Shogi, a Japanese game similar to chess, is one of the most popular board games in the country, played by everyone from children to the elderly. Some players are talented enough to take the game to a professional level. The title of Ryuuou, meaning "the dragon king," is only awarded to the person who reaches the pinnacle of competitive shogi.
Yaichi Kuzuryuu has just become the youngest Ryuuou after winning the grand championship. However, the shogi community is unwelcoming to his victory, some even calling him the worst Ryuuou in history. Moreover, he forgets about the agreement he made with Ai Hinatsuru, a little girl he promised to coach if he won. After she shows up at his doorstep, he reluctantly agrees to uphold his promise and makes Ai his disciple.
Together, they aim to improve and exceed the limits of their shogi prowess: Ai, to unlock her hidden talents; Yaichi, to prove to the world that he deserves his accomplishments.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Hatesu
Yes, it's a good show despite being predictable. Despite not knowing a damn thing about Shogi I really enjoyed this show. You don't need to know anything about Shogi to enjoy it at all. The show provides the tools you need to follow along without being technical and boring. The story and premise is decent and it has a good cast and some funny dialogue. Despite being put in typical awkward situations with lolis the protagonist isn't some kind of pervert and only ever comments on the girls being cute. Watch it for the lolis and stay for the Shogi, it's a decent show.
Stark700
This anime. Or rather, this copy-paste formulaic anime adaptation of the light novel that apparently was voted #1 in the Japan’s Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! for 2017 made me wonder if the anime industry even tries anymore. It’s 2018 and here we are, an anime adaptation based on shogi with a cast filled with questionable characters and content. I was cautiously optimistic about this show at first but upon finishing this anime, I can say that without a shadow of a doubt, Ryuunou no Oshigoto left little more than desired. Sometimes, people say don’t judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, that statement is hardto apply for this series. Upon looking at the key visual, you’ll notice an average dull looking male protagonist surrounded by what seems to be a harem of girls. No, I’m not calling this anime a harem but it doesn’t help by the fact that some of them look about half his age. Still, there’s some hope because the show involves shogi, a strategic game of intelligence, right?
Wrong.
The story itself may be focused on shogi but the overall tone of the show will be far distracting than you’ll realize. The first few episodes can easily rub people in the wrong way with the way its characters are introduced. The main culprit is 9-year old Ai Hinatsuru who seems to have an attraction towards shogi master Yaichi. It leaves a controversial impression especially with how she reacts to him when other girls are involved in their lives. After being taken in as disciple, she seems to be even more attached to him to the point where you’ll see “yandere” moments. That’s just the tip of the iceberg though. We also meet Ginko Sora, a female prodigy who also happens to be Yaichi’s childhood friend. I think it’s easy to pinpoint her intentions after watching her reactions from just the first episode alone. Nonetheless, the initial beginning will test the audience on whether they should continue or not. For me, I decided to give this show a chance to see if it improves. Sadly, I’m mistaken.
It seems almost every episode along the way wants to showcase shogi but also leaves the impression of underage girls doing what a grown up would do. Is that an overstatement? However, it’s undeniable that the show gives an uncomfortable feeling whenever characters such as Ai, Charlotte, or others tries to get Yaichi’s attention. Yaichi himself is hardly an interesting character either. The show saturates him with a generic personality and gets him often into compromising positions, either with his disciples or Ginko. It doesn’t help that he is dense as a black hole and the show never really develop him as a character. Speaking of development, the show is mostly void of that except on technical improvement of shogi skills. The only character that I respect in this anime would be Keika Kiyotaki. In perhaps one of the more realistic and heartwarming episodes, we see her determination and strive to improve. The storytelling of her past also make us understand Keika as a person and shogi player. Unfortunately, one episode can’t carry the show as altogether as the others are far less welcoming to watch.
Now I’m not an expert on shogi but this anime seems to dedicate a lot of time in the matches themselves. One might think this is a positive but it’s hardly that. The mind games and psychology is hardly felt because of the way dialogue are delivered. It doesn’t help that the show often jumps around between opponents without giving the audience a memorable rivalry. Furthermore, the main cast is just incredibly one dimensional with personalities that are hardly interesting. If you want some actual shogi with integrity and promising story, check out 3-gatsu no Lion.
Project No.9 is an oddball studio. My impression of their work in recent years has quite underwhelming and it seems that they didn’t manage to step up to the plate this time. On paper, the anime quality looks tolerable with the body movements, character designs, and facial expressions. However, there’s not much else that makes this anime’s visual quality stand out. Sure, there’s character reactions that can be comedic at times but it gets tedious fast. You can pretty much open up a light novel and see similarities in almost every series these days. It doesn’t help that the anime pulls out fan service moments that set off red flags. Oh and Yaichi, he has a very punchable face.
On a more positive note, I suppose the anime’s soundtrack and voice mannerism managed to stay its welcome. Younger characters aren’t easy to portray but I got the impression that it was well delivered. Ginko’s voice is perhaps the most noticeable whenever she gets into a bad mood. On the other hand, I wish there was an auto-mute button whenever Yaichi talks in overly long dialogues. The theme songs of the show are rather catchy despite how generic it looks.
If I said it once, I said it a hundred times. This show leaves little to be desired. You can watch this anime for the shogi but in the end, you’ll probably remember more than that. And I don’t mean that as a positive impression. One character I will actually remember for good measure though is Keika. I prayed the show would develop her more but it seems the anime decided to take steps back after that one memorable episode. For what’s worth, watch this anime with caution if you choose. It honestly became a show that gives shogi a bad name.
Shingster
Please note this review assumes that you have finished watching Ryuuou no Oshigoto and while care has been taken to minimise story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Learning to value the bonds that a master and disciple make while playing Shogi with Ai and friends Based off a well-known light novel series of the same name Ryuuou no Oshigoto or its English title which is the Ryuo’s work is never done gives us the opportunity to look into the world of Shogi from not just a player’s perspective but also from a master’s perspective as they trainprospective students to enter the often-overlooked world of competitive shogi. It does this by introducing us to the Osaka Shogi scene and the many people that are connected to it which includes among their number powerful Shogi players as well as prospective shogi players who wish to enter the world of shogi for many varied reasons. The first episode of the series made a pretty impression on me largely due to the demonstration of the main heroine Ai Hinatsuru’s skill at shogi despite her young age. While wary of the many bad impressions that people had on the premise of the show I kept the show on my watch list and looking back at it I'm glad that I did as I really enjoyed this show.
