Masaki's career on NewTube ends abruptly when the Harikiri Sisters decide to kick her out of their group during a livestream. With her bad reputation, Masaki has a slim chance of returning to popularity with a solo channel and she is plagued by comments of hate.
Masaki soon meets Live, a vampire who just woke up from her slumber in which she dreamed of Masaki and developed an obsession with her. Believing this discovery will be the next internet sensation, Masaki forms a pact with Live: in exchange for Masaki's blood, Live will help her reach the milestone of a million subscribers.
Now, with the other vampires in Live's house on board with Masaki's ambitious plan, she and Live work together to film videos and restore her to career glory.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
Marinate1016
PA works had a busy summer season with 3 anime originals. Mayopan was the best of the bunch. Lesbian vampires, emotional storytelling, loveable characters and some of the funniest moments this season, this was a blast with very few if any flaws. It starts off as a silly gag comedy about a vampire wanting to drink a disgraced YouTuber’s blood and develops into really heartwarming story about overcoming grief and loss and moving forward in the face of adversity. Don’t let the comedy fool you, there’s a really good story in this one that I think puts it among the best recent PA works anime. Asa content creator Mayopan struck a cord with me because in an era where people can be “cancelled” for damn near anything, seeing a YouTuber go thru that and have to pick herself back up was interesting. Masaki isn’t alone though, she’s joined by an ensemble cast of some of the most colourful literally and figuratively characters you’ll see in anime. The best part of this show for me was slowly seeing Mayopan come together as a YouTube group and family, breaking down everyone’s walls and being vulnerable. With one another. I find the idea of being a long lived being that’s never really *lived* before quite interesting. Recently we’ve seen that with Frieren. Making connections with people is what life is all about even if they’re only temporary we are social beings and need to be in communion with others. So when shows like Mayopan give us emotional backstories about characters being lonely and just wanting to be accepted or follow their dreams and then they finally meet people who help them with that, it gets me right in the feels.
Like I said, it’s a comedy show, but unlike something like Nokotan it doesn’t rely on gags. I found myself laughing at how lovingly stupid the characters were at times, the jokes and Live’s obsession with Masaki. Every episode was really just a wacky and fun time and I think the writers perfectly balanced the comedy with some seriously heartwarming stuff.
The show looks awesome too. Out of the 3 shows PA did this season, I think this had the best team behind it and it shows. Art is gorgeous, animation is solid and there’s even a BTS video that Paolo from Tokyo did showing the in depth production process. A lot of love went into this and I appreciate it. My only wish is that PA do more with the IP in terms of a multimedia franchise or something with livestreams of the characters, but I doubt that happens.
Mayopan’s a good fun watch with a perfect mix of story and laughs. YouTube is a difficult nut to crack, but this is one of the best representations of content creation I’ve seen in the medium. All the ins and outs from script writing, camera placement, editing, coming up with ideas for videos and promotion. Yea, the Yuri bait is annoying because PA never commit to it, but I’ll allow it on this occasion because of how good it was.
Mayopan gets 10 out of 10
8bitEcho
Is Mayonaka punch the best show of the season? no. Is it a show that will fundamentally cause people to reevaluate how they live their lives particularly in regards to the para-social relationships they form with internet personalities? also no. What Mayonaka Punch is is a consistently well animated, funny, high speed show with genuine sincere heart and a cast of, though shallow, energetic easy to like characters. Throughout the season it confused me as to why the score for the show was so low. It definitely didn't deserve to be up there with the all time classic shows but there were plenty of objectively worseshows airing at the same time and seasons prior that exceeded its score dramatically. That and the general seeming disinterest in the show entirely on social media were both conundrums I couldn't find the reason for. but now that its all said and done I can say with some confidence that yes. Its not the next big thing but anybody who takes the time to sit with the show can and will find some joy in the way it presents both its characters and the daily life of trying to cut it big on the internet.
Fundamentally though the story is about finding acceptance through those whose opinions matter. People who like you for you. Not pleasing strangers who don't know what happens behind the scenes in your own life. Every character deals with this. Weather its Fu's unwillingness to sing because she felt like she let her friend down. Ichiko not wanting to lose her second home because the family who chose to eat a meal with her even though they don't need food. OR the de-facto MC Masaki who's desire to be popular to her viewers drove her to lashing out against her friends and internalize negative comments made about her despite the people around her telling her shes enough. Its the through line that holds the story together and makes it more than just a rough attempt at "youtuber" slice-of-life.
It consistently balances funny bits. Quick blink and you'll miss it visual gags and genuine dramatic moments that will have you maybe not crying but illicit a sniff and knows when to pump the brakes on the humor to not undercut these moments. All to lead to a finished product that for an anime original will get you excited to see what they'll do next.
Mayonaka Punch isnt a 10/10, its probably not even a 9/10. but its sure as hell better than a 7/10 and I can only hope that the more people who watch it will feel the same way cause this is a rare original piece of work that doesn't overstay its welcome but also knows that it has more story to tell if they want to choosing to wrap up satisfyingly without committing to a hard stop to the characters and it world.
