Shinryaku! Ika Musume

What can i say about Squid Girl? It's cute, funny and just down right odd, but in a good way. It's nothing great by any means, but it does have decent animation, an adorable protagonist, and some pretty funny moments. Most of the lead cast besides Squid Girl herself, are pretty boring and one dimensional however, they all have good moments at least once. The story is nothing to be looked into, but it does fit the tone of the show. This show kind of reminds me of a softer, weirder japanese version of Invader Zim in a way. With the main protagonist trying to take over the world and failing in comedic fashion. Something i just don't understand is why they had to add small scenes of weird sexual innuendos into a children's anime, but okay. If you can do it without being blatant and obvious, go for it, but two scenes really stood out of place. With what was given and while taking into account that this wasn't meant to be the greatest show ever, it did it's job. It made me laugh. I had fun.

This anime is about a girl that is part squid and came to the land of Japan to take vengeance on the humans. The series is episodic in its story lines and it is the type of anime were you can enjoy it with out a brain. The main character herself seemed to me the child of a tentacle hentai, if you know what I mean. But other than that it is an anime in which is enjoyable for most audiences. It is more of a comedy than anything else but it is some thing to watch in between dramatic anime or just some thing to make you awkwardly smile.

Ika Musume is one of the few very moe comedy shows that I have managed to enjoy. To be honest I rarely can appreciate jokes and gags in anime, so I am very harsh critic. Yet, I must admit that Ika musume had managed to tickle me pink on a few different occasions. They took a simple idea, and made it work well. Ika musume follows… well Ika Musume as she attempts to conquer land to take revenge on the atrocities humanity commits on the seas. However, due to unfortunate circumstances she damages the frightening Aizawa Chizuru's precious shop. Thus, in order to protect herself from Chizuru she ends up working off her debt in their beachside restaurant. In reality I have no issues with the deliver of the comedy, or content of the skits. While the majority of them are rather slice of life style jokes the addition of Ika Musume's ocean born naivety and abilities makes the content pretty silly. Her original purpose of conquering humanity isn't typically the focus of the skits, but they don't forget to make her act the part when she should. However, I found that the episodes at the beginning of the show were a bit boring, and that the later episodes are a decent improvement in quality as the characters build better relationships with one another. The majority of the characters don't feel particularly distinguishable, but their relationship and interactions with ika musume is what makes them interesting. I think nobody can explain this better than Aizawa Eiko, Chizuru's younger sister. She really has no unique character traits at all, but she looks out for Ika-chan and makes sure to tsukkomi whenever possible. However, the comedy takes advantage of this 'simple' character and manages to deliver the jokes in an extremely satisfying way. The characters do have their unique way of interpreting Ika-chan whether it be something to dress up in cute clothes, an alien specimen, or a advertisement tool. The show is a moe comedy in reality though. Take for example the 'moe' chapters of mini Ika Musume where nothing really happens except Ika being miniature size and acting cute. That being said I don't think that having a really moe segment actually makes the show better; although, i admit it can be adorable. Ika Musume is in actuality a genius (for example, a living calculator), but cannot seem to escape the short end of the stick every skit. For me it was a combination of frustration, and amusement as Ika-chan proceeded to be ruthlessly teased on throughout the show. The skits were well done, but I have always had a disdane for main characters who do everything right yet can't get a break. Overall, I think that if you are looking for a lighthearted comedy Ika Musume does it right, and does it pretty well. My score is somewhat low due to my unusually dull sense of humor, but I won't say that this will have you laughing your ass of either. However, if you are in the mood for some strange slice of life comedies with moe squids then I don't think you have to look any further.

