For more than four hundred years, the Takamimi Shrine has stood in Tokyo, enshrining the local goddess: Elda, a magical elf summoned from another world. The immortal elf has been served for 15 generations by the family who summoned her in the Edo period. Now, after Koito Koganei turns 16 years old, this responsibility falls onto her.
Serving as Elda's shrine maiden, Koito must balance her responsibilities with her daily school life. This proves to be difficult because Elda is a total social recluse who loves video games, collecting toys, and eating snacks. In an effort to get the lazy shut-in to experience more of the outside world, Koito juggles her time between indulging Elda's various hobbies and getting her to interact with the rest of humanity. Along the way, Koito learns more about the history of the area and what makes the goddess so loved and spoiled by the locals.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Marinate1016
Edomae Elf was one of my biggest surprises this season. I initially included it in my top 10 new shows to watch video based off a solid first episode, but I did not think I would end up liking it nearly as much as I do. Hilarious, wholesome, fun and surprisingly educational. A unique experience. I’m convinced that the author wanted to write a history manga, but probably thought he couldn’t sell enough copies with just that, so he added a cute elf waifu and other cute girls. I mean, seriously, there is a lot of genuinely informative information in this show about Edo era Japanthat I found so cool to learn about. There’s also a ton of Shinto religious history and cultural stuff in this show as well since it follows a literal shrine maiden. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like that before.
Koito and Elda’s relationship is so sweet and I had a lot of fun watching them slowly come to understand each other better. Koito has only recently taken over as shrine maiden, so she’s still establishing that connection with Elda who is the goddess of the shrine. It makes for a really interesting dynamic as we see them go through traditional rituals, as well as dealing with Elda’s otaku habits. What really stuck with me was seeing Elda gradually opening up her heart to Koito. Given she’s an elf, she obviously lives way longer than humans. But Koito is one of the first people she’s truly connected with and felt close with. Their slice of life adventures were a blast to watch. I will miss that a lot.
Comedy really landed for me too. There’s a lot of pop culture references, usually with slightly different names for copyright reasons. But, seeing Elda play games, collect figures and all other manner of otaku merch was awesome.
There’s a ton of modern Japanese cultural information in this as well as the historical stuff. Particularly as it relates to Japanese regional cuisine. Had a lot of fun learning about local dishes and delicacies. Honestly, the whole show felt like it could have been made by the Japanese tourism board, which I have absolutely no problem with.
This was just such a wholesome and fun watch that made me end every Friday afternoon with a smile on my face. I think it’s a must watch for fans of Japanese culture, history or general slice of life fans. It’s just a nice relaxing watch that we need more of these days.
Edomae elf gets 9 out of 10.
KANLen09
"Dear Takamimi Hime-no-Mikoto, I'm sick and tired of praying the same things over and over again! Can I offer you something...like a Gunpla MG model or video games that will bless both me and you with your hidden life as a hardline Otaku Elf? Any kind of blessing will do, so as long as you do your job as a deity!" A love letter to Otakuism, and in the same but different vein as the show that aired next to each other, mangaka Akihiko Higuchi's Edomae Elf a.k.a Otaku Elf can be regarded as being the better show (as compared to Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers) whenit comes to Otaku culture, fusing both tradition and modern values into a trivia-like enjoyment that otherwise is a rather unique take and is something that has not been done before in the last few years as a supernatural, fantasy comedy work.
If you've been to Japan before, the Land of the Rising Sun has no shortage of shrines no matter which city or town you go to visit to say: Pray for good luck, buy good luck charms, and hope that the gods will bless you in your favour even once in your life. What's not seen behind-the-scenes is the work of the Miko a.k.a shrine maidens, who work as hard as the job implies: to take care of the housekeeping and stuff like that, even more so with the goddesses and deities, and make sure that everything is in proper order. That is what the central characters are here for: Koito Koganei and her "goddess" Eldarie Irma Fanomene, or Elda for short. Both miko and goddess of Takamimi Shrine, located in the Tokyo Metropolitan area of Tsukushima in Chuo City, is a shrine with more than 400 years of rich history since the Edo period, but with a surprise twist: that the object of worship...is a recluse of a crazed Otaku. Therefore, the beautiful female elf, aged 621 years old, being reverse Isekai-ed into Earth over 400 years ago by the founder and first Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu himself, became Takamimi Shrine's Hime-no-Mikoto "deity"...that hilariously relapses into painful, but relatable comedy as she lazes around the shrine, engaging in the couch potato of the human life: eat (and drink Red Bull, proudly sponsored), sleep, play video games, watch anime, and repeat the process again and again, daily. And that adds to the detriment of her miko, the 16-year-old 15th generation shrine maiden, who has to bear her hardline Otaku idiosyncrasies day and night, fulfilling and opposing her whims as a useless goddess who has a pension for protecting all things Otaku-related, which initially fuels the anger between miko and goddess, only to then accept it as their way of life, because like-minded beings think alike, right...?
