Humans have been polluting the ocean for a long time, carelessly pouring their garbage and desecrating the waters that many creatures call home. The denizens of the sea have suffered at their poisoning hands. Finally, one certain squid has had enough and vows to punish the humans' selfish actions.
Possessing all the fearsome abilities of a squid such as powerful hair-tentacles, the ability to spit ink, and even use bioluminescence at will, Ika Musume takes it upon herself to rise from the depths of the ocean and exact revenge upon humanity! She surfaces at a certain Lemon Beach House, a restaurant managed by the sisters Eiko and Chizuru Aizawa. Thinking them to be an easy first step toward world domination, she immediately declares war against them, only to find out that she is, quite literally, a fish out of water! To make things worse, she destroys a part of a wall of the beach house in an attempt to flaunt her squiddy superiority and is consequently forced into becoming a waitress to pay the repair costs. Beached for the time being after tasting a thorough defeat at the hands of the Aizawa sisters, Ika Musume is forced to put her plans for world domination on hold.
Despite these setbacks, Ika Musume soon finds herself right at home in her unexpected position as Lemon Beach House's newest employee. Wacky and hilarious, Shinryaku! Ika Musume follows her brand new life on the surface as she makes precious memories and meet lots of new people. With her newfound acquaintances, Ika Musume is looking to take the world by storm, one squid ink spaghetti at a time!
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Archaeon
The problem with the anime industry is the continuous failure to capitalise on titles that are actually good, and instead redirect time and resources to producing shows that leave you as empty as a tectonic bowel movement. Every genre has suffered this iniquity, but while most bounce back with other, much better offerings (comparatively speaking), comedy continues to prove the medium's "Achilles heel". Those of you who are fans of Gintama may disagree with that perception, but consider for a moment the number of anime released during the last year that have borne the "comedy" label. Now have a think about whether they made you laugh,or simply made you smile (or in the worst case scenario, made you want to punch the people who made it in alphabetical order).
Based on the manga by Anbe Masahiro, Shinryaku! Ika Musume (Invasion! Squid Girl), tells the story of Ika Musume, who has come from the sea to exact revenge on humanity for polluting the waters of Earth, and she plans to do this by conquering the world.
Unfortunately her first foray onto land doesn't go as planned ...
The series is presented in the style of a sketch show rather than as a continuous narrative, with each episode split into three independent stories. Normally this approach would present several problems where plot and character development are concerned, but thankfully that isn't the case here as each tale is well crafted and paced, with little time wasted on pointless trivialities (which is ironic as there are people who would consider the whole show to be trivial). In addition to this, there is an autonomy to each chapter that allows for a variety of themes over the course of one episode, and this makes for some decent storytelling and visual gags.
As an aside, one thing that should be pointed out is the rather obvious homage to the first ten minutes or so of Up! that occurs in episode five. The nice thing about this particular chapter is that there has been a conscious effort to follow Pixar's example and simply use music, sound effects and imagery to tell the story, and the result is something ... rare, especially in terms of audio/visual choreography.
Which brings up an interesting point.
On the surface Shinryaku! Ika Musume looks a lot like the common or garden moe based "comedies" that abound these days, but as everyone knows, one should never judge a book by it's cover. The design principle verges on the generic at times, and this rather simplistic approach to the characters is reflected in the backgrounds and settings as well. The animation is generally decent, with nice movements and some interesting ways to use tentacles (I never thought I would ever use that sentence in an anime review), but the initial perception may be that Diomedea simply didn't try hard enough to make the series look great.
There is something that should be taken in to account though, and that's the fact that Ika Musume wasn't only made to make you smile. The main purpose of the series is to make you laugh, and that it does. The "generic" look of the show allows for a number of well executed visual gags and parodies, as well as some creative moments like the Mini Ika Musume chapter. In addition to that, the style of humour actually works better when the viewer is comfortable with the imagery, which may be the reason why Diomedea opted for a look that many people will already be familiar with.
After all, it's reasonable to assume that the majority of viewers would find the slapstick comedy aspect out of place in a series series featured stunning scenery and beautiful characters, no matter how funny the show was.
One thing that is slightly annoying about Ika Musume is the devilishly catchy opening theme (Let's Invade by ULTRA PRISM featuring Kanemoto Hisako), which may have been designed to loiter in the viewers head, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. That doesn't mean it's a great song though, as it's a very typical example of the "cute" J-Pop anime introduction - with everything that entails.
On the other hand the ending theme, Metamerism by Ito Kanae, is a melodic ballad that's rather pleasant on the ears (even if it is a tad generic), but seems a little out of place in a comedy show. As for the incidental pieces, they range from slightly ditzy jazz styled jingles to the slow piano piece of the Mini Ika Musume chapter. Unlike many other shows though, the music is only pushed to the fore when the occasion demands, and one will generally hear it as a very subtle accompaniment to the on screen action (it should be pointed out though, that a good portion of the series features no music whatsoever).
As with any comedy, delivery is everything, and it's here where the seiyuu really shine. While the voice acting may sometimes be a little on the bland side, the characters really come alive when there's something quirky or funny going on. Kanemoto Hisako's performance as the precocious invader from the sea is actually pretty good, especially as her only other main roles are in Sora no Woto and Kore wa Zombie Desu ka. Her coordination with the other voice actors, especially Fujimura Ayumi and Tanaka Rie (the Aizawa sisters, Eiko and Chizuru), allows for some nice comedy set pieces.
Which brings up another point.
By its very nature, comedy isn't the greatest tool for characterisation or development, especially as the usual methods can seem out of place amongst all the slapstick. Ika Musume neatly sidesteps the issue by inserting a few choice tales that highlight a particular bond or personality trait, but it does this by creating a metaphor which can sometimes change the whole tone of the series. That said, any growth is sporadic, and there are occasions where viewers may find themselves wondering what the point of a particular chapter was.
There is a plus though, as the series creates comedy pairings between disparate, and sometimes unlikely, characters, which adds to the whimsical nature of the show. Eiko and Ika-Musume represent the primary straight and funny "men", but in truth there are multiple parings, trios and groups that form over the course of the series, all of which is only achievable because the characterisation is actually pretty decent for a comedy anime.
Now I will be honest here, as I didn't expect to like this series as much as I did. That's not to say it's a classic, as there are definitely better purebred comedies out there, but when compared to many of the more recent offerings in that genre, the charm, quirkiness and feelgood atmosphere of Shinryaku! Ika Musume is definitely a step in the right direction. The series bears a few similarities in terms of style, content and layout to such comedy worthies as Potemayo and Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (but without as much insanity), whilst Mini Ika-Musume didn't simply remind me of Pixar's Up!, but also of Binchou-tan.
