Tomboy Ryouko Ookami is a fierce boxer and the assigned bruiser of her club. Of course, no normal high school club needs a bruiser, but the Otogi Bank operates more akin to an actual bank. Here, the students can ask for favors from the club as long as they promise to return the favor in the future. Sixteen-year-old Ryoushi Morino is a shy boy, a far cry from the Otogi Bank members. To his biggest surprise, after unsuccessfully confessing to Ryouko, he inadvertently finds himself joining the club!
Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi follows the everyday lives of the Otogi Bank members as they tackle favors that range from the mundane to the dangerous. However, since Ryoushi's sole motivation is to win Ryouko over, she doubts he will be able to have her back in a fight, especially when he can't even stand having people look at him—much less fight anyone!
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Archaeon
Once upon a time there was a series of light novels by Masashi Okita that played around with certain well known fairy tales. Due to a strange twist of fate (or a complete lack of ideas), the series was chosen to be adapted into anime form, and they all lived happily ever after. Well, not quite. Directed by Iwasaki Yoshiaki (Gokujou Seitokai, Wagaya no Oinari-sama, Gunbuster, Love Hina), Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi (Ookami-san and her Seven Companions), follows the adventures of Ookami Ryouko and her colleagues from the Otogi Bank as they solve people's problems, right various wrongs, fight delinquents, and generally act as all roundbusybodies.
Now where have I heard that before?
The main problem with Ookami-san is that it suffers from the same flaw that almost every novel adaptation has - an inherent lack of detail. That's not to say that the story doesn't work as there are plenty of things already in the tale that are interesting enough. The plot, however, is haphazard in its approach, and a number of points never get explained over the course of the series. Because of these two factors, the story never really reaches the level where the viewer can become engrossed, and in all honesty the only reason I finished it was because I was playing "Spot the Fairy Tale".
As I mentioned before, the franchise plays fast and loose with several well known fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood (complete with wolf and hunter), Momotaro (with dumplings), The Hare and the Tortoise (which was changed to a turtle for some reason), Urashima Tarou, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, The Little Match Girl, Puss in Boots, and probably a bunch more. Unfortunately, there's a side effect to incorporating specific elements of other stories into your own and that's exactly what happens here.
If one is able to disregard the lack of focus and detail, there's still the creativity barrier to overcome and it's here where the everything falls down. While the story may have some interesting aspects, the usage of fairy tales places quite a heavy dampener on innovation and it shows in Ookami-san in many ways, from relationships (Usami Mimi and Ryuuguu Otohime are inclined to hate each for example), to character design.
In all honesty, J.C. Staff have produced a fairly decent looking show for the most part. The animation is generally fluid throughout the series, but there are one or two telltale signs of corner cutting during the fight scenes. The backgrounds and settings are pretty standard fare for anyone familiar with high school anime, and while there are no real feats of originality, there are also very few major flaws. The real problem with the overall look of the show though, is the inherent lack of innovation I mentioned earlier.
This is where it all gets a bit tricky. On the surface the casual viewer may consider the design of certain characters to be quite original, for example Akai Ringo is supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood and this reference is prominent in her clothing throughout the series. Certain other characters follow this design pattern to highlight the fairy tale they are based on, while others are a bit more subtle with their reference. One of the main issues with this approach is that it impacts on the relationships between the characters, and the reason for it may not be obvious at first. Once the viewer understands the reference then everything becomes clear, however Ookami-san only really works on that basis.
One point in the show's favour is the sound quality, as the effects are fairly well realised and choreographed. Unfortunately the music isn't up to the same standards. That's not to say that it's bad, no, it's simply that it's all been done before.
Here's what I mean. The OP, "Ready, Go!" by May'n is a boppy J-pop track that doesn't leave any impact whatsoever. The ED, "Akazukin-chan Goyoujin" (Careful Akazukin-chan), by OToGi 8, is a strange mixture of J-pop and chip tunes that is equally forgettable. The rest of the music throughout the series doesn't really add much to the atmosphere of a given scene, and the proof of this lies in the numerous occasions where no music is used as there is very little difference in terms of impact.
One of the main sound problems with Ookami-san though, is the narration. There are far too many occasions where the viewer will be trying to pay attention to what the characters are saying, only to have it drowned out by Arai Satomi pretending to be an old time storyteller. As for the acting itself, the seiyuu are generally pretty good, with Itou Shizuka and Itou Kanae playing the roles of Ryouko and Ringo with a degree of aplomb (one does have to wonder if the casting was purposeful though). Irino Miyu gives a respectable performance as the sociophobe and prospective beau Morino Ryoushi, especially when he switches between coward and manly mode.
The rest pf the cast deliver some good all round performances but, like the rest of the series, the lack of originality means that they simply can't sink their teeth into the roles. The prime example of this is the fact that Ryouko is, yet again, quite literally the "sheep in wolf's clothing".
Now I will be honest here. I'm tired of the typical tsundere loli character and would personally like to see more variety in that department. Surprisingly, it seems as though Ookami-san has made some efforts to move away from the archetype. There are attempts to justify the persona of each character to a degree, and although the results are a bit of a mixed bag, the fact is that this makes the show more interesting than it would otherwise have been. The series takes great pains to delve into the personal history of its lead characters, and some of the resulting stories are handled rather well.
But that's all there is to it. Once their stories are told the characters go right back to how they were before, with the only real exceptions being Ryouko and Ryoushi. But that's not my main gripe where the characters are concerned, no, the real problem here is that there are no reasons or justifications, either in the story or otherwise, for the actions of Hitsujikai Shirou, and the lack of any information leaves the viewer wondering what the hell is going on.
Now, while Ookami-san isn't a truly great show, it's not actually that bad on the whole. The series has a number of interesting aspects and relationships, and is entirely watchable as long as you aren't overly critical about it. Unfortunately there are occasions where there is simply too much going on at once, and the viewer may find themselves going back over certain scenes in order to fully understand what has occurred.
One thing I did like were the cameos from ToraDora! and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun as, while they may not be my favourite shows, it made the anime into something more of a visual game (spot the reference).
It's strange how many shows these days are adaptations of other media, and it does make one wonder if anime studios have hit a creative wall. Whatever the case may be, Ookami-san is a decent attempt at adapting a novel series, and while it does have its flaws, the show is entertaining enough for at least one viewing. Granted it may not be everyone's gingerbread house, but those that like school based romantic comedies won't find themselves too disappointed.
