Himeno is a sweet, shy little centaur girl. In her world, everyone seems to be a supernatural creature, and all her classmates have some kind of horns, wings, tails, halos, or other visible supernatural body part. Despite their supernatural elements, Himeno and her best friends, Nozomi and Kyouko, have a fun and mostly normal daily school life!
(Source: MangaHelpers)
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Comentários
Fircoal
Centaur's Worries is one of the most unique shows to come out in a while. It's a CGDCT show that has just as much focus on social commentary as it does on cute girls. It can go from calm and peaceful, to scenes that hint at the more dark underpinnings of the world. It's uniquely itself and that's something that I can appreciate. In a medium that seems more and more focused on being polished and pretty, Centaur's Worries is exceedingly minimalistic. The production values are weak and there is very little that is added in sound or animation that really makes it shine. Infact, the only sound quality that they really have is budget sound samples that feel massively outdated. They frequently forgo background music and just have the characters speaking. When they do include background music it feels ripped from at least ten years prior. While it may sound lackluster, and I could certainly understand someone seeing it as that, I actually feel like the minimalist production values help create a feeling of nostalgia in the show. While the show takes place in the modern age, there are several references towards times that are passed and it invokes the feeling of something that's thirty years prior. It creates an interesting feeling where the show feels of a time period in the past but also feels current. It's something that I personally enjoy as it crafts a unique mood and atmosphere, one that is more than just being comfy.
I also really liked how willing Centaur's Worries was to diversify up what was shown in the show. While most shows, especially CGDCT shows, stick to one general idea, Centaur did not do that. Centaur had, of course, the normal CGDCT shenanigans but it also separated them out between it's cast so that it wasn't just the main girls that got the time to shine. There was also family life that got highlighted, as well as the antics of three adorable young catgirl triplets, the mischief they got into and their relations with their family. The show also went so far as to include lewd moments, one of which I was surprised they even got to show on air. Not to mention some episodes with yuri kisses, as well as a general acceptance of yuri ships in general. The way that it portrayed the yuri ships was quite nice as it felt like there were several ships in the show that were canonically backed up and weren't there just for fanservice or seen as "just a phase". It felt as real and serious as a real high school relationship.
And the cherry on the top was the social commentary. Centaur's Worries uses its unique world to craft interesting tales about trying to get society to work together when there are so many differences in those that inhabit it. There are lots of interesting tales like the hints of how much effort it takes to build a peaceful diverse society and keep it working as different issues arise from having a diverse society. One of the most interesting stories of Centaur's Worries is when it tackles its version of the Holocaust. It does the unthinkable by actually adding an interesting twist to the story and providing interesting social commentary to a subject matter that's so easy to abuse and get out of hand. Nuance is where Centaur shines. It's not overly preachy. I'm not even sure what its overall message is. Rather it feels like a case study for all these ideas. An exploration of the ways that people can act and try to craft a society with people with so many differences. And I think it does that really well and really fairly. I might not agree with everything that is stated, but whether I agree with what's said or not I do think it's expressed in an interesting compelling way that can get one to think.
Interestingly enough for a CGDCT show Centaur's Worries doesn't have that good of characters. While I personally like them and while I do like the interactions between them, they aren't the most notable characters. They thrive the best by virtue of being together and being in such a rich setting filled with nostalgia and nuance. They're fun to watch overall and they are likeable, but they aren't exactly well written. Each character only works because they're so well put with the other characters that they're around. And while ultimately I think that's good and certainly decent enough especially with all the other elements it does so well, it is a step down from other CGDCT shows which are able to not only have their characters shine in interactions but also have them shine on their own.
It's not the prototypical CGDCT but I think it's great at what it does. Diversity of content personally is something I really like to see, and its unique flavor is something I very much liked. While the more SoL moments could get a bit boring they were also charming and nostalgic and in the end fostered a unique atmosphere for Centaur that I think was really well done. I personally love unique shows like these that just stick to what they want to be and do that well, and Centaur's Worries fits that to a T. As something uniquely itself, Centaur's Worries shines.
ChamCity
I read the manga before watching this anime and they took all the most boring parts of the manga and made it into an anime. In the manga the history and racism plays a big part and they did a little bit of that with the world war two stuff, but there was so much more they could have done that I would have loved to see animated. In my opinion the most interesting part they didn't animated and My favorite was the part of the manga when hime gets teleported to the regular world with regular humans, but its in the medieval times andthey think shes some kind of demon. I was hoping the whole time watching this that it would show up but never did. Disappointed overall but it showed some good stuff, was a whole lot more slice of life than I expected. if what I explained seems interesting please read the manga its really good. Overall 6/10
PixEFit
Centaur no Nayami is over It was fine at best Its one of the many "Monster Girl" anime that came out this year Along with Interviews with Monster girls, Dragon Maid, ect This one was more similar to Interviews with its slice of life at school aspect But Centaur no Nayami has more well thought out lore, history, and evolution in comparision to the real world The characters are mainly just a vessal in which the world can proceed with Where there are different hot topic issues with racism between the species Its just an interesting alligory to what this anime is trying to convey I give this show a 5 out of 10 itsnot that good but some of the concepts introducted are very interesting
I would recommend to those whom liked the monster girl anime from earlier this year
This has been your spoiler free but not really review on Centaur no Nayami
Meadowe
Although the story does focus on racism and equality, there's a lot of sexual harassment and assault depicted in the show between the characters. If you're uncomfortable with gratuitous amounts of fan service, depictions of sexual harassment and assault, I would stay away. It would be a great anime if those things were not in it. I haven't seen a lot of anime's that tackle social issues like this. Also the different races and how their society is depicted is unique. The art is good and I like the voice actors. I can be very cutesy and slice of life.