Taking place within the modern era within the city of Osaka and the surrounding areas Ryuuou no Oshigoto’s overall story follows the life of Yaichi Kuzuryuu a 16 year old teenager that despite his young age is already an accomplished shogi player who had just won the coveted shogi title of Ryuo and his encounter with Ai Hinatsuru a 9 year old elementary school girl a prodigy at shogi who had come seeking to become his disciple. As Yachi and Ai becomes master and apprentice and enter the Osaka shogi scene he soon begins to appreciate the unique skills that Ai has and how they can be used to both introduce new talent to the Osaka shogi scene while at the same time improve his own skills as they both confront the unique challenges that both title holders and beginners in the world of competitive shogi face. Along the way, Yachi and Ai would encounter many varied and interesting characters in their journey to improve their skills in Shogi. These include Ginko Sora Yaichi’s fellow apprentice who is as beautiful as she is skilled in Shogi, Ai Yashajin a rich and arrogant girl from Kobe that possesses skills equal to his disciple, Keika Yaichi’s fellow apprentice and his masters daughter who is determined to break into the league before time runs out and Ika a title holder that approaches Shogi with arrogance and seeks only to beat opponents relentlessly to satisfy her ego.
Yaichi
Yaichi Kuzuryuu voiced by veteran voice actor Yuuma Uchida of Classroom Crisis fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. Despite his young age, Yaichi is already a veteran shogi player and a newly christened title holder having managed to secure the coveted title of Ryuo and becoming the youngest player to achieve that title in history. A 16-year-old teenager Yaichi is a kind, polite and considerate person that on first impression did not really fit the image of a pro shogi player and indeed more like a normal teenager. While kind and polite in the beginning Yaichi was also seen to be someone that was also understanding and patient and treated everyone with respect and dignity whether they are surprise gatecrashers or fellow shogi players. Having played shogi since childhood it can be seen that Yachi is someone that views the sport as something sacred and treats it with the utmost respect and as a result dislikes people that either dismiss it as a game or those players that treat their matches badly as he feels that they are not respecting the sport if they don’t play it seriously. While appearing indecisive in the beginning Yaichi was also someone that was noted to be intelligent and fast thinking and was the type of person that researched his opponents seriously to come up with countermeasures that show his determination to pay respect to both the game and to his opponents. While noted to have a great deal of pride at the beginning Yaichi true to his kind nature was also noted to be someone that was not just perceptive but also intelligent enough to realise the error of his ways and admit to the mistakes that he had made.
As the series goes on and as events allow him to meet both Ai Hinatsuru as well as Ai Yashajin Yaichi’s personality gradually starts to change as the series progresses. At the beginning of the series as a result of his slump, Yaichi was noted to be someone that had low self-esteem that was only held back by his positive attitude and passion for the sport and worked only to secure a victory to silence his many detractors. This however changed after his encounter with Ai Hinatsuru. While initially sceptical of Ai given how she just suddenly appeared in front of him this opinion of her gradually changed after seeing the level of skill that she had skills that were every bit as equal to his own despite the lack of training and actual playing experience that she had. As a result of seeing the level of skill that she had as well as seeing her earnest desire to become his disciple Yaichi’s core focus soon changed to one that revolved around the training of Ai as his disciple and raise her as a pro shogi player that will be able to make full use of the talent that she had. While somewhat reluctant at the beginning due to the many opinions that people had about him and Ai as the series goes on this reluctance gradually disappears and is replaced by his desire to teach her carefully and calmly showing his determination to fulfil this promise. While somewhat reluctant and embarrassed to be associated with Ai at first this feeling gradually transforms to that of pride at having someone as skilled as her as his disciple and is something that Yaichi makes use of as his main source of motivation as the series goes on. While positive and calm on the surface Yaichi in the series also faced a number of problems that were unique to him. At the beginning of the series while Yachi had great skill he was also rather unimaginative with his tactics and as such was looked down by many people and his victory over the previous Ryuo was widely seen as a fluke. While dismissing them as harmless it can be seen that beneath the surface these sentiments affected him greatly. As the series progresses and Yaichi encounters first Ai Hinatsuru and later Ai Yashajin this feeling of inferiority starts to decrease as he upon seeing both their skills at shogi develops a motivation to improve his skills not just to improve his standing within the shogi world but also to be a good master to them. Yaichi’s most prominent trait is without a doubt his desire to not see Shogi as just another competitive sport but also a sport where his disciples can be good at and enjoy while respecting other players. This aspect of him I particularly liked as it showed how much he loved and respected the sport.
Ai Hinatsuru
Ai Hinatsuru voiced by veteran seiyuu Rina Hidaka of SAO and Accel world fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the series main heroine. A 9-year-old girl that’s still in elementary school Ai is on first appearance a quiet and nervous girl that nonetheless tries to project a cheerful attitude to mask it. After overcoming this it can be seen that Ai is also someone that is polite and well mannered and is also someone that is intelligent and fast thinking while also having a strong spirit that refuses to admit defeat. These three latter traits however can be said to be the ones that truly define her as they help form the foundation of Ai’s most prominent skill which is her skills as a shogi player. From the beginning of the series, it can be seen that despite her young age Ai was noted to have an unusual amount of skill when it came to shogi and indeed can be seen to be a prodigy at that sport that is shown best in the first match that she had with Yaichi. In this, it can be seen that while only adept at the basic moves at first Ai’s real skill that continues to improve as the series goes on is her ability to enter into a focused state where she can focus her concentration on reading the shogi board and plan out her moves before they can be made. This type of ability while far from being non-existent is usually possessed by veteran players of the game who have had hundreds of matches under their belt and as a result, seeing a 9-year-old girl have this same ability is indeed something that can be said to be most unusual indeed. In line with this ability is another of Ai’s impressive traits which is her flawless memory which is her ability to remember every move and shogi problem that she had made or solved. When combined with her ability to enter into a focused state the level of ability that Ai has while certainly unrefined at first is nothing short of astounding and ensures that the title of shogi prodigy is an apt title for her.
While Ai and Yaichi had the most unusual of first encounters as the series goes on it can be seen that Ai views her master with both admiration and respect and it can be seen that being his disciple is something that she had aspired to do since their first meeting. As a result of this level of admiration for her, master Ai is someone that is noted to have a great deal of pride on being recognised as his disciple and dislikes it when she has competition for this important role. True to this act Ai is shown to be very loyal to her master and will come to his defence at once if someone slanders him something that I felt was admirable of her. As the series goes on it can be seen that Ai’s feelings towards her master is something that easily exceeds that of a normal master-disciple relationship that can be seen in her attempts to please her master and her reactions when she see’s him with other girls. In this side of her, it can be seen that Ai is very conscious of her master’s actions and she can easily tell if he’s hiding something from her through her boosted perception skills something that I find quite hilarious as nothing beats seeing Yaichi being pinned to the wall by Ai’s glare. As the series goes on and as Ai and Yachi’s relationship improves it can be seen that Ai has begun to be more perceptive of the feelings and moods that Yachi projects as a result of the bond that they share and as a result she can feel both joy at seeing her master when he’s happy as well as feel disheartened when she see’s him in pain. This level of perception, however, is a doubled edged sword as while the former can make Ai’s determination to win and fight tenaciously to the end it can also have the opposite effort of affecting her morale and concentration when she senses the bond between her and her master weakening. The character of Ai Hinatsuru I felt was an interesting one as though she’s off a relatively young age the level of maturity that she has as well as the level of skill that she has in Shogi was very impressive. Despite the level of players that she has to face in her journey to become a pro player her determination to face them head on to both prove her skills and his masters trust in her was very admirable. I felt that her seiyuu Rina Hidaka really did a fantastic job at portraying the character of Ai Hinatsuru.