DarkSpaceVRP
One of the greatest anime ever made. It's no exaggeration when I say that Mayonaka Punch is one of the best anime in the industry, the proposal is very innovative, taking a current topic in society, which is the creation of content for the internet and the mental health of the influencer, mixing it with a more comical theme, which are vampires. Mayonaka Punch is very good because it presents a protagonist with charisma and personality, she never went through some crude redemption arc and some moral lesson changed her personality, on the contrary, the "redemption arc" only helps shape her personality even more In additionto bringing good experiences to the viewer, the arcs are all done in an intriguing way, in a somewhat chaotic rhythm, which suits the "internet" theme covered.
I thought the production was very good, the direction never left anything to be desired, all the characters have striking features and the world itself is very alive and well-paced. The anime is exceptional in delivering what it proposes to the viewer, the sad scenes are sad, the funny scenes are funny, the plot twists are shocking and the anime holds up very well.
I believe that for me, this anime is one of the ones that gives a good vibe to watch, as it is very easy to get attached to the characters, one point that I love is that this anime is not made to be commercial, it is not a script created to sell and have generic things that we see in all current animes, it is a carefully written script that took great care in bringing all the characters into the anime.
This anime will definitely make me miss watching it on Mondays, I hope for a second season as soon as possible.
KANLen09
Mayonaka Punch - The wannabe YouTuber breakout that has potential to be humbled and branch out onto another...with fang-like consequences and an ego that just surmounts insanity, just to break even. There're stakes when one does to obfuscate everything for fame and recognition, and in this Summer season, there're 2 routes that you can choose to pursue: either follow the unfiltered route of VTuber Legend through Yuki Tanaka a.k.a Awayuki "Shuwa" Kokorone, or go to the extreme to face cancel culture head-on with one of 3 P.A. Works shows of the season: Mayonaka Punch, bringing back the two-fer maestro that is director Shu Honma and series composerHideaki Shirasaka on the basis of the unexpected wave of success following the adaptation of mangaka Ryou Ogawa's Paripi Koumei a.k.a Ya Boy Kongming! just prior in Spring 2022. Can they strike another success with the difference of "it's not about the destination, it's about the journey"? I believe so.
In the world of AniManga, characters do go far to what they want to achieve based on their dreams and ambitions, but sometimes, this also fuels the worst of what's to come from them to the point of near-unsalvageableness. Yet, this is exactly the scenario for NewTuber Masaki Sonoue alongside her collaborators of Kikka and Otomi being part of the popular Harakiri Sisters a.k.a Hyped-Up Sisters channel, who actually get along well until one of them decides to break that mould and exit the group to cause a scandal, citing incompatibility due to personality differences (you can very well guess who was the one who started the fiasco). With the black face and a reputation that is the rationale of being blacklisted online, Masaki has no choice but to move on to find the next big sensation, which is where she'll eventually meet a vampire preying on human blood, who ends up naturally preying on her blood instead. Instead of getting eaten alive, Masaki has a proposition for said vampire: "Help me get viral to a million subs, and you can have my blood for all you want." The deal is struck, and signals the very beginnings for Masaki's return to the online NewTube presence, alongside said vampire of Live and her group of vampires who are full of idiocy, who can actually get the job done, thereby naming their channel as Mayonaka Punch a.k.a MayoPan.
At first, the vampires' HQ of an abandoned manor that they redecorated and called it their own, the Banpai Manor, is a resort for vampires who got roped into the same place as a way to let their higher-ups manage them. And it's no short of the supernatural comedy that this group of eccentric vampires bring to the table to help Masaki achieve her rather lofty million subs goal. But it's with the context of the Hyped-Up Sisters scandal that Masaki has, that she is relegated to the behind-the-scenes editing department, giving Live and the fellow vampires their time to shine in front of the camera. The vampires of MayoPan, ranging from said matriarch herself, who is the goal-setter willing to do whatever it takes to feed on Masaki's blood, to the likes of the little child chef that is Ichiko, the shy Fujoshi-obsessive teenager that is Fu, the gambling addict that is Tokage, and even their supervisor of Shigeyuki, who keeps their vampire traits covered at all times, MayoPan has quite the diversity of characters who are and aren't as willing to be part of Masaki's shtick.
Regardless, it's this interaction where it's a learning journey for Masaki, being the brash runt that she is scorned for trying to instigate a fight with one of the Hyped-Up Sisters, to be humbled by the vampires who were all willing to make her shine, but also have fun in the video-making process as well, even if things don't go as planned in the pursuit of achieving a million subscribers, and for a very good reason at that too. If anything, the character writing for MayoPan is its strongest asset. I love stories of redemption, and one look at Masaki and how she's transformed from her rude awakening, just really warms the cockles of my heart that someone who was so arrogant and selfish from the beginning, could turn into someone who looks at the big picture and realizes that there's some enjoyment to be had. It's the adage of "live, laugh, love" that carries Mayonaka Punch and makes the utmost difference from the time-pressurized plot of a million subs, against the journey to reach that goal itself, which says more than your average show that does it all, and ultimately came down to nothing. I'm looking at you, Na Nare Hana Nare, the other P.A. Works show that tries so hard that it fails at even doing something right.