Stark700
Do you ever wonder what the hardest thing in this world might be? The answer is to live in it. A title like “Centaur no Nayami” (A Centaur’s Life) sounds intriguing as we take a look at the life of a centaur. For a show like this, it really brings out some unique dynamics. It succeeds at crafting a show that captures the elements of slice of life while adding touches of fantasy and also some other unexpected surprises. Before we get to the what, who, how, or why, it’s important to understand that the anime isn’t a full adaptation of the manga. The mangais actually ongoing and this anime only has 12 episodes. What does that mean? It basically means that the anime has the kit of delivering its ideas but not covering everything. However, it doesn’t need to either because this series has enough to show what’s needed.
My early impression of the show comes from the idea of slice of life recreation. In most slice of life series, you get the depiction of everyday life activities revolving a circle of characters. Centaur no Nayari isn’t too different as it follows the everyday adventures of centaur girl Himeno Kimihara and her friends. What is different is that they aren’t entirely human. Her friend Nozomi Gokuraku is a demon girl while Kyouko Naraku is a half Satyr. Get what I mean? Understandably, this show runs the risk of looking like a joke when characters are difficult to accept at first. However, what this anime did succeed in is how it explores the lives of these characters. Similar to us, they go to school, shopping, studying, and gossip about romance. To be honest, this anime has an interesting concept. I’ve seen a bunch of “monster girls” theme shows in recent years but one like this one doesn’t rely on cheap cardboard stories to do the work. It uses this characters and get us to invest in them.
One of the more charming character cast in this anime is the family with Manami Mitama and her younger sisters. Manami is a mature angel girl and is also class president of Nozomi’s class. She looks after her family and is responsible despite not always been there for them. The character chemistry between the younger kids is quite realistic and relatable as we see how they behave in everyday life activities. It also expands to the older characters as we some of their social issues. These include social anxiety, dealing trouble with school, etc. Remember that thing I mentioned about the most difficult thing in life? It’s to live in it and everyone has their problems.
When it comes to world building, I can honestly confess that this anime capitalized in this field. It’s genuinely well-crafted in this alternative setting. The show makes its world look like our own with its schools, parks, shopping centers, hospitals, among others. Even in an alternate timeline, we get to see how that world is similar to our own. In the meantime, anyone coming into this anime might probably think “but this anime seems too lighthearted for its own good!” In some sense, it does feel that way but the show is also disguises itself with its sensible subjects. These include fantasy racism, political affairs, and laws of society. One particular episode also gets quite grim with Holocaust themes that show a darker side of this show. So in essence, not everything is bubbly as one might expect. Despite being tagged as a slice of life show, it’s serious enough to offer surprises.
Now I have to admit, this anime feels like it’s more targeted a specific audience so people looking for some complex plot or characterization may not be satisfied. The plot itself also feels very loose as the everyday life adventures jumps around. Despite Himeno and her friends being the main characters, there are occasionally some episodes that doesn’t even feature them at all. There will also be some characters that you’ll find more or less likeable than others. The comedy itself is very lighthearted but on occasions can feel dry.
Adapted by Haoliners Animation, I can’t really blame anyone that come into this show with low expectations. Their lineup of projects (Gin no Guardian, Cheating Craft, Hitori no Shita) aren’t visually appealing from the past impressions. For this anime, I have mixed thoughts about the quality as character designs look very basic. The camera work also lacks focus and rarely capitalizes on important scenes. There’s also some fan service in particular with mermaid species and bath scenes. In the meantime, I can’t really say that the anime is pleasing to the eye. If you take a look at the backgrounds and sceneries, you’ll quickly notice why.
On another technical side, Centaur no Nayami’s music function as it needs to be. The theme songs has substance but doesn’t really stand out much to remember by. The OST will usually get you into a quiet mood as slice of life shows should. However, I can’t say it’s very impressive either. On the other hand, character voices deserve some praise especially for the talent of voicing children. Quetzalcoatl’s voice is also quite appealing as it really brings out her personality.
Watching Centaur no Nayami is like playing a video game that throws surprises at you when you don’t expect it. To me, this show is a surprise with its ideas. It recreates the slice of life genre while maintaining a realistic world with its characters. Yes, don’t expect much from its story. It’s underdeveloped and to be honest, this show’s storytelling is on the weaker side. Still, this anime excels at what it does and that’s bringing an inventive show on the table.
tridentrpg
It's average at best. I had a few chuckles. The idea of an alternate reality of these types of humanoids is interesting at least. But nothing exciting happens. Neither myself nor my wife were invested in any of the characters. A couple boob shots were in there, that was honestly surprising, haha. And this concept they keep pushing of "everyone's equal and that makes the world better and nothing is wrong" seems to be shoved into the viewers face constantly. It's funny they try to say their utopia is great while sending people to jail for just speaking, haha. This is a real depiction ofNazi Germany. A teacher question the legitimacy of the centaur's hair color and was sent to prison for discrimination?.... That's some serious fascism.
angelsreview
In a world saturated with slice of life anime, there has to be something special to make a show stand out. For this one, it’s the fact that everyone is a descendent of the four legged animals instead of our world that descended from the two legged one. Don’t ask me how this all works out, they don’t fully explain how and why most of them look very humanoid with just animal things tacked onto them, it just works out that way in the show. There are a LOT of characters in this anime and although I would consider three (or four) of them asmain characters, they are not always main in the stories that are played out. That’s why going through the characters personalities is really hard to do. There really wasn’t any character I actually did not like which is extremely rare; normally there is at least one I don’t like. Even the really small children like the Mitama triplets weren’t as annoying as I thought they would be. I do think my favorite was actually Quetzalcoatl Sassassul, the snake girl from Antarctica. She came in about half way through the show and was a bit of fresh air as her culture was so different then what we had seen for the first half of the show.