Ginko
Ginko Sora voiced by veteran seiyuu Hisako Kanemoto of Food Wars and Gunslinger Strato’s fame is one of the main characters of the series and is both Yaichi’s fellow shogi apprentice and fellow shogi title holder. A 14-year-old Junior high school student Ginko despite her young age is like Yaichi a fellow title holder in Shogi that also commands a lot of respect within the community due to her impressive win record against her fellow female pro shogi players. Unlike Yaichi no one denies the skills that Ginko has in Shogi and while she has many titles to her name it is the nickname that her fans gave her that truly make her stand out over her other titles this being the Snow White of Naniwa which is a somewhat ominous nickname. A childhood friend and fellow shogi disciple of Yaichi Ginko has the unique position of being both a childhood friend and a senior disciple of Yaichi which also makes her somewhat of a mentor to Yaichi as well. As a result of this, it can be seen that Yaichi pays her a lot of respect in deference to this role. A quiet, blunt and confident young woman by nature Ginko is someone that’s shown to be a very determined and highly motivated person that has a strong will to succeed in everything that she does. While quiet by nature and indeed not one for small talk Ginko is shown to be someone that prefers a more direct approach to things seen both in her matches in shogi as well as in life. While conscious of the fame that she has managed to achieve within the shogi world Ginko is shown to be a modest person by nature and will respect those that have played the best they can against her whether she likes them or not.
As the series goes on however Ginko’s personality starts to gradually change. At the beginning of the series, Ginko was noted to have a very icy personality especially when she deals with Yaichi and in which she’s noted to treat him rather harshly irrespective of the actions that he may or may not have done. This is especially true when she interrogates him for information when she determines that he’s hiding things from her. In this however we can see that the relationship between the two of is not as simple as it sounds as more than anything its obvious that Ginko sees Yaichi as more than a friend and fellow disciple and instead see’s him as something of a rival that can be relied upon to help each other when one needs help in shogi as well as let off steam by playing each other relentlessly. In this, despite the disparity between them in terms of titles, it can be seen that Ginko see’s Yaichi as a rival that’s superior to her in shogi and it is this desire to match Yaichi that truly acts as her core motivation to do well in Shogi. While Ginko, in the beginning, was quiet and somewhat blunt she was also shown to be rather assertive with her demands on Yachi but at the same time, she was also shown to have a rather mischievous side to her personality as well a contrast that I felt was interesting. While shown to be near expressionless in the beginning as the series goes on It can be seen that Ginko was someone that was also very loyal to her friends and was someone that easily got upset if their actions caused them distress a side of her personality that I particularly liked as it contrasted well with her Tsundere personality. This is best shown in her attempts to help Yaichi face his problems during his crisis during the Ryuo title match and her subsequent reaction when she was rebuffed by him. As the series goes on it can be seen that Ginko has a rather interesting complex in which she dislikes being seen and treated as a girl by others and can easily get embarrassed if she has to wear clothing that is typically associated with girls. This side of her personality was an interesting one as her behaviour when she’s in this mode is very much like a cute girl as she acts embarrassed and blushes openly rather than her usual icy Tsundere look. While harsh and violent towards Yaichi most of the time it’s interesting to note that even she has a softer side to her that she will show when she tries to help friends that are in a tight spot. The character of Ginko I felt was an interesting one as though she was Yaichi’s fellow disciple she was also his mentor and it can be seen that both rely on each other to improve their skills at shogi. The contrast between her personality with that of Ai and Yaichi I felt was interesting as it highlighted the fact that while they may have different personalities and approaches to shogi they are all united in their determination to play shogi and respect both the game and their opponents in doing so. I felt that her seiyuu Hisako Kanemoto really did an excellent job in portraying the character of Ginko.
Ai Yashajin
Ai Yashajin voiced by veteran seiyuu Ayane Sakura is one of the main characters of the series. A 9-year-old girl from a rich family that lives in Kobe Ai Yashajin on initial appearance is an arrogant and self-confident young girl that in the beginning tended to look down on others and was the complete opposite to Ai in terms of personality. While arrogant and possessing boundless confidence in herself Ai Yashajin was also noted to be a cynical person that had a lot of pride in her skills as a shogi player despite her lack of actual combat experience in the beginning and was also fiercely competitive regardless of who her opponent was. Despite that Ai Yashajin was also noted to have a teasing and malicious side to her that she makes use off when she feels the situation calls for it a side that I felt complemented her arrogant personality pretty well. Indeed, from the onset it can be seen that while Ai Hinatsuru has the image of a cute angel Ai Yashajin was the opposite and instead having the aura of a demon as in the beginning she got angry very easily and fought with great tenacity in her matches even when the tide has turned against her.
As the series goes on however Ai Yashajin’s personality gradually changes as a result of not just meeting Yaichi but also seeing what the shogi world really was like. In the beginning of the series as a result of learning to play shogi through both self-taught materials as well as her parents records and notes Ai Yashajin while having the basics of shogi locked down was noted to have no actual combat experience in the real world and as a result of this often fell into traps when faced with opponents that make use of unconventional tactics. This shows that while she has the basics locked down she was lacking in the ability to read people’s moves and intentions which like in all board games is of great importance. As the series goes on this weakness of her’s gradually vanishes. While still tenacious and unwilling to give up Ai Yashajin gradually gets better at both reading the board and of people greatly improving her chances of victory. While Ai Yashajin as the series goes on generally retains her arrogant nature it can be seen that this attitude of her’s gradually softens as she learns to enjoy playing shogi with others and learn that shogi is not just about playing to win against her opponents but also to make connections with like-minded people while enjoying testing your strength against theirs. While Ai Yashajin and Yaichi did not have the best of first encounters and indeed she at first looked down on him at first this gradually changed as the series went as she was able to see the great effort and attentive care that Yaichi put in to help her understand the knowledge that she would need if she wanted to enter the shogi world and make a name for herself. As a result of this Ai Yashajin’s attitude towards Yaichi gradually changed and she soon learned to both respect his skills at shogi as well as the fact that he treated her like a normal person and did not let her status stop him from treating her bluntly if she did not get anything that was taught. The character of Ai Yashajin I felt was an interesting character as in addition to being polar opposites to Ai Hinatsuru in terms of shogi tactics Ai Yashajin was also every bit the opposite in terms of personality. The gradual thawing of Ai Yashajin’s personality from a withdrawn Tsundere that only played shogi to remember to one that had found that playing shogi in the real world while more punishing was actually more fun and challenging I felt was something that was well done and made great use of one of the series main themes which was that only by playing together would one be able to improve their skills while enjoying the game. I felt that her seiyuu Ayane Sakura really did an excellent job at portraying the character of Ai Yashajin.