Now can we please find a different character type as I'm tired of of all the tsundere lolis.
muckgaiver
It could have been something decent, but instead Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi reeks of mediocrity. The art work and animation was actually pretty and appealing, but the terrible story and cast of characters makes this series a pretty little scab you want to tear off. The rag tag bunch of characters have a very minor development and role so it'll feel as if most, if not all, of the characters are a side note. Even the story leaves you hanging till the last episode. At the end of the series, you will ask yourself, "That's it? What the hell was I watching this for?".I'm sorry to say this, but I felt as if the writer of the series did a half-assed job and produced a story about kids doing random things without any plot or motive. I say this series was a wild goose chase. I recommend it to those of you who have nothing to do and just want to kill time.
du5k
Ookami was one of the more popular series of the season. Why? Beats me... Was it because of J.C staff? Despite their many successes, I find Ookami to be an incredible bore. Let's start with this: I really hate the narrator. I feel that shows that uses narration heavily are due to the director's lack of ability to convey plot and emotions, and that can't be more true for this show. And I hate Satomi Arai. There are only a few instances where I can follow the character's train of thought, though that wasn't suppose to be hard due to the incredibly simple storyline. The main antagonist isso one-dimensional, it feels like he's a last minute addition as a plot device. The climax of the story is just... Can you even call it a climax? I don't even feel the slightest sense of excitement during that. It feels like a cheap way to end the series, and it leaves so many questions but I couldn't really be bothered any more.
There's so little material for the main storyline that most of the series focuses on stories of the supporting characters... Which none was really interesting, but at least it's better than the main plot. I suppose Ryoko's tsundere personality is suppose to sell, but beyond that trait, her character got no depth at all. Ryoushi's really irritating as a main character. As a wimp he can't even go to GAR mode properly... You'd hope he'll actually grow up by the end of the series, but all he managed is to overwhelm the bad guys with the final blow like a typical Shounen protagonist.
The animation and songs were good. I wont expect any less from J.C staff though... Well... Let's just leave it at that.
I think the only thing that this show gotta sell of is Ryoko's tsundere... But come on, really? This is a lame piece of work.
Plot/Concept: Lame
Story Style: Booooooring
Audio/Visual: Great
Value: 3
Benduski
The fact that this is a wasted potential is a shame, this could have been good. Story The story started good i was really interested to follow it but then it just started to be more of a comedy/parody without the romance that at some point you think will happen, it never happens, and that was annoying, it also ended being an episodic job of the week anime and the story never progressed. Art & Sound Both were like you think will be, good character design and colorful landscape. The sound was good, it was really enjoyable, the VA was good. Character This is what the anime is, there's a greatvariety of characters from fantasy books and you will recognize them, the ones that i liked were Ringo and Ryoushi who at first might seem like a wuss but he shows that he can be a badass for Ryouko the problem is Ryouko was too tsundere for my liking, she hides her feelings for Ryoushi and never accepts them, not even when everyone sees it, and i hated that she didn't appreciated what Ryoushi did for her which mostly ruined the anime.
Enjoyment
I could have enjoyed this more, but i couldn't because of that bad ending and Ryouko being the way she was so overall it was an ok anime as a whole but ruined by the anime and characters direction, enjoyable but not recommendable.
musashi7
Translating a book into a movie or show is always a challenge for developers. Why? Because taking all the information contained in a book and trying to cram it into a 2 hour movie is near impossible. So why do developers constantly try and do what seems impossible? Well it is my opinion that books have an uncanny ability to truly capture a readers attention with the use of two things, characters and story. The attention to detail and the ability many authors have to flesh out a character or grab a readers attention with interesting plot twists is what has kept books from dyingout for so long. And so we come back to the question, why do developers try and do seems impossible? Maybe it is to try and reach a new demographic in a day and age where reading just isnt "cool" or "in," or maybe developers would just like to create there own interpretation of the original work or maybe they just want to cash in on the success of the book. Whatever the case, developers have tried countless times to try and recreate the magic of a certain book in visual form, and the outcomes range the full spectrum of great and horrible. When it comes to anime, in my opinion, there is one thing that will truly define whether the developers rendition will succeed, time.
Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi is based off the light novel of the same name and follows the adventures of Ookami, Ryoushi and the group they work for, Otogi Ginko (Otogi Bank). This anime's story really had everything going for it right from the start. While the story's structure is by the books, little details kept things fresh and exciting. With a change up of action and romance things were fast paced and while this is not unusual for an anime story line and maybe not original, I couldnt help but smile at parts or notice myself getting drawn in. And yet, this anime's biggest downfall is its story. Why you ask, after all my praise do I say that the story is this anime's achilles heal? It comes back to what I said in my opening comments, time was what brought this anime to its knees.
What Ookami-san (abr. title) really needed was 24 episodes, maybe even 32. While the story and characters are all very enjoyable, because of this anime's short length, you only seem to graze the surface of everything. You never seem to get the chance to get deep into things, get under the character's skins and see what they see, essentially immerse yourself. Even the story, we only seem to be looking at the tip of the ice berg in the anime, and even the more interesting elements, such as the antagonist only seem to be an after thought, a "reason" given to the "good" guys to fight evil. I have not read the light novels, but I feel as though the story was not given enough thought. With what I saw at the start, there was more than enough material to really delve deep and grab the viewers attention, and yet instead we are side tracked with usual anime shit such as the usual "moe moe" we all seem to want. And while much of the story may seem cliche at times, there was a lot of squandered potential. By the end of the anime, most would have realized that there would be no "real" ending, and things would be left unattended. Which is unfortunate because like I said numerous times, Ookami-san had so much potential, so many more characters which could have been developed more, so much more story to be revealed, so much more plot. It all seemed so rushed. My feeling was the developers were trying to cram as much of the story in as possible, but by doing this they were unable to get to the essence of the plot, and unable to draw viewers in.
Ookami-san does have some solid strong points though. The animation was very well done, with fight scenes that were enjoyable and smooth. The art was also extremely pleasing, with very good character models and detailed backgrounds. The sound was done very well also, with great voice actors for the main characters, and sound quality that while not outstanding, surely stands above other series in the same genre. Really, by the end of this series, it was these qualities that kept me coming back and allowed me to finish the last few episodes. But anime is not all about the quality of its art or animation.
As I stated at the start of this review, Ookami-san's biggest weakness was its time management. This show desperately needed 24 episodes. What started out as a great show, by the end left a bad aftertaste, and not because the story or characters itself were bad, but because of squandered potential. It is not impossible to adapt a book into an anime, as there are many examples of great adaptations, but what needs to be addressed when attempting such a difficult task is time. What amount of time is needed to truly convey what the novels were trying to convey? How much time is needed to truly recreate the story? How much time is needed to delve into the necessary characters and develop them? And unfortunately with Ookami-san, the developers didnt seem to ask themselves these questions.