I know what you guys are thinking; the fact that it’s a slice of life means that we are going to get some rather random comedy and slap stick happening. You would be right, we do get some of that but I want to talk now about something that actually makes this show more then just a little slice of life/school life anime. They dive a little into the culture we have now, a culture filled with people trying to be politically correct. Their world has had many problems with ‘species’ discrimination. Different species were used as slaves, Centaurs were used as normal horses, fights would break out because of religion, and basically a similar history as our world. They even had their own Hitler and holocaust that they dive a tiny bit into. Because of this, the present day has a lot of times where they are worried about being politically correct. They are so worried about it, that if someone says or does something even remotely ‘racist’ in their eyes, they have to go to special classes to learn how not to be.
The artwork is pretty standard. Again, it’s hard to talk about when it looks like every other show out there for slice of life. I like how they didn’t go overly into fan service like how most ‘monster girls’ anime ends up. There is fan service but they don’t focus too heavily on it. Another thing that I love is that some of these races are not fully traditionally what we would think when we think ‘snake girl’ or ‘mermaid’. Snake girl does not mean head up is human; it means it’s basically a normal snake with arms and legs basically. While the mermaids are interestingly designed, I question the thigh gap that they created as it just doesn’t seem to be an evolutionary reason for it. So far, the only reason I see for them is for those who have that small fetish and for them to wear undergarments when the land people come (they seem to live through a very nudist sort of life style otherwise).
The English voice acting was actually not that bad surprisingly, especially since most of the names on the list were ones I didn’t recognize. None of the voice actors really stood out from any other, they were pretty much all good for the characters they were playing, which doesn’t help me know who to actually talk about. The music was basic standard slice of life with nothing standing out which I feel was a missed opportunity.
Overall, I actually like the show and really hope that they come out with another season. I feel like they only scratched the surface of that world and all the crazy races within it. It had the right amount of fan service to keep people entertained without being overwhelmingly in your face and the parts that I had problems with where rather minor. The show makes you think, not only of the world you’re watching but a little bit of our own world with the parallels it highlights which makes it great for those interested in culture. I would highly recommend giving it a shot.
lyonhaart
Centaur no Nayami, otherwise known as Centaur's Worries, is a Slice of Life episodic series that follows the everyday activities of Kimihara Himeno and her classmates, exploring topics we deal with on a day-to-day basis such as sexuality, racism, and taking care of a family. These topics are shrouded by a moe art style, allowing viewers to take in a message along with the classic animation they desire. Story: 6/10 Centaur's Worries takes place in an alternate universe where humans have been some hybrid of supernatural beings such as angels, demons, satyrs, mermaids, and of course, centaurs. Centaur's Worries doesn't have much of a story to followsince it is an episodic series. There are references to past episodes as you follow along, however. Anyways, each episode is split into a Part A and Part B with their own unique stories. Judging each individual story and averaging out the performances, it comes out as a solid 6. The stories are cute and fun to follow along, but more often than not, the characters will drag on with the same topic for a bit longer than what's necessary, ruining the pacing and execution.
Art: 7/10
Centaur's Worries is full of monster-hybrid humans, therefore, you expect to see such diversity like what was seen in Monster Musume, right? Unfortunately, there is very little variation within each character's design. Most of the variation was given to the female cast, as each one looks very colorful and lively compared to their male counterparts. Even with a lack of variation in design, an effort was definitely put into each main character's design. It's clear to tell who's who in Centaur's Worries without giving each character bright neon hair as seen in many other shows. The backgrounds are fitting, nothing too special.
Sound: 7/10
The opening theme is very out of place compared to the rest of the show, as it's very energetic. An odd choice for a Slice of Life, but I still found myself listening each time instead of skipping. However, the sound effects and background used throughout Centaur's Worries are very outdated. Chances are, you've heard it all from a different show. This isn't saying they're bad, rather, I believe audiences would've preferred something fresh.
Character: 7/10
Every character is a walking cliche. You have the big-chested klutz, the strong tomboy, the silent insight, the responsible class president, so on and so forth. Even if these characters are cliched and have been seen several times throughout anime, they still felt like they had their own individual personalities. I didn't feel like I was listening to Character A and Character B, instead, I knew I was listening to Himeno and Nozomi.
Enjoyment: 7/10
Some episodes I found myself dosing off or chatting on Discord, but the majority of them were pretty enjoyable to follow along. Side note, there is a lot of mentions towards breasts in this show. Of course, it isn't a bad thing in anime, but this show has at least one or two references towards a characters tits per episode, especially Himeno. Along with this, there is fan service, but it isn't over-the-top, thank God.
Overall: 7/10
If you're looking for something to pass the time full of cute characters and light fan service, Centaur's Worries has got you covered. I was surprised by the somewhat low ratings this show had received, as it is actually far more enjoyable than what other's say. But again, it really is just something to pass the time.
BriefEd
To be blunt I don't understand what this anime is trying to be or do. An alternate reality with supernatural looking creatures that mostly turn out to be more or less humans with completely non functional random attachments like wings that can't fly, stupidly giant ears on top of their heads, horns that don't even make sense, pointless tails attached halfway up their backs instead of anywhere near the human tailbone which is incidentally also equivalent of where normal real world animals have their tails. The core element seems to be the "slice of life" snapshot of an alternate reality school, this is also where thefew strong points can be found. Some conversations are a bit stiff but mostly it has a good flow going, whenever it doesn't run off with side characters leaving the main cast almost absent for entire episodes. You never get enough time with almost any of the important characters to get a good feel for them, neither do they leave much impression despite their hard to forget stupid looks.
The most confusing and redundant thing tacked onto this mess is a boring and very lengthy world war flashback where these goofballs are supposed to be relatable enough to drag empathy out of the viewer and I may be over interpreting but it seems to be trying to teach some sort of moral thing in the midst of it as well. This along with the biology lesson that desperately tries to pass off several obvious logical errors as reality would have been better left out because neither is anywhere near believable enough to end up enhancing anything, but instead drags down what little immersion is already present.