Keika
Keika Kiyotaki voiced by veteran seiyuu Ai Kayano of 3 Gatsu no lion and Anohana fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is both Yaichi’s fellow shogi disciple and the daughter of his master. A young woman in her mid-twenties Keika is a kind, caring and thoughtful person that’s also considerate and understanding of others. In this, it can be seen that Keika fits the very image of a big sister within the shogi family that Yaichi, Ai and Ginko belong too. Unlike Yaichi and Ginko Keika is not a title holder and indeed not a pro player as well and is instead she like Ai is a shogi trainee that hopes to be able to pass the training course and become a pro player.
As the series goes on and as Keika’s personality is gradually revealed to us it can be seen that Keika has her fair share of problems that are worrying her that she tries to hide from her fellow shogi family members. While positive and relaxed on the surface beneath this it can be seen that Keika struggles greatly with the fact that despite the shogi skills that she had inherited from her father as well as through practice with Yachi and Ginko she hasn’t been able to make much headway with her dream of becoming a pro player while her fellow family members Yaichi and Ginko had gradually overtaken her and achieved fame within the world of shogi something that she punishes herself for. As a result of this, it can be seen that Keika is rather desperate to achieve her dream as unlike Yaichi and Ginko Keika also has to contend with the duo pressure of reaching the age limit and being dismissed from the training class due to defeats. As the series goes on Keika’s fortune and luck eventually changes and makes her realise that while having the pride of being from a famous shogi family was a good thing letting that constrain you and force you to punish yourself was not and that one should be able to walk the path that they want too without forgetting their roots. The character of Keika I felt was an interesting one as despite being happy and positive beneath the surface Keika is, in fact, someone that wrestles with a lot of struggles that are unique to her. This contrast in her outer and inner self I felt was especially well done as it allowed us to see the struggles that older shogi players may feel as they struggle to break into the pro players league while having to battle not just opponents that are not just younger than they are but also more skilled that they are.
Ika
Ika Sainokami voiced by veteran seiyuu singer Haruka Tomatsu of Sword Art online and Asura crying fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is a fellow female pro shogi player to Ginko. A young teenage girl Ika is an arrogant, self-confident and menacing opponent that has the traits of a classic egotist. True to this personality type Ika is someone that cares little about either her opponent or manners and indeed seems to live only to crush her opponents relentlessly and use this to gain even more power and improve her skills. As a result of this, it can be seen that Ika is someone that hates weak opponents and would slander those that she considers weak as she see’s them as someone that’s not worth her time at all. As the series progresses it can be seen that Ika’s view of Yaichi is an unusual one in that she views him as more like an object than a person one that she only wants to herself and one whose only purpose was to play shogi with her to her heart's content. The character of Ika while introduced rather late in the series I felt was an interesting character as more than ever she represented a strong and fearsome opponent to both Ai and Yaichi in more ways than one that they had to overcome if they wanted to progress in their journey.
Amv
Animation wise I felt that the series did a very job at showing the main setting of the series which was the city of Osaka and the various locales that the city had. The character designs for the series I felt were also well done and were faithful to their light novel counterparts to which I'm thankful. The animation for the moves that the characters make during the matches as well as the animation for the matches themselves was something that I felt was well done and it made it easier to see the significance of each move as well as how it impacted on the match as well. In terms of voice acting overall, I felt that the main voice cast did an excellent job of portraying their assigned characters. In particular, I feel that Rina Hidaka, Ayane Sakura, and Hisako Kanemoto deserve special praise as I felt that they did an excellent job of portraying their respective characters. In terms of music, I thought that the series OST did a great job at conveying the various feelings and emotions that lay behind each scene and helped greatly in allowing us to see the types of feelings that the characters were going through at that time.
Overall conclusion
In overall Ryuuou no Oshigoto was a really fun but also a really interesting anime that I really enjoyed watching this season and is arguably one of this season best anime’s. The series main strong points I thought were the interesting premise, story, characters, animation and strong voice acting and its strong emphasis on having fun while also learning how to play shogi with Ai and her friends. Unlike most countries, a lot of countries in Asia have the belief that if one wants to achieve mastery at something one must start training at an early age. As a result of this seeing, a 9-year-old decide to show up and petition a professional to train her as their disciple is by no means unusual. A lot of people seem to have the impression that this practice is shifty, but this is far from the truth as most martial arts and not to mention board games such as shogi really do start training them from an early age. In fact, as the members of the training class has proven the age of entry is actually between 7 and 9. One of the series main themes is learning to play shogi but as with all learning methods, the disciple would have to while learning how to play also encounter others that have the same goals as them. Humans by their very nature are social creatures and if we encounter people that share our interests its natural that we would want to bond with them. When trying to learn anything its always better if you learn it with friends. While learning shogi is the main theme part of that journey involves forging friendships with your fellow players and playing with them to not only improve your skills at it but also improve theirs as well as without playing with others you will not be able to learn what your flaws are and how you can rid yourself of them to improve yourself. While doing a good job at showing the teaching the basics to both Ai and to us viewers the series also did well to use this theme to teach us that winning in shogi is not everything and that defeat too can be a learning experience and one that can be used to figure out your flaws and correct them. Above all, it stresses that the most important thing is that you are having fun challenging others and learning from that experience and in turn helping both them and you.
With Shogi as the main theme, it was important that the series not only featured interesting and entertaining matches but also genuine shogi moves that are used for real. In this I felt that the series did a great job at showing this as not only are each of the matches interesting and well designed but they also featured analysis’s of not just the players moves via simple and easily followed explanations but also looks at the players mental state and the feelings that they may be feeling as well. The look at the feelings that one may be feeling as well as at the issues that may affect a shogi player I felt was a good move as no matter how calm one is they cannot ignore every feeling that they may have and these can have adverse effects on a shogi match if you are unable to maintain your calmness. One other aspect that I thought the series did well in was its showing of the various ages of people that play in the shogi world. While largely unknown outside of Japan shogi is a world that can be said to attract people from all walks of life and the ages of people that enter its world can vary substantially which is best shown in the ages of the characters that are featured in the series from the 9-year-old Ai to the 14-year-old Ginko and the 16-year-old Yaichi. To them, shogi is the world that links all of them together. Apart from teaching us how to play shogi the other main theme that series makes use off that it makes use of as its main premise is the relationship between Yaichi and Ai in the form of the master and disciple relationship. Though increasingly rare such relationships do certainly exist, and they are of a more important nature than normal relationships. The relationship between a master and a disciple can be a complex one as the master is responsible for not just training their disciple but also learn to exist with them and learn how to tease out the skills that they may have while also working to motivate them and keep them focused. As a result of this, the degree of trust that can be formed between a master and disciple can be potent and deep one that can inspire a great sense of loyalty to the two that can be used to motivate them or break them out of a jam when needed. While Ai and Yaichi had the most random of first encounters as the series progresses it can be seen that a strong bond between the two gradually forms bonds that not only serve to motivate Ai so that she will do her best to not lose and let her master down but also serve to motivate Yachi to work hard for Ai by improving his own skills so that he can continue to teach her. This feeling of both master and disciple working together to both learn shogi and improve their skills by relying on and finding strength from each other as they overcome challenges together I thought was well done and illustrated just how strong such a bond can be if both master and disciple learn to rely on each other. Overall Ryuuou no Oshigoto was an anime that I really enjoyed as while being an effective anime in its own right its focus on teaching how to play shogi also did well to give it the additional role of an educational anime and had the effect of introducing the sport of shogi to a larger audience which I feel will make it more popular and hopefully give it some new blood. As a final score, I would give Ryuuou no Oshigoto a final score of 10/10 as while enjoying learning about Shogi I also really enjoyed seeing Yachi forge bonds with the many characters that he meets along the way while having fun playing shogi. Bonds that can be as powerful as any strategy that one can use to motivate oneself when caught in a pinch.
