Paripi Koumei

The reception of this anime is so strange. There's literally nothing here that merits any kind of universal praise as it already does. What is introduced to us is essentially the Sun Tzu sequel hears an Aimer song for the first time and dedicates his life to making sure that music ends up universal. No hate on Aimer, by the way, I just lacked a better example. I actually quite like the premise, as it is a good idea, and the first episode kinda sells everything really well. You know, Kongming seemed like an interesting guy, he meets Eiko and they talk about life and all that rubbish. Soon after, however, it seems as if everything is pretty much forgotten as fast as it is introduced. Well, maybe not forgotten, but bastardised beyond belief. I will tell you what I mean. You see, my main problem with everything in this anime is pretty much the inability to hold anything compelling or sincere for as long as possible. It gets ridiculously stale, ridiculously quickly. As I just said, the first episode is pretty good, flashy lights, Kongming using his brain to get the hang of this new world, Eiko trying to make it big, and all the rest of it. There are moments when the anime does become respectable again, but more on that later. Sadly, from what I remember of this show, about 90% of it was key features in this anime being ruined and watered down to mediocrity. Eiko's passions being half-hearted, more so weak, backtracking to them only when the writing called for it, to Kongming basically being a human equivalent of that genie from Aladdin. Eiko's passions being underhanded are somewhat excusable, she's focusing on actually getting better at the music first, but I'd say the passion and the strive for improvement work hand in hand because all she does, for the most part, is just nothing of her own will until around way later on. To not get into too much detail as possible, she basically meets a new character and they both think of each other as cool and they do nice things together and it is all so wholesome. Then it goes back to subpar status. But those particular moments where characters just do real things without some wish from genie or some other life hack are seldom. It's sad because, as seen, it is able to do this. There are a lot of other flaws to note like how much Kabe's character is pretty awkward to the whole music industry thing in this anime, but I feel as if I am heading into unknown territory with the reality behind them. I don't know anything about how deals are run in the music industry or if there are rappers like Kabe (the whole wuss personality + Eminem style). I am led to believe Kabe's character is more real, but even then his character isn't the most serious thing I've witnessed, with him jumping in and out of issues with the tiniest push imaginable. The music industry is probably not as easy to mess with as Kongming has been doing, but again, I can't run off too much from it other than real-life complaints about how the whole place is abusive. I mean, it gets into it a little, but that is entirely due to some high-school band and some other online hype factors. But going on about the realism is kinda sidetracking, it is more of the fact that it is not very believable. Some important douche seems to be extremely tolerant to some random band for no particular reason, aren't there more people who are in the exact position as this group of girls? He probably needs them to fulfil some lascivious fantasies he's hiding. Another annoying thing about these characters is how conveniently forgetful they are at times. These guys have one of the greatest strategists on their team and somehow manage to more often than not be doubtful of anything this guy does. I don't get how that makes sense at all. It's not funny. Hell, one of the guys is literally a Kongming nerd and still somehow gets shocked at anything this guy does. It's crazy if you ask me. These guys really cannot behave to a good standard, rather, they think and feel things whenever the writing calls for it. The only guy I really like is Kongming. He's cool. He does cool things. Everyone loves him. Expect the creators of this anime. I don't know why but everything he does falls flat, it is not executed to a greater standard. When I say he is that genie from Addlain it is because he can literally do anything despite coming from a very weird place. It's absurd, but not entirely when you think about who he literally is. It causes a fine line to appear, one in which he finds himself jumping in and out of what is an incredible effort and wishes come true. Sometimes the anime abuses this and you get a stunt that has no real effect because it is just silly. Sometimes it works well though. He's a good character for the most part; he's my favourite character actually, just some things are very annoying. The animation here was nonexistent at times, but it does deliver when it is supposed to. Sometimes you just get still shots playing out for like 2 seconds and other times you get a rap battle with actual cool effects and visuals. As expected of PA Works, they did well for this, I don't think it is the best they could have done but it worked enough to not look irregular consistently. This was just a little lazy at times but that didn't hinder my enjoyment. There's also the music in this anime which isn't the best thing in the world either. I can respect the effort though, from Kabe's raps to Eiko altogether, it was nice to listen to. But that doesn't matter, what matters is the comment saying "who else is listening to this in 2026? XD" and then for sure we will know whether this is good or not. I don't have much else to say, there was virtually no criticism for this anime, so it seems like I am an odd one out. Maybe it just wasn't for me, but I don't really have any high standards, I just think that people liking this as I see now is a little absurd. There's better anime out there from random people wanting to become big singers (literally all of Love Live lmao) to other variants of Sun Tzu enjoyers shifting the balance of a hopeless situation in a big world (Dr Stone). But that's about it with me, I just wanted to express reasons why this isn't so good imo.

Paripi Koumei is very silly and very good, and while there isn’t much you can say about it in a review, there’s very much to enjoy when you actually watch it. The legendary Chinese tactician, Zhuge Liang, being isekai’d to modern-day Tokyo, becoming the manager of an adorable amateur EDM idol, using his strategic prowess to conquer the world of music, and leading the girl to stardom using the art of war is easily the most confusingly out-of-left-field storyline I’ve seen in years. Despite having such a weird premise, though, it sells you on the characters instantly, and you just watch it like a normal show. But it isn’t normal. It’s really goofy, and the fact it was so easily able to make me forget about that simple truth says a lot about how undeniably enjoyable and engaging it is. I know most of us were drawn here by the modern classic that is Paripi Koumei’s opening theme, because that music and those dances are absolutely stellar, but believe me when I say this show is so much more than well-marketed memes and gifs. Zhuge Liang, or “Koumei” (Kongming), as they call him, is immediately charismatic, affable, and hilarious, and despite this comical portrayal of his historical self, the show actually did its research when referencing his life and accomplishments, as well as how his old strategies are applied to helping Eiko, the adorable amateur, realize her dreams and achieve her goals. Eiko herself—and every other character we meet throughout the show for that matter—is also equally lovable for her own unique set of reasons. Please don’t forget that taking a step back reveals a show about a borderline mythical Chinese tactician from antiquity helping a wide-eyed anime waifu become a famous pop star. This is dumb shit. But that doesn’t matter. Well-written, likable characters are well-written, likable characters no matter what, and no matter how absurd the gimmick is, the underdog story this series has to offer is seriously uplifting. There’s cost-cutting every once in a while, and the CG pedestrians are what they are, but overall this show looks fantastic. PA Works is generally a great studio anyway, but they really knocked it out of the park with this one. The music is fantastic—and not just the insert songs for the big dedicated performance sequences, which themselves are phenomenal. The characters will just be sitting in an office talking, and I’m not even paying attention to anything they’re saying, because I’m too busy loving whatever electronic music is playing in the background. The performances in the first two episodes were already so good, they actually reignited my three-year-old searing hatred for Carole & Tuesday. These people are on stage doing all these crazy movements from all these difficult angles with NO ROTOSCOPE, and their mouths are all animated perfectly in sync with the music, and I’m screaming, “Could you IMAGINE if Carole & Tuesday looked this good for even a FRACTION of a fucking second?!” I can see some elements of this show being unfortunately difficult to appreciate from the perspective of international audiences who don’t speak Japanese—especially during the rap sections, where every subtitle track I downloaded somehow managed to be a crime against both the English language AND the Japanese language—but with specific accessibility issues aside, Paripi Koumei truly is one of those rare TV shows that you can quite literally “recommend to anyone,” because it’s genuinely creative and fun to watch, and there really isn’t any other way I know how to express that in text. Just watch it, jam out to all its catchy tracks and gorgeous performances, cheer for its charming cast of memorable characters, laugh at its self-aware ridiculousness, and take a good few seconds to laugh at yourself for even being able to take seriously something this silly. Your willingness to do so will be a testament to the playful, happy mood it’s put you in. Thank you for reading.