FeelingBlue
If you want a short + straight answer, feel free to skim or just skip to the "OVERALL" part. :) My 2nd anime review: STORY- 7 Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi has a stable storyline, which really just involves a group of high school kids called the Otogi Bank who fulfill students' requests. And in exchange for helping them out, their client has to owe them some sort of favor. Not an entirely exciting, nor original concept, but I do enjoy how this anime have a bit of a fairytale-like theme to it.. --mixed in with romance, action, comedy, drama, and even anime references(such as Zero no Tsukaima & To Aru no Railgun). The story doesn't progress too much from there, and they continue on each & every episode about helping a new client. It also often focuses the episodes on telling us more of the characters' past.. or more development on the romance between Ryouko & Ryoushi.
ART- 9
The animation is rather fantastic in this. I adore the cutesie looking character, despite the fact that they overdo it sometimes. Lots of pretty girls.. and several decent-looking guys. No complaints here.
SOUND- 8
Many famous + talented voice actrors/actresses we can recognize from here, like Irino Miyu (Syaoran-Tsubasa Chronicles), Itou Kanae (Amu-Shugo Chara!), Toyosaki Aki (Yui-K-On!), Kugimiya Rie (Shana & Taiga & Louise), Horie Yui (Yuuki- VK & Minori-Toradora!), and tons more. They are very well-suited for their roles, so no complaints here, either. I absolutely LOVE the narrator who's very much amusing through-out the series, giving us info. & random comments. ( I'm sure her voice will ring a bell, too.) The opening (sung by May'n-- also known as Sheryl from Macross Frontier) & ending themes are good, but nothing memorable, nor catchy.
CHARACTER- 8
There are a lot of development with the main characters and even the side characters' development. Lots of the characters' type are cliche, and we've seen them one too many thems. In this case, I don't mind because all the characters are entertaining. I must say that our main guy, despite being that same-o "plain" guy-type, he has 1 original aspect: phobia at being looked/stared at. With that, he is no longer that cliche "nice" & "average" guy. All the characters are to a satisfactory level. I like ALMOST all of them. :]
ENJOYMENT- 8
I really did enjoyed watching this series. It was possibly my favorite 2010 Summer anime. I laughed, and I may even have cried..(or maybe not..my memories are kinda blurry) for this one certain scene. Each episode were amusing, and a few of the stories seriously touched my heart.
OVERALL- 8
I think it is TRULY worth-watching. Not the best series.. Actually, FAR from it (it is what to be expected from a 12-episodes anime). But it has some pretty darn good contents. Give it another season, and Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi might turn into something BIGGER. I also will give it props for not turning this into another harem.. which is kinda surprising (considering how a HUGE majority of the characters are females). A few light fanservice here & there, but I won't label this series ecchi.
Thank you for reading. Hope it helps even if just the tiniest bit. ^^
Poeticas
Honestly this anime for me is like new age red ridding hood (i don't expect people who never heard of that story to understand...) but it is like this atleast for me because we got wolf ( who isn't that strong ) , got red ridding hood (even thought she is friends with the wolf) , and we got a hunter ( who is hunting the wolf but in a different way). So it makes this anime more interesting to watch if u know about Red Ridding Hod fairy tail!. Story: About story i can say few things ... Its warm , innoncent and funny. Warmbecause of friendship , innoncent because of not accepting feelings and funny because its romance comedy!. Anime is centered around so called "Otogi Bank" in which people work ( carries out what people asks them to do that u will find out on ur first episode... ) but for doing so they ask a payment but that doesn't include money or anything valuable its more like request for request with the motto " Helping each other" ... And in that "otogi bank" we got our protoganists Wolf , Red ridding hood and Hunter who are the main characters of our story. Story goes on and many mysteries surounding The three characters are revealed which intrigues and makes u want for more. Many misunderstandings happens and many Lovely situations occurs as also Dangerous situations accompanies everything. Little love storie is involved i would call it "innoncent" love story because of not accepting her feelings even thought u can clearly see when she gets embarassed by simple things ... And also how could i forget about the Story Teller which is funny on some corners but sometimes gets on ur nerves ... its something new but what would u expect from fairy tailo recreation ? :). So with misunderstandings , love situations , and Danger on every corner we Have ookami-san anime which gets 9 marks from me...
Art: Beutiful no ecchi finnaly ! :)
Sound: Just love the opening song!
Characters: All kinds of : Strange , Powerful , Scaredy cats , Lovable , Players , lolita and so on and on just u watch and see!.
Enjoyment: I tell you one of the best summer animes !
Overall: Just watch and see because its a great anime for romance/comedy lovers.
PyraXadon
The wolf and her Seven companions. First off, this title is completely misleading on the account that there are 8 people around her, not 7. I understand that the guy comes in later, but he is technically one of her companions. Anyway, with that little nitpick out of the way, onto the review. Story (7.21/10): The story of Ookami-san to Shichinin to Nakama-tachi revolves around the high school lives of the Otogi Bank, a club in the school where the story is based in, where they accept the requests of people in the school, in order to get a payment of afavor in return. Essentially, this club is the school mafia where you are expected to return the favor, or you will get possibly screwed later on. Our main protagonist Ookami Ryouko is faced with the fact that someone out of nowhere confessed to her in the middle of the street, before finding out that he is a new member of her Otogi bank club.
From a story standpoint, the anime uses its base idea well, branching off several stories from the request/return policy of the Otogi bank as its base. Every episode, or several episodes, consist of a separate story that has to do with this policy, each with their own story that in the end, reaps some character development that makes the show a bit better as a whole. But with this idea, there are a few bugs in the mix.
One thing that this series has a bit of a downfall in, is its use of time. While for the most part, the story is well-written and executed rather well, staying true to its own plotline, the plot in certain episodes, diverge from what the main idea is. In short, side stories. Roughly a quarter of the series is essentially plot points that don't really have much to do with the main plot, and as such, play no real significance altogether. Mostly, these episodes have to do with certain members within the Otogi bank and give them a little bit of backstory. This is fine and all, but the actual impact altogether doesn't have as much due to the fact that these people who get an episode about themselves, are supporting characters compared to the actual main plot. Still though, this problem is still quite minor due to the fact that those particular episodes do still have the charm that this series has.
Another thing this series has a bit of problem with, is a lack of actual explanation. There are moments in the series where backstories are explained, mostly about our lovely wolf girl, Ryouko. What makes this particular thing a downfall, is the fact that when the characters talk about her backstory, there are always some holes. A few things are mentioned, and you get the general idea of what happened, but the specifics aren't mentioned and a clear and concise story of what exactly happened is never really mentioned, different to most animes that have back stories, which usually end in a full telling of what happened.
The pacing of the series except for the one episode side stories, is rather decent. It's pretty steady and there are no real faults in the pacing of the story.