There is something to bear in mind if you decide to give this show a try though. Comedy is probably the most subjective genre in any medium as it requires far more investment from the viewer in order for it to work, and one of the things that we in the West often forget is that the vast majority of anime are made for the Japanese markets. Because of that it becomes difficult for Westerners to relate to certain aspects of the humour, but that doesn't automatically mean a series is bad just because we don't understand it.
Besides, after some of the debacles that have been produced over the last few years by an industry that's trying a bit too hard, it's a welcome change to watch something a little bit silly.
DangoSadge
I would never imagine, in my lifetime, to see a squid this adorable! Im telling ya, after years experiencing Squidward from SpongeBob Squarepants, I started to give up hope for all squids in the world... That is until I met little Ika-Chan... So what's so special about another failure invader anime? Don't we already have a frog for that? How can you say that! Squid>Frog anytime! Anyways, the story isn't very deep and there's no much of a plot buildup however the comedy and cuteness is enjoyable nevertheless. You'll have a drama episode, a horror episode (Oh damn that doll was scaaaaary) and also a tearjerker moment (Ilove you Chibi Ika!)
The artwork was exceptional. It was able to portray the scenery of a beach perfectly to go along with little Ika's antics. The characters are well drawn especially in the expressions department.
Sound? Who doesn't like the sound of the beach! Great choice of background music to enhance the surrounding. I especially liked the squeeky sound you get when the tentacle rubbed against each other. (Reminds me of rubbing two pickles with each other)
Ika's character is developed nicely (Even though it's mostly appealing to lolicons). However she's still a kid at heart. But thats just the way we all like it. Coupled along with a "geso" at the end of every sentence, and WHAM! Try to resist that awesome cuteness! Other characters support her well (both her and her mischiefs)
This anime definitely has a considerable amount of re-watch value. The comedy doesn't get old easily. And I guess people would of course want to see my Chibi Ika! (But not those puppets.. That thing gave me nightmares!)
Overall, it's a must watch for all you who adores cute and lovable things! If you dont? Then the comedy would still entertain you nicely. Personally, my favorite part about this anime is Ika's assimilation into the human world. It's nice when an invader understand how not all humans like us are bad. What? You think you're good too? Heck no... If you're watching this anime, chances are you're a sick pervert like me who was expecting tentacle rape..
Nah.. Im just kidding..
Haremu Kingu,
Signing out!
GonzyChan
I’m not going to lie, this show is a weird one to talk about. Not because of the actual premise, although it does add a little to it, but on the way it’s structured. It reminded me of my childhood shows with three separate story arcs that had a basic theme. With an anime plot involving a cute squid girl trying to invade the entire planet by herself only to be undermined by many people who own a food court near a beach, you’d think that would speak of random hijinks that will only appeal to prepubescent girls. Fortunately, there can be some merits herethat could appeal to any age group.
Squid Girl has a plot that is hardly focused or has any substance to the original goal that the squid character, Ike, intended to do. It mainly involves her trying to learn about humanity and the culture of Japan that she is settling in. It’s essentially a show based on culture shock and how foreigners try to adapt to a different country that they have no idea about. The tone of the series is light-hearted and comedic; they handle it pretty well without hampering the basic premise conflicting with the comedy. It’s pretty entertaining to watch and, at times, funny to see Ike acting very holier than thou upon the people she meets when she has no power over the others whatsoever.
With a show like Squid Girl, you need to supply great characters that are both funny and memorable to watch. While some garner a lot of entertainment, others are not fully realized and don’t add much depth to the comedy. The best ones that I liked the most were Ike, Eiko, and Chizuru. They all have so much great chemistry together and make many great gags work perfectly. Chizuru provides some of the best scenes involving her having a friendly personality. Still, once something terrible happens to her or the workplace, she turns menacing to the person doing the trouble-making. Ike herself, voiced by the always charming Hisako Kanemoto, gives the show a great sense of passion towards making this Slice of life atmosphere into an entertaining comedy with her constant alluring presence in every scene.
Unfortunately, not all of the cast hits the level of greatness and our three main characters. Sanae, Takeru, and Goro all don’t have the same great chemistry with Ike as she does with Eiko and Chizuru. That’s not to say they’re terrible, they do have some funny moments, but it’s essentially just them acting very googly-eyed over Ike’s presence in the world that quickly doesn’t have much to go for in the grand scheme of things. For example, Sanae’s only gag for existing in the show is to be all lovey-dovey over Ike and nothing else. Sure it does get a few laughs, but after a while, the joke falls flat and gets old quickly. If it weren’t for Kanae Itou’s sweet voice playing Sanae, I would probably think lesser of Sanae, to be honest.
Another problem with the show was how each plot arc ended so abruptly. There are times when a plot arc would end, and it didn’t feel like that particular scene felt any closure for it. It ends relatively quickly, and we’re brought up in a different scene. The problem is that they interlude between a different arc by showing a cut of arrows that are supposed to tell us that we’re doing a different arc. Still, it happens so fast that you barely notice it because the arc beforehand hardly had an ending. In turn, some of the arcs felt rushed or weren’t finished in the writing process during production.
In short, I thought there wasn’t anything special to be found in Squid Girl. It might be something that you might show to your younger daughter to have some fun with, but on the other hand, there is some decent humor for adults. It might be a stretch to say that this is Japan’s answer to Spongebob. The only difference is that Spongebob had a lot of great memorable characters while Squid Girl only had three that are even worth discussing over. It’s a harmless show for what it is, a decently entertaining show for older kids. Even with some of the adult innuendo thrown in, that’s at least that's something that most kids' shows are hardly about these days.
Grade: B-
DraconisMarch
That's right de geso! I have come to tie you in my tentacles and make you my undersquid de geso! Don't even THINK of trying to escape from my wrath DE GESO! Shinryaku! Ika Musume is quite a refreshing retake of the slice-of-life comedy scene. It was really nice to finally get one that didn't cop out and take the way-too-overused (high) school setting. The premise is actually quite creative and leads for some equally creative little stories and jokes as well. (Who knew the idea of a squid girl could be so interesting?) The series is really the only thing I'veheard of to use tentacles so innocently. When most people think of tentacles, they obviously think of hentai, and all the various disturbing images that stirs up to go along with it. Well, this show is definitely PG-safe. Tentacles are used for USEFUL things--like serving half a dozen tables at once, or playing beach volleyball, or swatting your stalker away from you like a fly, or...
...Wait, what? Oh yeah. Slap stick. =D
On the note of PG-safeness, I'm happy to inform you that there is zero fan service, so you pedophiles lurking around looking for pervy loli-fests or mindless moeblobs should GTFO. Right now. Hell, if it weren't for a few instances of light profanity ("damn"), the show probably could garner a G rating. (I don't see what the point of even including any profanity at all was.)
When writers decide to incorporate moe into their works, they always have to be careful to observe the line between moe and moeblob--that is, if you overdo the moe, they lack any other definable traits--physically or character-wise. They become defined strictly as MOE. (Oh gawd K-On!) Well, I'm pleased to report that Ika Musume does not cross that line (although there are a few precarious instances when that line is flirted with far too intimately).