I take great pride that I watched this Anime right when it just started and before the OP craze … NO, it’s not like I just watched it because I thought it was an isekai … Baka. In all seriousness, it's a show that is about Up and coming musical artists, the trials of the music industry, and most importantly what makes music sell And it is a mind-blowing fact since what sells this Anime to most people is its absolutely insane music, especially Ciki Ciki Bam Bam (Man I can't get this OP out of my head !), I swear they spared no budget when it comes to the music, art, or animation in the OP! Also, Do not sleep on the ED, The art is simple, but goddamn the music slaps! The focus is clear and pure, and characters rarely get sidetracked from music the first half has a bit of the party culture of Modern citizens thrown to light but after that, it turns into a serious Music Anime. The pacing is perfect there is an optimal amount of character development and a very healthy cast wh are really talented but just need a single catalyst that will finally make them the real deal, koumei is said catalyst a Chinese legendary general (or so they say I have no clue) actually quite flexible with his plans, he more often than not just nudges things in the right direction except of being a perfect Kirito Kun and this is not unexpected of a general that was in charge of thousands of brave men (especially since they were the weaker side). The premise is wack (as expected of isekai) but it immediately feels like all the characters are right where they belong! As for the review Plot (8/10) It's about music, no romance no action no bs, it's straight-up an actual representation of the current music scene, there are already so many distinguished and talented artists that making a newcomer actually debut takes more effort than picking the next star player of Barcelona. There are certain plot twists that are predictable yet they remain healthy and affect the characters in a realistic way which was quite nice to see. Each episode begins with one of Koumei’s legendary stratagem being cleverly adapted into the real world and I will admit, I would never take an interest in Zhuge Liang kong ming if it wasn't for this anime. Characters (9/10) As a typical isekai start, Kongming does enjoy the benefits of coincidence in the first three episodes xD like Eiko picking him up and her singing to him, the manager being a Chinese history nerd, etc, but the later parts have clear and absolutely perfect attention to detail on the music peeps the fact that they have their mutual admiration and stories of what inspires them is quite nice to see. Development of the main cast is a huge focus and is done in a very wholesome and inspiring way, hence many who aspire to do the same can actually take notes. The final music battle and the rap battles were like watching a sports match where both sides gave it their all while admiring and appreciating the skills of their foe. Art and animation (8/10) A good depiction of modern Tokyo is a rare sight! The cityscapes in anime look really dull compared to how Tokyo really is, and hence it was awesome to see an actual good background and vibrant nature of Tokyo being reproduced in this anime.The character design is not original by all means but it is consistent throughout the whole show. The animation of the songs and the natural soft expressions of Eiko when she sings conveys to the viewer perfectly that she loves to sing, and the art and body language of the rap battles also makes for a really tense and exciting atmosphere! The art in OP gets the highest budget and rivals that of Kaguya sama, the ED doesn't have the best art but it's better than most corner-cutting EDs we see these days. Sound and VA (10/10) Ok this should easily be a 10 but some may say that the repetitive nature of some of the music used does hurt the anime a bit but, it is to be expected since they have singers that are not the VAs sing for the character and licensing multiple songs is going to be no easy feat , yet that is also a strength of paripi koumei, the songs are sung by actual singers and are really good, Not to mention the 90s inspired absolute banger of an OP which I am sure is in everyone’s playlist by now. A great anime that is a must-watch. it really revives the dying (fuck covid) party culture and is a great depiction of the music industry! Everyone should give this a try.

Our world is a complex place, full of diverse culture, and colorful species. Obviously, the most complex species is the human race and we enjoy the gifts that God gave to us. Through evolution, intelligence, and technology, we have also evolved and transformed our world into what we see today. And that brings us to modern day where the setting of a particular show takes place. Paripi Koumei is an anime taking place in modern Tokyo that is full of pop culture and entertainment. Despite being based on the manga, I've never heard of this series before until the anime announcement. It isn't one of those mainstream franchises that took the world by storm after all. However, I will say that the franchise really bought in a ton of quality content with its music elements. Let's start with the opening theme "Ciki Ciki Bam Bam" by QUEENDOM. The song became a sensation that captured millions of views on popular platforms such as Youtube and Twitter. While Paripi Koumei isn't carried entirely by its theme song, it suddenly did spark interest for an audience. For me, the show's premise didn't immediately capture my attention because it's borrows from a popular trend in recent years. Yes, I'm talking about the idea of reincarnation, a plot device that has been used in countless isekai anime. However, this show only takes the surface of that idea as it lacks the typical fantasy elements and everything else becomes its own story. Now in a more modern era, we meet Zhuge Kongming who has reincarnated since the third century in China. After a chance encounter with a girl named Eiko, he strikes a partnership with her after witnessing the talent of a superstar in the making. He becomes her manager and together, they hope to become a sensation in this modern world. From this point on, the story pretty much dedicates on how they would evolve themselves and make others recognize them. Watching Paripi Koumei immediately made me realize one important thing and this applies to any place in the entertainment industry. It's hard. No, I mean, it's hard to the point where you must constantly push yourself to be better than others. Sacrifices must be made and they must know how to adapt with any situation. And maybe, just maybe they can become a cultural phenomenon. Luckily, Eiko is hard worker and Kongming has a tactical mind. They come from completely different backgrounds but watching the two work together is inspirational. Eiko has the talent of a singer with a passion for music. Meanwhile, Kongming uses his cunning mind to plan Eiko's future. To him, becoming successful means thinking of every possibility and responding to them. Thanks to his military talent, this ability seems natural just as his way of adapting with the modern world. Eiko's character is one that I find fairly likable for being outgoing and ability to attract others with her friendly personality. She's also passionate about music and not just making a career to get rich or fame. A prominent example is her relationship with Nanami, a street singer she met and quickly formed a friendship with. Watching their relationship shows how Eiko determines to prove herself while also forming a relationship with someone with similar interests as her. However, I will say that a twist of fate later in the story brings together a more complex turn of events for the two. I won't spoil it but it makes Eiko strive to work even harder. Although Eiko and Kongming are mostly the center of attention in this show, one other character that attracts a lot of attention is the rapper Kabe Taijin. That's right, the art of rap hasn't gone out of style in Tokyo and we witness firsthand with his skills. Similar to Eiko, Kabe has a strong desire to prove himself to others. Watching his performance shows his passion to entertain an audience and be himself. To me, this anime captures the essence of performance arts and allow characters to express themselves. It's what entertainment is about in this world's modern tokyo. If you're starving for some entertainment that stretches beyond the generic idol performances you often see on TV, then you're in for a treat. While the main attraction of Paripi Koumei is its character cast and musical elements, we also can't overlook the designs and overall visual quality of the show. It's something that feels underappreciated because the music and soundtrack often overshadows its animation quality. But judging by its character designs, it's clear that the anime made its cast look like superstars such as Eiko. Kongming still maintains his look from his original timeline although he adapts a more formal way of speaking the modern language. Let's also not forget the most important feature and that is the character expressions. When performing in front of a crowd, we see how passionate characters express themselves through body language and emotions. It's one of the highlights that brings out the best of performances and should be appreciated. If there's an underrated show of the year for 2022, Paripi Koumei is up on the list for a potential winner. This anime is easily overlooked but earns its spot among the most entertaining show of the year. For its character cast, music, and storytelling, it's a show that I can't help but recommend to anyone. Give yourself a treat and tell your friends about Paripi Koumei. They'll be dancing along this show's sensation in no time.