Haaselh0ff
The Lolicon's Work is Never Done! A story about a Shogi master (Yaichi) who begins apprenticing a young girl(Ai-chan) who is a little too fond of him. Along the way we meet a few too many other little girl characters who all seem to have some weird magnetization towards our protagonist and a couple of actual high school/adult aged characters who you'd like to imagine will be actual love interests for Yaichi over the plethora of little girls he has to choose from. The show, at its core, is about Shogi... and lolis. But supposedly it's mainly about shogi. Yaichi's struggle to figure out how todeal with apprenticing a young girl as well as balancing his relationships with his fellow shogi friends. The characters are likeable. Ai-chan is your standard cute loli girl who is in love with her master. Yaichi is your typical harem protagonist who seems a little too careless on his words towards his loli fanbase. Ginko is the actually decent aged love interest for Yaichi but her screentime gets smaller and smaller despite that she's supposed to be the only one with a real chance at having a relationship with MC. Ai-chan2.0 is a alright character that ends up getting pushed aside in the end in favor of the OG Ai-chan which is kind of a shame since I thought she should've gotten some more character development.
I really enjoyed watching this show every week and looked forward to it. It's not the end all shogi show but it's also not terrible loli trash like some might suggest... Okay, it might be loli trash but not to the extreme degree some make it out to be.
8/10 overall. 9/10 if you factor in cuteness levels but sadly those don't count in reviews.
TL;DR - A Shogi show with some Loli's on the side. They don't go into that much detail on the Shogi though so if you're new to the game it'll still be fine as a story about a guy trying not to get arrested for his clear lolicon nature.
JustAnotherShiro
Ryuuou no Oshigoto is a controversial anime. One one hand it can be accused of being a lolicon bait and a harem (not that I mind either of those). On the other, shogi games are well made and can get really exciting. First question that comes to mind: do you need to know shogi rules to enjoy it? Not really. I assume a person with deeper understanding of game could find something more in this anime, but as someone who barely knows basics of shogi, I didn't feel too limited by it. Show mentions many moves and strategies, but parts important to follow the story areexplained well enough.
Ryuuou no Oshigoto's story is mostly focused on characters, their interactions and development. While shogi is used as a background and a driving force for them, I believe liking the characters is required to enjoy this anime. And this might be hard for some, considering how varied is cast - we have an abusive tsundere, a loli himedere with tsundere tendencies, a loli with yandere tendencies, onee-san character, full psycho yandere... aaand some more lolis.
Oh, and most of them are interested in protagonist. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of harems, and while Ryuuou no Oshigoto doesn't put too much focus on this aspect, I sure enjoyed it.
Reading that you probably expect Yaichi to be typical harem MC. That's not the case. He sure is clueless, but other than that I'd say his actions are reasonable and don't make you want to strangle him. He makes mistakes that are understandable and fitting from story perspective.
Outside of nice Slice of Life atmosphere we also get shogi games. I have to admit, those are really well made. Thanks to good introductions, great music, effects and monologues, seemingly slow and "boring" games turn into something very exciting and emotional. Even though in most cases one can predict the outcome, they still managed to keep me on the edge of my seat.
While art in Ryuuou no Oshigoto isn't anything special in general, I have to mention characters design here. They are pretty. This anime doesn't really go into full fanservice mode - instead the service is done by more tame (in broad meaning...) interactions that shine thanks to characters designs being well used. Example of what I mean here would be Ginko's lips, stockings or occasional midriff. Good stuff.
I'm not sure if I managed to rely it properly in indirect way, so I'll write it directly as a summary: it's a light and enjoyable anime, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy it. I might forget it in few months or maybe even weeks, but I absolutely don't regret watching this series. I believe this title was meant to be a pleasant time killer and it fulfills this tole perfectly.
Alphyx
Let's be real here, you chose to look at this anime because of 2 things. - you thought the girls are cute (and they are) - you're actually interested in Shogi. Now let's start on the actual review, the story is pretty basic, linear even because it centres around playing 'shogi' and that's it. Other than that it is just another slice of life. What helps to make it enjoyable is the cute character designs and interesting tidbits about the game. However, if you do not like "certain characters" their quirks while playing can get annoying over time. The art is nice and the musicis apt for some of its comical scenes, the characters are actually pretty interesting as there are no unlikeable characters maybe except for a few eccentric ones. However, some of the side characters are just absolutely lovable as they are the additional comic relief. The pacing for this anime is rather slow, as it should be, given its genre type and the angle of its narrative.
Lastly, the depth of this anime is closely tied to the drama as they both starting picking up closer to the end. Throughout the anime it focuses on the theme 'shogi' and as the title suggests it will mostly revolve around the MC and his title. Yet when the time finally comes where his skills are to be tested how will he fare? Put yourself into the shoes of a professional, you will most likely arrive with many takeaways. This is probably where the value of watching this series in particular lie.
Overall, the anime is pretty good the comedic scenes are actually funny especially the ones with the recording staff. A good distraction if you're getting bored with the mainstream stuff.
Hako_Mi
Considering my previous controversial reviews, some might easily think that this is simply a joke review, but I've never once written nor rate anything that's not true to my heart and this particular anime, will have a short yet adequate review. This anime isn't about cute girls. It's simply about dreams and passion, and a good one at that. I hope more people can watch everything while trying to understand how the characters feel, not by only seeing it from a passive viewer perspective. That is to me, how everything should be enjoyed. Thank you very much.Somehow MAL prevents me from posting short reviews? Why am I being taught on how to write reviews? This is my reviewing style. I'm talking about irrelevant stuff and publish them as a part of an anime review? I acknowledge that this is a mistake in my part but i too believe that as an anime forum, i can write anything no matter how short or lack of character it is as long as i don't bother anyone, and without ill intentions.
This review might be short, but this is how I truly feel. That is to me how reviews are supposed to be written.