Ika is moe, yes, but moe mostly in terms of her personality. She is laughably curious about everyday things we don't think much of, like umbrellas, birthdays, and fireworks. She's afraid of inflatable killer whales and sharks, but thinks nothing of walking through cemetaries at night, nor is she even scared of ghosts. She came to "invade" the surface world, but her good nature keeps getting the better of her and pushing her goal farther away. She acts menacing, but it's obviously a bluff, as she obviously cares about the well-being of those around her. She even has a couple funny speech naunces to top it all off.
The show really IS all about Ika. She is, by far, the character with the most colorful personality, range of emotion, and variety of facial expression. The supporting cast isn't bad, though; some of them actually have some depth and undergo development, but equally as many are just flat in terms of personality. (This isn't to say they don't add anything or aren't entertaining, though; quite the contrary.)
Animation and art are quite crisp, clean, and clear: the show is quite pleasing to look at. Bright and vibrant colors make up the vast majority of the spectrum utilized, and scenes are mostly sunny and light-hearted. Animation is pretty well-done as well, with no real problems or corner-cutting I could see. Facial expressions--particularly those of Ika--are great. All in all, quite effective and above average.
The OP is alright, sung by Hisako Kanemoto (Ika's seiyuu) although it begins by chanting "Shinryaku!" over and over again, in the most annoying pitch possible, at a volume twice as loud as the rest of the show. (Don't get me wrong; I have no problem with her voice; that part is just really annoying.) And it starts as soon as the episode begins, so you'll have to be really fast to avoid getting your ears blasted. The ED is actually a pretty touching piece that I would call Ika's theme song, since the lyrics fit her so well. The voice acting is pretty great, but Kanemoto definitely steals the show: she acts the squidding INK out of her role. ;)
Shinryaku! Ika Musume is quite the enjoyable break from the hum drum stereotypical school comedy scene. It deserves a chance just for daring to be different and breaking from the mold. It even incorporates some pretty emotionally touching moments in there as well.
Now, I'm off to conquer the rest of this thing you humans call MAL de geso!
8thSin
I was eating instant ramen while watching the first episode... I never thought I'd start a review with that sentence, but it leads to a point. I almost threw up when Ika Musume did you-know-what to the pasta, but then I was choking from laughter by the time the episode ended. The entire series left me a similar impression, from disgust and rejection to appreciation and attachment. 'Shinryaku! Ika Musume (Invasion! Squid Girl)' is an anime series that appears to be flawed in almost every way imaginable, but somehow... somehow, I found this series to be extremely enjoyable and memorable. Ika Musume has invaded my mind. Case1: Premise.
Incompetent invader from another world appears, and gets her butt kicked in the very first encounter with human beings. After that, the "invader" joins the family, but still plans for world invasion while easily getting distracted by all the unfamiliar things on Earth. It's baffling how similar the premise of this series is to 'Keroro Gunsou'. In fact, if they toned down Sanae and violence by a bit, it would totally pass for a children's show. While nothing can excuse the show's lack of originality and the fact that nothing makes sense with the premise, 'Ika Musume' has a lot going for it that makes it different from an average show.
Case 2: Lack of Direction.
One would expect a simple friendship comedy from such a premise. Ika Musume bonds with family members and others in town, then gets inspired by their kindness, right? While that's one of the themes of 'Ika Musume', there are also a lot of other things going on. A lot of actual battle scenes with Ika Musume's tentacles, a lot of slapstick comedy, a lot of depth in some episodes (Mankind's triumph over nature? Bonding with the mini-Ika Musume? The umbrella episode?), a lot of romance, and slice of life? Loli moe-blob? Other than comedy, it's hard to say what this series is, as it's packed with themes despite the triple episodic chapter format. Ironically, the lack of direction (central theme) in the story was offset by the direction (presentation by the director). It didn't exactly feel like this series went all over the place and got nowhere, it felt like I got to see many sides of Ika Musume's story.
Case 3: Characters
At first, Ika Musume seems like nothing more than a moe-blob dewa naika? A deliberate attempt for cuteness de geso. The squid hat, the dress, and over-sized eyes seem like obvious moe ploys de geso. However, her appearance is actually a part of the story ja naika? Her character really grows on you dewa naika? Other characters were also stereotypical cardboard cutouts de geso. Especially the way they random appear in different episode limits their character development ja naika? Still, they somehow manage to leave an impression, and their personalities are very distinct ja naika? What all characters possessed, was inherent charm that makes you care about them de geso. Despite how incompetent she is at invasion, you would find yourself rooting for her dewa naika?
Case 4: Buildup
Yes, every one of Ika Musume's sentence ends with "jana/dewana-Ika(Squid)?", homophone of "Isn't it? / Don't you think?", or "de-geso(tentacle)", a cuter(?) version of "desu". It was kind of cute at first, but gets annoying very quickly... and this persists for almost the entire duration of the show. However, she stops just when you're totally sick of it, and just like the supporting cast in this show, I felt like it's not her without her quirky speech. I actually missed it. That chapter would've never worked unless you're certain the audience would be emotionally attached by then, and I was attached despite finding her speech to be very annoying. The director has done an excellent job in building up for moments like this, also mixing in a couple of slow and emotional chapters with fast-paced slapstick chapters.
Case 5: Retro
The physical and pun-heavy comedy in this series is really old fashioned, but I found myself laughing through the stupid and predictable jokes nonetheless.
The character design other than Ika Musume, and the atmosphere also had a really retro anime feel to it. The way Ika Musume, the Invader From the Bottom of the Sea, and the action/scary scenes stood out from the rest of the show was really wonderful. This is my first series with Diomedea as main animation studio, and I have to say I'm really impressed. Color specification and consistency of drawings were particularly stunning.
Case 6: OP
The OP 'Shinryaku no Susume (Advance the Invasion)' is SUCH a bad otagei song with strained anime voice, but the way it starts and the beat is just so addictive. I found myself skipping it after the second episode, but drawn back and listening to the whole thing by second half of the season. ED was a poignant song that makes you reflect back on the story, and had a nice simple touch with an object variation added to each episode.
BGM was rather ordinary , and didn't play a big part in the show.
Ika Musume's voice by Kanemoto Hisako was absolutely perfect, which made her character all the more adorable. Everyone else also sounded like they should.
I was very skeptical about this series, but I've been captured by the tentacles of Ika Musume.
Dream and magic is what traditional anime is supposed to be all about, and this series takes it back to the roots. I can't guarantee you would like it, but 'Shinryaku! Ikamusume' is definitely worth a shot if you haven't seen it already.