Similar to many shows of the same genre, Ika Musume is episodic with multiple stories within each episode. This, coupled with the writer’s ability to keep each and every section independent of repeat humor, kept the anime fresh from episode to episode, which is especially important given the fact that I watched this anime while it was airing. Nothing hurts my attention to an anime more than watching an anime with an overall plot weekly; since I’m usually watching multiple shows at the same time, it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on, when and where. With Ika Musume, I could kick back for my weekly 30 minutes and enjoy good laughs and fuzzy feelings. Graphics The graphics of this show are pretty generic, with the soft colors and simple designs. One thing I was appreciative of was the consistency of art throughout the episodes. Plot As stated before, I really loved how each skit was unique in humor and didn’t rely on older jokes to generate laughs. You can pretty much pick up any episode in any order and still find yourself enjoying Ika-chan’s ridiculous gullibility. The only reason I don’t give the plot a full 10 is because of the final episode. *SPOILER* Whereas the previous episodes are episodic and don’t really cling to any serious ideas of character or purpose, the last episode suddenly throws in a very serious loss of self. With reasons unknown, and never given, Ika-chan suddenly loses all her squid abilities: tentacle power, glow, and squid ink. Her subsequent disappearance doesn’t amount to anything, as she comes back without regaining her skills, nor any hint about why she’s lost them. This makes her sudden recovery, with the endangerment to Eiko’s life, all the more unbelievable. I guess I’m supposed to assume that she regains everything because of a sudden realization of her affections for humanity, for the friendships that she has made? Characters Shinryaku! Ika Musume boasts a relatively small cast of characters. Ika-chan and Chizuru were my favorite characters by far; their weirdness and coolness were in completely different leagues, but still memorable in ways their fellow characters were not. While Eiko was one of the first introduced characters, I never felt much attachment to her–she lacked any twists to her personality. However, I didn’t feel any need for more from her. She was just…there. The same goes for Takeru. In fact, I had to look up his name just to talk about him here >.< Cute? Sure, he had his moments. Memorable? Obviously not. Cyndi, Sanae, Nagisa, and Ayumi all feel pretty much on the same level; they serve the purpose of promoting Ika-chan’s cuteness. As such, any attachment I have to them is an attachment to the scenes they share with Ika-chan. Sound I always have a hard time commenting on sound. Unless the music was truly unique enough to catch my attention, I don’t really pay attention to it. The same goes with sound effects.

(This is a review of the whole series rather than just season one) I believe that everybody no matter who you are has an anime that will resonate with you to an extreme level, Shinryaku! Ika Musume is that anime for me. The anime follows the daily life of the titular character Ika Musume living in earth, a place due to her origins as a squid in the sea she has zero knowledge of, which makes her seem as somebody who is harmless which is the whole opposite of what she wants due to her intentions of trying to invade humanity, most of the plots of the chapters and comedy of the anime is based on that premise, this can be compared to works like The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! Where a character who wishes to be feared doesn't get taken as seriously, I believe that this is one of the strongest point of the anime, this dynamic is very well done, and it simply works flawlessly, I can guarantee that at the very least it will make you smile a bit. In the span of 29 episodes from two seasons and specials, Ika Musume will encounter various characters, this is others of the strongest point of the anime since this is one of the little anime where there isn't any character that seems to ruin something, no matter with who one or more characters are interacting with it always work with no fail, in other words, every character adds something positive to the table, the way characters work can be compared to animes like Azumanga Daioh or Hidamari Sketch, where each character complements each other in the scene that they are in, just that in this case each interaction in one way to another revolves around Ika. Because of the episodic nature of the anime the story isn't complex at all, for instance Ika and the various other characters have little to no character development at all, and if they do have it is very bare-bones, this whole thing can be a turn-off for many people, specially the fans of more story focused animes, so take into account that you should watch this anime without expecting something amazing story wise. In conclusion, if you're looking for a lighthearted anime that have both cute and funny moments revolved around a childish character with not that much knowledge of our world, this is the anime for you, but if you're looking for something more complex with development you wouldn't enjoy this anime as much, hope this review has made you make a decision in watching it or not

