries to have the story line of a linear romcom. The show fumbles over how to progress with Subaru's artistic ability by showing him entering one art competition, and that's it. There isn't really anything else to say abouthis unique part in the story. The story also shows Mizuki and her problems involving her love for Subaru, but like every other girl, she fails miserably. the only difference is that she actually lost to a damn anime girl. and that's the end of her part in all of this. Of course there is comedy involved in all of this but when you get down to it it falls flat when you actually look into what the show was trying to make funny.
ART: 8 - Art fits well and makes the show almost bearable to watch
While the art wasn't anything to gawk at, it captured the cuteness of the characters and made the viewers have a pleasant time watching the show.
Sound: 8 - Everything in place
The sounds of this show went very well with the "story" that this anime was trying to tell. Nothing was weird or out of place and all of the voices were well done too.
CHARACTER: 2 - No Character Personality
The only saving grace of any of these characters is that they are cute. especially Collette, other than that, they all fall into some sort of ultra generic trope. I also couldn't stand Mizuki's constant babbling and crying over how much of a clueless dumbass trope character Subaru is.
Enjoyment: 1 - None
Personally, i didn't derive any enjoyment out of this show. I actually consider myself to be a pretty mindless watcher. But the story's author seems to know even less about an average slice of life anime than me.
Overall: 2 - I wouldn't watch this show even again even if it was my mothers dying wish
As most people do who value their time, they only look at the overall section. So i only have one thing to say. Like another reviewer of another anime said, "Avoid this flaming pile of shit like the plague."
Manu404
To Be honest i went in expecting for a rom-com but fortunately or unfortunately it turned out to be a surprise comedy feel good package. The main character of the show stands out to be a 2d lover but the female character likes him tbh she tries hard to make him fall for him this situations turn out to be worth watching especially her cute blushes and comedy scenes,the background characters especially kaori and collete is too nice and to fill the mix a clumsy sensei and a crazy club prez. so from my point of view this backs upto be nicetime killer if youare bored with the usual rom coms and the regular shounens.
Rian_Rahmat
I've rewatched this anime probably about 5 times and now, and it's still the best for me. This Comedy and Romance Anime is very good, the characters are also cute, the graphics and art style are all good in my opinion. Anime with a fairly relaxed story, each episode is not boring, there is always something that makes you laugh. Especially about their story which always makes me smile to myself when I see it. Maybe the downside is to the characters Collette, I'm not really interested in him because he's too cheerful and not very entertaining. But overall this anime is good enough to watch.
Eugenefindit
I'm going to be completely honest here. The biggest reason why I wanted to watch this rather obscure 2016 anime that no one seems to talk about is because of the main character, Usami Mizuki. When I saw her in a trailer on Anichart, for some reason I just fell in love with how adorable she looked. So of course, we come to this point. As I expected from Kono Bijutsubu Ni Wa Mondai Ga Aru, it ended up being a casual anime series, meaning that there isn't an overarching story with a lot of dramatic tension. The setting for this is an art club withmembers that are a bit weird (as you might have guessed from the title). And I will give praise to this anime for actually taking some effort in focusing on attributes related to art and I can say that I did learn a thing or two from it. However, that is not to say that they did a very good job with it. The anime does not go into great detail about the aspects of art, as there is so much more than could be incorporated. But to compensate for that, the anime has the main theme of romance in play.
A huge part of this anime focuses on the main character, Mizuki's constant attempts at grabbing the attention of her crush, Uchimaki Subaru. And let me just say that the fact that Mizuki is the main character of this anime itself is a huge bonus for me. She is without question my favourite character in the anime. And seeing her never ending pursuit for love was just such an adorable and enjoyable thing to watch. Say what you will about her inconfidence to Just Do It, I personally prefer it if the girls are a bit shy. So all in all, I would say that that is the best thing in the entire anime.
Now to make a short comment about the side characters. While I appreciate that Mizuki is the main character, I kinda wished that the side characters were given a bit more focus. This is especially true for Mizuki's friends and Imari Maria. We hardly know anything about these characters and it would have been nice to know more about them. Although, I will say that I am really glad that the side characters are all so supportive of Mizuki in achieving her goal. It just made things so much more cheerful and I love that.