Out of all 3 P.A. Works shows this Summer season, Mayonaka Punch definitely has its own quirks, being a dark, but not too gritty premise that director Shu Honma took his expertise from Ya Boy! Kongming and flex it all the more with his only 2nd directorial series, and it shows how venturous he can go when the sky's the limit (a pun on vampires not being able to fly too high that ordinary humans can spot them). Similar to Fall 2022's Akiba Meido Sensou a.k.a Akiba Maid War, P.A. Works going the far end to produce another show in a similar vein does give the anime quite the trajectory that you would not expect to see from the studio itself. I would love more experimental series from the studio itself, if given the producers chance to "exploit" P.A. Works and show off more than just the bright-coloured nuances that we're so used to these days.
The OST is interesting enough, though there's one flaw, and that's not having enough of it. While the OP goes for the pimp of the current trend of video content done bombasticly to a degree that it doesn't feel crowded at all, thankfully, it's the ED that captured my attention all the more, because making a song out of commentary speech is not easy, and Masaki's VA Ikumi Hasegawa nailed that perfectly.
While not being on the same insanity level that is VTuber Legend, Mayonaka Punch honestly doesn't need to tip-toe with the rivalry despite showcasing similar content, and is still, at the end of the day, a series that demands another look if you've given it the pass at the beginning. It may feel undercooked at the beginning, but it's all done with intention that makes you feel feelings of humanity restored and the hidden potential that the series will eventually cook to become a competent series. I too had doubts about the series being on its two feet at the start, but it slowly dawned on me that characterization can still make or break the show, and Mayonaka Punch deserves that underrated recognition.
Crazy or not, Mayonaka Punch is a show that's not just all about the whack, but also about trusting people to enjoy the process together. And honestly, it's warranted.
SanaeK10
You know what we need more of? Violent, mean girls with an awful personality as the main protagonists. The moment Mayonaka Punch opened with Masakichi socking a girl right in the jaw, I know I was in love. Mayonaka Punch is about the business of YouTubing and dealing with being cancelled. Shockingly, despite how wrote this premise is by now, the show manages to keep fresh and doesn't treat its audience like brainless numbskulls in need of simulation every two minutes (coughVtubercough). Even more surprising is how it manages to pull off some pretty good character drama and have it stick without taking away fromthe overall core of the show. It even pulls off the "Antagonist joins the protagonist's group briefly for the finale" much better than Na Nare ever did by writing in actual foreshadowing and having said antagonist not be a no name character out of nowhere.
The real star of the show really is Masakichi. You don't know how tiring it is to go through so many shows where the MC's personality is either "Bored, too good for the world" or "Naive and dumb but kind hearted". No, fuck that, Violent bitches with anger issues are what makes shows like these interesting. Even after being cancelled, she still punches people every now and then with actual consequences to her actions. But, it is fascinating and surprisingly heartwarming to see her interactions with the rest of the cast, her former fans, how she treats her family, and her character growth from "Reimu but less mean" to "Almost a decent person".
And again, despite its premise, the show does showcase a lot of creativity with regards to its scenarios. Most of them hilarious, with that one Fuu episode just making me feel miserable inside. Somehow, whenever comedies do one-off sudden drama episodes, they usually stick with you more than usual.
Even the occasional weird Youtube short videos are fun to watch and are pretty much essential viewing, though personally its where I think they dump some of the more boring ideas (ie the actual video parts from the show) to keep the actual show's pacing tight. The director's own bizarre videos on the other hand, now those are absolutely essential.
Mayonaka Punch is that rare anime original (and rare as in not associated with some multi-media project, or some tourism ad for a prefecture no one visits) that punches above its weight (and punches a lot of other things too). A tightly paced show with great comedy, some decent character drama, and tons of unpredictable moments.
Oh and there are Vampires too. Thought I should mention that.
8/10
HrrmyHmHuuuuhHm
The plot at the beginning is quite common this year, where the main character has some kind of problem with her friends or family and wants to achieve a big goal of her own to prove herself. (Like Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night and Girls Band Cry, which air in 2024 like this anime.) But some things are unpredictable, partly because it's an original anime. I was impressed with many scenes and it was more fun than I thought. The visuals are quite good, easy on the eyes, the night scenes aren't too dark, and the work isn't rushed. The songs fit the situations and feelingsof the characters. For example, the opening song describes the vampires of MayoPan having a fun party at night, while the ending song describes Masaki's feelings during the day when she's working alone editing videos for the channel, filled with loneliness and pain. And she wanted to fix that feeling like editing a video. I really love the opening and ending songs of this anime. I've listened to every opening and ending song of this anime more than 20 times.