The voice acting and sound in general are great at least, so it's not all bad really. The art and animation are crippled by the stupid looks of almost every character but otherwise fairly good, must have been a difficult job.
Tyrannicswine117
Warning possible Spoilers After seeing Monster Musume and Interviews with Monster Girls, I was really wondering what this anime would bring to the table, at first I thought it was going to be pretty boring, yet by the end I actually enjoyed it. Story (8/10) The story is set in a world where normal humans don't exist, instead evolution has produced many different types of supernatural humans who all have an equal life, we focus on Himeno, a centaur girl along her friends as they live out their school life. Now the story focuses a lot on the Slice of life genre, we see Himeno, Nozomi and Kyouko doingnormal things, like going to school or talking about personal questions so if you're looking for something incredibly interesting to happen then you're in the wrong place, however despite showing the main characters daily lives there's always a hidden message in most of the episodes, because despite all of the races having equal rights, everyone's freedom is somewhat limited, like for example any harsh comments on someone from a different race will have the commenter being taken away somewhere, so this world isn't the paradise it seems to be.
The show really goes into depth with this subject, it even has it's own version of the Holocaust which makes us learn why equality is something we shouldn't take for granted, the same can be said in the same episode as one member of the amphibian folk has become very popular helping the world while the other members of his race wish to attack the other races, because they don't have the luxury the other races have.
The show can also be very knowledgeable especially during the final episodes, where some of the kid characters are learning the names of different flowers and why they aren't just called flowers, this episode felt like it focused on individuality which is something each of the characters have too.
Yet with all the knowledge this show has to offer, I liked how the final episode was there for fun really as we see the main characters in a fantasy setting and having an arm wrestling competition with the other classmates, so if there isn't a season 2 I'd actually be fine with what this show offered.
Characters (8/10)
The characters were definitely interesting as each stood out, not just with their physical appearance, but also with their personalities and characteristics.
Himeno, Nozomi and Kyouko are the main characters of the show, Himeno who is a centaur, is the cute, clumsy, innocent girl of the group and as a female character in this category she is very likeable, her compassionate nature towards her friends and her cousin Shino sometimes make her look like a mother or older sister figure, but her sweet personality will always make her seem like a big child.
Nozomi is the tomboy girl of the group, she tends to be quite lazy sometimes especially when it comes to her studies, but she does like to have a good joke with her friends from time to time, however she does care for them greatly and is willing to stick up for them whenever they get in trouble.
Kyouko is definitely the most intelligent member of the group, despite lacking in the athletic department, she can be quite assertive sometimes like when she was helping Nozomi with her maths, or with her father when he was writing a novel, she can also be pretty funny often making jokes even when their not supposed to be jokes and always see's the stupid side in some situations.
Manami Mitama is the class president and motherly figure for her family, she can be very bossy, but that's in order to make her younger sisters stop messing around, she is also a very caring person since she knows how active her younger sisters are, she makes sure they are safe wherever they go.
Sassassul or Sue for short is the only Antarctican in the show who is a major character, despite having the head of a giant snake, she is a surprisingly interesting and yet adorable character, mainly because she is learning about the way humans live compared to her own kind, she does provide a fun source of entertainment since she is the odd one out amongst the group so her actions with other characters end up them having funny conversations.
Art (8/10)
The art was definitely interesting, especially considering there are no normal humans in this show at all, there are either centaurs, angels, demons, cat people, merfolk, Antarcticans or even amphibian folk, so the diversity of different types was a fun sight to see, especially the Antarcticans who may seem terrifying at first, but considering how Sue's character was they seem like nice people.
I also liked how well detailed some objects were in this show, like for example the flowers in episode 11 were definitely something nice to look at and it also interested me how there were normal devices we usually see that have been adapted for the other races too.
I think the one problem I had with the art style was the censoring of some scenes, I mean I've seen better ways of censoring breasts than a long strobe of light.
Sound (8/10)
The op was another big surprise for me, I wasn't expecting it to be really catchy yet somewhat badass at the same time, I thought it was going to be generic, but that wasn't the case here, same for the ed too which had a soft tone to it that felt relaxing to hear at the end of each episode.
I thought the soundtrack was good, I think the part that stood out the most was the merfolk episode where we saw them doing their ritual to their God.
Extras:
I thought the comedy was actually pretty funny, especially when it came to the more embarrassing subjects, but that isn't the whole case since those type of episodes were taken care of pretty early on, I also thought Manami's sisters were pretty funny too with their constant schemes of entertaining themselves alongside Nozomi's teasing towards Himeno in some of the episodes.
Enjoyment (8/10)
Overall (8/10)
Overall this was a pretty entertaining show, especially when it came to the amount of knowledge it offered and some of the more ethical issues it had in the background, alongside some pretty enjoyable characters, this is definitely a surprise I wasn't expecting.
BanjoTheBear
(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Centaur no Nayami features, coincidentally enough, a centaur as its leading character. Thinking about centaurs got me thinking about horses, and thinking about horses got me thinking about how I’ve never gone horseback riding. It’s interesting to think about how traveling by that animal hundreds of years ago was the norm. People still do so for fun of course, and horse-drawn carriages are still a thing in bustling cities for those that desire a romantic escape. But riding a horse is no longer a necessity to go out and see the world. In Centaur no Nayami’s world,if a person there were to ride a centaur, let alone talk about doing so, they could potentially be arrested for disrupting the peace. But, thankfully, no peace disruption goes down in this mildly interesting anime.