Came in hoping for a breath of fresh air and the dark horse of the season; left disappointed that the novelty of the premise couldn't save it from being a trite, paint-by-numbers story of musical success. The core failing of Paripi Koumei lies in Kongming and Eiko's relationship. What should have been an interesting dynamic as the two work closely together to achieve a common dream instead feels unengaging and incohesive as, from the very beginning of the show, Kongming tells Eiko to leave all of the strategizing to him. As a result, Eiko's personal involvement in Kongming's plans drops to near zero as virtually her entire role is just to sing and follow Kongming's instructions to the letter– this abject imbalance in their relationship made it impossible for me to develop any sort of attachment to their shared struggle. The blind faith that Eiko (and other characters) have in Kongming is not only extremely boring, it obstructs any meaningful development in their relationship over the course of the series as they continue to accept Kongming's decisions without question. Kongming's unilateral decision-making even goes as far as Eiko's singing, as he makes changes to the composition of her music that Eiko, rather than expressing reservations about (like you would normally expect), simply accepts with little complaint or input. That Kongming would be able to shamelessly meddle in something that constitutes the core of Eiko's identity should make it abundantly clear that her subservience to Kongming is ultimately set in stone. Eiko having minimal influence in her own success reduces her character to the upbeat and determined singer whose entire role is to sing at the very end and mysteriously win over the hearts of the crowd. And while I was never a particular fan of her music, hearing her perform the same three songs (and have the audience react in the exact same way) over and over again only exacerbated how clichè and dull the entire experience was. The clichès don't stop at just EIko, however, as the show (particularly the second half) is plagued with a plethora of tropes executed in the most insipid way possible: The genius musician who tells Eiko that her singing lacks her own character; the cynical and seemingly evil producer; the singer whose passion for music is no match for the greed of the industry. These all culminate in the finale of the series, which– without spoiling– is a nonstop series of developments so generic that I was genuinely left aghast at what the show had become. I'll admit that I initially found some enjoyment in seeing Kongming try to make it in modern Tokyo– but once that wore off, I was left with nothing more than a hackneyed narrative, whose themes of "passion in the face of corporatism" is directly contradicted by how entirely safe and bland the entire thing felt.

Well that was disappointing. I'm not sure what killed my enjoyment more, the lack of direction after episode 5, that same one song that was bland despite having a talented singer or Kabe. Wait I know, it was the padding and lack of Koumei. You know, the reason many of us picked up the anime in the first place? They somehow managed to make me not care about Eiko halfway through. Maybe PA Works should have consulted with Koumei regarding how long they were gonna stretch an arc since they are so used to making original shows that span over 13 episodes? Nah let's just add more anime original crap and have Eiko sing that one song again, which was far less appealing than the OP or the fun ED which was also a cover. The stale rap battles/freestyles/whatever you kids call it these days didn't help either. At some point I was hopeful they were done with the bs since towards the last episodes they handled a new characters intro and backstory decently, but then that falls flat with the pacing. It is a shame when you get talented individuals to make an anime and just squander everything like that but well, it is what it is. Honestly PA Works, just stick to making anime like Sakura Quest. Adaptations are not your forte.

*** Note that the review will be somewhat long-winded and contain a few minor spoilers. It's been a while since a show has managed to fascinate this much, so I went pretty much all out on this one. Hopefully you will bear with me. *** P.A. Works creating a good manga adaptation? The world must be ending! No seriously, this show is fucking amazing. Paripi Koumei is without doubt a little absurd, insane, and chaotic – and it is entertaining as fuck. Unlike what it appears on the surface, it is not just a brainless comedy that solely intends to make its audience laugh at its ridiculousness; as satirical as this may sound, there is legitimate quality and substance to be found behind all the seemingly pointless madness and irrationality. Paripi Koumei radiates promise from one of the very first scenes, showing a decrepit Zhuge Liang Kongming on his deathbed. It is then that Kongming makes his one final wish: to reincarnate in an era without any war and conflict, one where he could live peacefully. Fast forward two millenniums, and we suddenly see Kongming in a nightclub of Shibuya supposedly reborn in his younger body. Initially bewildered, he is shortly mesmerized by the voice of a young singer, later introduced as Eiko Tsukimi. Eiko is facing problems of her own, struggling to find success in the world of music despite her firm, yet slightly wavering determination. She is startled when the oddly dressed Kongming proclaims his love for her voice, but nonetheless delighted that someone has finally taken notice of her music. The next morning, Eiko stumbles upon an intoxicated Kongming on the street and brings him home out of sympathy. There, Kongming learns about the modern world and its technology from Eiko, and subsequently becomes interested in contemporary music. In an odd turn of events, Kongming becomes Eiko's music manager aka "tactician", with the immovable resolve to make the world recognize her name and singing prowess. It goes without saying that Kongming himself is what makes Paripi Koumei; you definitely will not enjoy the show if you aren't fond of his crazy antics, because that's pretty much the driving force of the story. As Kongming devises grand strategies for Eiko to help her accomplish her dream, the plot simultaneously expands in scope and moves forward in a surprisingly steady pace and manner, with almost no stumbles or hiccups along the way. In case you are wondering what a Chinese military strategist is doing in what seems like a wacky music anime (told you this show was absurd), it's... hard to explain. The thing is, while there is admittedly zero rationale to how certain things play out at the beginning, the series is completely honest about it. Why and how Kongming is reincarnated in Japan and can read and talk in perfectly fluent Japanese – this is all just because the plot demands it, and there's no other reason. This rarely holds back the show however, since the author luckily utilizes the most of Kongming's inclusion in the story. Moreover, the anime does not try to indulge in monotonous self-parody to replace actual comedy; though there are clever self-jabs from time to time, it fully understands that dull and repetitive self-parody is far from any proper entertainment. As a result, what we have here is an anime with genuinely a lot of thought put into the material. Stated briefly, the idea sounds and is ridiculous, but the execution is anything but that. Kongming is most certainly a weirdo, but at the same time, there are few who can even dream to be as nearly charismatic as him. There's a certain charm to him that I have yet to find in any other anime character, and that charm is not limited to him being "a Chinese historical character in a Japanese anime, lol". Kongming's charm in fact comes from his whole character: his intelligent yet amusingly quirky nature, witty and playful remarks, clever and intriguing tactics, flashy appearance, and spectacular voice acting. Kongming is not simply a stereotypical male Mary Sue programmed to do "all according to keikaku" stuff; there is far more to him than meets the eye. With that being said, if you came to the show looking for cleverly constructed strategies, you surely wouldn't be disappointed, because it does have plenty of that to offer. Kongming's so-called stratagems are always a delight to watch, even if one or two can be considered as blatant ass-pull(s). The second episode, in particular, almost entirely detaches itself from any kind of realism – instead relying on plot contrivances and semi-convoluted logic to progress the story. On the flip side however, there are many more occasions where the tactics Kongming comes up with are surprisingly really clever and creative. Although they seem irrational and "totally batshit crazy" at first, in hindsight, you realize that they are actually brilliantly thought-out, albeit still totally batshit crazy. The stratagems Kongming uses in the show reference historical events, and excluding a few errors and glorification here and there, the depictions are consistently precise. The original stratagems and Kongming's own versions of them are obviously vastly different, but they are always built on the same fundamental concepts. At the start of a new episode, a short recap is played of what happened prior; but unlike the sleep-inducing recaps you see in most shounen, a narrator aptly connects the referenced events with the previous episode and provides historical context. While this seems comparatively insignificant, it does, as a matter of fact, add more depth to the story and makes the stratagems even more interesting. Back to our boy Kongming though, remember that I said his charm comes from his whole character? Although that holds true, it's specifically his demeanor and inner personality which makes him so loveable in my opinion. As cunning and eccentric as he is, Kongming is also incredibly soft, affectionate, knowledgeable, and unassuming. He is equal parts wise and hilarious; there will never be a time his words will fail to move you, and his jests and idiosyncrasies fail to make you smile. Even just him appearing on the screen will be enough to keep you entertained. In internet lingo, Kongming is a certified gigachad, one who belongs in a category of his own. I know I sound like an overly obsessive fan idealizing his favorite idol, and I probably *am* obsessive, but I mean it when I say Kongming is wonderful, because he is. Kongming's personality naturally shines the most when he is with Eiko, who helps bring out his most intimate sides. Eiko herself is an extraordinarily engaging and well-written character. It's easy to dismiss her as waifu-bait at first glimpse, but if you actually watch the anime, it should be obvious that she isn't. The show dedicates much time to focus on her growth both as a singer and a person, so it feels extremely gratifying whenever she succeeds in her goals. Keep in mind that while Kongming may be the mastermind behind her success, it is actually Eiko's own singing, her own efforts to improve herself, that ultimately makes everything work, or "does the magic" if you will. Additionally, though only explored in brief sequences, Eiko's suicidal past adds a substantial layer of depth to her character. What's noteworthy is that suicide is tackled with a lot of subtlety and not oversensationalized at all, which makes the backstory all the more effective. Of course, the anime doesn't solely rely on this to flesh Eiko out; her relationship with Kongming is what plays the most important role in her characterization. Similar to how Eiko eased Kongming's heart, Kongming also helped Eiko regain confidence in herself, giving her the push to continuously do better – which brings me to the prime reason why I find their relationship to be so profound. Almost any fan would attribute mainly Eiko and Kongming's interactions to why they enjoy the show, and I'm no exception. The arrangement is strange for…