NoblesseOblige3
The story is pretty simple, its about a girl who comes from the see and proclaims to be a squid and has come to invade earth because she believes earth is responsible for polluting the ocean, the show does mention this a few times as if trying to send an obvious yet subtle hint at real world problems. Its a great slice of life and spends most of its time on the beach in a cafe hut and its surroundings and is just brilliant at how it uses its comedy, which mostly comes from Ika Musume out lead girls over active imagination and thus always comesup with new jokes while recycling some jokes multiple times as well.
Each episode is split up into three parts and focuses on something different each time and after each part it seems to have reset itself as if the previous actions never happened but does reference past events, a beach hut magically is completley rebuilt by the next episode.
The opening theme song is a typical catchy tune you expect from these type of comedies and is sung by one of the side characters and has a few cute visuals accompanying it. The ending is a slow song compared to the opening and is decent as it a nice comparison. Voice acting is ok, they do there job in making each character adorable especially Ika whose ~de gezo is addictive.
Art is simple, the character designs are really simple and not a lot of detail goes into them, there actions however are well drawn and animated and some unatural parts can be forgiven like the sisters hair. Backgrounds are simple as well but they don't require super high detail, one thing i didn't like and never like in any show is lack of movement in those backgrounds, some wide shots including people on the beach are completely static.
Characters the most important part of this show as i makes up for the simple art and sound. Ika Musume or protagonist is the messenger from see who want to take revenge for the pollution of her home, the ocean, things don't quite go as planned as she is soon forced into working off her debt, the comedy of her imagination and her love of shrimp are the driving force for this show. Eiko is the one that forces Ika into working at her beachhouse and does not hold back when Ika screws up. Chizuru is Eikos sister and on the surface is the most caring of the two and really cares for Ika but deeper inside lies a more darker Chizuru and is one of the things that Ika is terrified of and she seems to always come to the rescue in various events. All side characters are great though are used to repeat jokes, we have a lifesaver who has a crush on chizuru, a girl who is stalkeresque towards Ika, a group of MIT graduates that believe Ika is an alien and wish to study her but get on your nerves no end. The sisters little brother and Nagisa a girl terrified of Ika make up the cast.
Shinryaku! Ika Musume is a very sweet show that is incredibly funny and even throws in a little tear jerkiness during one of the parts of an episode and its wide variety of characters will keep you laughing.
TrisTops
I know this might sound a little girly coming from me, but this is one of the cutest animes I have seen. The is that a girl called Ika Musume, which I think is japanese for Squid Girl, comes to the surface to invade the human race for polluting the ocean. However she knows nothing about the human world and when she busts a hole in the resterant called Lemon (I think), she ends up working at the place with to a group of two sisters and a brother to pay for the damages. Characters are the best I seen in any other anime composingof Ika Musume, the family of siblings, a lifeguard, a girl crazy for Ika, a person afriad of her, a American scientist lady and her three weird companions, and a middle school girl Ika becomes friends with. There are a few more, but it's hard to label every character's personalitiy.
Love the art, it shows you that this is a cute and happy and funny anime. It mostly takes place on the beach, still it's cute.
Sound and music are great. I love the beginning theme that goes "Squid girl,Squid girl, Squid girl, Squid girl invade!" Love it! It matches the kind of anime Ika Musume is!
Enjoyment should be over 10! Lot of humorous scenes, story lines, etc! Overall this is an anime is worth watching! Unless you're not into cute stuff. But still watch and be amazed!
ROBO-D
Squid girl was something I found while just browsing around for something to watch. Its intriguing title led me to watch over the weekend and I feel glad that I watched it. Story 3/10 Story in itself is not very great at all. It is one of those short animes but it does not do much with its story though thats mainly the fact that it is for the most part a comedic anime. The line, "I am Squid Girl, emissary of the sea," would make you think what else could Squid Girl do with herself besides spit ink and use her tentacles. Art 8/10 Its a prettygeneric art style but yet its not overdone. Some of its realistic art skits are really amazing and it made me laugh a lot. Its as simple as that.
Sound 9/10
The music is really good. The opening is very loud and takes a little to adjust too but it really grew upon towards the end of the anime. The credits are very soothing at the very end of each episode. Overall I would say the sound in general describes this anime very well. Its not too overpowering but at the same time its very relaxing in general.
Character 8/10
I find many of the supporting characters in this to be rather "prop-like" in the sense they are generally used as comedic relief. However many of the main characters such as Eiko and Chizuru show that average "grown upon attitude over annoying main character" as the anime progresses on. However I don't find this very bad at all, in fact it actually kept very hidden which in turn makes it really interesting. As for our main character Squid Girl [aka Ika] she has the style of an annoying but also comedic main character role within the anime. Though I really like her as a whole and she reallly grew upon mea s the show went on. She was always there to make you laugh with her llack on human knowledge which makes her quite unique.
Overall 7/10
I really enjoyed this anime but the lack of story made me feel like there was something missing from it. Though thats not to say its a bad anime. If you enjoy many small comedic skits and very semi-realistic events yu will love this anime. There are not many spots it will make burst out in pure laughter but yet you will never be in a bad mood when watching this anime. I feel if you really want to enjoy this anime watch it in small parts when your feeling sad or down and I assure you it will make your day better.
ktulu007
Shinryaku Ika Musume is the story of a squid girl who invades the surface because humans are ruthlessly polluting the sea. She subsequently gets side-tracked and ends up working at a beachside restaurant stall. The story, while creative, is essentially just a framing device for the zany comedy. So the real important question is: does the comedy work? The answer is an ardent yes. The situations Ika Musume ends up in are generally pretty mundane but her involvement adds a surrealistic element that works very well. The result is pure hilarity. One of the best aspects of the humour is that it never fallsinto the realm of using random pop culture references as jokes, which so many inferior comedies do. The humour is also very natural. It always arises from the situation and feels very natural for the characters.
The characters are really what makes the comedy work. They have just the right blend of major and minor characters to make any potential situation humorous. The major characters are also well developed. Which is surprising, since comedies have a tendency to use stock characters.
The art is decent. the backgrounds tend to be really vibrant and detailed. When they draw normal sea creatures they do it very well. The only real art issue is that the characters all have similar faces.
The voice work is decent. It doesn't really stand out, but it's suitable for the characters and emotions are expressed well. The music is really hyperactive and upbeat. It suits the series perfectly.
The yuri factor is an 7/10. Sanae loves Ika. Ika has a thing for Nagisa and Ika and Eiko share some really homoerotic moments. The only issue I have with the yuri in this is that some of it, specifically those with Sanae, seems pretty exploitative. To put it simply, it seems like it's put in, not because it works for the characters, but because the writer finds it funny.
My final rating for Shinryaku Ika Musume is an 8/10. It has a few issues, but it's hilarious and a lot of fun to watch. The humour isn't forced or based on random pop culture references. If you enjoy zany comedy like Galaxy Angel, Kanamemo or All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, you'll probably enjoy this as well.