Overview
+ Entire story connects to the main key idea well
+ Good pacing throughout the anime
- Missing back story areas
- One-episode side stories that have little plot significance
Characters (7.89/10): Take the big bad wolf, little red riding hood, a guy scared of attention, a bodiless narrator, and a whole slew of colorful and overused anime troupes. This is basically the whole cast of this show.
Ookami Ryouko. With the word "wolf" literally as her name, she Ryouko exhibits a sort of tough aura, always stating that she can do things herself, telling the main guy to man up, and overall, is a rather badass female lead. What is really likable is he fact that she has a very conflicting personality, having a hidden, inner personality that she never shows to people around her. Quite frankly, she is the show's main focus and a reason why this show is relatively good in the first place. She seems to be more of a real person than many other female characters in the "tsundere" category, and is overall, a very good character who is very befitting of a show like this.
Morino Ryoushi is the main male lead of the series. As a timid person who shies away from attention, Morino is shown to be the main romantic lead, as he confesses his love for Ryouko in the very first episode, something that romance tagged animes pretty much never do. What I like about him is the fact that throughout the series, you can see the growth in him, to the point that watching his actions from episode 1 to episode 12, are completely inverted and different. Similar to Ryouko, his personality gets fleshed out as the series goes on, without the exception of a backstory.
Akai Ringo, or little red riding hood, is the final true main character of the series. For the most part, she gets a bit of a supporting role, with the exception of her backstory episode, being Ryouko's friend, supporter, and companion for the majority of the series. (Kind of ironic given their base character idea.) Different though, is the fact that she has a heart of stone, being very conniving and tricky when the plot needs her to be. She provides a lot of good support to Ryouko's role and character in the series.
A special character mention that NEEDS to be said, is the narrator. Contrary to a lot of comedy series, this specific anime has a narrator to tell out the story in a storybook sense, staring pretty much every episode with "Long, long ago..." and pointing out the obvious, making her own remarks, as well as breaking the fourth wall to the extent that the characters might as well know that their own existence is an anime.
For supporting cast, the anime consists of about 30 or so members, (you heard me, 30), each of them based on some sort of anime troupe from one place of the universe to the other. (Maid, playboy, studious, sadistic villan, fanservice, etc.) While for the most part, these supporting characters compliment the show well, some of them play no real purpose beyond a given episode or two. Also, the fact that the supporting cast is so gigantic, it's to the point that remembering their names is an issue. Without the handy narrator giving mention of their name every time they come on screen, you probably wouldn't know who they are, saying "Hey, it's...that guy....yeah..." Every now and then. Another problem was the fact that there were some characters that had some decent significance in the plot, but they were either introduced too late or not given enough time to prove what they could offer to the show.
Overview
+ Fleshed out main characters
+ Decent supporting characters
- One note characters that show up at most with an episode, then a cameo
- Too many people to remember (It's like Angel Beats all over again.)
Art and Sound (7.01/10 and 7.00/10): For the most part, the animation is rather average. It looks pleasing to the eye and there was no real jarring things to see, but nothing truly stood out for me as a scene or piece or artwork that was really astonishing. The art was good, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't the best thing I've seen in recent years in terms of artwork. Although, seeing Ryouko with wolf ears in the opening song was a nice little touch.
From a music standpoint, nothing stood out either. The tracks weren't terrible, they were rather good with the opening being a very nice and inspirational song and the ending being a happy-go-lucky electronic one, but nothing really stood out as memorable. They were good enough to stick around and listen to, but it wasn't a god track that you would want to keep in your head forever and ever.
Overview
+ Decent looking art
+ Good soundtrack
- Nothing stood out as "memorable"
Personal Enjoyment (7.45/10): As a personal fan of animal-themed anime characters, and strong female leads as a whole, I found this series to be quite enjoyable due to the fact that Ryouko prove herself to be a great female lead for this show. Her character, mixing in various other people that have interesting traits, made the show quite enjoyable.
A little complaint or wonderment I had throughout the whole series was if the school even had a legit uniform or dress code, seeing as how pretty much all of the characters never really follow a traditional school uniform that many other school-based anime do.
In any case, I personally enjoyed this series. It was a nice series to relax and enjoy some decent character development while watching a good comedy show. I enjoyed the quirky characters, the storyline, and above all, the narrator, which made the series far better than what it could've been. (Seriously, I shudder to think what this series would be like without the narrator.) I would recommend this show to anyone who likes a comedy anime that has a balance of story-driven and plot-driven idea.
Overall Score: 7.48/10
ambie
Wow. Just wow is all I have to say to this anime. It's heartwarming and very funny. I thought the idea of a bank that helps people with problems is such an unique idea and that's what I loved most about it. However there was many things missing that could have made it even better. For example, the allusion to the attempted rape of Ryouko could have been better shown if they didn't refer to just flashbacks. I had to look up what happened to Ryouko to understand what was going on between her and her ex-boyfriend. It's like they touched the surface of the importanteven in Ryouko's life when they should've dove deeper into her past.
I didn't like the ending but it's not like it was bad for it ended on a good note.
I personally like to dub it as the "fruits basket ending" syndrome where it ends on a good note but leaves the audience hanging with what they wanted to see.
The most disappointing part of this anime is that there's no sequel/OVA. There are hundred of fairy tails they could've put into the anime. For example, the Hansel and Gretel siblings? I would have liked to seen them being part of the plot instead of just being allowed to just a few lines.
Bottom line: It was a great anime but I was let down by the shortcomings of what they (the animation studio) could have done.
PandoraxChan
And so it ends, another 12 episode series that could've made a perfectly good 20+ episode show. I fear this is becoming a trend in the world of animes; well, why not? 12 episode moe-ecchi fests are much cheaper to make than something with a complex plot or characters. But Ookami-san is not one of those animes. I originally started watching this show because I heard about the fairytale references; I love twisted fairytales, so I gave the show a try. But what I found was much more potential than a few laughs, though you get a lot of those too. Story - 7 The plot is fairly simple;Ringo Akai and Ryouko Ookami work as part of the school club, Otagi Bank (i.e, translate all those names if you want a few giggles); a club that can solve any problem you bring them, and in return, you must pay them back in a favor, if/when they might need your help.
But after an incident where Ookami-san is saved by another student during a mission, the club owner realizes that their fieldworkers are shorthanded and recruits said student, Morino Ryoushi, to work alongside Ookami and Ringo.
The story sounds cliched... until you realize this show is parodying almost every single tsundere anime ever written. And both the characters and the narrator are well aware of it, which is gold to watch! The show pretty much hits every classic moe/tsundere anime reference, and while it milks them for all they're worth, it seems to be laughing behind their back at the same time. And then there are all the fairytale references; everything from the obvious Little Red Riding Hood to some sneaky little in-jokes (my personal favorite is the Puss-in-Boots characters, humorously named Nekomiya, who un-intentionality ends all his sentences with "nya").