SHORT REVIEW: I think what's seriously lacking in this show is focus. It doesn't know what type of show it wants to be and ended up being just a forgettable mish-mash of different genres. It's not funny enough to be a comedy. Not realistic enough to be a slice-of-life. Not dramatic enough to be a drama. And I know that it can be its own thing, but overall, the sum of its parts just falls flat in every aspect. The writing is predictable. The characters are one note. The animation is watered down soup. And the music is...not my personal taste. But if it's yours then I totally respect that. Furthermore, what is it with Koumei? He is supposed to be the MC. His name is literally in the title yet he doesn't have any depth to him nor does he have any arc in his own freaking show. He is just this deux ex-machina Godlike character who fixes everyone's problems. I expected him to have a lot of fish-out-of-water hijinks yet they never happened. Like, "Here is a phone: a complicated electrical device you've never seen before and probably can't even fathom." And then the next scene he's like, "Yeah I've already mastered it." Like what? Give me depth. Give me vulnerability. Koumei is like the male version of a Mary Sue, which, much like a Mary Sue, makes him an incredibly boring character. This show is overhyped because of its first few episodes. And I have to admit it had a lot of promise. But it was a nosedive straight to the bottom of the ocean of mediocrity after episode 3. Sadly. 4/10

I really loved when this show leaned into its overarching plot or its silly premise, but it did unfortunately little of both. Instead it spent a lot of time on character-based plot for characters that felt very flat. While each character has a generally unique personality, they don't really interact with each other. Eiko is expressive, outgoing and a little silly, but nobody ever reacts to her. She'll emote and quip with no reactions from anybody. Kongming is stoic with a carefree & goofy side, but people only comment on 1) him being clever and 2) him wearing strange clothes. His close friends never actually ask about his past, despite him seemingly being willing to talk about it. When that type of thing plays out over and over again it's hard to find the characters believable. Characters need to interact with each other to get you invested in a world. The OP is fantastic, both the music and animation. The music is upbeat and full of personality, and the animation has characters interacting with great chemistry. Unfortunately those elements are hardly present in the actual show. The OP has kongming and eiko dancing together and driving together. The show has them talk mostly about business. All of this to say: I wish that they invested more airtime into slice-of-life segments and allowed us to get more invested into the characters. Instead the show is left feeling very forgettable. For things I liked: I liked the rapper character and his friends. He didn't talk to the main cast much but he had good chemistry with his own friends and had genuine character moments. He got more character airtime than anybody else in the show. I liked the lack of fanservice. It helped so much with presenting Eiko as a character and not a bunch of waifu tropes. Clothing was realistic (no t-shirts vacuum sucked to boobs) and the public bath scene showed nothing below the shoulders or above the ankles. impressive tbh I liked the variety outfits given to Eiko. 5/10 because even though I enjoyed it enough to finish it, I'll probably forget about it by next month and I wouldn't recommend this show to any of my friends. I might bring up Paripi Koumei in conversation for specific things I liked.

The biggest attraction to this anime is undoubtedly Zhuge Liang or Kongming as he goes by in this anime—which is also his courtesy name. Without Kongming, this anime would end up being a conventional story about a forthcoming artist navigating her way through this world. What Kongming brings to the anime is the bantering between the characters, the charm, the wit, and of course, his intelligence. Being one of the most renowned and respected statesmen and military strategists in Chinese history, Kongming brings what he does best: Surprise its viewers and its casts with his extraordinary execution of strategy and intelligence. But instead of demonstrating these aspects through war and battlefields, this anime demonstrates them through concerts, events, and, well, singing competitions. Ya Boy Kongming takes the spin on the fact that after Zhuge Liang’s inevitable death, he is revived back into modern-day Tokyo in Japan. And in the populated streets of Tokyo, he quickly encounters Eiko Tsukimi, a young singer who dreams of bursting into the world with her passion for singing. Her possessing the natural talent for singing and having an incredibly soothing voice, she recruits Kongming as her advisor after just one singing session with him. A singing session that blew him away with her voice and heart. What follows is a journey we get to see Kongming in various ways using his mind to gain leverage for Eiko’s singing and performances. The anime doesn’t waste time showing this by implementing many of his well-known strategies and incorporating them into the show. One of his strategies that are used to the extent was his “creating something out of nothing”. In this particular instance, Kongming, without informing Eiko or her team, devised a plan that first exposed the malfunctions in Eiko’s equipment to the opposing band, causing the opposing band to lose their guards and further implementing their doubts of her as a threat to them. This also causes Eiko to fall behind in the competition as well, which then provokes the urgency that replaced the nervousness inside Eiko just moments earlier; and without her realizing it, the urgency brought the best out of Eiko and attracted the crowds from the opposing band just as how she did to Kongming during their first singing session. Sometimes Kongming’s actions aren’t as plain and obvious to the viewers as in the example above. He could be out there doing simple day-to-day mundane things like giving three neatly adorned bags with sets of absurd, head-scratching instructions to Eiko and just leaves. Often left her confused over the meaning of his actions and it isn’t until much later that whatever he has done and executed was all part of his master plan. The dedication and appreciation from this anime for Zhuge Liang’s wit and intelligence are always on full display. It’s these aspects that really add to Zhuge Liang’s character and that’s easily what attracts me the most and brings a distinct flavor to what is otherwise a very conventional show. This anime isn’t something to be awed over for its story and presentation. This anime, however, is one of those shows that’s to be watched in pieces. A few chunks of episodes at a time to truly appreciate and enjoy the quirkiness of Ya Boy Kongming. If we were to streamline this anime down to its core and scrutinize it, removing Kongming and what he brings to the show entirely, the anime would simply be exposed as a conventional story about Eiko Tsukimi along with Kabe Taijin’s life as talented artists making their way through the industry. In fact, the structure of this show would fall apart without Kongming as the glue for all the major events in the plot taking place. We see that if Kongming isn’t on-screen or doesn’t have any major influences on the characters of this show, the anime falls apart in not only plot-wise but also in enjoyment as well. From the very beginning to the very tail end of the show, Ya Boy Kongming’s very existence relied on this pillar, and it’s this that makes Ya Boy Kongming limited because it doesn’t attempt to seek outside of its confinements. The show doesn’t have any thought-provoking themes, spectacular writing, or stunning and creative visual presentation to compensate for its overreliance on Kongming as a whole. Of course, when watching a piece of entertainment, enjoyment is the most crucial part of that experience. But it can also be argued that the opposite is true. Ya Boy Kongming is an enjoyable anime. It’s a show that does what it's best at and nothing more. Thus for all the praises that this series deserves, it still doesn’t justify a high score from me. Score: 6/10