STORY
While “nayami” translates better into English as “worry,” the localized title for Centaur no Nayami is A Centaur’s Life. That last word homes in on the anime’s structure, a structure that fans of this medium have come to equate with laidback shenanigans and an episodic format overall. That’s right: the tried-and-true slice-of-life genre.
Despite relying on the title earlier, this anime is not strictly about Hime the centaur’s daily troubles. Rather it’s about her own worries and those of the people closely or indirectly related to her. Nevertheless, it is purely slice-of-life. From the very first kiss to the final arm-wrestling match, the characters take part in events that barely reach above the mundane and the regular throughout the season. Naming flowers, dating, glimpsing at family life. See? Simple, normal stuff.
The twist with these events, however, is the fact that Hime and the others are less human and more hybrids. Goat people. Snake people. Frog people. Angels. Mermaids. And, of course, centaurs. They go to school, hang out on the weekends, and take part in various activities like any other normal person, but they also deal with their own problems, too.
Their abnormalities (or, to them, their normalities, a made-up word for argument’s sake) become a key part of Centaur no Nayami. In depicting them, the show builds its world through simple yet effective means. The design of cars made for centaurs. Glasses that wrap over the heads of those with ears in the same spot. Scary, grotesque movies that put snakes in a negative light. When in doubt, the anime ties in its strange world through the same strange creatures that inhabit it.
On the opposite end, the anime can also take it to a realistic level of sorts. For instance, mermen (or maybe merbutlers) find clothed bodies more attractive than naked ones. It just so happens that their mermaid counterparts only cover their chests (with bathing suits) when outsiders visit their watery lands, so that element of imagination which can guide the libido works overtime for this aquatic species.
During rare occasions, the show combines both the abnormalities and the realism to create some rather extreme scenarios. It can go anywhere from a Holocaust analogy that discusses the mistreatment of those different from others to young women simply and understandably curious about their own female anatomy.
Such extremes are surprisingly not out of place, though. As the show unfolds, the audience starts to take note of an underlying motif, a darker subtext whose nature seems alarming on a moral and philosophical level. Talking points about forced patterns, societal equivalence, and unseen control pop up at a semi-frequent rate that hint at a world whose outer shine hides its inner oddities.
For instance, shows and books for kids take on democratic motifs for early subliminal messaging. Ominous officials leer from afar as well, making sure teachers inform their students that equality matters more than life itself. The “Department of the Interior’s Bureau for the Conservation of Normal Society” also outright bans particular books they deem too discriminatory. And don’t forget about missing hair halos constituting a potential violation of civil conduct. This dark subtext within Centaur no Nayami gives the show a slight spin that lets it stand out when it otherwise wouldn’t, for wickedness lurks beneath the fur and the feathers.
Intentional or not, such wicked content promotes a welcomed progressive attitude as a neat side-effect. Homosexual relationships are not looked down upon whatsoever, and the show even points out how the earlier use of “snake people” is derogatory when the proper term “Antarcticans” should be used instead. These details are small within the anime when compared to the slice-of-life antics or the larger subtext, but they once again spin Centaur no Nayami towards making a name for itself.
Unfortunately, that darkness and this progressiveness isn’t really explored. Often, the events and the characters bring up these thoughts in passing or as an addendum, and then the episode continues onward as if they weren’t brought up at all. It leaves these interesting tidbits on the wayside, failing to address their thematic implications let alone diving headfirst into these topics.
Despite the anime not expanding on them to a meaningful extent, it clearly does a lot right with its story anyway. It maintains focus. It takes advantage of its premise. It builds its world. It features different ideas to begin with. Overall, the show gallops, slithers, and flies ahead without too much trouble.
ART & ANIMATION
Centaur no Nayami, due to the diverse species that walk among its streets and its buildings, showcases many different designs for the inhabitants of this world. Wings, horns, legs, ears. They combine with various skin tones and body builds to diversify its crowd as much as their “normal” government would likely tout.
It doesn’t take long for the artistry to waver, though. Background people and even the frontrunners go off model too noticeably at times. Furthermore, the animation, while never its strong suit, worsens despite the events not involving much movement in the first place. Not that these details ruin the experience, but they still take away from the anime’s total execution.
Moreover, and worse still, the anime decides on other visual elements that further hurt its chances. Pale, bright lighting washes out the presentation, hampering the visuals with a boring aesthetic. The setting does not help either as Centaur no Nayami ignores any extra flair and instead sticks with the lackluster school grounds. And it does not use any interesting cinematic techniques to curtail some of these problems, leaving them wide open as a result.
To be fair, this very straightforward presentation of the show’s content coincides with its slice-of-life direction. However, it sacrifices intrigue for a whole lot of dullness that keeps it from reaching a higher potential.
Still, the anime demonstrates flashes of care here and there. When the gang talk about Hime’s ancestry, an old-fashioned filter separates the past from the present. It also targets its subtext, too. As a scene transition in episode three, the crosswalk symbols exchange human hands and human walking poses for a generalized green triangle and red square to forego any perceived discrimination.
The wavering artistry and the poor visual elements sadly outweigh these smaller flashes and even the designs. Altogether, the anime simply lacks an engaging artistic direction when it sorely needs it.
CHARACTERS
In Centaur no Nayami, what one sees isn’t always what one gets. Somewhat.
That’s not immediately obvious. With its heavy slice-of-life roots, Hime and the others rarely deviate from their initial impressions. She’s the kindhearted “princess” of the school, Manami acts as a mother of sorts as she looks after both the students and her sisters, and so on. The anime isn’t interested in exploring these characters in a dramatic, traditional sense, and it doesn’t need to. Instead, their interactions and reactions to their different daily situations bring out more of their characteristics.
For example, Hime has (relevantly) massive insecurities about her own body that sometimes dictate her decisions. Manami, in her free time, works as a (fake) exorcist and questions her father’s motivations when it comes to his painting hobby. In both cases here, the characters reveal new sides to themselves that were not present on the surface, getting at that “somewhat” caveat from earlier.