The personalities of the characters in the story are charming and interesting. But some characters are quite annoying and have pretty bad personalities, but have character development. It gave me a better feeling for the characters.
Overall, The beginning of the anime seems ordinary, but after that, it becomes very fun and interesting. The staff and cast are very attentive and dedicated to this work. This is another anime that is recommended to watch.
LightningComet
It’s time to break the rule of “avoid telling how you came to watch” because, goddammit, this is a special case and I dare MAL and everyone on it to challenge that. Less than an hour before I started writing this review, I learned that Nicholas Dupree of Anime News Network, who wrote the weekly reviews for Mayonaka Punch and thus brought me to this series, tragically passed away at the very young age of 31. I had been reading those weekly entries and noted with concern his recent mentioning of being in poor health. With that revelation, the surprise factor of reading his dedicated“In Memoriam” page on ANN was mitigated… though the gut punch somehow felt harder. I could not help but feel a little piece of myself shatter because I really loved the personality of his writing, but I cannot, of course, feel anything close to the heartbreak his friends and family must be suffering. I wish mercy and patience upon all of you who knew him personally. May he rest in peace.
I’m not the kind of seasonal anime viewer who gives every show a shot and it is for this reason I put a decent amount of value on reviews of new anime, mainly those from ANN. So, when Mr. Dupree saw fit to label Mayonaka Punch as a bright, if overshadowed, entry this season on account of it having an engaging understanding of YouTube and internet culture, I was intrigued and checked it out.
I really must thank him from the bottom of my heart. I would never have given this show a second glance if I hadn’t read that review. But because it was there for me to read, I was ultimately afforded the opportunity to enjoy something that I found funny, cute, genuinely heartfelt, and rather beautiful.
And, make no mistake, this is a series to enjoy subjectively more than any other way. Yes, that is largely because some jokes won’t land depending on the audience (though they generally did for me), but I mean this through the dramatic scope as well. Beneath the veneer of YouTuber-themed comedic hijinks starring a bunch of vampires because why not, Mayonaka Punch is a character study about a woman who can’t contain her ego, doesn’t know how to heal from her past experiences, and, like most loners, is desperate for a family to love her.
While most of that has been done, even in anime, what set this series apart for me was the heroine’s age; Masaki is in her twenties meaning she is well past her immature high school days and is supposed to have her life together by this point. Instead, the show opens with her having tanked her “NewTube” career in a single fell swoop and now spending her time meticulously reading all manner of mean-spirited comments about her before continuing to hurt herself by getting hammered in a bar and walking around drunk. A state of abject immaturity-borne misery like this is among the best ways to start a story that is ultimately about learning to be kind to and honest with oneself.
The Masaki we observe in this opening is incapable of maintaining relationships with people. If she hadn’t fluked her way into finding the vampires, she’d probably become an alcoholic, continuing to deny her own flaws and insisting that she did nothing wrong all while knowing the truth deep down and hating herself for it. There is a problem with Masaki’s characterization, however, and that pertains to the series’ pacing. It is true that we get insights into Masaki’s personality over the show’s course; the episode where she argues with the team about the right way to edit the videos is a highlight in that it puts front and center both Masaki’s ego-centric inflexibility and mean streak. However, I felt that Mayonaka Punch fell short in refusing to clarify until episode 9 that Masaki always struggled with making and keeping friends. Introversion is a pretty important trait given this character’s story; leaving it out removed a lot of interesting nuance for most of the show’s run, at which point its reveal almost feels like too little, too late on that front. This is someone who wants friends and a family but can’t stand being around other people, probably mostly out of fear. No doubt many a viewer can relate to this; I know I certainly do.
But it would be wrong to harp on the pacing of the dramatic character writing because I found Mayonaka Punch to be veritably packed to the gills with fun moments and jokes. I had a great time watching this series and I feel it balances the comedy and drama particularly well in that it allows for the impactful moments to send the audience reeling after being disarmed by good-natured fun and earnest idiocy.
A single word that can be used to summarize Mayonaka Punch would be “sincere”, and, coming off of Oregairu, it’s a welcome breath of soothing, kind-hearted air. I hope you all enjoy it at least as much as I did!
Happy watching!
- LC
bossunhimeswitch
This was an entertaining anime. The characters were easy to like and it was never boring. That said, it never became my favorite and while I liked it, I wasn't thinking about how I couldn't wait for the next episode. I think it was a really solid 6/10 and definitely worth the watch. I would also watch more if there was another season. So, if you're looking for a neat little vampire story set in the modern era, then you'll likely enjoy this. If you want an anime that has a little more punch to it, a little more extra something, then you might alsofind it to be a very solid 6/10.
ThunderVein
Mayonaka Punch has a lot of potential with it's overall structure. Although the main plot line could be loss to some people to potentially write it off completely. It's rather odd to have a perspective of a Content Creator's point of view from things nearly to every aspect of content creation that is rather specific let alone could be too much. However it did pull me in to see parallel aspects of it pertaining to similarities of emotion's that anyone could get some form of sympathy or empathy with. Animation was done in part by P.A. Works. Not too personally familiar with their previous works atthis time. It had a lot of bright colors, energy with synergy per mood to help keep the eyes attentive. Most especially for me at least when those bright colors toned down to set different assortment of moods even mix and matching.