One of the most original parts of this anime is it has a narrator, who tells the story as though reading a book. She is a little annoying, talking over the show from time to time, but she mostly acts as the voice of the viewer and gets some of the best lines. I grew to like this over time. :)
The story is usually very episodic; each episode covers a new mission and usually a new person in need of a favor, with the exception of 10-11, which is the only two-parter. The end result of this is a VERY large cast for 12 episode anime, and it often feels like we never get to connect with the characters enough because of the setup.
That is one of the only reasons I rated the story low-ish; it's a great concept, but the length doesn't give the story enough room to grow, even though the show seems to try anyway, which makes the ending even more awkward. Makes me wonder if this wasn't originally intended to be +20 episodes...
Art - 9
The art is probably the main reason people keep comparing this show to Toradora; the animation styles are almost identical, which is no surprise since they were made under the same studio. xD
Nevertheless, the animation is stylish, fluid, bright colored, always cutesy but somewhat deformed, which gives it a certain individuality. The characters are easy to tell apart and the backgrounds are actually very well designed. There are some obvious moe eyes going on here, but it's nothing to the level of Air TV or the like. No complaints!
Sound - 10
The score for this show is always on-par and always fun; the background music never seems to get repetitive either, like some shows do. The voicework is quite skilled, as expected from J.C group, and like the animation, the voices stand out from each other and are very memorable.
The best part of the sound in this show, however, is the OP/ED themes; they're so addictive! The opening, "Ready! Go!", is sung by May'n (who many may know from her work in Macross Frontier as Sheryl) and keeps the mood bouncy and fun, and the song itself makes a wonderfully catchy J-pop single. The ED, "Little Red Riding Hood" by OToGi8, has the potential to be annoying, but for some reason, kept me watching every time. I almost never skipped through either theme for the entire show; I loved them too much!
Character - 10
I personally think that if the story doesn't get you hooked on this, the motley crew of teenagers running it will. xD The characters here are so gripping and fun, it's harder not to like them, despite the plot flaws.
The main characters, Ookami-san, Ringo-chan, and Morino-kun, are the best developed in the show, as expected.
Ookami-san is, at her most basic, a moody tsundere with a bad temper and trouble expressing what she really thinks. But what I really enjoyed about her is that she is the way she is for a reason; her backstory is actually pretty tough, and you come to understand that her actions and will to fight are not simply meaningless character traits. I kinda felt that the creators didn't develop her character fully, but that may just be me.
Ringo is a loli-ish girl who is usually quite polite and thoughtful, but also quite devious. She's a rather enjoyable character with another surprising backstory, and as Ookami's best friend, nicely contrasts the "attack first, talk later" attitude that Ryouko often has. And for a cute little girl, she's really quite the manipulator! It's usually for the sake of my best friend and pushing her to be honest with her feelings toward Morino, but really... she's such a devil! ^-^
Ryoushi is a shy boy with expert hunting skills. Out of everyone, I felt like his character stood out the most. There's just something really cute about a scopophobic having to fight alongside a girl like Ookami, and having a crush on her of all things. His devotion and fervor to Ookami may annoy some, but I found it refreshing in a land of cold-hearted, overtly pretty male leads in anime. He's a sweet kid with a lot heart, and brings some of the best humor into the show.
The rest of the cast, sadly, doesn't develop very much beyond their basic characteristics. They're fun, but as I mentioned above, it often feels like you never get to know them well enough. The only ones that maybe evolve beyond the secondary are Tarou and Otohime, both of whom are simply awesome both separately and as a couple!
Overall- 8
I started this show when it was only two episodes into the Japanese airing, and stayed all the way through. Despite the fact that I watching Kaichou wa Maid sama and second season of Kuroshitsuji weekly as well, this show really became the thing I looked forward to the most! It's a shame it ended so fast, the potential for a full length series was great and I had so much fun watching it, but they kinda hint to a second season, so... *fingers crossed*
But my overall feelings for Ookami-san are this: the story is simple and definitely shorthanded, but the characters are excellent and the concept is fun. So I would recommend it to anyone who likes humor and parody, as well as good dose of tsundere, or even if you've got 6 hours to kill; it may just surprise you how much you like it! ^-^
PowerUpOrDie
A high school rom-dram-com with potential ends up squandering most of it because of some all-too-common faults in the anime industry. I seem to be on a streak of reviewing anime that I think blew their chance, but here's why Ookami-San and Her Seven Companions missed its shot. -Story- Sticking several fairy tale characters from various stories together is by no means an original premise ('Fables' comes to mind) but it can still be enjoyable to watch old characters in new ways. The story is mostly episodic, following the staff of the Otogi 'Favors' Bank from case to case as they work to sort out various problemsaround the school. However, it suffers from badly handled tone shifts between scenes covering main heroine Ryouko's relationship to the main antagonist, and the parts where it's the just the main cast solving problems (without spoiling too much, roughly halfway through the series we learn something about Ryouko's past that fundamentally increases the seriousness of the series- but the show still tries to revert to the same comedic tone shortly thereafter). Also, the story misses its chance for a conclusive ending both dramatically and romantically, punting on both accounts and settling for making the final episode effectively filler (I realize this is an adaptation of only part of a series of light novels, but unless a show has a guarantee of a second season, giving open-ended finales just screws the fans over. Come on, how often does a show that ended inconclusively in the hope of getting a second season ACTUALLY get a second season?). The episodes can be enjoyable, but botched tone shifts and the "Maybe Ever After" ending keep the story from being anything special.
-Art-
Go take a flying leap, narrator, Ryouko looks great without two cantaloupes strapped to her chest! VIVE LE PETITE MADEMOISELLES!!! Ahem... now that THAT'S out of the way on to more serious matters...
The art is bright and colorful, but it's nothing we haven't seen before. I'd say aesthetically it was pretty similar to Toradora! (J.C. Staff produced both shows, so that's not unthinkable). I can't think of much to say beyond how quality is good and the style fit the show. Character designs incorporate elements from the fairy tale character each cast member is based on, with varying degrees of subtlety, creating fine designs but nothing that will go on lists of 'Most Originality'. Ryouko was a little unique in that the fan-service focused largely on her legs ( not the most common part of the female form to center on ) but didn't subvert any tropes beyond that. Main male character Ryoushi has an entirely generic and forgettable look. Main antagonist has the 'white haired pretty boy' design that stopped being original sometime around when Griffith sacrificed the Band of the Hawk to gain demonic powers.