HybridMedia
Sometimes in the anime world, there are a lot of sub-genres that are very subjective, depending on what kind of anime you’re watching and one of the other subjective forms of media is comedy. For example, some people can like Love Hina for being some new turn of the Harem genre but most of them (including me) hated it for how annoying and juvenile it is. Others like Azumanga Daioh & K-On! For being innocently enough funny to entertain people for all ages without being too edgy and for others, they find it either too boring or moe for their taste. For me, comedy isone of other favorite mediums of today, simply because I like to laugh at some good humor material and the keyword being GOOD.
Squid Girl has come to the land from the depths of the sea to conquer humanity for its pollution of the ocean. Unfortunately she ruins the first house she uses as an invasion base and has to work to pay for repairs. Of course, she can't overcome the Aizawa sisters who manage the house, so who know whether she can subjugate humankind.
The premise is the fish-out-of-water plot with a lot of comedic scope and while watching it, I enjoyed some of the antics that Squid Girl gets herself and a few others into. The show goes by showing 3 part episode, with the segments being 7-8 minutes, much like American cartoons in the past, present and future, so I can see a little inspiration from that and for those who love to use puns a lot, this show has plenty of squid puns to go around, even the episode’s title cards uses them.
I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each other, especially the main character of Squid Girl, who really wants to be taken seriously as an invader but is not up to the task of that, considering she can’t even conquer a local eatery shop but for her character development, she plays it as being a cute mascot-like character without being overly annoying and grating and she never once toss aside her plans for world domination for no reason but it’s not like she’s going to invade any time soon with the Aikawa sisters, with Eiko as the strong-minded and no-nonsense sister who always need to keep Squid Girl in check and there’s Chizuru, who I think if Brock from Pokemon & Sakura Matou from Fate/Stay Night had a baby with the mindset of Ryoko Asakura from Haruhi Suzumiya and it’s her and she was even more of a bizarre character in the show than the title character and the sister’s little brother Takeru, who is more akin to Squid Girl as a playmate; Sanae, Eiko’s neighborhood friend who is very obsessed with Squid Girl, so much that is frightening and enters into Hentai territory; Nagisa, a surfer girl who is actually afraid of Squid Girl and she’s very paranoid about it. Plus, Squid can use her fear for her advantage but mostly it’s just to mess with her. There are other characters including the American scientist Cindy Campbell (not the one from Scary Movie), who and her three fellow scientists from MIT want to study Squid Girl to see if she’s an alien; Kiyomi Sakura, a minor character later on in the show whom Squid has become close friends to and Goro, the lifeguard who Squid riles up every now and then and also has a crush on Chizuru.
The animation was done by Diomedea (or previously Studio Barcelona), whose only known project I have heard from them is…..Kodama No Jikan….okay, not the best title to be represented but this was some great animation, especially when it came to animating Squid’s tentacle movement. Also, since this is a gag-based anime show and for that, it was acceptable for doing that, maybe not on par with Azumanga Daioh & Sgt. Frog but it’s very good nevertheless. Now, I didn’t mind the music here that much but it was rather fitting and appropriate for the show, although if you ever sing this to somebody’s ears real loud, you are most likely to get punched.
Now, I know there are two seasons of this show but I just been commenting strictly on Season 1 and their dub done by Bang Zoom Entertainment and was released by Media Blasters and I thought about the voices on that. Christine Marie Cabanos has been one anime VA rookie that I personally want to succeed in the business, (to me she’s a younger version of Stephanie Sheh), and her performance as Squid Girl fits the criteria of her cute and upbeat nature. I will say for Cristina Vee in her role as Nagisa is very similar to her role as Mio in K-On! (very paranoid and easily frightened) but then again, I don’t know if the K-On!! dub was produced before or after Squid Girl but it’s hit or miss and I really enjoy the dub.
FINAL VERDICT: While not being something I would add to my top ten lists, this is a very fun and energetic show that never gets too boring or too hostile. I enjoyed all the characters, even the minor ones who can manage an impact into the series and the gags can be very funny although the squid puns did get too old too quick in my opinion. I do wish that Season 2 will get dubbed someday since Media Blasters no longer has the license to that one and possibly get Sentai Filmworks to license it and get the original cast back on that.
Pyro81300
DISCLAIMER: This is more a review of both seasons, but it works just fine as a review of s1. There won’t be any spoilers for s2 either (not that there’s really much of anything to spoil). SoL and Comedy anime are 2 genres I have a weird history with. I often enjoy them, but they have to be paired together with some other genre to usually interest me. If a show’s genres are just SoL and Comedy I often am not interested in it. HOWEVER, Squid Girl is one of the few exceptions, and it’s quite the delightful little show. Years ago when I saw thisshow cross over with Splatoon I didn’t think much of it, but I’m glad I finally got around to checking out.
--STORY—
Using the absurdity of Ika as a character and the generally ridiculous cast, Squid Girl is about the misadventures of a well…Squid Girl that’s come to invade humanity, and take revenge on them for polluting the ocean. Of course, she’s mostly harmless and ends up getting enslaved into working retail after putting a hole in a shop’s wall to pay for the damages. From there, you get 3 mini eps each episode with most focusing on Ika learning about new stuff and experiencing culture shock, meeting the eccentric inhabits of the beach, trying to be an “evil invader” and failing miserably, etc. There’s really not much to say, you’re not here for the story really. You’re here to laugh, and unwind with some relaxing entertainment. Not to say the “story” isn’t entertaining, but Squid Girl relies nearly entirely on its characters. I will say that the 2nd season’s gags weren’t as funny as s1, but it was still enjoyable.
--CHARACTERS—
I’ll be real if you’re gonna enjoy the anime, you REALLY have to like Ika considering the anime pretty much revolves around her. Not to say the side cast doesn’t get their moments and even sometimes some good character development (if only for it to often get undeveloped and is mostly just used for a gag), but most of the anime is about her antics. Thankfully, I do actually quite love her as a character.
She’s arrogant, unreliable, holier than thou, greedy, selfish, mischievous, etc., and yet its contrasted well by her being generally clumsy, dumb, reckless, a pushover, addicted to shrimp, etc. I think what makes the dynamic work so well is that squid abilities aside, she really is just a cheeky little girl that for all the bravado and theatrics she pulls, she gets lonely, sad, angry, etc. like any other girl her age would. She over time comes to genuinely care for the weird inhabitants of the beach, and they more or less become almost family to her. 90% of the time she’s being a turd she gets repercussions for being one, so it’s not like she’s just a brat that gets away with everything. Combine all of this with her unique squid abilities and rather unique speech, and you have a very cute, fun, and unique mc.