Despite the hectic life between Miko and the goddess of the Takamimi Shrine, Koito is not alone, for her younger sister Koyuzu is well-endowed and mature given her unknown-but-young age, and within the Tsukushima neighbourhood of theirs, she is quite well known among the people over the local seafood market, more than a well-rounded, talented cook that Elda loves at first sight. And friends be friends in the growing-up stage of life, for Koito's best friend Koma Sakuraba is a ball of interesting and hilarity on her own, initially playing better to Elda's requests, and just being a good, nurtured friend at heart to Koito. For a miko that looks just as hard as she was both in school and at work, Koito has a good heart for the people too, thanks to Elda, who, despite her faults and her extreme shyness, is immensely popular in the local neighbourhood, mostly because of her unaging nature.
Alas, both Miko and the goddess are not alone in their shrine endeavours, because there are others who share their heritage as well. There are warring factions over which side is the best, and that holds true for both Miko and the goddess Himawari Kohinata and Yordeilla Lila Fenomenea a.k.a Yord of the Hiromimi Shrine. The female dark elf who's a year older than Elda and (like her) summoned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, instead, is the petite child that has the traits of extreme energy and has traversed far and wide across Japan...except that she has a bad sense of orientation that beckons the somewhat clueless Himawari to act as her mother figure of sorts. But the best is yet to come, for the 3rd miko and goddess pairing who hails from Uramimi Shrine: Isuzu Koimari and Hylaria Aira Mirarasta a.k.a Haira, is more out there as being risk takers in their own good and bad ways. Specifically, the girl who is the same age as Koito, is a famous influencer, of whom the former is a huge fan. But Haira is another goofball of an elf. As the one who's summoned by one of Oda Nobunaga's leading generals, Maeda Toshiie, at age 726, she's the Onee-chan/big sister character when compared to Elda and Yord as the oldest of the Isekai-ed elves, but if there is a taboo about Haira, it is that of the proposition to not give her any money, because she is a compulsive gambler. And despite Isuzu raking in her influence through the likes of people on social media, and often scolding Haira for her compulsive gambling behaviour, she is a big fan of Haira, who dresses eloquently to the amusement of the former, taking photos of her and spending all of her money to acquire her photos for books and bands of seemingly never-ending photo albums.
As mentioned earlier in the review, there are subtle trivia-like stories of both the modern day and "back in those times" segments with Elda, explaining how people back in her time of the Edo period would have done things in their own fashion, which I thought helped to increase viewership, especially for those who are history buffs, and adds a sense of depth to the series. The show understands the importance of having "endearing character dynamics and deeper themes", with Elda not only living gaming, but having a "deep sense of care for the community" she cares for, with silliness grounded in characters that aren't "one-off jokes". I love it when works show the genuine side of characters feeling real and close to real life, there aren't many source works that emanate or imitate the way that only Otaku Elf can, and that to me, is a silent, but honourable W. <Insert Success Kid meme here>
After working on what has been a successful streak of Isekai shows over the last 2 to 3 years, studio C2C has proven itself to be a powerhouse studio of capability, that provide them whatever variable genres of shows to adapt, and it will live up to its name of impeccable and great animation to boot. Though in the case of Otaku Elf, the hit-or-miss in-house director Takebumi Anzai is back after his stint of failure with Fall 2021's PuraOre! Pride of Orange and the somewhat interesting Spring 2019's Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu, his contributions are few, even against other well-known in-house directors like Shinji Ishihira (who directed Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita a.k.a Reincarnated as a Sword) and Toshiyuki Kubooka (who directed Majo no Tabitabi a.k.a Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina). Takebumi Anzai's job is very simple: adapt Akihiko Higuchi's manga series and follow it to a T. It's just that simple. Though there is that one episode (Episode 10) where the manga's extra (i.e. omake) content was added into the anime as an added bonus of sorts, and episode director Michita Shiraishi hit the sweet spot for me to give additional points to praise about the anime in general.