An important note considering their species. As a centaur, people may expect Hime to act confident and strong, but she’s as delicate as a butterfly. Similarly, Manami may be an angel, but she’s far from angelic as she berates (with love) those close to her with a firm foot. These “masked” sides to the characters follow the story’s own “masked” content, creating some parallels that form another layer for the anime to build upon.
Suu the Antarctican snake embodies this idea the most. She arrives late at about the halfway point of the season, representing a “scary” foreigner to the other characters. Yet interactions with her turn that description into a false assumption. Instead, she introduces contrast, perspective, and dialogue in a fair way that go against what the characters and the show normally portray while still demonstrating that she is just like them at the end of the day.
Moreover, Suu’s presence leads to further commentary about the darker subtext as she shares knowledge about her people. Not to mention how her willingness to learn about their cultures, too, ignites a give-and-take that exposes more about them and the world at large.
Nozomi and Kyouko, Hime’s two best friends, also get at this “masked” idea. The demon Nozomi has an innocence about her, and the goat-girl Kyouko isn’t loud or energetic but instead quiet and reserved. Sadly, they also highlight a big problem with the cast: plain to a fault. Be it these two or Suu or Manami or Hime, these cast members lack quirky, riveting qualities. Without such qualities, the show prevents them from becoming interesting individuals let alone memorable characters.
That setup is part of the point of Centaur no Nayami. From their point of view, they aren’t meant to be weird hybrids but rather regular, normal people. Just as it was with the artistry, though, this normalcy dulls their presence and thus their impact within the anime, molding them into shapes too simplistic to call worthwhile.
Regardless of their simplicity, they fit well within the confines of the anime, they follow the slice-of-life ideals put in place, and they at least have their dichotomies which flip their usual setups. Not too shabby for these unassuming group of girls.
MUSIC & SOUND
By far the best piece of music out of Centaur no Nayami, and arguably one of the best parts of the anime period, is the ending track. Titled “Edelweiss”, it soars like an angel. Very strong vocal delivery, background harmonizing, delicate instrumentation, grand atmosphere. It has the complete package. The catchy beat in the second half does not step on the song’s wings in-flight, and it even has a translated English version that replaces the normal Japanese one in episode nine.
An interesting detail given that that episode features the Nazi side story. “Interesting” because the song “Edelweiss” is already a very famous song, played as a patriotic tribute in the face of Germany’s oppression during the critically acclaimed film The Sound of Music.
Which extends to an even more interesting interpretation of Centaur no Nayami’s ED. Looking at the lyrics, it doesn’t seem as if they fit the anime, what with its talks about shadows and helixes and those titular flowers. However, a few lines hint at what it’s getting at: “Then even if the world were to forget me, I wouldn’t notice. / Having lived in fear of the wind, / I too begin to change again!”
That is, on some level, the track argues for pushing back against the controlled sameness that permeates the anime’s content as not-so-subtle subtext. Indeed, an edelweiss – a small, white flower – symbolizes purity and individualism. Traits the characters in the show somewhat lose out on as their society pushes centaurs, snake people, and mermaids into the same category without their say which inadvertently stops them from fully expressing themselves.
Too farfetched? Perhaps. But the anime includes that darker edge a lot. Plus, the stark contrast between the structure of this ED here to the rest of the anime is hard to ignore outright. So, at the minimum, it isn’t too crazy to imagine it having its own subtext, a purpose beyond just sounding nice to the ears.
The ED aside, the rest of the sound work within Centaur no Nayami does not reach the same lofty heights, but they bring their own flavor regardless. The original soundtrack has its piano tunes and trumpet ensembles no doubt. But the xylophone sections feel the most comfortable, their smaller scope and their daintier notes aligning with the slice-of-life presentation. Extra animal noises, such as hooves on pavement and hissing tongues, add realism to the premise but are arguably expected anyway since not having them would leave the show in an unrefined state.
Likewise, the voice-acting performances do not land anywhere too impressive, but the large reliance on novices for the majority of its major cast members is cool to see (or rather hear). Yuu Ayase as Suu at least deserves a small shoutout for her calm manner of speech.
And not forgetting about the opening track, “Oshiete Darwin” follows its counterpart with a song whose composition doesn’t exactly translate to the mood of Centaur no Nayami itself. It blasts into existence with way too much loudness, but the playful vocals, silly sound-effects, and the quicker pace give it a lighter feel as the striking, futuristic instrumentation plays alongside these details. The lyrical content is not as nuanced or as intriguing as the ED, but references to “evolves”, “Gods”, “planet”, “dimension”, and “Balance” round out the OP with a scientific angle that underpins that ever-present subtext once more.
With such a strong ED, and a solid OP, OST, and set of VA performances, the anime demonstrates a lot of execution in its music and its sound that go a long way towards supporting this project.
ENJOYMENT
I had a pretty okay time with this one.
Having that Orwellian atmosphere present throughout the season kept my thoughts on the lookout even if its presence was not technically around at that moment. The yuri under-and-over tones also were right up my alley, being a big fan of the genre.
I liked several of the characters, too. Hime was my favorite. Cute and kind, she did her best to live happy and carefree with the many people around her whom she called friends. Suu was also a favorite of mine; her calm composure and overall outlier status put her in a unique spot. And I cannot forget about Manami. She had an air of superiority, but her drive upheld true sincerity visible in nearly every interaction she had with those around her.
Her trio of little sisters – Chinami, Chiho, and Chigusa (informally the Chi Sisters) – and Hime’s younger cousin Shino were adorable thanks to how they dealt with and responded to the teenagers around them. Kyouko and Nozomi were also a silly pair to have around. Their lowkey behavior and tomboyish actions (respectively) complemented Hime well to create in them a cool trio.