If Ya Boy Kongming! can give us one insight about the business world, it’s that it is competitive and ruthless. This can be applied not just to the music industry, but also to the anime one, where producers employ their various stratagems to entice the populace. Of these, the most significant one in the show is frontloading; by allocating more technical and creative resources to the premiere episode, the show can stand out among the others and attract a sizable audience efficiently. However, this stratagem comes with a fatal flaw, and it is not too difficult to discern what it is: the quality sharply drops as the show progresses. After the (must I say almost perfect) premiere, cracks start forming. The second episode contains numerous still shots. The comedy starts tiring in the third, with the strongest element of the show, Kongming’s absurdist genius, becoming overused. After the third, the show rightfully attempts to solve this by shifting focus towards the other characters, but the show never replaces Kongming’s striking presence with anything, instead choosing to delve into several generic and uninspired side plots. So what went wrong? After all, multiple shows have created a great premiere while still maintaining the quality of the later episodes. The mistakes made in this show can be attributed to several factors. The first, and certainly the most understandable one, is that Ya Boy Kongming! is P.A. Works’s first anime based on a manga, as opposed to a novel or an original work. Manga is unique in that it provides the outline for the anime’s scenes; although this relieves the pressure of storyboarding substantially, scenes that might be slightly challenging to draw become nightmarishly difficult to animate. Crowd scenes are extremely taxing, and it seems like an excessive importance was placed on its faithful adaptation instead of drawing the line somewhere and moving on, a flaw above all caused by inexperience. The second is that the show’s comedy goes all-out in the first episode. Granted, this does not mean that the first episode was bad; I had a blast watching it. But good comedy is not an infinite resource. Good comedy is rooted in the nature of the characters, and thus a joke needs to reveal a little more about the character to be fresh. For anime adaptations, adding in new and creative jokes becomes unreasonable after a certain point in production, as the character needs to be slightly changed to accommodate it, wasting time that can be spent elsewhere. Therefore, by expending all of its quality jokes early on, the show leaves its later episodes devoid of fresh comedy and fresh character development. Lastly, the show’s solutions to the characters’ problems are all but shallow in the last few episodes, further widening the gap in quality. The characters these episodes focus on are Eiko, Kabetaijin, and Nanami. Their goals are all made clear early on: Eiko needs to find her voice, Kabetaijin needs to find a motivation to rap, and Nanami is stuck between her desire to be herself and her desire to progress in the music industry. Although all three dilemmas are quite interesting and complex, the solutions that the characters eventually take are all surface-level. What makes the screen better than online forums at answering questions is that the screen not only provides examples or scenarios of these solutions, but it also captures the essence of these characters more than words or descriptions of scenarios could ever achieve, allowing us to understand the solution intuitively. The solutions in Ya Boy Kongming! never reach this level, as it focuses too much on the situation instead of the spirit of the characters. All this is not to say Ya Boy Kongming! was a terrible show. As stated before, the first episode was extremely fun to watch, with Kongming’s remark about the blockchain and his Wiki page cracking me up. The OP is groovy and full of personality, and while I am not fond of chibi style, I found the music in the ED to be catchy. The OST fits the tone and is never intrusive, and the artstyle, especially for scenes related to Eiko, is vivid. And by focusing on music production, the show breathes new life into the stale music genre. However, the show’s aggressive frontloading and its consequences are too evident to ignore. As Sun Tzu said in his Art of War, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” Ya Boy Kongming, by going all-out on its first few episodes, has neglected its purpose and production, and so like the defeated warriors, cannot convert its initial momentum into any long-term goal. And while ending a review with a quote is corny, I could find no more fitting way to sum up my disappointment with this show’s wasted opportunity.