Now, because this is a casual anime series, I would have to address more than just the romance. When it comes to the comedy, I can clearly say that it is not the best I have seen. Many jokes and funny scenes feel very cliche and generic. And sometimes when they try to set up a supposedly cool joke, I find them to be highly predictable (which in most cases, I was right about the outcomes) and in the end, they just turn out to be rather disappointing in my opinion. There are a few creative jokes here and there but it just didn't feel enough.
The animation is done by Feel and I would have to say that it was alright but because nothing much goes on in the anime, there really isn't anything that truly stood out in my opinion. But at least it was nice that the anime has a rather cheerful colour scheme that made it nice to look at. This is art after all.
And as for the theme songs. Let me first comment. Is it just a coincidence that Mizuki Nana sang the opening when we have a character named Mizuki in the anime or was that intentional? Well in any case, because she sang the opening, it was nice to listen to. Although I can definitely say that is not my favourite song by her. For the ending theme, it was an ok song but I really didn't think too much about it.
In summary, while I'd definitely say that I still really enjoyed watching this anime. It felt like it went pass too quickly. It didn't really bring anything new in terms of comedy and there are so many things left that could be explored. Like I said, I really wished the side characters were given more attention. So in all honesty, I really hope that there will be a 2nd season for this anime. I have a feeling it seems very unlikely because of how little attention was given to this anime. But if Feel can focus on just the right things, a 2nd season would do this anime quite some good. Plus, I just want to see more of Mizuki anyway, so of course I would really love to see a sequel. Let's hope for the best.
itssimplyme
My score was a solid 7.6, which I have rounded off to an 8 without much hesitation. Konobi offers what most romcoms do, but with consistent art and characters which actually DON'T irritate one to the core. Characters: 9 In romcoms, I usually dislike the female lead, because she tends to be too over the top, or 'moe' or cutesy. Or the animators do her injustices by trying to bring our her 'physical attributes', which I as a female viewer dislike. However, Konobi's Usami Mizuki is an absolute sweetheart, and you can't help but want to hug her in sympathy of her hopeless situation. She remains strong and witty,while the whole time displaying the weaknesses of a girl in love. She is the backbone of the show.
Uchimaki Subaru is adorable, and although an incredible pain in the side where Usami is concerned, I fully understand why she is so enamored by him. He's a very well-written character, showing a young 13-14 year old boy, and, apart from his 2D obsession, is your classic young middle schooler, with mood swings and backhanded comments and opinions.
And it doesn't lose out on its side characters either. Apart from the other members of the club, I found Usami's friends to be absolutely endearing. They largely exist to tease her, but they do it in that gentle way friends do, and I loved having them around.
So yes, characters are easily this show's strong point, as not one was irritating, down to little random Moeka on the streets.
Art: 8
Another thing I'd like to mention was the art. It was consistent, unlike shows where the nose is suddenly disproportionate to the face randomly in episode 7. No, throughout, the show was visually appetizing and you could see the care with which the creators animated this.
Applause!
Overall: 8
I binge watched this over a span of a day, and my only regret is that it is over. May we see many more wonderful shows like Konobi, where characters, which are indeed the life of the show, are given justice.
nanakox21
STORY: It's basically a slice of life -- with comedic scenes. It literally explores art club problems (as the title promises). CHARACTERS: • Usami-chan - She is mature, Tsundere, gets easily jealous, and loves Uchimaki but she denies it in public. • Uchimaki-san - He is an OTAKU! Draws 2D girls and calls them Waifu and is a very talented artist. • President - His real name wasn't mentioned in the show. He is a 3rd year student who is lazy & just sleeps in the club room. OVERALL: Theme song is catchy. It inspires me to do more art & join their art club. I stillpray every week that Uchimaki will draw something else that IS NOT a WAIFU!
BanjoTheBear
(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! brings me back to when I was a teenager. In middle school, I enrolled in an art class. I was (and still am) not an artist, and I had no huge drive to become one. So, I mainly saw the class as a free period or at least one where I didn’t have to worry about much at all. Despite my low motivation, I learned a lot. Colors, shading, and perspective. I distinctly remember creating a two-faced jar and a rolled-up tube of toothpaste. Both were made from clay (thenpainted), and both were placed on the shelf in the basement for family and guests to see.
Konobi does not teach its audience anything about art on an educational level, but it certainly knows how to get its audience laughing.