Comedy is subjective but I've found moments within the Anime laughable, relatable, and at times familiar not me personally but having seen it before really helps keep the good times rolling. Tones of Romance or even subtle queues were nice wouldn't say outright adorable just yet but maybe a build up to a peak is potentially brewing, who knows.
Characters are well enough balanced for the most part. Tokage for me personally stood out from a design and performance perspective for me to personally want more to see who they were entirely about. Sadly come out as a one to barely two notes of a character due to everyone else getting a spot light at this time for Season One.
There is some additional trickles of heart and surprises that awaits for everyone to witness. Will not spoil those moments because I feel the impact of said moments would be best off for anyone to experience blind going through. Cannot wait for a possible Second Season to hope for more fun to be had within Mayonaka Punch again.
whiteflame55
This series did a lot more with its premise than I expected going in. The idea of a very extra set of vampire girls teaming up with a cancelled NewTuber to get a million subs on the promise that one of said vampires will drink said NewTuber dry of her blood sounds like fun, and the way the show portrays doom scrolling through negative comments really conveys the feeling well, including how it shuts you off from the world around you. If that was all it was, I’m sure this show would have been a fun watch. It turned out that the writers had morein store, and though I believe the added elements were worth the effort does improve on the final product, the mix of what they present ends up a bit tonally dissonant.
As would be expected, much of the show is goofy with an edge of sincerity to it, placing mostly the vampiric characters in circumstances where they either use their powers or are hampered by the weaknesses of being vampires, and/or focusing on the next attempt at gaining more subscribers.
Sometimes, though, it takes a dip into a more sincere plot, providing more character depth to one of the vampiric girls, and the strength of these is not so much in finding a strong emotional core to these character (though they do), nor that that core is associated with their vampiric immortality, but rather that it’s tied to elements of that immortality that aren’t often touched upon. Fu’s and Ichiko’s stories in particular really shine in this regard.
And that’s the groove I fell into with this series, expecting it to build on these elements while giving more depth to other characters. It was nice to see how the series used Masaki’s sister to great effect to give us insight into her background as well, and nicer still to see that their relationship wasn’t black and white. Maybe if this gets a season two, we’ll get more of those insights into some of the longer-lived vampires, but for now, we get a solid finale with a neat (if expected) twist that brings the season together nicely.
I enjoyed the run. It’s more fun than it is emotionally powerful, but I definitely enjoyed the ride, even if I would have preferred another couple of character deep dives.
condra15
Fun, bright, adorable, and hilarious. Mayonaka Punch is a truly refreshing anime about vampires led by a human to become video content creators that allows its absurdity to ground the audience as not only a fan of the anime but also as a fan of MayoPan. This isn’t a long review so I’ll go over the main points outside of its story first: - Banger OP. The OP had me excited for every single episode because it really allows you to have a song you could actually dance to, and the visuals really made you realize how cool it would be for indestructible vampires to do verydangerous high energy stunts and alternate them with cute dances.
- Art was very good and felt like it paid homage to older cutesy popular vampire anime like chibi vampire (despite the lack chibis here). Consistent fluid animation that never felt like budget was really sacrificed.
- Characters and Vampire Characteristics all felt very unique and catered to make it so everyone would have a “best girl” with the clear favorite for Live. Each character also felt fleshed out in a way that felt like they lived in this world with their own history so they weren’t just there to be there.
- My favorite of all however was the story and “friendship/romance” between best vamp Live and our favorite behind the scenes human Masaki. No spoilers but the reasoning for starting the channel, the mental conflicts and our characters’ flaws all allow you to root for them and it never felt like a rushed thing. Even the Newtubing didn’t truly start till episode 3 or 4 as the initial roadblocks were a significant key part of the story. This made non of the comedy feel forced or events glossed over for the jokes but it also keeps you invested in the characters.
Overall Mayonaka Punch was a surprisingly great watch for this season. I believe this is a great anime to take a break from watching anything serious or grave. High recommend!
PixelB
Mayonaka Punch is a surprisingly well structured anime despite it seeming like it was trying to cram in too many characters into a 12 episode season. First of all, I just love Masaki's character development. It's very thought out and as a result, Masaki is a beloved character. The first thing we get to know about Masaki is that she violently punched her fellow co-streamers when they were all livestreaming. And that's it. We don't see the buildup, and we only get a few vague reasons why it could have developed to that point. But, it's not shown. And I love that. Because ultimately, does itmatter? The reason for Masaki punching her fellow Hype-Sisters doesn't matter. The thing that matters is that Masaki is thrown into internet drama, hate, and separates from Hype-Sisters as a result. She can't record herself due to her anxiety about online comments.