Otherwise, the rest of the anime was meager to me. I was not too invested in the actual events taking place throughout the season. I did laugh at its jokes, but I didn’t find it hilarious. And I appreciate its subtext yet wish that it would have been more enlightening through greater thematic depth. So, when looking at everything as one big picture, I see this anime as neither amazing nor horrible but as a middling offering.
Centaur no Nayami provides for its audience an average experience. Its plain narrative and plainer characters hide extra details. Nuanced musical pieces combat the boring artistic display. And the entertainment value balances itself out with both likable and forgettable elements. It’s worth the ride – but just the once.
SUMMARY
Story: Good, a purely slice-of-life tale builds a world featuring centaurs, snake people, angels, and mermaids as a darker subtext lurks nearby
Art & Animation: Bad, diversified designs and small additions to the presentation cannot outperform the waning artistry and the detrimental visual choices
Characters: Fine, Hime, Suu, and the other girls have their own “masked” sides but are plain to a fault
Music & Sound: Good, a surprisingly intriguing ED soars high as a quirky OST, newcomer VA performances, and a “scientific” OP run on the ground not too far back
Enjoyment: Fine, occasional yuri moments and likable characters match up against meagerness otherwise
Final Score: 5/10
D704
After watching Centaur no Nayami, I had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the characters are very lovable, and the artwork is impressive. The show's focus on racism and discrimination was a refreshing take on the anime genre, as I haven't seen this topic brought up before. Additionally, the opening and closing songs of Centaur no Nayami were great. On the other hand, the story felt disjointed and lacked a coherent narrative thread. While I understand that the Slice of Life genre doesn't necessarily require a significant plot or lack thereof, it still felt a bit empty and it was mostly just full offan service and sexual assault.
Overall, if you're looking for an anime with a meaningful and immersive storyline, this particular anime may not be the best option. However, if you're in the mood for a lighthearted and enjoyable anime with lovable characters and great artistry, then it may be worth a watch.
overevaluated
The essential concept of the show is that instead of evolving into traditional humans, fish evolved into forms of humans that have various animalistic characteristics, whether that be to the effect of having a horse body, goat horns, or even looking like an angel. These people would clearly be different, so the show is set up to explore the whacky hijinks of accommodating for a 1500 pound horse girl AND a 4'11" small demon girl. The unfortunate turn here is that within the first 10 minutes the established cannon goes into detail about how slavery is an engrained part of their history and how thereare ultra sensitive anti discrimination laws in place that are HEAVILY enforced to the effect of having to be taken away from your home and sent to a rehabilitation camp for violations. This is not a one-off inclusion of their history, but rather a MAJOR plot point in EVERY episode. The hyper-specific depictions of how races were enslaved and why, and the political TV arguments of why merfolk do or don't deserve prosthetics all pervade the advertised happy feeling of a typical SoL show about a group of friends figuring out their differences like most SoL's set in high school. The moments where they're just teens figuring out life are cute! But the moments where one or more of the characters is outspokenly anxious about being sent to a anti-discriminatory rehab camp are all but few and far between. It genuinely is upsetting looking into this. I am not someone who believes that our IRL world is free of bigotry and hatred, but the fact that someone would write about and later a TEAM would write into a show about in depth fantasy racism and ableism is just so fucked. A fantasy genre is inherently free of the binds of reality, and I get that it is impossible to have a show free of the culture that the writers are from, but to spend literally a decade (look it up, the manga first released in 2011 and the last volume was released in 2021) developing a world like this is either mocking the state of current fights for equality or is so obsessed with racial biases and cultural differences that they can't POSSIBLY imagine a world in which people can just be different and still happy together! I cannot emphasize how much I wanted to like this show and was just routinely left feeling upset or viscerally disgusted with the images or notions provided by this show.
Zerathos_Dagon
Overall, Centaur is a pretty good Anime to just sit through and enjoy. It did bring more slice of life (and a bit of humor) to the table more than anything else, but I totally don't mind that since I'm a fan of it. But if you don't like slice of life, or if you expected/wanted something entirely else from Centaur no Nayami then I can understand it might not be your thing. Anyway, the slice of life that is there is pretty entertaining. Not absolutely great or incredibly noteworthy, but definitely fun at the very least. For me, it didn't feel like a chore tosit through at all: it gave me a few laughs and interesting concepts to keep myself busy with. The quality of the art and the sound was decent as well.
The biggest drawback to Centaur no Nayami, at least in my opinion, is that it feels like so many potential subjects, storylines and character developments were wasted. Centaur no Nayami introduces your typical world filled with animal-/monster-human hybrids. The world seems much more like that of 'Demi-chan wa Kataritai' than most others. But where it kinda disappoints me is that Centaur no Nayami introduces a whole lot, but then does nothing with it later on. An example is that there's a storyline of racism, which they always hint at, but apart from one episode delving a little deeper into it, we get nothing else. Another example are the snake people, always explained as 'mysterious' and 'secretive'... They even start something in 1 episode which I won't spoil. But despite there being a snake girl character introduced into the school that the protagonists attend - Sassassul Quetzalcoatl - they don't explore these concepts much further at all. Which is a shame, since I really liked that character and even the snake people in general.
It comes down to this with me: They should have either A) focused on the slice of life and humor parts full-on and not tease us with all kinds of concepts they won't delve into, or B) they should have just explored the things they introduced much further.
Overall, it really is a pretty fun watch, if only just for the slice of life elements and a bit of the humor... But it could have been so much more, especially with all the concepts we get teased with. It gets a 7 from me, certainly pretty enjoyable to watch, but also leaving much to be desired afterwards.
tyn124
I picked up this anime because I haven't seen a monster girl anime in a while and this was relatively new by the time I started watching. I did not read spoilers and chose it based solely on the picture...a Centaur MC was something I have never seen before. The first thing that strike me as odd was the amount of Yuri baiting there was in this series. Almost everyone can be paired up with another girl but there is no clear cut answer except for one couple. I started this series because of the Centaur girl but by episode 2 I was already fed up withher character, it only got worst as the series progress as almost every other character, including one off characters were more interesting than our MC.