STORY
Konobi centers on an art club filled with a handful of kooky characters. Usami, Uchimaki, Collette, and President (the senior without a name) are normal students like everybody else at their middle school. However, and as the title implies, they encounter random problems on the regular, putting them in silly, everyday situations.
This anime is like a multicolored can of paint. It contains one part slice-of-life, one part romance, and one part comedy. All mixed together into a colorful concoction that works on most blank canvases.
The blue slice-of-life takes on a mini-story format. Each episode contains two or three small stories that target mundane situations. Losing an item, getting locked in a storage room, and trying to clean a pool are not exactly exciting, but they give the cast the opportunity to explore the simpler side of life. Almost as if each tiny arc is a new drawing that the show creates and the audience beholds.
From the list above, a key factor is missing: art. Like many anime of this type, art is not the point but rather the glue that holds it all together. Yes, they make a sculpture or participate in competitions, but the bonding that they share is infinitely more important than the brush techniques they are using.
It should be noted that the anime has an ever-so-slight focus on sexual material. Tachibana-sensei attempting to put on a tight maid outfit or Uchimaki pointing out that he can see Usami’s panties for the hundredth time are funny in the moment. But, in hindsight, these instances do not fit well with the anime’s friendly, everyday tone (let alone that the setting is literally a middle school).
The red romance seeps into most of the gaps. Due almost entirely to Usami, her mega crush on Uchimaki drives much of the anime’s direction. From the small, endearing jig she does after getting his number or threatening President with deletion should he delete said number from her phone, most of the situations, in some form, relate back to the romantic tones.
Unfortunately, “romance” may be too strong of a word, for what the anime shows is more akin to “extreme teasing” or “ultimately nothing” than the lovey-dovey gushing the audience wants.
Usami more than brings the romance; it’s Uchimaki who is the problem. He does not just misunderstand Usami but rather actively turns her down. He will wave off her thoughts with a “Just kidding!” or constantly remind everyone that he only likes two-dimensional girls. His utter lack of interest ruins many of the scenes in a frustrating manner, leaving the audience to roll their eyes as Usami (inevitably) fails to get across her feelings.
The yellow comedy arguably stands as the foundation of the entire anime. The jokes it delivers are not necessarily clever, but they can be subtle, rewarding its audience with small fits of laughter should they pick up on the references to earlier episodes or the actions taken by the cast. When Uchimaki points out that Tachibana is passed out on the floor again or when Usami’s arm is raised into the scene before the punchline hits, Konobi allows for simple yet effective jokes to thrive throughout its run.
Subtlety isn’t its only comedic brand, but that’s both a blessing and a curse. Straightforward funnies, such as when the manga clerk puts on a smile and says to herself that she wants Usami, Imari, and Uchimaki to leave because they are causing a ruckus, are easily funny. Same goes for its visual gags: a red punch mark imprinted on Uchimaki’s cheek, President slowly losing his sanity with cleaning pop cans. And again with its on-the-spot humor such as when Usami and Uchimaki never recognize the overly competitive student who challenges Uchimaki to contests.
But when the anime constantly relies on the say-it-will-not-happen-but-it-happens-anyway shtick or the he-said-something-weird-so-let-me-tell-him-it-is-weird formula, the anime devolves into a series of same-y jokes that keep the characters from being as comedically creative as the art they produce.
Altogether, Konobi’s paint is not the most appealing in the world, but it forms enough fun to make it worth using on the walls of any clubroom.
ANIMATION
Arguably, Konobi’s best quality is the art and animation it so regularly uses.
Although, to start out, it should be noted that the settings itself is plain. It’s in a school and, worse still, it primarily takes place in the same location – the art club – almost the entire time. However, what it lacks in background variety it makes up for in artistic appeal.
Look back at episode three. When Collette is first introduced, and she enlists Uchimaki’s help to find her locket (“the kind that can’t fly”), she eventually stops to inspect a poster. To get Collette’s attention, he tugs on her arm. But he does so off camera, so the shot shows only Collette’s slight jostle.
That honestly does not seem like much, but this nuanced movement highlights how much care the animation is given. I.e., since the art is “immobile,” many more resources are spent on the characters and their mobility. Scenes like Usami running up steps to meet Uchimaki on a bridge are noticeably fluid, and such scenes are seen at different points throughout the season.