-Sound-
Brina Palencia seems have a certain knack for playing wolf-girls (she gives them a certain 'spice' you might say). Her performance in the English dub can cover a variety of emotions and tones well and is the best performance overall. Narrator Luci Christian provides a great deal of comedy with her often sarcastic take on the on-screen events ("Oh look! A fan-service shot!") None of the other voice truly stood out, but I can't find faults with them either. The OP and ED are catchy, but nothing to go buy and download, and the OST is mood music without a standout track.
-Characters-
Male lead Ryoushi is a character I connected with very quickly, but largely due to personal reasons (I also spent a good chunk of my high school days as a shy, cowardly guy in hopeless pursuit of various serious, talented, energetic girls who weren't going to swoon for just any random bloke) not because his arc is overwhelmingly unique or well-done. His storyline is undermined by constant resets after each time he does something cool in order to maintain status quo. By the end of the series I was able to actually time these character resets ("OK, he's going to do something cowardly in 3, 2, 1..."). The "Cowardly Push-Over Becomes A Heroic Badass And Saves The Day" is a character arc I love, but the series was never willing to let him stay in Badass mode for long. Female lead Ryouko knows how to Tsundere with the best of them, as her alternating between bitter and sweet attitudes actually has some justification: she's struggling between her natural personality and the personality she developed in response to past events. I even thought there was bit of chemistry between her and Ryoushi that a proper ending could have exploited. Most of the supporting characters are serviceable but fairly forgettable, having one main personality trait that doesn't really develop (or again, just resets if it does).
-Enjoyment-
I enjoyed this series, but once I caught on to the dependable character resets and realized there wasn't going to be a proper ending I felt disappointed. It's the kind of disappointed you feel when you see something you think could have been very good trip and fall into mediocrity ( I need to review something I think did well soon, this trend of writing about anime that fumbled a good chance is getting depressing), not the kind of disappointment you feel when you watch something bad which you never thought had a shot to begin with.
-Overall-
Alas, comedy and chemistry between the main characters is squandered in the hope of getting a second season. A proper ending could have made this series endearing, but as it is it's just a bit above average. Doggone it anime industry.
NeverKnowsBest26
Alluding to fairy tales has become pretty common in modern television, and of course, quite prominent in anime. In the best case, the use of fairy tales can be woven into the fabric of the story and become something special like Princess Tutu. Adversely, the use of fairy tales can be nothing more than a quick gimmick with no substance behind it. Unfortunately, Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi (or Okami-San and Her Seven Companions) falls squarely into the latter of those possibilities. The show fallows the exploits of the Otogi Bank, a club in Otogi High School which does favors for students in exchange for returningthe favor later on. Among the members of the Bank is fierce and tough-as-nails Ryouko Ookami (the 'wolf' in the story as her name might indicate) and her best friend, and little red ridding hood lookalike, Ringo. Unknown to Ruouko she has a secret admirer in the painfully shy Ryoushi... unknown until he attempts to confess to her and subsequently joins the Otogi Bank. Ryoushi wants to get closer to Ryouko, but that is easier said than done as her past has lefter her with a scared and guarded heart.
If this is sounding like a typical rom-com with a tsudere at its core, it is because that is exactly what the show is. All the fairytale stuff is just kind of stapled on. The rest is the usual school-life anime fixings. From the cast of wacky archetypes, to silly episodic stories, to the tough girl and wimpy guy romance; it is all retread material dozens of other anime series also use.
Admittedly, the fairytale aspect does add a little extra flavor; seeing classic fairy tales being applied to situations and shenanigans the characters get themselves into has a certain novelty to it. Particularly amusing is the Turtle and Hare rivalry between Otohime and Mimi, along with a few other episodic spins on fairy tales, like the absolutely ridiculous take on Cinderella in the first episode. Not to say that the episodic stories are good, often they are rather hackney, but they can be fun. Another thing that adds some personality to the show is the narrator, who often makes snark comments; making fun of the characters and calling out tropes in the story. This shows that Ookami-san doesn't take itself too seriously, which is good, seeing how over-tread its material is. Still, when you have the narrator taking shot at the story, you know the story is in trouble.
When the show gets dramatic, it gets mixed results, mostly underwhelming. While the silly stories in each episode can be funny and amusing, but are all rather weak dramatically. Attempts to appeal to your emotions, like Otsuu's (the maid in the Otogi Bank) need to repay favors or Ringo's relationship with an upperclassmen, ring hollow. Your never really invested with most of the cast to begin with, as they are mostly just background, and trying to make you sympathies with them with only a single episode focusing on them (if even that) feels very forced and ineffective. The only drama that does work is regarding Ryouko's past, and to a lesser extent her relationship with Ryoushi. Unlike a lot of tsuderes, Ryouko has a fairly viable reason for being so fiercely asocial; hiding past hurt behind a brave face. It is also cute to see her warm up and confide with Ryoushi and see him become more bold for her sake. Still, these development are pretty conventional and lack actual complexity, giving the show very little weight.
Visually and musically, the show is rather uninspired. Character designs aren't bad by any means, just generic. Ryouko's design may as well be a billboard with the words "I'm a tsundere!" written on it, not to say her flat-chested figure isn't cute. Ringo is looks like the token cute and mischievous munchkin that she is, and Ryoushi looks just as flat as most male ecchi protagonists. The animation is fine, and character designs stay on model most of the time (usually losing form a little in action sequences), but it feels flat because there is honestly no real inspiration behind it. The music follows suit. Bubbly electric pieces and a few orchestrated ones, the soundtrack isn't really bad, but exactly what you would expect from this type of show, and ultimately unmemorable. Only the cute opening and ending themes are even remotely memorable, and even then, still pretty generic.
Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi is the kind of show that will fade to the back of your mind shortly after watching it. It really doesn't do anything with its fairytale premise. It is but a single high school rom-com in an ocean of high school rom-coms. The only real compliment that can really be given is that the show does not do anything tremendously wrong.
KrazyKobun
Oh look! Another moe-moe animu! Is it just another merchandise driven and annoying piece of crap or is it something actually pretty decent and enjoyable? Fortunately, Ookami-san is the latter, although I have some qualms with it. In a nutshell, the plot is pretty simple. (Go read MAL's synopsis.) We’ve heard the “We help people in an episodic fashioned!” plotline many times before. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Bakemonogatari, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, and a lot more basically, but Ookami-san gets away with it, because its just so damn likable, despite the very derivative nature of it. Ookami-san is not trying to be the most unique ororiginal, its just one of those non-pretentious anime where you can sit back, relax, and watch the characters do some crazy stuff. And in that regard, Okami-san delivers in its fairy tale referencing glory. If the characters weren’t so enjoyable, this anime would have utterly failed.