Side characters range from having decent development, for mostly just being there for a reoccurring gag. I will say the reoccurring gag characters are actually used fairly creatively for the most part. Even Sanae, who is probs my least fave gag character, still has a few eps where her gag is used very well and is hilarious. They’re overall a very nice side cast, and I love their interactions with Ika. I think my fave bits were the ones with the 3 Stooges, if only cuz their va’s just make the role come to life.
--ART/ANIMATION—
Anime replicates the original artstyle of the manga very well. Animation isn’t amazing or anything, but it’s def good enough and gets the job done well. Even rarely it’s surprisingly smooth, but you’re not getting insane animation here. There’s plenty of interesting visual gags they do to keep your interest, and facial reactions, cartoonish movement, etc. are used well to enhance the comedy.
--SOUND—
The OP and ED are quite catchy for this series. The general soundtrack is nice too, but nothing I’d add to a playlist. Voice acting is good, and I especially love Hisako Kanemoto’s performance as Ika. She does all the silly girl’s facets very well, and brings the character to life.
--ENJOYMENT/CONCLUSION—
I really enjoyed Squid Girl. It’s cute, funny, and is just nice if you need some relaxing anime. I’d rec it for people who don’t normally like SoL, and want something that does it with a twist. OC, it’s also good for any fan of comedy as well. Go forth invincible Squid Girl, and invade to your heart’s contents.
Ryuk9428
Ika Musume is a perfect example of how to create an amazing moe, slice of life anime. The premise is so simple, its a squid girl who invades humanity after becoming frustrated with how humans have treated the ocean by polluting it. When she actually does come to the surface though, she finds that the humans are surprisingly tolerant of her despite her repeated threats to invade all of humanity and she quickly builds close bonds with the owners of a small restaurant on the beach, as well as many of the people who frequent the beach. Despite having such a simple premise, I was hookedfrom the very first episode and ended up watching the whole first season in 3 days. Ika Musume is a very emotionally impacting anime, with a level of sweetness that soothes your soul and gives you a feeling of optimism. While I think anybody could enjoy it, I would especially recommend this anime to anybody who is feeling sad or down for whatever reason.
The first reason why the anime feels so warm is how well the beach vibe is captured through the art. Everything is wonderfully colorful and cheerful. Its almost like you can feel the warmth of the beach through the screen. The sounds of the ocean and tropical sounding music along with the imagery added greatly to the immersion. Personally I've always thought of beaches and tropical locations as being among the most cheerful environments, so the setting was great for this anime.
The second biggest reason is the characters. In order for slice of life to be done as well as this one is, you need to have characters that audiences connect to so well that you are interested in watching them even when they are doing relatively simple things. If you like the characters enough, something as simple as a hike up the mountain can feel great to watch. By the time I finished this season, I had this odd feeling that I had known the characters all my life even though I only started watching 3 days ago.
The sweetness of all the characters is inspiring. It was very heart-warming to see this girl who is such an oddball be treated so warmly and with such acceptance from all the other characters. There are many cute moments in this show that will make you want to hug one of the characters.
I'm sad to see that this anime only has two short seasons. I feel like this series has enough potential that it could've been turned into a long running show. But I do think this show has a lot of re-watch value. I can easily see myself re-watching this a few months down the line.
I am certainly in no hurry to part ways with little Ika and the beach community, but I also can't seem to stop myself from watching at a fast pace and writing this review early despite not having seen the second season. To conclude this review, I'd recommend this to anybody who's looking for an anime with a very warm atmosphere that will soothe your heart, but I especially recommend it to anybody who's feeling sad or down in any way. Watching something so sweet can be very therapeutic when your down on negative thoughts. Shows like this are a major reason why I love anime.
Bigjoesemporium
This show is so good, that after doing the math I found out that if we were to gather a squid girl body pillow, and the blu ray disc for shrinryaku ika musume, and send it back in time, we could give it to Hitler and prevent the holocaust. Once I reached episode 4 I realized just how powerful the tunes that play in the soundtrack are, whenever the opening song played my life flashed before my eyes and I was taken to heaven, that's right, this show is in fact heaven. There is no afterlife, once we die our spirits are sent to theshores of Japan and the reaper gives us the option to watch either this show, or attack on titan. Those who have chosen attack on titan are forced to watch the endless stream of meaningless dialogue and overbudgeted fighting scenes which hold no comparison to the Squid Girl vs Squid bot mk 2 3 and 4 fights.
TrashDax
All these terrible tentacle jokes and I can't decide on one... Story: This is a very episodic Anime and doesn't really follow a story, so all I can rate here is the premise and how it is dealt with. Ika Musume is a squid who is fed up with humans who throw their trash into the ocean, so she decides to conquer the humans. Too bad she is just a little girl with no knowledge about the human world. The idea is very interesting and reminds me a little of Yostuba&!, though the main characters are quite different. The premise is often made fun of, as itis a mere excuse for all the comedy. This show never takes itself very seriously and it shouldn't. I would've liked for some more conquering failure, but I'm okay with what we got.
8/10 (Premise & Usage)
Art:
The artwork is very simplistic like in most comedies. This allows for better focus on the characters and the gags. On occassion it showed us what is could be capable of, but never did it really inspire awe. It still works quite well, so I won't go to hard on this category.
6/10
Sound:
That opening...it will be stuck in your head for days. This is Ducktales level catchy. Sure, it's a very stereotypical cutesy song, but it's just so damn good! The ending is very calm and relaxing, almost like a heavy axe coming down to end the wacky ride, but I like it. The Anime itself doesn't use much music, the sound effects work well. Nothing spectacular, but nothing terrible + a good ending song + a really, really catchy theme tune.
9/10 (it's really that catchy)
Characters:
Are these characters bland? Maybe a little. Does it hurt? Not at all. They all fill out their roles perfectly and combine to an eccentric cast with great chemistry. The hothead, the secretly scary one, the innocent boy, his mean friend, the Ika addict, the scared one, the alien believer...they all work and that's what counts. Ika herself is easily the best written character of the show. She does not fall into a stereotype, she's not brave, not completely dumb, not a tsundere, not innocent, not even a bad luck magnet. She's a little of everything, almost like a real person. Sure, she isn't very deep, but did you expect or even want that? No, you don't.
9/10
Enjoyment:
I had a lot of fun. 12 episodes is a perfect length for this show. Long enough to provide you with lots of good comedy, but just short enough to not bore you if you marathon it. I gotta admit, at times I wasn't too pleased with its episodic nature (there's 3 mini episodes per episode), but I never got bored by it. I expected mindless, lighthearted fun and that's exactly what I got. I know there's a second season and I will very likely watch it.