The anime also includes many reactions from the characters. Round eyes, triangular mouths, and tons of blushing elevate its comedy to an even greater degree. Often times, these reactions are coupled with colorful or more artsy backgrounds that play along with the fun and the art motif, subsequently boosting the comedy yet again.
As for the characters’ designs, they are not as impressive as the animation or the colorful, comedic art. But they do have their merits.
Usami’s bob-cut hairdo and bunny hair clip gives her a tomboy look while accentuating her girly behavior. Collette’s long, blonde hair contrasts well with her green eyes, her bit of hair that stands up gives her a silly, childlike look, and her short stature adds to her cuteness levels. And President’s ragged hair, loose-and-white button-up shirt, and propensity for wearing no shoes highlight his laziness to the max.
CHARACTERS
Konobi fails in one major regard: varying up the character scenes.
The cast contains six different people. Usami, Uchimaki, Collette, Imari, President, and Tachibana-sensei. Technically, more characters exist throughout the season, but these six are undoubtedly the main ones focused on.
However, as the opening sentence declares, the anime does not do enough to populate its scenes with different pairings. Most notably, the whole group hardly ever do anything together. As the season progresses, Collette and President appear less and less. And Tachibana-sensei and Imari, who arrived a quarter of the way and halfway through the season respectively, barely get any screen time once their introductory episodes conclude.
That’s not to say that the characters themselves do not have their relationships in place. Tachibana-sensei is harsh on Collette, President always comes very close to revealing Usami’s feelings for Uchimaki, Imari becomes Collete’s “master,” President has a thing for Tachibana-sensei, and Usami (obviously) loves Uchimaki. But, for whatever reason, Konobi does not like to experiment with other and multiple pairings, sticking instead with the ones it already has.
On an individual scale, the characters have their roles and their types, allowing the slice-of-life, romance, and comedy to prosper when necessary.
Usami gets extremely flustered when she deals with Uchimaki or people tease her about her feelings. But she also is not afraid to get overly violent should somebody (usually President) happen to annoy her. Her friends (especially Kaori) support her in her doomed quest, and she never gives up, even when her name is on the line.
Uchimaki cares only for two-dimensional girls, believing that three-dimensional ones are a nuisance unworthy of his attention. He can also draw and paint quite well, and he has a subtle kindness to him that isn’t immediately apparent.
Collette hails from America, and she is about as goofy as possible. Doing magic tricks, wearing bird heads, and believing in justice, this recent elementary-school graduate only sees the happier side to life no matter what she may be doing.
President takes his sleeping seriously, making sure to use the club room’s couch (and their own funds) to his advantage to catch a wink. While he rarely participates in club activities, and he may seem unreliable, he looks out for the others whenever possible.
Tachibana-sensei always has her heart in the right place. She practices her motivational phrases, awards fancy marks as positive reinforcement (even if they happen to ruin Uchimaki’s painting), and she encourages the club in their endeavors. She has a strict side, but her cute behavior (intentional or not) wins over most people that she meets.
Imari is a girl who, like Uchimaki, loves manga and all-things two-dimensional. She has chuunibyou tendencies, believing that her arm contains a demonic power that she must control. Usami sees Imarii as a threat to her (Usami’s) own feelings for Uchimaki at first, but, as she gets to know more about Imari’s athleticism and ability to listen to others, it becomes apparent that Imari is less a rival and more a friend.
Like the story, almost none of the characters here deal much with art. However, and sticking with themes, they each have a “problem” all their own. “Problems” which the audience can clean from their base characteristics. Usami obsesses over Uchimaki. Uchimaki pines after two-dimensional girls. Collette acts like a child. President is way too lazy. Tachibana-sensei cannot speak properly. And Imari plays out her imaginative thoughts.
Since the anime is a romantic-comedy, these “problems” are never addressed as fixable ones. But that’s okay. They are what give the characters and the show in general the foundation to present its content, so one should not expect them to change much at all throughout the season.
SOUND
Konobi’s musical offerings are once again like the rest of its qualities. That is, while nothing manages to be super impressive, it contains certain pieces here and there that stick out in a positive way.
For instance, the tiny transition piece that plays when one scene switches to another is this quick, dropping sound that adds a bit of charm to the show. Same goes for the transition piece between the mini-stories. A simple set of piano notes that skip happily along make the switch comforting rather than jarring.