The next time we see Masaki talking about herself, it's not just about a random flashback to get the viewers to understand the main character. Instead, it's because she's frustrated with herself and self-aware about her attitude sometimes. With her dreams of making a big NewTube channel over, she's torn. But because Live wants to helps, loves her, and potentially because Masaki wanted to let it off her chest, she starts telling Live about herself. Her past. It's not just some omniscient viewpoint of the viewer learning about some random flashback, it narratively makes sense since Masaki is actually explaining her past to somebody else.
Ultimately, with help and support through the entire season, whether it be from her family, her former co-NewTubers Hype Sisters, and of course, the Mayonaka Punch crew, Masaki battles the urge to want to be on camera and the anxiety that comes with it. It's not just people saying "just stop thinking about it!" It's not just about Masaki "summoning the courage." But it's about Masaki slowly warming up to the idea with supporting friends while also being forced eventually confront herself and her own feelings about being on camera. This subplot about Masaki and relationship with NewTube, showing her face, and wanting to be accepted by the internet community is quite brilliant for an anime original, and it's all you need to know about the quality about the rest of the show.
It's above average in most things: the melodrama, the characters, the art, and the plot as well. One thing that was clearly lacking was some of the character development for side characters, especially the likes of Tokage, which felt like the story just didn't really focus on her at all due to the lack of episodes in the show. This definitely hampers the character interaction and cohesion, but with a good foundation with Masaki, Live, and Ichiko, the other side characters fit in fine. Thus, a solid 7/10. Worth a watch
Random Aside about Girls Band Cry -- feel free to ignore if you haven't watched that show:
I'll compare this with Girls Band Cry just because both are similar in having a low self-esteem MC, proactive second lead trying to help the MC out, and both trying to make it big in the entertainment world, but the execution can't be anymore different.
Nina comes from a similar spot with Masaki. Masaki runs away--gets pushed aside by the Hype Sisters and moves out. Nina's running away from home, going to school in Tokyo because she couldn't stand her family and living environment. With not so subtle flashbacks, we understand Nina was bullied and can't interact with others. Momaka, her idol, notices Nina and wants to form a band with her-- very similar to how Live is proactively pursuing Masaki and wants to create a NewTube channel with her. However, the similarities stop there.
What's even the reason for Nina to not want to form a band? Low anxiety or whatever. Umm, Nina then proceeds to have melodrama with her other bandmate and makes up within an episode. 3-4 episodes later she's encouraging other people, and somehow Nina basically fundamentally transforms as a character and all it takes is Momoka to give her pep talk for two episodes. It's so much more flat than the more realistic timeline and journey Masaki goes through. Plus, no matter how you slice it, shoving crappy flashbacks about Nina's past to supplement character development is just low effort. Despite Mayonaka punch being more lighthearted, less drama heavy, and about damned vampires, the character development regarding Masaki is much more prominent than Nina in a show that's more serious, melodramatic, and supposedly all about character development.
patkarunungan
Mayonaka Punch is a pretty average but well-executed anime that, if you give it a chance, can entertain you. § Overview Sonoue Masaki punched one of her colleagues in a live NewTube stream, thereby getting cancelled from people. All seems lost as she is widely hated in the internet. Fortunately, she meets the vampire Live. Both agree that if they are able to attract 1 million subscribers to their NewTube channel, Live can freely drink Masaki's blood. And the rest is for you to find out.§ Notes
1. This anime came out Summer 2024 season, the same season when VTuber Legend. But unlike the latter, this has some semblance of plot that can help you look forward to the next episode.
If VTuber Legend is about video streaming, Mayonaka Punch can also involve live video streaming but primarily on video content creation. You can also think of these two anime as spiritual siblings, though Mayonaka Punch is better.
This is particularly relevant with more and more people tuning into, or creating, video content.
2. This anime has a theme of coping and recovering from being cancelled, and I think this anime has done a good job showing it. But the direction of this anime is not too clear if you only watch the first episode. You need to be patient.
3. Each character was given a character enough that's enough for us to give a damn about them. During the initial episodes, this seemed like another CGDCT anime and was mostly plotless. Even if an anime doesn't really have a plot, if you give enough damn to the characters, it will be watchable and this anime has done just that. Fortunately, somewhere in the middle, the plot became clear. Their newly formed NewTube channel, 'Mayonaka Punch' must gain 1 million subscribers or else...
4. It's a fun show and the payoff at the end is worth it.
5. It's well executed. I just didn't give a higher score because I didn't see anything deep about it.
§ Conclusion
If you want a fun show that can at least make you smile, consider watching Mayonaka Punch. It's a fairly average show but well-made. The characters are rather quirky.
1stDecame4Danime
Pointless filler anime with no plot and carboard ideas of characters. Baited an initial similarity to Call of the Night, even ripping off that vampire's outfit, but those vampire aspects were shallow at best and immediately dropped as a bait and switch in favor of vtuber brainrot slop, then the vampire vtuber aspect gets immediately cut because that would've been more interesting and resolved the filler plot in 2 episodes, so instead they start grinding out boring generic slop to pad the runtime for the rest of the season. The 1million subscribers goal is just a mcguffin excuse for filler vtuber mass-produced SoL slop blindly promotingquantity over quality with zero self-awareness to make any commentary on the subject... because clearly the kind of people making this slop anime are self-inserting hard.