If I wanted to mention a favorite fact about music, it would be that no matter what generation we belong to, we all like to listen and feel any type of song that comes to mind. And for those who are introduced to music, the idea has always come to them that one day “I will be like my favorite artist”. However, entering this industry requires talent, dedication (a bit of personal image), but the most important thing is to define your own style. Welcome, I present Ya Boy Kongming! (Paripi Koumei). Originally published on a Kodansha website, it would go on to be serialized in Weekly Young Magazine two years later. The story takes us to Zhuge Liang, better known as Kongming Zhuge, a real-life Chinese military strategist who is reincarnated in modern Japan after passing away due to his age. His new life in "hell" takes him to the BB Lounge club where he meets Tsukimi Eiko (Stage name: EIKO), a newly started musical artist with whom Kongming eventually becomes the new manager... Ahem... tactician. In principle, it's a somewhat bizarre premise by inserting real historical elements about China with a story about the musical growth of a Japanese artist, and it's also valid to point out some inconsistencies between the real Kongming and that of Paripi Koumei - As far as to his knowledge of history and the stratagems he uses throughout the series - for those familiar with Chinese history. And with the character, I mean that we are talking about a quite charismatic and curious character like Kongming. If something stands out in the anime, it's his persuasive personality and wisdom, qualities that allow him to convince his close contacts to devise his best plans and stratagems, and execute them at the moment when anyone has lost hope (Because perhaps his only flaw is that leave things to the last minute) As for Eiko, she is an energetic and active girl who is passionate about her work, she strives to become like those professional singers full of followers and money in their pockets. Her meeting with Kongming happened under the strangest circumstances for her, and at first she was not going to believe that she was the incarnation of a real character, but that she becomes a companion and friend as the program progresses, in addition to being her motivation for being Kongming. his first fan of his music. Other characters appear and are part of Eiko's dream of being on the big stages: among them Owner Kobayashi, owner of BB Lounge and passionate about the history of the Three Kingdoms; Kabe Taijin, a freestyle rapper; Nanami Kuon, a street singer. Other characters also appear and join the cast which gives the show some interesting chemistry. PA Works features mostly colorful animation with somewhat good character designs. The details to Kongming's costume (and the derivatives he gets in each episode) are interesting to see. However, something that stands out is the stages where Eiko steps on and sings to the public. As a musician, something I like about this music anime is that it has music. There is a variety of songs that are presented at times of the show, from electronic music, synth-pop, through rock to rap and acoustic. So much so that at times the show goes to the trouble of giving a bit of music theory, which is nice to know because it makes the anime feel like it knows what stage it's standing on. However, if we can highlight this, it's simply its OP and ED. OP is ‘Ciki Ciki Bam Bam’ performed by QUEENDOM, a eurobeat remix song of another eurobeat of the same name performed by Hungarian artist Bulikirály. This song introduces us to a catchy atmosphere with Kongming and Eiko mainly dancing and driving a fancy red car on the stages and main streets of Shibuya, as well as being accompanied by the rest of the cast and some other secondary characters. The ED, on the other hand, is a J-Pop song starring the BB Lounge club. As the episodes go by, you will see that more characters are integrated to accompany Eiko in the voices and a rap section. At first it may seem that this degrades the quality of the song a bit when it is only sung by Eiko - Especially towards Kabe Taijin's Rap - But personally it doesn't pose a general problem to the rest of the show. One additional piece of information I want to mention is that the anime has some references to real artists. My favorite of them is episode 8 when Eiko falls asleep in the hot springs and dreams of walking horizontally on a hill, a clear tribute to Avicii and his single "Levels" whose music video contains a similar scene. Some fans may wonder ‘But how can something like '36 Stratagems' work in the music industry?’ The logic behind the show, however, is that Kongming's decisions apply to managerial decisions about marketing and publicity. As a consequence, the viewer unexpectedly sees how his stratagems come to work and give results to the artist EIKO, who is also stunned to see that a “stranger in a Chinese suit” can also become an excellent manager. The character's eccentricity is so clear that we'll even see things like Kongming sending out pudding and tickets so Eiko can curry favor with a popular DJ. His personality makes the viewer find the atmosphere of the show pleasant, I mean, who would have thought that a character from Imperial China would be someone so cool and friendly to a very modern audience? This, however, leads to a problem in the middle of the show as we will see fewer Kongming appearances within the show as it progresses. Some may argue that this has slowed down by focusing mostly on supporting characters when the show has only 13 episodes to cover their stories. It's fair to say that "Carry of the show" Kongming's lack of creep in midway through the show makes the show a bit slower than usual. However, one argument in favor of this is that Kongming, in addition to being the cool guy on the show, also takes on a mentoring role for Eiko and the supporting characters. That is why we see moments in which Kongming shows his audience his experiences and anecdotes from when he was a strategist; As a consequence of this, the program encourages the viewer to become more interested in the history of the artists, their past and their dreams, and the eventual meeting with the strategist that leads them to move forward. Overall, Ya Boy Kongming! is an anime that stands out for its passion for musical artists, their industry and the hope of living the same moment that our favorite artists once managed to achieve, with a character that fans will love for their intelligence, and a set of songs ready to be danced at the disco. If you like history and music, then don't be afraid to enter the club, talk a little about the Three Kingdoms and compose the best songs with the best club in the show.

It's fine, safe and easy to watch, no real drama or stakes. The concept of Kongming reborn in modern world mostly plays out in first half and then kinda takes backseat to other characters. Someone who is into the history of Three Kingdoms or j-pop will likely appreciate it more than I did. Second half of the season is focused heavily on songs and this is where they lost me. I can't help but compare the music in Paripi Koumei to Carol and Tuesday and I feel like music is not even in the same league. Rap part sounded nice but it's hard to evaluate one need to be able to understand Japanese to appreciate it and the rest of the music is very generic and bland. I'm pretty sure I won't recognize any of the songs in an hour after I heard them. Opening is so catchy that it almost saves it but it's just opening and not featured in the show.

First ever manga adaptation by PA WORKS, a studio that has been active in the industry for past 20+ years and has been making anime for 14 years now. A studio that is recognised for its loads of Original Anime, and my oh my did they deliver with Paripi Koumei. PA WORKS is my favourite studio, so there definitely is some bias in here, then again Paripi Koumei is their highest rated TV anime, which speaks volumes for itself. And them being my favourite meant I most definitely was gonna watch it, irrespective of the end product, but they went above and beyond with this adaptation. A story about reincarnated Koumei who uses his brilliance to make her current, Eiko achieve her dream, and along the way bring his former masters dream come true of world peace, thi time through Music. A really simple premise that is both unique and different, also having a lot of room to build upon. Hondo Kaede was amazing choice for Tsukimi Eiko, the dedicated girl who just loves singing, just like her role Sakura from Zombieland Saga. And 96 Neko as the singing voice for Eiko was Majestic. All the insert songs were really great. Okiayu Ryotaro was greattttt as Koumei, easily the most fun part of the show. But the highlight was definitely That Banger of an OP CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG by QUEENDOM, remake of a Hungarian song by Jolly, giving of such a chillaxed, Western vibe supported by Amazing Visuals. Personally this was my Favourite OP of the season, which had tons of great song atleast in audio part, just a little bit ahead of GIRI GIRI for Kaguya Sama - Ultra romantic, which was another great OP on terms of both audio and video. All in all, Paripi Koumei is an anime that should be watched by everyone, irrespective of your opinion on Music Anime.

There are different genres of anime out there to appeal to a variety of tastes. Action, drama, slice of life, comedy, musical, shounen, seinen, etc. You can enjoy any number of these, or none of them, point is that there is an endless variety of different choices out there, so surely you will find what you're looking for. Rarely though, there comes a series that takes multiple of these genres together and weaves them into a seamless blend, making the coexistence of some of these contradicting ideas seem so natural. And while the hilariously named Ya Boy Kongming is a comedy first and foremost, it blends so many other elements into itself, creating something truly unique. Kongming firstly stands out by having one of the most ridiculous premises I've ever heard. An ancient Chinese general is reincarnated in modern Shibuya, Japan, he is entranced by the voice of Eiko, a young girl with big ambitions to be a successful singer and decides to become her manager and use his breadth of knowledge and wisdom from the Three Kingdoms period of ancient China to help her achieve her goals. Like, for real, what kind of opium was the original creator smoking to come up with this nonsense. And yet somehow, this absolutely preposterous idea is executed to perfection. Both hilarious skits and hype moments of victory come about as Kongming employs his ancient wisdoms to the modern world and successfully helps her come closer and closer to fulfilling her dream. It's so incredibly enjoyable to watch this unbelievable spectacle unfold. However, premise is nothing without execution and this is also where this anime really shines. The artstyle is very vibrant, colourful and lively. The characters are insanely cute and cool in appearance, while also being full of heart and soul - incredibly charismatic, engaging, lovable and shockingly profound. The animation is fluid and energetic. The voice acting and singing (and rapping!) are all superlatively done. And of course, the soundtrack is Godly all the way through and this show graced is one of the best anime openings ever made. You wanna talk about openings you never skip, this one is one of the most unskippable of all time! But wait, I spoke so much about blending genres in the beginning, where does that come in? Well, while Ya Boy Kongming is a comedy first as mentioned before, it's also a musical show. It's also a dramatic and engaging story, a coming of age journey even. And all of this is interspliced with bits of historical war stories too? It's truly amazing to see. To execute just one of these elements well would be impressive, but this series excels at all of them and that is downright astonishing. Kongming is effortlessly funny in multiple ways, but it also tells a very emotional story that keeps you hooked to the end and has you rooting for our beloved characters to succeed. The first half is mostly comedic and absurdist, but as we pass the halfway point, the plot thickens and you realize just how cleverly crafted the entire story really is. Like a masterful progressive metal song balances its heavy and brutal parts with its soft and melodic parts into a united symphony that truly flows as one, this anime also effortlessly blends its comedic and serious moments into a wonderful crescendo of amazing emotions. The jokes, the drama, the music, these don't just support the story, they are the story! They all flow together in an elegant waltz, supporting each other and enhancing their strengths in equal part. Among all this, the show manages to be a fantastic musical too, with a rich plethora of songs from a variety of genres gracing us and integrating themselves as inseparable parts of this epic tale. I don't even like musicals and I still enjoyed myself all the way through here! In short, I believe you're genuinely doing yourself a disservice by not watching this. It's an incredibly well crafter story that takes a ridiculous premise and executes it to perfection. It's a fantastic tale of growth and success despite overwhelming odds and it concludes in an incredibly satisfying way that is full of great feel good moments from top to bottom. Eat your heart out "A Star is Born", this where the real shit is at! I hope that we can keep getting series as unique as this that also boldly try to succeed and so many things at the same time and then miraculously succeed at all of them. And may we all be blessed with support figures as wise, caring, loyal and selfless as Kongming, so that we may become all those things ourselves too!