The smaller sound-effects, like the rattling that Usami does when questioned about her romantic feelings for Uchimaki, continue to up the playfulness of the show and add to it even more comedy chops.
Voice acting also has its moments. Sumire Uesaka as Collette achieves silliness with ease, especially when she makes her own sound-effects for teleporting-locket magic tricks. Ari Ozawa as Usami speaks cutely whenever she blushes (which happens all the time). And veteran Nana Mizuki as Tachibana-sensei uses a younger, more girly voice that fits the novice teacher well.
The original soundtrack goes with lots of piano, flutes, and wooden instruments to up its lighthearted atmosphere. Stepping drums, clapping beats, and extra chimes add variety to the OST while continuing with the slice-of-life feel it aims for. Plus, the handful of insert songs, like when the club cleans the pool or as the final, closing track in episode twelve, prove Konobi’s attention to its music.
The opening track relies mostly on guitar and drums for its first half, but, as the song progresses, the distorted sounds, background vocals, and fast-paced instruments craft the piece into a livelier one that starts each episode off with fun in mind. At the minimum, the chanting “Hey!” and beat itself are catchy enough to follow along with.
The ending track goes a little weird. The instruments and sounds are simultaneously all over the place and organized, giving it a semi-chaotic composition that, in a way, comes off as artsy. Techno drums, faint background vocals, and off-kilter notes make this direction even more apparent. The singing itself is normal, but it contrasts with the weirdness, making said weirdness that much more noticeable.
ENJOYMENT
This anime is one of those shows that just goes forgotten among the more unique, popular, or truly awful within its season. I almost never see anyone else talk about this anime in the community since it has aired – and I think that’s a shame.
But I can understand why. From the analysis above, it’s pretty clear that the show does not do anything amazing, and it does not do anything horrible. It just coasts along the middle ground for nearly its entire run.
On a personal level, I see a similar yet different outcome. None of the characters are memorable, but Collette’s carefree quirkiness, Usami’s immense cuteness, and Tachibana-sensei’s good spiritedness were a ton of fun throughout the season.
Many of the mini-stories also had me laughing out loud. President and Uchimaki ruining Usami’s picture with red paint. Collette’s locket situation. The “treasure” they find and subsequently try to hide. These scenes and more had me in high spirits for most of its run.
And, for those that know me, they know that I am huge on romance. It’s my favorite genre, after all. So, when I say that I loved the romantic moments involving Usami, I mean it. Uchimaki visiting her house to give Usami her printouts, the indirect kiss with the drinks, and when they got locked up in the storage room got me smiling wide and “Aww!”-ing hard.
My favorite romance moment, though, was the classic dinner-bath-or-something-else scene. Seeing them as a married couple in Usami’s imagination, catching the reference to Usami’s apple painting hanging on the wall, and watching Usami steam up the room due to having these thoughts made for a wonderful romantic-comedy scene.
I was really hoping, hoping beyond hope, that Uchimaki was playing the long con. That his constant pushback and persona was just a façade to get him closer to Usami. And that, by the end, the show would pull the reverse-reverse and make it Usami herself that he had fallen for. That would have been awesome as a joke and to give me the ultimate romance payoff.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Yes, we got the ending exchange between the two where, for maybe a second, he reconsiders his thoughts on three-dimensional girls and Usami. But that was not enough in my eyes.
Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! may not be on the forefront of everyone’s mind, but it stands solid nonetheless. Its subtle jokes, attention to animated detail, and a penchant for romance justify this mindset. While the characters and the content itself may ultimately be too plain, it no doubt gets higher marks than a rolled-up toothpaste project.
SUMMARY
Story: Fine, a colorful mixture of slice-of-life, romance, and comedy that is worthy of being on the walls of any clubroom
Animation: Good, fluid animation techniques, hilarious reactions, and some thoughtful character designs keep the visuals looking strong
Characters: Fine, Usami, Uchimaki, and the others each have their “problems” that form the foundation for the romantic-comedy direction taken
Sound: Good, okay OP, good ED, good OST, and good VA performances
Enjoyment: Good, while Usami and Uchimaki’s relationship goes nowhere, the characters were silly, the comedy was fun, and the romantic moments were awesome
Final Score: 6/10