The music is interesting, to say the least. Nanawo Akari's OP song "Kien Romance" has this Enka-like stylistic music personality to it that I feel is a great fit for the anime, and it's so infectiously good that it can become like a karaoke song for singalong sessions. The same goes likewise with Cody・Lee (李)'s ED, which is more of a relaxing breather of sorts, rummaging within the grasps of the mix between 2D and the real-life inspiration scenery of the referenced Takamimi Shrine.
Above it all, Edomae Elf a.k.a Otaku Elf is not a big series, so I'd put it as the kind of show that goes under the radar, only for it to be an underrated hidden gem of sorts. Regardless, if you're looking for a comfy, chill pill of a time, this show would do you justice, blending both tradition and modern-day elements for a work that you just won't find anywhere else, even if you look hard enough. Try this show out; you will be pleasantly surprised.
Vi-
I believe this show was a waste of potential. The idea is cool and different. In short, the story is basically about the daily life of Koito (a shrine maiden - 'miko') and Elda (the deity of the shrine). The cool and different idea relies on Elda, which is an Elf and on top of that a recluse who is into Otaku-things. The problem is that they didn´t explore much of that uniqueness, and in the end the anime might end up just being 'another one' you will add to your list. For example: If Elda wasn´t an Elf, it wouldn´t change much except for thepsychological effect that instead of a human she´s an Elf - they ocassionaly and randomly talk about her past (Edo period etc) but it doesn´t add much. She being recluse is poorly explored as well - they just show she´s afraid of going out and of interaction with other people and that is basically it.
-------- OTHERS:
- The secondary / support characters are fine. Honorable mention to Yord which made things more interesting and enjoyable to watch. Ah! There is Koito´s imouto (Koyuzu); the cute reliable imouto ^~^
- The animation is good enough but where this anime shines most is its art, which is very pretty in my opinion.
- Catchy OP music. As expected every seiyu did an amazing job, but honorable mention to Yord and specially Elda´s seiyu.
CONCLUSION: An anime that had potential for more but its uniquness wasn´t fully explored, but it might have a few scenes here and then that you might enjoy, specially if you are looking for a chill / easy going anime.
ari_idont
Edomae Elf ( Shut in elf/ Otaku elf) is exactly what its title states. Its a mythical elf (mythical for the sake of it) who likes to sit inside her room play video games, read manga and watch anime. Her Miko ( attendant - for lack of a better word) is a sixteen year old girl who dreams of being a stylish lady. The show revolves around the daily life of Elda (Elf) and Koito (Miko) and how they tackle the ridiculousness of their entire situation. An elf who is treated as a deity by the entire city and is offered video games and toysas offerings. As per the residents, she acts as an anchor of stability in an ever changing world, and regardless the nature of the lazy deity everyone loves her.
Elda often shows her protective side with Koito, helping her in times of distress, that shows her age and maturity, though this is often the other way around.
There is nothing unique coming out of the story, its just a happy slice of life, with entertaining and diverse side characters, people are bound to enjoy Koito's younger sister and Koma -chan, her best friend. The plot lines are refreshing, with episodes featuring a wide range of information on Japanese history, facts that will tease the mind of any history head.
Otaku elf is a fun watch, something you can sit and watch with friends or as a palette cleanser. It has brilliant animation and probably one of the best animated outros in recent anime.
Scores -
Animation and artstyle - 41/50
Story line - 15/20
Enjoyment - 15/20
Songs, ed, op, ost - 7/10
Total - 77/100 (80/100 rounded up)
GalacticWeiss12
Otaku Elf. A very flavorful, fun, and enjoyable show. Though it is not what I expected. I only got into the anime because of the main voice actress being Ami Koshimizu, a definite yet underrated VA. She has a tremendous body of work. I was mainly introduced to her when I watched Oregairu. Her voice as Kawasaki Saki was fantastic, and well delivered. Here you see her profession, as she is able to change it up from her usual voice work. I do enjoy her overall work, and I do not watch every anime she is in but Otaku Elf stuck out for me. While,it is not this epic, amazing, oh my goodness "this was the greatest anime episode ever". It has its own value, true there are supporting characters but they are not as strong support for the show. Given, it is only twelve episodes I found myself liking some episodes over others. We do see other characters who are like Elda the main character of the show. They aren't as important, but they bring their own unique appeal. Safely, I can say that while it's not a top tier anime for the spring 2023 season, it has special appeal as a dark horse for anyone who wants to watch. A gem with a small selection of animes for this season to really like.