9/10
Overall:
8.2/10
WoodRespecter
When I first read about Shinryaku! Ika Musume, I became incredibly interested. It was great: an original premise, incredbile art, and seemingly exciting characters made it seem like an above average show. Thankfully, the actual anime did not disappoint completely. Story: There is not much wrong with the story, but there is also not much amazing. The whole "I want revenge against humans because of pollution" thing is never really taken farther than a several jokes an episode. Each episode simply covers Squid Girl discovering new things with comedic outcomes which isn't that bad. Art: Other than characters, this is probably the most outstanding aspect of this show.There is incredible attention-to-detail in virtually every scene, and the characters' artwork is adorable. The only negative comment I have to say about the art is the incredibly cheesy sub-titles that pop up two to three times an episode. They look exactly like the shitty WordArt that's included in Microsoft Office.
Sound:
Winner of the "Fucking Great Opening, but Awful Ending" award. Seriously, the opening theme is catchy as hell and fits Squid Girl's personality to a T. On the other hand, I disliked the ending a lot. I abhorred hearing that screeching voice right after the show ended.
Character:
Like I mentioned before, the characters are wonderful. Each and every one has their own interesting personality. And, of course, the main character is a squid which is just awesome. My only complaint with the characters is that there ISN'T ENOUGH CHIZURU.
Enjoyment:
I enjoyed this as much as most shows, but it was not completely in love with it, per se. Some episodes dragged on, and I saw myself pausing and coming back later to finish them. This was not the case with every episode, though, just one or two.
Overall:
Shows like this need to be made more. I'm not speaking specifically about squid-girl shows, but about anime with new concepts and premises. In an ideal world, production companies would take chances like this more often. Support this show and others like it, so we can watch anime that isn't shit, fucking real world.
Redd396
Usually I'm not a fan of comedies, animes or otherwise. However this one was different, all the jokes were genuinely funny and the story surrounding the whole series was (while admittedly silly) well put together and enjoyable to watch. Unlike most anime this one follows a non-linear style where story is episodic, where each episode is a self-contained story that is loosely connected to the larger story as a whole. I feel like it adds to the atmosphere as well as helps to make the jokes that much more funny. It allows the writers to focus on how to make each individual episode good ratherthan to make the series have an overarching plot that keeps the viewer watching each episode. By using this style there is no need to watch it all in one go and you can watch it in pieces whenever you have the time.
In this anime, there is no great evil threatening to take over the land, nor is there a need for our hero to find some sort of hidden power from within. This anime simply revels in each episode and makes the most out of what it has, and it really show. It makes for a fun and entertaining ride as you watch the series progress.
Ika Masume, or squid girl, is a comical and sometimes outright dimwitted character that is always the focus of each episode. The way she interacts with the world that surrounds her, or more frequently how the world interacts with her, makes for a fantastic time.
Whether your looking for a lighthearted anime or just looking for a good laugh this anime is definitely worth checking out. Its definitely an anime I'd recommend and one that I'd re-watch any day.
SilentSuicide
Shinkryaku! Ika Msusme is an anime about a squid girl called Ika Musume who has came out of the ocean to terrify human beings so that she can dominate the world! Story: 6 The story? Ika Musue is a squid who notices pollution in the ocean from things such as cans and wrappers left from human beings. She then decides to get out of the ocean and try and take over the world and teach the humans a lesson! She then bumps into two girls called Eiko Aizawa and Chizuru Aizawa, and it turns out they they are sisters who own a small cafe/restaurant right outside the beach.Ika Musume ends up breaking a wall of the restaurant and she ends up working in the restaurant with the two sisters. From there on, Ika Musume has many different adventures and half of the time she forgets that she's on the surface to invade!
I gave the story an overall 6 because I really enjoyed the story with its comedy, however I feel as if it could still be improved. I'm not saying that's it's a terrible story, I love the story, it's just that I feel there could be improvement.
Art: 8
The character art and the scenery, in my opinion, is great! It might not be as detailed as other anime, but the simpleness of the character art really shows the genre of the anime; comedy and just plain fun. The scenery is amazing, they have really captured the beauty of the sea and sand at the beach in the best way possible.
There's not much that I can say about the art, but it really is nice. I gave it an 8 since the art is stunningly nice, the character art has such character (literally!) and the scenery of the different areas is magnificent.
Sound: 9
Now, I don't really pay attention to the sound in anime, but the sound in the anime really works well. Every funny scene, sad scene, scary scene etc has wonderful music to accompany it with, and the music basically goes hand-in-hand with each other. The sound quality is just great, and the character voices really suit the characters and their personalities.
I gave the sound 9 because I honestly felt like the sound worked great. Nothing else to say.
Character: 8
I love all the characters in this anime, especially Ika Musume. Her character really makes me happy since she's just adorable and cute. She tries to act tough about taking over the world, but she really doesn't know what she's doing!
Eiko is the type of girl who will force her employers to work hard. She usually gets angry at Ika Musume because Ika likes to fool around and other things. She also doesn't care much about Ika's safety when she makes Ika do things in the restaurant.
Aizawa is Eiko's sister and she is very polite and kind to everyone, including Ika Musume. Unlike her sister, Aizawa cares more for Ika and her safety, and she has grown a liking to her fellow squid friend. However, annoy Aizawa in any way and she'll unleash her fury, and it's very scary!
I gave the character section an 8 because I just love how all of the characters have completely different personalities. A sign of that in an anime is great, since you don't want many characters and those characters have the same personality, because that's boring.
Enjoyment: 7
What can I say in this section, really? I just loved the anime so much. It's different than the other anime that is currently out there, mostly because it involves a squid girl! I really enjoyed this anime a lot, but the reason why I gave enjoyment a 7 is because I think that the anime in some aspects can be improved.
Overall, I have gave this anime an 8. I have gave this anime an 8 overall because of how I have rated the different categories throughout the entire review. It's a great anime, and I would recommend everyone to watch it, especially if you like funny anime involving a squid girl.
Thank you very much for reading my review.
Fear_the_Reefer
For decades, mankind has taken the vast, epic ocean environment for granted. As our technology has advanced, so has the scale our pollution, with oil, garbage and toxic waste killing millions upon millions of innocent aquatic life forms. But now, the world below the surface has finally taken enough abuse from the world above, and they’re sending their most powerful, most terrifying soldier to deal with us. All 1,000 of us. Okay, so it’s information may be a bit dated, but it’s desire to enslave us and force us to pay for our crimes is no laughing matter. She’s coming, and we have no choice to prepareourselves... For the most adorable invasion of mankind since Night of the Lepus.
Yes, it’s not Godzilla, it’s Squidgirl, a vertically challenged moppet who looks almost human, save for the series of blue tentacles that make up her hair. Or Ika Musume, as Japan calls her.She comes ashore one day, bursts into the Lemon Beach House, and announces to the first gathering of humans she sees that this world... And all the people in it... Now belong to her!