KillyLover32
Yeah, I'm thinking this is the best anime I've seen other than Boko No Pico. First off, all of the characters are amazing and have really good values and goals. Never before have I wanted an underage girl to win a chess game! Each character seemed to have drive and passion, with valid reasons for doing so. Sadly, I can't go more in depth but trust me when I say the characters are one of the best things about the anime! Secondly, the "action" in the show is surprising. The sheer tension I got when they were playing chess was left me perplexed to why thisanime made me feel more tension than the fights in Demon Slayer. The fact the writers and animators were able to do this, along with the voice actors, is a testament to the validity of this anime!
Killthief99
Ryuuou no Oshigoto! or also known as The Ryuuou's Work is Never Done! or even more commonly know as straight up loli shogi. If you check the studio's past works, you'll notice that they have done two other loli-based series, one that is pretty well known, Ro-Kyu-Bu! (Loli Basketball). This with how it sounds from a general description gives off the vibe off just being another loli-centric series with shogi as a tool to just further the loli-pandering. But boy was I wrong. This show does have a focus on lolis, but also on shogi and although they do not go in-depth and explain howthe game works, it can still be very exciting to watch. They showcase the many different matches of our characters, ranging from a JS all the way to our Christmas Cakes with each of them playing at a higher level than the average player as they're not only trying to compete to become a professional, but against other pros too.
This show does take advantage of it's use of lolis to put in whatever quips it can to make our protagonist out to be a lolicon, but it does have other jokes available as well, so you won't be tired of seeing them outing him out as one. They have different jokes for the cast they have, with Ayumu, it would be chuuni stuff, with Ginko, it would be just her icy demeanor as she tries being a 'tsundere' and so on. You would see more different characters as you watch and most add something to it for their time there.
Now back to it being exciting to watch. They put some superhuman like abilities into use for some of these, as well as having the intensity of the matches being able to keep you at the edge of your seats. They do add some visuals to add onto this which can make it look ridiculous as to what it is going on, although some may be overboard. Personally I found this to be more fun to watch. I had also decided to pick up on shogi and learn the rules a bit which makes the show even more enjoyable with the added knowledge of knowing what the characters were doing, although it is not necessary in my opinion as some of these matches can go by so quick that you wouldn't be given enough time to see it happen but just have the general idea.
The music is pretty fun, I did like the oriental bits they played during the matches, but can't really say to much about it. And I would have to say the story is not it's strong suit as there is not much to tell other than they are learning shogi and trying to better themselves while facing their opponents. The appeal is from the characters and the matches which is to be expected with these kinds of shows.
All in all, it is something that can be very fun to watch if you are looking for a sports/game show without being too familiar with it. It does tend to glaze over some matches, but definitely puts focus on the major ones which is what really makes them more appealing to watch. The fact that this show gave me the final push to go and start playing shogi because of how much fun I was having watching them play is the reason why I decided to give this at least a 9.
Whoahoho
Ko, ko, ko, ko, ko, ko, ok enough of Ai's "Ko" moment , so an anime with a loli vibe has just finish. Shit , it kinda sounded like that Ai's is doing that woman on top straddling her seisoh is a sexual way. But, enough of that, ko, ko, ko, ko, ko, how I find this, ko, ko, ko,ko, ko: Poor 3, Story: There is nothing like making something as simple as a Shogi to make is as exaggerated as usual, I mean, with such busy live do them Japs still give ashit about Shogi these days? Ok, so let's get back to business,we have a guy who is a high ranking shogi player who all of the sudden finds himself having a padawan in a form of a little girl named Ai Hinatsuru, after making such promise from a game, where it doesn't seems to require a lotta effort to play and yet his overacting that he is in such exhaustion that he become this soooo stupidly desperate for water form a loli like Ai was just toooooooooo annoying. Also him ( Yaichi Kuzuyuu) being this too obsess of losing from an old timer like Meijin is something that I would like to see the who ever is this anime/novel/manga's creator Shiratori get beating up. This anime's plot was nothing more than a loli love, cu'z the main character has whole bunch of them and Ginko his onee chan who is younger than him and in junior high can qualify as part of the guy's loli harem.
Decent 4, Art:
Nothing hot nor kinky around here, in fact Ginko's swimsuit fanservice is quite lousy.
Fair 6, Sound:
No Comment for me around here, cu'z I simply don't give a ko, ko, ko, ko, damn as to who did who.
Poor 3 Character:
Ok so let's go over them characters:
Yaichi Kuzuryuu- The Jedi master of Shogi, for him to have the title "Ryuo" at 16 was just too much of the Japanese quintessential of young people who needs to grow up fast that him having such title and being this boy who loses to a grown up like Mejin and can't accept it, was just too much of an ill fitted part in a motor. Also him having a loli romance with Ai Hinatsuru and having an affair with another Ai as in Ai Yashajin simply make him a womanizer of sort, that the creator himself was trying to make it look innocent as he jumble from his loli harem padawns to the two Milfs like Keiko and Tamayo , let's not forget his one time fling with Ika.
Ai Hinatsuru- For me she is this brat who need some spanking, cu'z how the hell can a 9 year old can have the thinking of an 18 year old, again she is another ill fitted part in a motor.
Ginko Sora- She would have been fine to be Yaichi's girlfriend, but being this 14 year old and being another Jedi master of shogi in such young age and being as aloof and frank as a 20 year old makes her a waste of opportunity for the guy Yaichi to be his wife. I really feel bad for her.
Ai Yashajin- To me that girl can surly use some major attitude adjustment.
Let's face them characters where just a bunch of ill fitted parts and that's that.
Good 7, enjoyment:
Nevertheless, this anime was still enjoyable to such extent, but the comedic aspect is lost in the last 2 episodes when the relationship between Ai and Yaichi becomes closer than just padawn and master, so..........
Good 7, Overall:
In the end this has more to do with the guy's relationship with a young girl and though it was good, the title and the genre weren't up to standards as to what the anime was suppose to be.... so, season 2? Ko, ko, ko, ko, ko, ko no way jose.
Ko, ko, ko, ko, ko....
Sistine-Fibel
I would first like to state this review contains some spoilers as I needed to discuss the final arc and certain scenes with characters. Story: 5 The story is certainly not the strong point of this series. It follows a young shogi prodigy and his daily antics of being a professional shogi player and a Loli harem king. While some arcs are seemingly pointless some are rather good. For example, Keika attempting to be a professional player after so many years of trying. And the final Ryuo match where Yaichi overcomes his slump after turning away his friends. Both were rather heartwarming but still had their respective faults. However,as we neared the end of the story it felt fairly rushed. Firstly, cutting off a potential arc of Sora and Yaichi making up after their argument prior to the Ryuuou match. And even more so in summing up his final 3 matches in a single sentence and leaving it at that. Right after the excitement of his win, I felt it was a slap in the face to be told that he simply won all the rest of his matches in one sentence. It doesn't make any sense and is very anti-climactic
Animation: 7
The animation is quite nice. Always smooth and pleasant to look at. This section was well done. There isn't too much else to be said.