The ending was really dumb.
Even the details of the punch drama that started the story are never actually explored/explained.
The blue-haired noncharacter seems the same as the one from Black Clover, even the same VA phoning it in by just copying herself I think.
I can't think of any redeeming qualities to this serialized vtuber brainrot.
1/10 (where 5/10 is average)
Aechgal
Overall, Mayonaka Punch is a fun watch, but it's nothing extraordinary. The story itself is pretty simple, and the real highlight lies in its comedic moments, which focus on the quirky personalities of the characters. While the drama doesn’t add much depth, it also doesn’t detract from the experience. One of the standout elements is the opening, which is really catchy and sets a great tone. As for the ending, it wraps things up in a way that makes the journey worthwhile. Its a simple but kinda fun ride, a ride that is focused on this very troubled girl called Masaki, who now fear the simpleact of showing up in the camera.
Sheklon
Going straight to the point, I should say Masaki (the MC) is a major issue here in narrative terms. On a smaller note, having no episode centered on Tokage was also a let down. However, generally speaking, this is more convincing than P.A.'s other work from the same season—Na Nare Hana Nare—in trying to elicit audience empathy for its theme (in this case, online content creation and its psychosocial challenges), as well as resolving its conflicts more satisfactorily. It also has a more intriguing element of interest (vampires) that was decently implemented and indeed had relevance to the plot. If we note that it’s alight-hearted show, its flaws should bother less. The comedy is generally on point and I've quickly become fond of most characters.
The audiovisual aspects greatly enhance this anime’s presentation. This is a case where I’m glad to say no potential was lost (in terms of production), but rather, the direction and craftwork only improve the product. It offers a colorful cast and charming scenarios; an ever fun experience through it’s energetic OST, which, however, does not miss emotional beats; great consistency in character models (that is, aside from various instances of intentional distortion for comedic value); modest but efficient character designs that fairly complement everyone’s dynamic personalities; perfect choices of voice actresses… in short: it’s a blast, and brimming with personality.
I’d also like to mention how there is a thematic contrast behind the story that provides extra meaning for the choice of vampires as a theme (and gets further elucidated when you read the ED’s lyrics). For context, Masaki was butt kicked from her previous group, the “Newtube” channel Hype Sisters, an expulsion first motivated by differences in creative views and adversity between members, then finally due to all of this culminating in her punching a team member on stream. The anime starts from this point and it then explores the development of Masaki, a failed influencer who has now to restart her career with a new project: the titular channel of the show. The world of vampires is dark and, thus, Mayonaka Punch only gets to act in the night. Here, arises the contrast between the world of the living, filled with hostile peeping eyes and too claustrophobic for Masaki to live in, and the world of the undead, who end up sheltering her from all the harm beneath the sunlight. This aspect of theme couldn’t be clearer when, in ep 1, right before falling off the roof of an hospital and almost dying (an incident which one could read as suggestive of suicide, adjusted to a lighter narrative), Masaki laments: “no one needs me”. It is Live, her first vampire friend, who challenges this perception—and she does so in the dead of night.
To speak of the vampires, each of them has some kind of personal conflict (Tokage aside) that eventually gets addressed in dedicated episodes, which you always can expect to end on a good note. Thus, one cannot honestly speak of a sense of dread or anxiety in this show, as it seems to be common with P.A Works’ anime. However, they are indeed abundant in personality and come with various personal quirks: Live is an extraordinarily powerful vampire, but also euphoric fiend obsessed with Masaki’s blood; Ichiko is a hundred years old loli who cares about family and is really good at cooking and tending the house; Fu is an awfully shy individual who carries a hidden talent for singing and a deep past connection with a human friend; and Tokage is a voluptuous ancient vampire with a helpless gambling addiction. Much later in the series, we also get to see more participation from Shigeyuki: like Live, she is a legendary vampire, but also the main frontwoman for “Mother” in the show, thus serving as the physical representation of “limits” to the group. Together, they form a lively cast of memorable characters—even Masaki, whose undeniable presence manifests in her strict, tyrannical behavior and unstoppable ambition for success, as she leads Mayonaka Punch from behind the cameras.
As previously suggested, the fact they are vampires does indeed have a major influence in what happens in the plot at various points: most notably, the very reason why Mayonaka Punch is racing for a million subscribers is due to the threat of forced termination of their channel, were it not to successfully achieve so within 6 months—an ultimatum proclaimed by the mysterious Mother of vampires, whose main concern is keeping these paranormal creatures’ powers hidden, thus preserving harmony with humans. So rather than a repetitive or slow paced story, the anime is actually very creative, not only in its premise but also on the storyboard side of things, offering a good range of situations and setups for each episode (though not quite as much as the OP suggests).