Unfortunately for her, this declaration is met with laughter, and she soon winds up working a low level job at the very beach house she just threatened. Like Ika, this beach house is owned run by a small family of siblings... They have no parents, because it’s an anime. The most important of the three is Eiko, a high school student who acts as a foil for all of Ika’s hare brained schemes and delusions. Takeru is a little boy who... genuinely acts like a child, surprisingly. He gets along very well with Ika, as he’s more than willing to play along with her. And their oldest sister, Chizuru... Well, telling you about her personality would spoil one of the greatest moments of the series, even though it happens in episode 1, so I’ll just leave it at ‘she’s awesome.’
The animation is nothing special, but it’s a little above average by Slice of Life standards. There are a lot of key frames, but when it wants to impress you, it will not hesitate to do so, saving it’s budget for moments that really need it. Yes, the allocation of the budget may be a little too noticeable for some people, but you can’t argue with results, because whenever there’s action or physical comedy going on, there’s really nothing to complain about. Aside from the main character, the character designs are a little on the bland side, but they still have kind of a natural feel to them. Well, natural by anime standards.
And speaking of our hero, the animation style works particularly well in favor of the Squid Girl herself, whose various cephalopod abilities make up the bulk of that action and physical comedy. For a good idea of how her tentacles work, think of her as a really mean parody of Lucy from Elfen Lied... the four deadly vectors have been swapped out for ten mostly harmless hair-tentacles that seem to have even more impressive abilities than Ika herself has. They’re powerful enough to break through a wall, strong enough to lift heavy objects, and fast enough to create a sonic boom, yet they’re also delicate enough to thread a sewing needle. And they can seemingly stretch indefinitely. On top of this, she can breathe underwater and use bioluminescence to glow in the dark.
And yet, beyond these abilities, Ika herself is... Well, I don’t want to say stupid... Perhaps ‘naive and gullible’ would be better. Her knowledge of the human world seems very arbitrary and inconsistent. She’s able to do complicated math problems in her head, but she doesn’t know that she can’t eat the images on a 3D TV. It’s odd, but hey, it’s an episodic children’s show. Even My Little Pony had problems like that. And for what it’s worth, while Ika may be a little inconsistent, she’s a very entertaining little pain in the ass.
As enjoyable as the title character may be... Your choice of dub or sub will influence this, but more on that later... I can’t really say as much about the supporting cast. I wouldn’t go as far as calling them bad or unlikeable... Okay, maybe a few of them are... They’re just not all that interesting on their own. They’re mostly used as props for Ika to interact with, and to be fair, this is done to great effect. They support her, as a supporting cast should, but none of them ever really stand out, as they either get too little screen time to justify their presence or so much screen time that their best qualities become Flanderized. The only one that ever really rubs anybody the wrong way is Sanae, Eiko’s childhood friend, who has a lesbian crush on Ika... Which would be fine, if she weren’t so damn creepy and obsessed about it. Honestly, she’s the only real element of the series that I wouldn’t call kid friendly.
The English dub, for the most part, is pretty underwhelming. It’s a parade of no names and small timers, with the only big actors being Carrie Savage and the increasingly impressive Christina Vee. for the most part, the performances are either bland or adequate, although nobody really bombs it. What really surprised me was the performance behind Ika, who’s played by Christine Marie Cabanos. I’ve never really liked her as an actor... I thought she was miss-cast in K-ON!! and Madoka Magica, and while I didn’t mention it in my review, I freaking HATED her in Oblivion Island. But here, she was actually kind of good. She won’t be winning any Oscars any time soon, but her “every ridiculous thing I say sounds completely normal to me” delivery was a pretty good approach to take.
The Japanese track is infinitely better than the dub, however, and Hisako Kanemoto blows Cabanos completely out of the water. Actually, the performances are better all around, even if you can’t understand the language. Which I can’t. The dub isn’t horrible, and it should be enough to please those who insist on watching it, but unless you’re eager to hear a barrage of fish-related puns, the Japanese track is definitely recommended.
I mentioned earlier that, aside from Sanae, this show is pretty kid-friendly, and I meant it. The stories are simple enough for a kid to comprehend, without ever really feeling too dumbed down. It’s episodic, split into threes like a Nickelodeon cartoon, but there’s still a sense of progress and development with the characters. It’s set on a beach, so there’s naturally a lot of scantily clad bodies walking around, but aside from that, there’s barely any traditional fan-service at all. It’s the story of an incompetent Invader losing touch with their origins as they adapt to human culture, and while we’ve seen that about a million times, it’s done pretty well here, with the constant otaku pandering that almost ruined Sgt. Frog left completely out of the equation.
The writing can get corny, and the characters can get a little stale at times, but it still smells of genuine effort and imagination. It never stays in a rut for too long, and there’s always a good laugh waiting around the corner. Actually, the writing in this show is a lot like the animation... It;’s hit or miss, but when it hits, it REALLY hits, and it doesn’t always need to rely on comedy to be enjoyable. There are some surprisingly touching scenes, including a chibi segment in episode five that’s so brilliant and creative that, with different music, it probably wouldn’t feel out of place in a Fantasia movie.
Squid girl is available from Media Blasters, surprisingly. They’ve released the first season stateside. You can stream it legally on Crunchyroll, buy the DVDs on amazon, or just watch the whole thing for free on Netflix. There’s a second season, but it hasn’t been licensed, and I haven’t seen it yet. I will see it eventually, and when I do, I have some pretty high hopes for it... I want to see Ika’s home world be explored and explained a little more, I want a few certain characters to get some more screen time, and I want a few other certain characters to die in a fire.
In the end, Squidgirl is kind of a mixed bag. It’s a bit of an underachiever in almost every category, but it still makes for some great light-hearted, mostly family friendly fun. I guess the base breaker for most people will be Ika herself., seeing as how the best points of the series Some of you may find her unconscionably annoying, and I can understand that sentiment completely. This show is not for you. For the rest of us, myself included, she is nothing sort of adorable and charming, and if the rest of the cast has to act as her props, then good job... This show is hilarious. It’s not one of the best comedies out there, and repeated viewings over a short period of time may leave you feeling cold... Once or twice a year at best is advised... But for what it is, I loved it.
I give Squidgirl a 7/10.
BrigadeHamtaro
I've known about this anime for a long time know and I'll would always pass it by or say is this a gross hentai. One day in the App Store I was looking at the crunchyroll apps and stumbled upon the squid girl one. For some reason I was drawn to this one and the blue exorcist one, BUT I DIDN'T USE THE BLUE EXROCIST. Watching episode instantaneously drew me in. Squid girl is a very funny anime about a girl who tries to "invade" the surface to punish humans for polluting the sea. While trying to do so she becomes drawn to human customsand forgets to invade, fails to try to invade, or even being distracted by something while trying to invade. It like the anime keroro gunso/Sgt.Frog but less about the invading. Though I praise it so highly some people might not like it's humor because we all had different things that are funny. I laughed like crazy when I was 7 from seeing a bird on Saturday night live and the bird did nothing. Mind you watching squid girl will always let you have a good time and make you smile.