Sound: 7
After about four episodes I had downloaded the OP to my phone. I think it's great and matches the upbeat opening very well. The ED was also quite enjoyable.
Sound during the anime was good. No glaring issues but nothing special either.
Characters: 4
Other than a couple main characters and some sides I feel like many were introduced simply for fan service. However, as a comedy, some of their moments were fairly funny (for ex. the announcer girl) and enjoyable.
The show had many of the classic character archetypes we have all seen before but they were still made enjoyable.
No characters were really all that deep aside from Keika (who still wasn't all that deep) whom we learn of her past struggles. Of the others, we don't learn too much but the arc in which Ai gains family approval is quite nice too.
As per usual in anime, MC's are either dense or beta. And Yaichi follows the trend with his attitude towards Sora. The scene on the beach and his later argument in which he was never shown apologizing for were not pleasant. Character fights that involve drama can create good tension in a show but in this show, I don't feel that sort of drama was needed. But if it was going to be there, as they did, please at the very least resolve the character drama and don't just forget about it. Sora was one of the stronger and more likable characters in the show imo. How can one be so dense? And how can one not apologize for what he did? I don't know. But if they grew up so close you would think he would not just ignore her right when he is thrown countless lolis. But oh well.
Enjoyment: 7
I largely enjoyed this show as it was colorful, eye-catching, and fun. Cute girls playing shogi? How could I not? Even with mediocre story arcs some prevailed and made us feel a bit for the characters. While other may have made us hate them a little too (Fking apologize to Sora).
But overall lolis and shogi were never going to make a masterpiece of an animation. However, what it did make is an enjoyable comedy with some drama thrown in. Was the drama really needed? Probably not. But it wasn't bad, and the ending was fairly nice and lighthearted as well.
SovietWeeb
I feel like i shouldn't need to explain it but Shogi is not this intense or interesting ! I've seen two old people playing Shogi before and it's one of the most boring things i'v ever scene. It's more boring then being in a Hospital room by yourself without anything to entertain yourself with while you wait for the Doctor. Hell, I've even played Shogi once and i was bored to tear. While i didn't really enjoy myself when they were actually playing Shogi ( That's a pretty big negative for a show based around it) I did find myself liking the world and the charactersinvolved with it.
At first the characters aren't really that interesting. But then i found myself enjoying the characters like Sis and the Bodyguard chick.
Honestly any and all of the Loli's in this are adorable.
Ai and Char Char ( I think it's her name ) Are awesome and fun to have on screen.
I do have some scenes where it's trying to make it seem like Ai's match is really important but it's really not. Especially when we have a second plot of one of the older girls trying to become a professional player that is much more interesting.
The main Antagonist is also kind of nice but i feel they messed up his execution.
For a Show about Shogi he's actually not bad. All throughout we hadn't heard him say a single word tell the episode and i'd say that was a mistake. I think it have been better if he never said a single word.
Along with never showing his face. Normally we'd only see the back of his head or rarely just his mouth. I feel that if they kept him as a more mysterious Antagonist it would've been more enjoyable. Give him some secrecy and keep us more interested however much more.
He's not the greatest Antagonist but he's actually pretty good for a show just about Shogi.
I wish this show just had a girl Protagonist. Imagine how much more interesting this would be if the story was from Ai. A girl about the age of 10 or 11 going through a world completely unknown to her while also having to deal with people not taking her seriously and her having to prove herself by her own skill alone.
Also i just don't like the MC that much and i like Yuri a shit ton more then this. But hey that's just me.
The group of loli's in this i obviously like. But i honestly think i would've enjoyed the show a lot more if it was just about the girls. I like imaging the Loli's become friends and imaging the the two Ai's have a close relationship together as they go through High School. One being more rude while the other one being the nice and kind one. Hell, I honestly think they would be a good couple together ( When they're adults and not Loli's. I'm not weird) I would love for this to be a spin of series tbh
Finally i just find something sad about these girls being obsessed with Shogi. Like the two Ai's alone have tremendous skill with one of the Ai's having a brain like a computer. But all that potential is gonna be used on a boring board game of Shogi.
Overall i surprisingly enjoyed myself more then i thought i would with this being a show about something i don't really care for.
Tmiller7
So this was a cute anime. I very much enjoyed this anime and its message and the charming characters that will make u gush. Story: The story pretty much focuses on our main man Yaichi who is considered the best at this game called Shogi. He holds the title which supports this but yet he is kind of in a slump. That is till one day he meets a grade school girl called Ai who wants him to train her which he does. With her help and others he is eventually is able to get out of his slump. It reallyis a story that teaches that hard work pays off.
Art: The art is decent! All the characters look good as do the places they go.
Sound: Sound is good. The opening and ending song sound nice as do the characters.
Character: I loved the characters. I didn't have a problem with anyone which is nice cause in an anime you will usually find one person u can't stand.
Yaichi- He was the main and he was a good guy. Smart, talented and relatable.
Ai#1- His first disciple. She is very talented and sweet. A cute girl, she loves her master Yaichi.
Ai#2- Yaichis second disciple. She is very talented as well but is a tsundere.
Ginko- She is one of the best female shogi players in the series. She was taught Shogi with
Yaichi. They are really close even calling each other brother and sister. She has a
crush on Yaichi.
Enjoyment, Overall: Overall I did enjoy this anime. I definitely recommend to people who want an anime this is cute and funny that can be serious and has a good message.
utoq
Ryuuou no Oshigoto!, or The Ryuo's Work is Never Done! , is one of the better animes i have watched in recent times. This anime is enjoyable, It had a good story, and was really fun to watch. Story: 9 The story follows Yaichi Kuzuryuu, an 8-dan shogi player, who holds the top title of Ryuo. After a match, he meets a young shogi enthusiast, Ai Hinatsuru. The story follows their lives after ai moves in with yaichi as his live in disciple. Art: 7 Art isnt anything special. sound: 7 sound isnt anything special.charecters: 10
1 word. LOLIS. theres lolis everywhere in this show. also, the charecter devolpment that yaichi and ai go through near the later eps is really good.
Enjoyment: 10
lolis playing shogi with a degenerate. whats more do you want bro.
overall: 10
SoraSenpai
The rating of the story was rough for me to judge. The main story was basically average. I feel like there's a trend where a Teenage boy works along side a young female in anime these days. I mean more then Usual. With Ai and Yaichi it was just another Master/Student relationship. However when it came to the backstories of the Side and Minor characters, well that's a different story. I was more entertained by Yashajin, Keika, and Ginko. I felt like they made the anime more enjoyable thanks to their backstories more then Ai and Yaichi. The art and animation were top notch. When itcomes to animation I feel like Project No 9. brings it with every anime they've produced.
The sound and music was basically nothing to get excited about. The opening was fun, and the ending was soothing. The bgm really did not exist.