Paripi Koumei is a treasure, and so is the star, Kongming: One of the most accomplished Chinese military strategists of history. Upon his death in 234 AD, he wished to be "Reborn in a more peaceful era," suddenly, he appears today on the streets of Hell (aka Tokyo) in his handmade Taoist robe with his iconic crane feather fan, amid a Halloween celebration! The bewildering party people, who he mistakes for Hell's minions, get him drunk and sweep him into a nightclub. His first real interaction is with an underdog singer Eiko in a nightclub. After discovering her unappreciated skill, he vows to ensure her success and becomes her millennia-old manager. Appearing like a full-time cosplayer, or a delusional history nerd, Eiko takes him in and accepts his help. Little did she know, his background prepared him to be the perfect manager! He instantly concocts 100 million IQ strategies to lure in audiences and keep them engaged, often deviously. Kaede Hondo kills it as Eiko as she did as Sakura in Zombieland Saga. It's fair to say it does for Japanese hip-hop what Zombieland Saga did for idol music; breathe life into a genre drowning in unfabulous idol fodder. Along their winding road to success, the Eiko and Kongming meet other aspiring rappers and singers. The many other skilled singers rise to the occasion and fit their roles excellently. Everyone here is indispensable. You witness side-stories run side-by-side with Eiko's journey; each one develops gradually into nuanced and likable individuals. "Join us in realizing world peace via music" is one of Kongming's most iconic quotes; it symbolizes the teamwork dynamic the cast of characters radiates. Character development is naturally blended into the music performances, and every song left me wanting more. Emotional lyrics during the improvised songs lend themselves well to flashbacks. Exposition dumps and tedious monologues are nowhere to be found here, only rhythm, sick beats, and organic storytelling. Neither the story nor the script feels forced; partly because the musicians gain skill over time with practice, none of them begin as unstoppable forces. Eiko starts with the task of finding her voice, and her companions must overcome past regrets and performance anxiety. Their struggles and hardships are portrayed believably; we see them grow over time, making for satisfying character arcs. This is similar to another recent manga adaptation centering on aspiring young artists, Blue Period. Both series, sappy as they may seem, focus on developing self-confidence and that no one is born with skill. It is learned. Though the themes are unoriginal, they're sincerely executed. Senkuu is a scientist like Kongming is a strategist; they're geniuses capable of feats surpassing human capabilities. The logic surrounding his strategies is not exactly airtight, and that's OK because the anime doesn't take itself seriously, and neither should you. Ironically, Kongming's flaw is his ego. As Eiko becomes a performer, Kongming's new party life challenges his past arrogance. It successfully paints a memorable portrait of Kongming, a godlike being who embodies the essence of coolness that harem protagonists could only dream of possessing. He never misses an opportunity to hype his companions with inspiring speeches. The latter episodes lean more towards drama than comedy. Even though the show is at its least engaging when it plays it seriously, they construct such likable characters you can't help but want to see if they achieve their dreams. What impressed me the most is how the thematic throughline challenges the status quo; the heroes confront the music industry's need for conformity. The antagonists are depicted as soulless corporate businessmen who value profit over integrity, treating musicians like tools to earn money. Our villains enforce the status quo, and our heroes fight it, adding a layer of depth to the conflict hanging over the show's dramatic final arc. The element of satire at play powerfully exposes how the Japanese music industry coerces artists to compromise their freedom of expression and morals to succeed in a market that values profit over creativity. Mesmerizing performances are the anime's highlight: colorful, melodic, energetic, wonderfully excessive, and occasionally psychedelic. What easily sets Paripi Koumei apart from its contemporaries is PA Works fabulous production. It's been a long while since I've seen stage performances in anime animated with sound 2D art. Elaborate dance choreography is complicated because TV anime have budget and time limitations. Yet, they never resort to CGI and manage to maintain on-model character (Carole and Tuesday could never). You'd struggle to find a recent anime that pays more attention to details than Paripi Koumei, from the Chinese history lessons incorporated into the beginning of each episode to the little ways the credits change at the end. Paripi Koumei is a winning combination of outstanding music, fabulous dynamic presentation, screwball comedy, and consistent character development, with a unique premise. On paper, it looked like it couldn’t make the magic last an entire season, but it went the distance and beat the odds. It would’ve been witty, endearing, stylish, and insightful even without the dazzling music, but the music is what makes it truly special.

Koumei is peak isekai. No but for real, it’s such a refreshing spin on the traditional isekai genre and tropes, that I encourage all isekai fans to give it a spin; you might just come to love this show as much as I have. Similar to Spy X Fam, Koumei is a nice pick-me-up: a solidly wholesome, funny, and enjoyable watch. Again, we have amazing animation, characters, and cast synergy, but Koumei has traded the action-packed spy/assassin scenes in favour of idol training and a focus on music. And I’m all here for it. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say I can find songs in anime to be a bit cringe. No hate to those voice actors or anything, but I’ve just never really been able to appreciate “singing” in that sense. I guess it’s because it would often come off as very out-of-place. But in an anime that's a mix between idols and isekai, the music of Koumei somehow manages to find a perfect fit and elevate the show to the next level, likely due to the insane vocal talent and passion behind Eiko’s “singing-voice” 96neko. While the final arc explores a rather relevant concern behind creatives trying to make it big, I found the build up to be a bit too sluggish and cliche at times. Especially how we kept revisiting the same song over and over and over between Eiko and Nanami. It was great the first time but… idk about 6-7 plays later, especially since it’s the same chorus popping up incessantly for 2-3 episodes. That being said, the finale is a spectacular end to the series and managed to tie up all the major plot points and character development that was still outstanding. Platinum certified release for sure. Ultimately, Koumei is an enjoyable watch for the music/animation, and has just enough “character-shit” sprinkled in that's relevant, doesn’t feel forced, and actually contributes to the dynamics between the main cast. Speaking of character dynamics, I think this was the strongest point of this series that made the watch so fun. The chemistry is palpable and I can’t imagine this Koumei being anywhere near as good as it was without this X factor.

