Gugure! Kokkuri-san Review

Gugure! Kokkuri-san, possibly the funniest anime of 2014, maybe ever....

Gugure! Kokkuri-san follows Kohina Ichimatsu, an expressionless elementary student, who lives alone and proclaims herself to be a doll, and she only eats instant cup noodles. 

"One day, she plays the Kokkuri game by herself and summons the fox spirit Kokkuri-san who, upon seeing her unhealthy lifestyle, takes it upon himself to become her guardian and raise her properly." What ensues is a hilarious series full of wacky antics, hysterical characters, and a surprising amount of heart.

The Good: Hysterical from beginning to end, Unforgettable characters, Fun art style, Surprisingly emotional ending, Hilarious movie and anime references, Superb voice cast, Insanely entertaining, Clever comedy, Fittingly wacky opening song, Brilliant foreshadowing,

The Bad: 

Plot: 8.5/10- Gugure! Kokkuri-san's premise is certainly out there, even for an anime, and yet it manages to take its wacky concept and make it work. Where the series' plot excels is in that among the absurdity, there are several episodes that feature stories with a surprising amount of emotional weight and tragedy, while still retaining the superb comedy. Not every episode is like this, and even the tone of the sadder storylines is still rather lighthearted, but it is effective to adding another layer to what could have been a pointless comedy.
*Possible Major Spoilers* However, what rises the series above most other comedy is how it foreshadows a certain element that is not revealed until to the end, and yet, even after the reveal, it is not entirely obvious, so you have to actually think about to fully understand. In retrospect, there is a lot of foreshadowing in almost every episode, and yet you do not realize what it is trying to say until the end, which is just brilliant. Among comedy, few have better endings. *End Spoilers*

Characterization: 9.1/10- Much like the summer's premiere comedy, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Gugure! Kokkuri-san's main source of humor comes from the entertaining interaction between the characters.

Kohina is the elementary student, who proclaims that she is a doll. Kohina emotionless-doll persona is a large aspect of her character, since she almost never shows any emotion, but rather causes trouble for Kokkuri-san, which, in turn, creates humor. As a character, Kohina does not necessarily change; however, Kohina is the centerpiece to which the rest of the cast revolves around, so the lack of true development is not an issue.
The titular character, Kokkuri-san, tries to be a responsible guardian to Kohina. He continually conflicts with Kohina, which has hilarious results! Of the characters, Kokkuri-san is easily the most well developed, thanks a certain plot point at the end.

The other two main cast members are Inugami and Shigaraki. Both of these characters produce a lot of humor through their interaction with Kokkuri-san and Kohina. In addition to those characters, the series features many side characters, who are usually introduced in one episode that heavily features said character and then are used later in the series in a smaller capacity for hilarious effect.

Acting: 9.5/10- The series' features my favorite Seiyuu (voice actor) from 2014, Daisuke Ono, who also starred other series like Barakamon, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and Black Butler, and obviously, he is fantastic in the role of Kokkuri-san! The rest of the cast is perfect for their roles as well, with each playing off of each other to great comedic effect.

Animation: 8.0/10- TMS Entertainment's animation of the series is quite good overall. Being a comedy, there is not a lot of need for fluid animation, but rather humorous expressions, and it hits the mark in that respect. It also uses bishounen character designs well.

Soundtrack: 7.1/10- Despite being a comedy, there are several tracks that are quite good.

Humor: 10/10- Gugure! Kokkuri-san, along with Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, are the funniest anime that I have ever seen. Only Gekkan has made me laugh more while watching it! Of course humor is subjective, but Kokkuri-san’s perfect blend of slapstick, parody, and wacky humor produces a ton of laughs! In addition, there are quite a few references to movies and anime, including a few Hollywood classics that everyone is bound to catch. Also, it almost never relies on fanservice humor.

Opening and Ending: 8.5/10- The opening theme, "Welcome!! DISCO Kemokemoke," performed by the voice actors, is a fittingly wacky and hilarious song for the series, and the ending, "This Merry-Go-Round Song," is a very good song on its own right.

Entertainment Value: 9.9/10- The anime's sense of humor never ceased to entertain! 

Overall: 9.0/10- Gugure! Kokkuri-san is a comedy anime done right. While your personal taste in humor will decide whether or not you will find the series entertaining, thanks to the varied cast of characters and surprising character depth at the end, Gugure! Kokkuri-san is a unique and unforgettable comedy that will be among my favorites for years to come.

Closing comments: Hopefully, a second season will come, because we all need more Gugure! Kokkuri-san!

Recommended for: Comedy fans, Parody fans, Fantasy fans,
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