Aragane
Edomae Elf is a slice-of-life anime adaptation set in modern-day Japan featuring an eternally young elf. The story follows said young elf called Elda, who is transported to Edo period Japan from her home in another world. Elda must learn to adapt to life in Edo, and she soon finds herself caught up to be enjoying her new life as an enshrined goddess in the Takamimi Shrine. While it may not be a show for everyone, it offers an interesting concept worth exploring. The anime introduces a world where elves and Japanese tradition and religion coexist. This blend of fantasy elements and cultural aspects creates adistinctive backdrop for the story. However, it's important to note that the execution may not be flawless.
The character development is decent but doesn't always reach its full potential. Elda, alongside her shrine maiden and the various parishioners, embarks on everyday misadventures that provide insights into their personalities. Yet, some characters may feel underdeveloped, leaving room for improvement.
Pros
- The art is beautiful, and the characters are charming.
- The story is funny and heartwarming, with a touch of magic.
- It's a great introduction to Japanese history and culture.
Cons
- The pacing can be slow at times.
- Some of the humor may be lost on younger audiences.
- Nothing happens, as it is just a slice-of-life show.
Overall
Edomae Elf is a sweet anime adaptation that is perfect for slice-of-life fans. However, the slow pacing may be a turn-off for some demographics.
If you're looking for a light and fluffy anime, then Edomae Elf is a great choice. The art is beautiful, the characters are charming, and the story is humorous. However, if you're looking for a more fast-paced or action-packed show, other shows can beat this show easily.
NogueraB
This anime it's the pure comedy slife of life, we can pass hours watching and never will be tired of it. The anime talk a lot about family and love, Elda it's a elven lost in another world, and see the people that she care pass every time in her 400 years on our world, It's something very heavy if we bring this to our scenario, the are so much young than our parents or grandparents, but the Elda point of view changes to us, they saw a lot of people parting away and sometime this will be our time to say goodbye to someone thatwe love, and this anime talk about live with our family, our parents or our friends, but love them and enjoy the time we have together with them.
edrage
Hilariously entertaining, this anime had me laughing from start to finish. The comedic timing is impeccable, with clever jokes and witty dialogue that had me in stitches. The characters are an absolute riot, each bringing their unique brand of humor to the table. The animation perfectly captures the exaggerated expressions and slapstick moments, amplifying the comedic impact. The absurd situations and hilarious misunderstandings kept me hooked, eagerly awaiting the next punchline. The voice acting deserves special mention, as the talented cast brings the humor to life with their impeccable delivery. If you're in need of a good laugh, this anime is an absolute gem thatwill leave you rolling on the floor with tears of laughter."
Gregory_Senpai
This was a super charming show. I enjoyed the characters with all their eccentricities. Any type of over-arching plot is basically non-existent, but having an awkward, shut-in elf, who got reverse-isekai'd to Japan 600 years ago teach you history lessons about Japan during various periods from the past because she was there as a bystander is a nice little premise + having other elfs pop up here and there too is a great addition. I can't say that I found many of the random facts about history that she imparts to be too interesting personally, but there were a few I went, "huh, that's kindaneat." The bits where Elda and Koito bond overly something silly like eating Monja were probably my favorite; there's a sentimentality to this series stemming from Elda's immortal, unchanging nature and seeing the ones you love grow older and die before your eyes that's similar to the vibe you get in Frieren and Maquia, but it didn't overshadow the comedy bits. All-in-all, recommend checking this one out.
c---5
A gag-based slice of life that punches above it's weight. It would've been easy just to have a series of zany 4koma-esque gags and make a funny enough series of shorts, the premise of a nerdy elf who'd rather stay in and play video games certainly is funny enough for some solid comedy, but doing a full 24 minute episode you need a bit more and the show has plenty of connective tissue in between the gags to make it worthwhile. Going one layer deeper than the basic gag is the characters themselves. The show is mostly centered on the elf and her keeper, and thetwo have a great give and take that not only works well in comedic scenes, but also plays into their deeper friendship beautifully. There are a handful of side characters who add some flavor, including other elves and their keepers who have great personalities, and some human friends who I wish we saw more of but all have their own interesting personalities. Similar to "And Yet the Town Moves", this is also a great show that does a nice job showing a tight-knit community and how those communal bonds can make a group stronger, even if nobody outside the shrine really seems to notice how strange their deity really is. The show never goes to full-on tearjerker mode, but there are these really nice subtle melancholy moments stemming from the fact that Elda is immortal but the friends around her aren't and it adds depth to her relationships with everyone.