TLDR This show started off with a bang and held momentum to just past the 7 eps but then seem to slow down. Still worth watching if you're into an innocent story with sneaky battle tactics. Zhuge Kongmingis a Chinese military strategist that dies and somehow materializes in modern Japan as a young version of himself with his previous past life knowledge and clothes! Yeah, it's really an Isekai but a refreshing twist. This is one of those shows where you willingly turn off your brain and just roll with the plot. The other main character is Eiko. Animators and voice actors are refining their craft as Eiko is extremely likeable, whose dream is to sing at a major music festival. Kongmingis is enchanted by her voice and make it his mission to help her achieve her dream. There is also the club owner who is somewhat of a father figure to Eiko. There isn't much else to say here. It's just a feel-good show. No real villains, or conspiracies. Oh, the OP is a banger of a song!

Chan x Chan, Ai!! Chiki Chiki Ban Ban… Oh hey there, I was just listening to “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” for the 1000th time and I forgot I was writing a review! It’s a hidden gem, unearthed! That’s what a banger opening can do for a show with a plot as ridiculous as Paripi Koumei, and that’s what got me into this show, even though I started the show in its third week of airing, because the opening was too good for me to pass up on this anime, and boy do I not regret it. Having grown up in a Chinese family and neighbourhood, naturally, I learned a bit about the Three Kingdoms lore, and even watched some tv shows that focused on that era. When I saw the synopsis of this series, I thought to myself, Kongming got isekai’ed into Shibuya City? No way this is gonna be good! Well… I was wrong, it was actually great, and very unique. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 19/25 The story itself is quite unique. In a nutshell, it’s about the almighty Zhuge Liang, also called Kongming, the well-known military strategist from the Three Kingdoms period of Ancient China, who led the state of Shu Han through countless battles. He gets reincarnated into Shibuya City, Tokyo on Halloween night, which is obviously a huge change of scenery. You have the classic “getting used to modern technology” trope, but when our other protagonist, Eiko, broke out into song, that’s when I knew we were in for a treat. The main gist of the show is that Kongming uses his military strategies from the Three Kingdoms era and executes them to help Eiko become the next superstar, because he was so inspired by her singing. Along the way, Eiko and Kongming meet a rapper, some people in the music industry, and an aspiring idol band with a brilliant singer, and it’s really a lot of fun watching Eiko climb the ranks to be the next star. I’m not gonna lie though, the plot is very predictable overall, but hearing the music is still very enjoyable, even if it is a bit repetitive. The other enjoyable part of the story is the references to the Three Kingdoms era, most notably the “borrowing arrows with straw boats strategy”. If you didn’t get some of the references, I really do encourage you to look up some of Kongming’s endeavours and stories, which boosts the entertainment value for sure. ART: 8.8/10 It’s animated quite nicely, great to look at, though it’s not anything ground-breaking in terms of animation. MUSIC: 9.3/10 Excellent music overall, and while the insert songs are used very repetitively, they’re still good to listen to. Obviously, the opening steals the show, and is one of the main reasons I got into this show in the first place, and I’m sure that a lot of you found this show through the opening as well! CHARACTERS: 17.6/20 The characters were mostly a joy to watch, with Kongming acting as wise as he was in the Three Kingdoms era, while adapting to modern society, and Eiko being an aspiring singer, having great developments throughout the story, while finding her own voice. The other characters were also great, Kabetaijin, the rapper, had a pretty solid backstory, and while his story wasn’t really the deepest, it seemed realistic. His rap sequences were pretty solid as well. The three girls from Azalea, Nanami, Ichika, and Futaba really further developed the sense of realism in the music industry. Nanami’s backstory and her wish to be the next superstar alongside her band, Azalea, is a lofty goal, and sometimes, you got to make a deal with the devil to achieve that goal. In this case, the devil presents himself in the form of Karasuma, Key Time’s producer. He turned a once cheerful high school band into a company-manufactured idol group devoid of all of the original personalities of the members. We also saw some fan-service, but it felt much different from regular fan-service because we feel for the band and how they were being treated. Goes to show you how difficult trying to make it big truly is. ENJOYMENT: 14.2/15 Really enjoyed it throughout. Felt like a breath of fresh air. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 17.8/20 There are some happy go lucky themes sometimes with the comedy, but the realistic side of the music industry was definitely great to see, with all the confidence issues, finding your own voice, and selling your soul sometimes to meet your goals. The themes went great together, and made for a very enjoyable show. OVERALL: 86.7/100 Something different was shown, and it felt unique and enjoyable. Music was fun to listen to, the comedy was good, and being somewhat familiar with the Three Kingdoms lore made this even more enjoyable for me. Really hope we get another season of this for sure! Now… back to listening to “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” I go…

Dedicated to the Beautiful Dreamer inside everyone. This anime came out of nowhere, I wasn't going to watch another generic isekai but then the OP went viral so I thought I'd try an episode, got HOOKED by the awesome OP and this ended up being my favorite anime of Spring 2022. Story and Character - 10/10 Zhuge Liang, premier general from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is reverse isekai'd into modern day Japan during Halloween. It's hilarious how they drag him around getting him drunk, and he is later picked up by Eiko in an act of kindness that he repays ten thousand fold by announcing he will be her tactician and help her attain a lofty goal after listening to her sing. We all know he's smarter than heck, but this anime also showed his funny soft side, making him one of the most lovable Isekai protagonists out there. Eiko is supportive, wholesome and cute, she's one of the best waifus this season, and a great friend to have. The supporting cast is equally amazing from Kabetaijin (what a great rap name, just rolls off the tongue sounding epic), the club manager, the IT guy, other singers and Azalea. Idol anime are normally generic but this one kind of broke the mold a little by showing the trade offs for fame (over-production, skimpy clothing, sex sells vs. talent) in a realistic grounded way. We understand, empathize and basically have no choice but to root for Eiko to succeed. Art and Sound - 10/10 The art probably has some motion capture underlying that as the dancing looks real. This coupled with the overly catchy banger OP song, the viral Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of the key reasons this anime went from hidden gem to contention for top 3 anime of the season. There are tons of react videos to the OP, and I predicted the dance to the OP song would get videos, which happened before the last episode aired. The one song Eiko was working on the entire season is revealed in the last episode, and Dreamer is so well performed I'm sure I wasn't be the only one who shed tears as all the pent up emotions boiled over. The singer's voice goes well with the song and the lyrics are ... something that most people can relate to or aspire to. For me, the Dreamer performance is that one EXTRA factor that elevated this anime to masterpiece status. The ED, the OST, the Rapping, the Voice acting, the lights, the stage, the crowd's enthusiasm was enough to make me cheer, fist pump and weep at home. This rarely happens with isekais or music anime, but somehow they got to me. Dreamer is my anime song of the season for Spring 2022. Enjoyment and Overall - 10/10 I enjoyed every single episode of this anime which has one of the best season ending episodes. This is one I'll re-watch, and I might have already listened to several songs from this anime more than 10 times. This anime is only surpassed by Dance Dance Danseur when it comes to the anime making me FEEL the Passion to chase a dream. There are lots of good anime in the Spring 2022 season but only 2 have moved me so much they've made me cry. If an anime can touch something in a person to cause that much of a reaction (the Feels) I usually love it.