Now, the characters themselves are pretty much all moe/harem stereotypes that we’ve seen before, but with a slight tongue-in-cheek air about them. We have the socially inept guy, the classic tsundere, the meido girl, the mad scientist, the token loli, the obsessive lover, the list goes on and on. But somehow, I actually liked the characters and they’re quirks. They’re not too annoying or aggravating and I enjoyed all of the cliched situations the characters would find themselves in. From popularity contests, pool time, Meido dress up, fireworks, mock dates, you name it, this anime has it all. I know it sounds like played-out drivel, but Ookami-san’s self aware nature makes it all worthwhile. I mean, Ookami-san plays the genres tropes so straight that it has to be a homage or a parody, adding the fact that there is a narrator, who points out the cliches in the story also proves my point even further. Although, the narrator can get overbearing and unfunny at times, she does a great job of saying exactly what the audience would say of the cliched nonsense and for the most part, shes pretty hilarious.
The characterization for the male lead Ryoushi is very well done. He starts off as a pitiful loser, but then becomes a stronger individual through his ambition and determination to protect Ryouko and love her. Which makes him the most layered and rounded character unfortunately, because everyone else just stays grounded in they’re archetypes with no real drive of their own. Sure, some of the cast receive episodes catered to them, but they never really add anything new to their stereotypes or even get anything important to the plot accomplished. Which will turn off people who have no tolerance for moe or harem, since Okami-san is very much one of those “otaku-centric” anime. I honestly didn’t mind it, but Ryouko’s character really pissed me off the most. Despite several of the hardships Ryoushi endure in order to prove himself to her, she stays seated in her tsundere bullshit. *Slight Spoiler* Instead of having her character develop and finally confess her love to Ryoushi, since its painfully obvious, you know what she says “I don’t dislike him” Are freaking kidding me? That’s all you have to say Ryouko after all of the events in episode eleven!?! Give me a break. This alone completely shattered anything I liked about Ryouko previously, and made her just another poorly written tsundere. The conclusion as a whole itself, is unsatisfactory as well. It just ends. No real resolve to anything or goal reached. Hopefully J.C. Staff will produce another season.
The production values for Ookami-san is excellent! Easily one of J.C. Staff’s best animated works. Filled with fluid, realistic, and fast paced movement with wonderfully fanciful, vibrant, and colorful artistry. Attractively cute moe character designs and highly detailed backgrounds. I was actually in shock by the pure effort that was put in the imagery. Ookami-san is in no way a bad looking anime. The music is pretty well done too. Even though Ready Go!; the opening theme, Is not May’n’s best performance, it fits with the upbeat and whimsical nature of the anime. The ED is also pretty catchy too.
Another great aspect about the anime is in the voice work. The seiyuu voice all of the characters with such life and cooperation with one another. I especially like to point out Ryouko’s voice actress; Shizuka Itou. I’m so glad J.C. Staff used another seiyuu for one of their ‘premiere’ tsundere’s. Rie Kugumiya is over used, thank goodness Shizuka played Ryouko with such differentiation from Tiaga, Louise, and Shana. Ryouko is more brash and masculine than your average tsundere, so of course she’ll need a different voice and Shizuka definitely fitted the bill perfectly with her performance. Also, Satomi Arai as the narrator is freaking brilliant! ‘Nuff said. In fact, any fans of the To Aru series will definitely get a kick out of the voice work as many of the seiyuu from Raildex return here.
Overall, Ookami-san is all out otaku pandering fest. You’ll love for all of the stereotypes and clichés or you’ll hate it for that same exact reason. It was a fun ride, but damaged by the lack of development, a terrible ending, and a lack of progression in the plot and characters. Its basically one of those ‘time-waster’ anime. Not excellent or riveting, but not disposable either.
Copy & pasted from my Tumblr: http://chibimonogatari.tumblr.com/post/1144220277/ookamisanteenchibireview
AceStar
Too Long Don't wanna Read: Yea, Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi isn't bad, but its not good either. REAL REVIEW: The whole thought of an anime based on fairy tales intrigued me(which is why I watched the entire thing) yet fell short when they dropped the whole fairy tale thing near the end. There are some logical fallacies like how the "hunter" in this story is in love with the "wolf" and not "little red ridding hood" - if I get my facts straight hunter kills wolf and saves granny-(not seen) and red ridding hood, but w/e. Hansel and Gretal are seen at brief intervals during the animewith some-sort of incesty feelings towards one and another but they deny their incest so i guess its ok.
They do some referencing in the anime-notably ToraDora and some other anime.
Again these are just lentils compared to the real chunk in which we dive now.
The main characters work at a "favor" bank where they do favors for students expecting favors back. weirdly enough they seem to be spending favors faster than they could make em seen in a swimsuit ep(sigh) where they blow their savings on telling the students not to vote for their own bank employees.
Anyhoo that being the setting the real dilemma is that something happened to Ookami(wolf) by a mysterious guy which turned her mentally into a man, being aloof in trait and does boxing,
Due to that trait Morino(hunter) and Akai(Red Riddin) get attracted to her, where they get feelings of "ooh she is strong" and "I want to protect you" which seems to be the generic feelings these days of making girls strong yet need to be protected - because they are girls.
Also Morino is sociophobic which means he unable to look at people, reason for it- because he is a hunter and takes comfort in seeing and not being seen, which is weird because Snake in Metal Gear Solid takes this to an extreme and he himself is not sociophobic at the least. Anyway He confesses to Ookami because thats what sociophobes do, and tells her his confession to which he gets denyed but denial isn't something that bothers Morino because later he joins a team with Ookami and uses events and flag points to sway her to his favor.
Ending goes something with enemy school de la ghetto decides that even though they got beaten by Morino and Ookami, they can take the entire bank, which starts with kidnapping Ookami. Ohoho but soon they realize that it was all masterminded by Ookami's past loved one, and as Morino and (past loved one) fight it out, (which oddly PLO had a knife yet never used because advantages are unfair) Ookami gets over the past trauma and Morino and Ookami both win, which is to say until the Bank decides to leave them alone and negotiate through IMs.
Last Minute Notices:
Narrator talks over the people sometimes, which is annoying as hell.
This anime parody's scene shots which is funny till overused.
Morino has a lisp and is very bipolar with his sociophobe so take it to account.
Other than Ookami and Morino, all other characters are very minor, even the main bad guy.
So in the end this anime is like putting ketchup on potato chips, yes its something you might wanna try, but there are so many better things to eat, like potato chips in sandwiches.