Going off the last mention, the catchy OP does indeed a lot to set up the mood for the show, while the ED captures the emotional nuances that permeate it, represented in great part by the social alienation that Masaki suffers because of the internet's inconsiderate and self-serving judgment in a matter they have little insight on. The degree of effect that social media cancelling has (especially when it breaks through the virtual world, as Masaki gets recognized in public) is shown succinctly and persuasively over the span of the story. But presenting social problems in this light also opens the show for critique, as we must observe if there is a sense of fairness in how it handles its theme.
Is it honest to criticize netizens for judging Masaki with little information when her outburst was so visible and disproportionate? Furthermore, neither Masaki nor the show seem interested in clarifying things or atoning for her actions in a clear manner. We are never given the exact circumstances for her adversity with the Hype Sisters, nor does Masaki’s wrongdoing really get settled right. This is where things can break for a critical viewer, for while Masaki is herself a victim in one aspect, she is also never properly held accountable for her own faults, and in fact continues to display many of her originally flawed traits up to the end of the story. The "Punch" itself continues to be played often as a joke and even goes on to become a positive icon in the series, representative of the whole Mayonaka group. Therefore, the notion of “redemption” here becomes debatable.
In summary, one could say this show has a failed message, but it's carried by all other aspects (animation, art style, music, characters etc.), such that whether or not you can tolerate Masaki as a person becomes the chief factor in determining your experience with it. For what is worth, she can take credit for being a nuanced character who often shows concern for her team members and who struggles with regret and self-worth issues throughout the plot. The drama surrounding the character and how she responds to these things are understandable and often sympathetic, and there is modest growth in the character as she learns to let some things go for the wellness of her friends and herself. Still, her final “apology” is rushed and sandwiched between the beats of action and drama of the final act, on top of having a generalized nature, being directed at various individuals and issues rather than properly addressing each on its own. This further drowns her redemption arc in deep waters of cowardice and self-victimization, as we can expect little learning to be taken forward from all of this development (are you convinced that Masaki will not end up making the same mistakes later down the road? It seems that all that has changed is she found someone who can take her punches). As such, despite the exceptionally fun elements explored in this show, it’s hard to give Mayonaka Punch much credit for how it handles its major character arc. My final judgment of it, in this regard, would lean negatively.
(P.S.: It’s possible to interpret this show’s approach to its theme as more than mere carelessness. If you’re interested, please read my blog post on MyAnimeList about this.)
Panda_Roll
A cancelled "newtuber" decides to run her own channel. She comes across a yuri vampire and strikes a deal. She'll give up all her blood in exchange for reaching a million subs. Blood in this case and the next being a euphemism for Yuri. TLDR = Bad writing, Masaki is a pill and the payoff is not worth it. Skip! There are a few issues with this show. Lets start with the SMALL ones before moving to the elephant in the room:- 1. It's a show about youtubers. The persona they show the world not the people behind the screen... fun right... 2. No research was putinto this. It's literally lets do a variety channel and someone will watch something. Because obviously the more successful channels aren't targeted or specialized.
3. Whenever there's an emotional moment the show feels the need to undercut it by something asinine, oh we learned that viewers prefer authenticity over an over polished product? Well obviously leaving the little goofs in the vid isn't the answer, it's to force the girls to bath naked on camera... slow clap...
4. The moral of the show, and this is word for word from the finale (no spoiler), is that trolls exist and content creators shouldn't take it personally...
Ok, with the SMALL ones out of the way lets tackle the biggest issue this show has.
number 5. Masaki.
Sometimes a youtuber will say "do it for the content, this is for the content." Masaki is that one sentence personified.
Her one and only personality trait is teen shoving his phone in your face to be on his tiktok. Then bad mouthing you because the vid didn't do well. Also why can't she exploit you for her vids?! You're so not making any sense right now. Obviously her content and views are all that matters in this world.
It would have been fine if she started out that way then learned her lesson but nope, beginning to end. If anything the show rewards her with views any time she acts that way.
Another part of the asinine writing is how unbelievable the interactions she has are. The story starts off because she punched a co-star during a stream. It's shown like a playful thing but since the internet didn't like it her co-stars kicked her out of the channel... on stream... without telling her... bad mouthing her to hell and back...while living in her house. I'll note that she's the editor and promoter and they don't have someone else to replace her. Oh wait they'll even leave the expensive cameras and equipment behind, because someone that makes videos for a living doesn't need those right, they just need their phone.
Let's say this is your source of income and you ran into the person that did that to you randomly. would you:-
a. Tell them off.
b. Gloat that you're doing even better now.
c. Avoid them, you don't need that in your life.
d. Allow them to film you drunk while they antagonize you into getting physical then ok the footage for upload, footage they will be editing.
There is a saying, Don't give the oars of your boat to someone trying to drown you. I think this is more you drilling a hole in the boat yourself at this point.
Every second Masaki is on screen is a pain. While the vampires are literal blood suckers she somehow manages to top them and drain any ounce of enjoyment out of the show. SKIP IT!