Then even deeper you have what may be the true purpose of the show: stealth edutainment. Elda came into the "real world" in the Edo period, and frequently relates aspects of the culture of that time to the problem she's facing in the current day. You learn a surprising amount about the history of consumer products and services, along with social trends. My favorite thing I learned is the Emperor really liked outlawing things that were fun and then the citizens would basically find a way to cheese the law and get around it. Good job Edo-Period Japanese people for not letting the man get you down! The history bits are a ton of fun, they remind me of Wilson from Home Improvement telling Tim about some ancient thing, or Tito's "as the ancient Hawaiians used to say" bits on rocket power.
The production value is also excellent. You don't always get amazing visuals from Slice of Life shows barring stuff like DIY or Bocchi, and this show makes it's way into the pantheon of SoL's that are a cut above visually. There's clear effort put into the artwork and character designs and it's not just the standard copy-paste template you tend to see on cheaper productions. Close-ups and facial expressions have a ton of great detail, and the flashback history lessons have their own oldschool historical style that looks great. Beautiful colors and linework abound, and there's even some cool mixed-media stuff going on in the outro (both the intro and outro songs are also bangers). The VA's also nail it and Elda's airy, whispy, delivery is always comic gold.
This is just a good solid show that works at every level, the jokes land, the characters are great, and it gets you to care all while tricking you into learning something. Hopefully we get more in the future.
SgtSalamander
Otaku Elf is a genuinely beautiful slice of life, with an endearing and tireless premise, which ends up being more of a fun little history lesson about Edo-era Japan than a love letter to otaku culture by about a quarter of the way through. Beginning with the story, it is founded on a rock-solid concept- a Shinto shrine in a particular spot in Tokyo is dedicated to its resident elf, summoned in the Edo period, who has always been a bit of a shut-in, but has long since become a hardcore otaku as well. It unfolds in a decidedly episodicmanner, a lot of the time packing in 2 brief story arcs into a single episode. I think this format really works for Otaku Elf, and highlights the general vibe of what daily life with this eccentric immortal would be like, especially when contrasted with and complimented by the people around her. Though, the strong start spent capturing the atmosphere of otakudom doesn't carry through past the beginning of the anime, the rest of the show spent focusing more on Edo history than otaku culture. It was fun, and I even learned a couple things, but it's just not quite what I was expecting. One anticipates more otaku themes in a show titled Otaku Elf, after all. There's not much else to say about the story, as it sticks with this formula and executes it in a strong way from start to finish, never feeling rushed or bogged-down. Even beyond my personal feelings as a fan of the episodic format, it's just a great fit for this anime in particular, even sprinkling in some minor dramatic and philosophical points in regards to immortality and sacred duty.
However, it is the art which is the strongest aspect of this anime. It is clean, characteristic, colorful, and energetic throughout. From the smooth animation to the vibrant color palate, it is everything a slice of life art style should be, especially one which deals with the everyday aesthetics of a Shinto religious space. It really strikes a balance in depicting a sacred place in a casual way, which manages to be simultaneously striking in its contrast and familiar in its approach. There's even a blend of 2D and 3D animation in the outro, where the characters have been superimposed over a real replica of the room in which the elf Elda resides, bringing to life items specific to the show, like her collection of frog and tadpole themed minis, and the stickers on her laptop. Though, my favorite part of the art is the character design, which is very distinct and visually engaging from start to finish, with an attention to detail, animation fluidity, and application of facial expressiveness which one would typically expect from an anime movie, not a show.
The sound meets all standards of quality, not really standing out, save for the banger OP.
The characters are a perfect fit for the show they're in, remaining simple and enjoyable without feeling empty or contrived. My favorites among them are easily the main duo, Elda and Koito, as their odd relationship as venerated deity and everyday shrine maiden builds up the two of them through their unique relationship with one another- the awkward and nerdy Elda learns to rise to her station as a pillar of the community and someone her friends can depend on, while the determined and maturity-obsessed Koito learns to take life one day at a time, and enjoy being in the moment with the people who make up her life. Overall, it is clear a lot of love went in to Otaku Elf, and the people who worked on it must have had a lot of fun, which is a fact that shines throughout this show. Definitely give it a watch as a solid slice of life, even if it has fewer otaku elements than you might initially expect going in.