Blixus
Alright Everyone, I'm not a big reviewer unless I honestly feel the need to explain a show. ookami-san is one of those cases. The designers came up with a good premise and did their absolute to shove as many anime stereotypes in as they could. The moe, the tsundere, the shy, prettyboy, crazy, etc...Unfortunatly while this made the characters overall quite loveable it shoves down said aspects down your throat. 90% of the show feels like filler, and when they try to do any actuall plot work it is rushed, cliche, and very forcefull. The ending doesn't completely flow either and no real resolution ismade. It's obvious the creaters were banking on making a second season. My opinion for any of you reading this. If your looking for a show to half watch half play your gameboy go for it. The characters are overused you'll be able to figue out what's going on. If you want a show that has great plot, purpose, great characters, and a desire to teach you somthing. Go watch an old season of Gundam. -_-
rainsmew
I liked this anime a lot. Although the end was really obvious and cliche. You can watch it if you have nothing else to watch or just like a hobby. The characters are awesome. Nothing pretty special. But you can enjoy them too. I don't know if it's funny or not since I don't laugh easily with animes. Not even with Ookami-san. But you can enjoy the anime a lot. There aren't a lot of episode as you can see. The art is beautiful. It reminded of Toradora! But they aren't even similir if you think so. Well, I recommend it to everyone who doesn'thave anything to watch. Just that :D
angelsreview
I like it, it’s so cute! The stories all have a fairy tale to go with the story. It has the story of little red and the tortoise and the hare. All of the stories are pretty twisted tales and rather creative. There is sadly a couple that I’m not sure where they came from, though they still hold the fairy tale style. I do have a small bone to pick. Barely any of the episodes have anything to do with the main story plot, bringing more of the story by week feel to the show. It makes me a little sad that we don’tget much of the story line. What it is replaced with though is us learning more about the characters so it doesn’t feel much like filler. Things only really pick up at around episode 10 but by then, it was pretty much over with. It gets rather serious then, and actually rather romantic. Sadly, it doesn’t stay for two long.
Ryoshi Morino is a really sweet and shy guy, though who needs to just toughen up a little. It would be easier if he did. Otherwise, I think it works out rather nicely. He is strong when he actually puts his mind to it as seen in episode 2. He does become sort of other people’s punching bags at times to though which doesn’t help make his character any easier to read.
Ryoko is really interesting with these dual personalities she shows. They show up really early which is surprising. I would have thought that it would of happened way later. Not that I am really complaining. It just made the character a bit easier to actually feel more for her.
Akai is another interesting character, always smiling but ends up pushing Ryoko into a lot of different things including dates. She is like a little terror but is a true friend to her in every way, even taking care of her by cooking and cleaning.
The animation is pretty nicely done, only one or two flaws but nothing that serious. There are times where characters end up looking a bit rough and runny egg like. The story artwork does jump around just a tad and it’s a little hard to sometimes understand. They did pretty well with how the designed the characters, making them fit the role they were supposed to fit almost perfectly.
The English voices are pretty nice and I love the comedy that the narrator brings up every once in a while. She actually becomes part of the story in herself with the antics. I am talking about her in the voices because that’s all we hear of her. The old women voice is perfect for the fairy tail feel… a twisted fairy tail style! Most of the other characters work rather nice. The music is very good, capturing the feeling of some scenes.
Just to let you know, you should keep watching all the way threw the credits on most of them because they have little extra things happening.
Leap250
Here goes my first ever review! ^_^ for Ookami-san to Shinchin no Nakamatachi, or just, Ookami-san STORY I'll try to be as spoiler-free as possible. The main female protagonist is Ookami Ryouko. She works for the Otogi Bank, which helps people, but in return, those people should help them if the need arises. The main male protagonist is Morino Ryoushi. A scopophobic (afraid of being stared at) boy who falls for Ookami. The story revolves around the two as their relationship deepens, as the Otogi Bank encounters various requests. It may sound simple, but the twist is that, some of the request are parodies of fairy tales.It may sound like a whack idea, but they made it work.
ART
Fight scenes are awesome to look at. Scenery is cool too.I honestly couldn't find anything wrong the art itself. It's still up to today's standards, and if you've watched other J.C. staff works, you might feel at home here.
SOUND
The OP theme "Ready, Go" by May'n is fine. It doesn't suit the story as much, but it goes well it anyway. The ED theme is also pleasant in its own way. In terms of voices, my only complaint was that the narrator would sometimes overlap the characters, making the scene confusing at times.
CHARACTER
Basically, you only need to focus on Ookami-san and her seven companions, because there's not much character development. It's not as bad as it sounds, really. Ookami's character is great. There's something about her that makes her cool and adorable at the same time. Ryoushi's character is your not-so-regular hero, but, he is also pleasing to watch.
ENJOYMENT
I enjoyed it a lot ^_^ It's one of those short but sweet anime that makes you want more of it.
OVERALL
I highly recommend this one to those who want a light, funny, and sweet anime in their memories. If not, then I still recommend it to anybody ^_^
gamejok3r
Ookami-san To Shichinin No Nakama-tachi was an all around average series. It had some interesting elements, such as the revamped story book characters and the overall plot was good however it often missed on its pacing, progression, and overall wow factor. The art was Good throughout featuring unique looking characters and the scenery and backgrounds were clean as well. The characters themselves being based on fairy tale characters was a unique concept though this could of been expanded on throughout the show and made into a more interesting feature. This series features a narrator which to be blunt was the most annoying thingI have yet to incounter in any anime. Not only was the narrator there for comic relief mostly, but in addition to the inaffective jokes, she would talk over the characters conversations often at crucial plot points. The narrator became even more agrivating as the series went on and she began to repeat character introductions. Furthermore when the transition from the anime talking to the narrator butting in happened it often caused the sound quality to lowered, and the volumn would fluctuate on the transition. This series would of been better off without this feature.
The character progression focused mostly on Ryoushi and Ryouko who grew as the story moved forward. The side characters changed little and though I was mostly watching for the story between the two characters it seemed the others around them went through a lot as well but hardly changed. It made the story feel closed off and distanced the Ryoushi and Ryouko from the rest of their group.
Finally the pacing of the story was not great. It seems to me first of all that episode 12 should of came before episode 10 and 11, from a climatic standpoint. Furthermore the progression of Ryoushi was all over the place as in some episodes he would do better with his phobia but then the very next he would seem much worse. I more or less like pacing that has a grand cressendo with a nice neat finish, which this series did not have in my opinion at all.
However, despite the many set backs I did ultimately get caught up in the love story, laugh with the puns and comedy, and feel the struggles of the hero and heroine as they made their way through their ordeals. So as entertainment goes this anime series did its job for me there, though I will probably not recommend it unless it seems to fit an individuals personality or anime likes.
Overall Rating 5/10
@GameJok3r
http://animejok3r.tumblr.com