Half way through her role diminishes and focus is placed on other characters, I must say I was more attracted to Class President and her family drama then MC's perfect life.
There was also the added WTF episodes where random back stories were given to character's that we were just introduced to and will literally only last as long as it takes for us to go through their backstory. Though this gave the series more 'food for thought' it was none the less wasted storytelling time as it did nothing to advance the already non existent plot line. There is also a sinister underlining social issue that gets subtly mentioned but is never forefront or acknowledge so again it was unnecessary.
In the end, what we have is a series that's too dark to be a Slice of Life and too light to be a Drama with an MC that is too Vanilla to keep attention.
Literally the only thing that makes MC stand out is her big breast that gets a lot of mentions and screen time. She was also supposed to be very Moe but considering there is a tiny half angel half cat little girl named Sue-chan there was no way she could sell on Moe alone.
Lili_A
[some spoilers below] I felt like this series was not sure what it wanted to be. I went in expecting just another monstergirl-anime but got a strangely fanserviced social commentary-anime. This show would have, in my opinion, been great if they'd just left the useless fanservice out. There are a lot of great things about this show such as talking about racism and the clashing of cultures, as well as the group psychology of humans and how they tend to form ingroups and outgroups. It also has a nice artstyle and interesting character designs. Some characters are personalitywise more excisting then others though. However I stillcouldn't give this show a high rating because it just felt wrong. The oddest scene in this show by far is when three of the main girls talk about what their vaginas look like and then they proceed to look at each others vaginas to make sure that they are "beautiful" and "normal". I believe it is healthy for young girls to talk about their bodies and insecurities with their friends, don't get me wrong, but the way this scene is made is just for fanservice purposes and it feels very disrespectful to the characters and to the message the show is trying to tell.
story: 5
(there wasn't really a plot since it's slice of life but episode plots were ok)
art: 7
(pretty normal, some scenes animated well, others not so much)
characters and development: 5
(The only character I liked or cared about was Mitama Manami and yet she didn't get enough screentime)
soundtrack: 5
(nothing amazing, nothing awful)
opening and ending: 7
(catchy songs but op doesn't really tell anything about the show except that people won't watch anime without luring them in with fanservice... ending was good)
my personal enjoyment: 6
(It might have been a 9 if not for all the fanservice)
final grade: 6
mr57757
Upon seeing this anime when it was announced in my anime news feed, I immediately think that this anime will be roughly similar to Interviews with Monster Girls or any relaxing plotless show... Well, yeah after watching first few episodes, it does somehow reaches my expectations... but... Story: I like the whole idea of the story, but for some reason, It didn't grab my attention after watching the first few episodes... I tried to at least follow the whole episode story but hell, my mind just can't take it. In other words, BORING. I realised this anime was based on manga, so I can't say for surethe whole anime is shit since I haven't read the manga. Producer's fault I guess huh?
Art:
Not really good... with boring scenes and cheap looking drawings, I just wanted to end every episode as fast as possible. It looks like the drawings were rushed. Special clothes, facilities or anything specialize for each human animal seem awkward. Oh, one more thing, centaurs can drive a vehicle (LOL).
Sound:
Skipped the OP, immediately close before ED plays.
Character:
Cool characters with various species with their usual daily lives. Nothing much here.
Enjoyment:
I forced myself to finish this series as I've been holding this for too long. I thought I might enjoy eventually but hell, the boredom is killing me.
Overall:
I sensed this anime was badly/cheaply produced. If this anime was taken seriously, probably it will at least have a better rating.
Xcchi
This anime was overall okay. There were things I liked, as well as disliked when it came to this anime. As for the likes, I think the characters were extremely adorable and the art was great. I judge anime on art a lot of the times, and if the art doesn't look good, I won't attempt watching it most of the time. (I understand I miss out on some good anime doing this, I'm trying to get myself out of this habit.) I also liked the opening and ending songs. I found myself listening to them even after I'd already finished the anime, so that'sa plus. As for the things I disliked, it was really only one thing, but one of the most important things; the story. I didn't like how it was all over the place, not really carrying on a story at all honestly. It felt like a whole series that was completely filled with filler episodes. Don't get me wrong, I'd watch it if you're in the mood for something light-hearted and cheerful, but if you're looking to follow a good story, get invested to it, I'd look somewhere else.
NanakoAC
This was a very strange show, I suppose the seinen tag should have given me a clue. It was never theless really special It's a slice of life with a mostly lighthearted tone about monster girls. Lots of cuteness, likeable main characters. That sounds like something that's been done a million times. But what CnN does different is depth, worldbuilding, and more mature themes. It goes into quite a lot of detail about the evolutionary and political history of its world, about how various clothes, structures and appliances are adapted for the multitude of species. There are a lot of little comments and sideplots about the protagonist'ssheer size affecting her life, like the dangers she faces from drowning because no lifeguard could lift her out of a pool.
It's extremely varied and never gets tiring, though the tone does shift wildly. One episode is 50% comprised of a WW2 drama that doesn't concern our protagonists at all, we instead see an angel boy struggling through life in centaur auschwitz. Seriously.
There's a lot of likeable characters here and they do tend to have more depth than you'd expect, facets of their lives and struggles are explored beyond what would normally appear in anime. Like an impromptu interspecies sex ed lesson at home.
This show was compelling, largely because its so different and I wanted to see what came next, but also because of the likeable characters. I've blitzed through it in a few days and wish there was more