The characters I feel like i summed up in my "story" section. Again though I liked the Minor and Side characters more then Ai and Yaichi. They were far more entertaining and enjoyable.
My enjoyment of this anime was like a roller coaster. Some moments got me really excited to watch, while others had me saying "What?" in a confused matter. I just felt like the writing was all over at points and they eventually took the easy way out at the end of the show.
Overall this anime is nothing special. There's better anime out there that revolve around the Loli aspect of things.
Lean_Tsubasa20
honestly there is not much to say here, it is a simple but entertaining series, its characters carry the series as they can but they do it very well until the end of the series, the plot that revolves around the game of shogi itself, several times at the moment and the explanations I almost fell asleep (not kidding) because, really they were very boring, that's why I love the characters since they alone saved those heavy moments during the series from beginning to end, with nothing more than add, it is highly recommended to hang out without expecting the big deal from it
lamaraptor
Ah, you've got to love shows that seem to exist just to trigger angry twitter users. It's a loli harem anime that's just barely also about the game of shogi. That bit in the first episode where his shogi rival walks in to find him on the floor with a naked 9 year old under him is a real tone-setter for the kind of show you're going to be watching. It seems very self aware in it's use of situations like this as a comedic punchline, almost like it's trying to push the limits of what it can get away with while maintaining that it'sjust a parody.
The shogi in this show is, from what I understand, marginally realistic. When it does become the focus, the show acts like a typical sports anime, and the two girls named Ai are like shounen rivals. But when not playing shogi the show will not hesitate to just put the protagonist in increasingly compromising situations with a multitude of little girls. It does a pretty good job mixing those comedy elements while actually paying respect to the game of shogi and even if the depictions aren't the most realistic it does sell it pretty well. I won't give it too much praise but it was entertaining enough and certainly memorable. I give it an 8/10
EvanLoh
"It can be better, but it chose not to." Pros 1. Cute characters 2. Great details on Shogi Cons 1. Boring art style 2. Rushed adaptation<LONG REVIEW>
I heard about this series through it's winning in the Kono Light Novel Ga Sugoi Contest 2 years in a row, beating series like Snafu and Sword Art Online. It was shocking to see a light novel about shogi with lolis can beat series like SAO in a popularity contest, so I waited for the anime to see how this series handles its loli characters and also the Shogi element.
After finishing the series, I have to say that it's quite disappointing, but I still had fun watching it. There are two things that this series fails at, it's adaptation and it's art. Now let me start with the adaptation part. I only gathered this information based on comments from fans of the LN. Apparently this is a failed attempt at adapting the LN, which I can agree. As an anime only, I can also see a lot of important events being rushed. A lot of the contest were quickly glanced through just to go to the final match. There is seriously a lack of explanation at scenes throughout the series especially near the end. Secondly, the art for Ryuuoh isn't that good. It isn't as bad as Marchen Madchen next door, but compared to a lot of series running this season, the only anime I can find on par with Ryuuoh in terms of art is Mitsuboshi Colors, which is also pretty weak at the art department. The only thing I like about Ryuuoh's art is how the characters' eyes were drawn, especially when the characters are being serious while playing shogi, their eyes are beautifully drawn. There are also so points within the series where the characters just look badly drawn. Well, coming from Project No 9, it isn't really surprising just by looking at their previous works.
Now moving on to the good part. First its the characters. I like each character in this series. It really isn't because they are well fleshed out or anything, it's just I like how the characterization for this series is done. Among all the characters, my favorite one is definitely Yashajin Ai. I just love her design very much. Development wise, there are some minor development for each character but nothing grand, some examples being characters getting better at shogi, overcoming their fears, having confidence in themselves again etc.
The details on Shogi is also very apparent in this series. If you know at least the basics of shogi, you can really learn from each of the contest in this series. They really did explain each step well. However, if you aren't familiar with Shogi, then you won't understand anything during the match. Personally I am in the latter part, but I still enjoy watching the matches, maybe because I also play chess and I know the feeling of not wanting to lose easily.
So overall, I enjoyed watching Ryuuou no Oshigoto, but is it a must watch from this season? No. I will recommend you checking out the LN if you really like this series. I would only recommend the TV anime if you want your daily dose of loli cuteness. Otherwise, just skip this series or just go read the LN.
sinisempi
I unironically enjoyed the show way too much, despite it having glaring flaws and many smaller missteps. I also give it points for novelty - if there's anything else like this out there, I haven't seen it. Not that I have looked all that hard. The story is a sort of a romantic comedy, with pandering to male fantasies, between an eager nine-year-old shogi prodigy and her 16yo shogi master. The premise is set up with a more gratuitous and racy tone than the rest of the show has. The setup has an obvious culmination, so the slight switch in tone shouldn't be confusing. Otherwise it staysabout what it was so blatantly set up to be about.
The show manages to gesture at honestly sweet innocence, which I loved. Much happens to hint how true the romance could be. On the other hand, there is fanservice throughout, the male cast is bare-bones, and the plot likes to advance by introducing yet another woman. It's subdued and excused enough that the two themes don't clash much, and there are also long serious sequences, so it's not an "at least thrice per episode" scenario.
Lightheartedness carries the bulk of the show. Most of it I enjoyed, but I couldn't say I was in tune with the sense of humor. The match with the young gay man made me just despair, so I should let you know it doesn't get anywhere near that bad again.
After the setup, little is shown of the pair's private life. For further mystery, a small wedge of ambiguity is left in the boy's actions. It begs the viewer to infer things from everything else, elevating said everything. That might sound like a good concept, but unfortunately it's actually lazy and f*cking st*pid. It saps the drama and leads to issues with the girl's character. She ends up being forgettable and front-loaded, actually becoming shallower as the story progresses. It's not that she doesn't get screentime. In fact, she gets almost everything you can have when boxed in so hard. The ending does leave a mark on her, but that's so cheap and late I won't count it. Her character still sort of works, because not much is required of it, but it would have been such a boon if they'd managed to make her at least a bit memorable.
By contrast, the boy starts as a bit of a trope, and gets neatly grown without being totally subverted. Ginko and Keika also get developed.
I was expecting the show to play coy, but I don't think it ever did. There was one hotel scene that would have been clever that way, while still achieving the same purpose and more, but they have the girl blush.
There is also drama, as one should expect. Tragic notes are played, with bitter echoes. Fun, somber scenes of unjust, spiteful enjoyment. The climax made me feel things. It faltered far less than I expected.
The shogi setting fits well. Essentially everyone is a professional player or aspiring to be one, and their primary motive is love of the game, rather than anything of the earth. Still, I would have liked if there was more of anything that doesn't come right back to shogi.
The audio/visuals were good enough for me, for the most part, and there were also high points. At one point the girl ends up feverish in bed due to stress, and the thought crossed my mind that they didn't know how to make her look worn out and depressed.
To end on a positive thought, I'll repeat that I really liked it :D