Squid Girl, I want to eat you. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I picked up Shinryaku! Ika Musume after watching a particular .gif that made me laugh my ass off. At first, I was very hesitant in watching such a show due to its childish animation. It looks like a show for kids. I was wrong. Ika Musume's cover might look innocent on the outside, but it also has a very disturbing comedic undertone that many may look past on. I hope this review will give you a inkling of what I'm talking about, de geso. STORY (7/10): Shinryaku! Ika Musume begins as environmental propaganda. When humans begin abusing their existence and treat Mother Nature like trash, she tends to strike back with tremendous force. So, Mother Nature threw up Ika Musume from the sea to land, in order to set mankind straight. The mysterious creature that ascended from the depths arrives to Japan and initiates an invasion that will enslave all land dwellers. However, our tentacled cephalopod realizes that an invasion would be impossible when she encounters friends, thus hilarity ensues. Pretty simple storyline, isn't? Borrowing from the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, Invader Zim, Ika Musume attempts to invade Earth, though ignorant to the fact that the Earth is a bigger place than she had initially thought. Nevertheless, the storyline transforms into a story about a innocent girl with sinister plans that lives in a world that is not of her own. She is forced to play the "rules" (social norms) and is slowly introduced to the world of mankind, starting from the very bottom. Certainly, Ika Musume does in fact "invade" our world, but in a totally different way. Instead of conquering the land, she ends up conquering the hearts of the characters and viewers alike. ART (7/10): Quite colorful and spontaneous, the anime doesn't let the viewers peel their eyes away for a second. From episode one to the final episode, the background moves with the characters. Every emotion that is felt from a character is noticeable. Although the animation does not stimulates your eyes with exquisite visuals, viewers will not be interrupted and confused. Many of the characters have similar facial designs and eyes, but due to their unique personalities, each animated face give a refreshing quality depending on their character. SOUND (7/10): The OP "Shinryaku no Susume" by Ultra-Prism has a fiery sound, much like a superhero theme song. On the contrary, the fast-paced melody is quite fitting to the anime. The EP "Metamerism" by Kanae Itō sets a lullaby that becomes a tranquilizer for all the comedy and ridiculousness that this anime tosses at the viewers. Slow, yet catchy, it is a satisfying end for any action-packed anime that wants to bring the curtain down to a close. CHARACTERS (9/10): This is where it gets really weird. I swear every ounce of comedy, whether it is dark or light-hearted, is squeezed out of the characters. It is interesting to note, that every character have their own unique comedy effect towards viewers, due to their salient personalities. Ika Musume, is our anti-hero/heroine, who has come from the sea to invade Earth. Her innocence, curiosity, and many times, her ignorance becomes a staple comedy factor to the anime which can only be satisfied through irony. The anime is also split into "mini-fillers" which stars a chibi Squid Girl, who entertains our viewers with outrageous adventures that is both hilarious and moe. The Aizawa family (from oldest to youngest), Chizuru, Eiko, and Takeru, are the caretakers and victims to Ika Musume's menace. Their relationship with Ika Musume is a cycle of heart-warming comedic scenes as they learn from each other what it means to be a lost child in a foreign world, and what it means to have a loving, caring family. Sanae Nagatsuki fills the disturbing comedy void that this anime shamelessly exposes, which is one reason why Shinryaku! Ika Musume is NOT an anime for kids. At first, Sanae is a friend and classmate of Eiko who has a mutual relationship with her pet dog. Until Sanae is introduced to Ika Musume, the girl turns into a creepy stalker and a obsessed pursuer for Squid Girl's love, and don't ask me if she's into yuri or has a plain rapist mentality. Sanae engrosses the viewers using dark comedy with her "M" personality. The supporting characters also have their own unique personalities that I wish to delve on, but I don't think I want to go on any further. It doesn't mean they are garbage characters, as they fulfill their duties quite well and turns the spice of the comedy to high, depending on their screen time they get in the anime. You just have to watch the anime yourself. OVERALL (8/10): Honestly, I've enjoyed Ika Musume to the fullest. It is difficult for me to say this anime is a revolutionary work in the making, but I do encourage you to take a stab at it. I must admit that Ika Musume is slapstick comedy at its finest, ranging from plain ridiculousness to classical. I definitely had some moments where I could not stop laughing at how ludicrous some scenes were and would feel really guilty at how fucked up it was. Anyhow, I highly recommend anyone with a sense of humor to entangle their tentacles into this anime and enjoy it as much as I have.

An anime that brought me particular enjoyment. Not to due it splendiferous comedic value alone, but the fact that the comedy worked in flawless tandem with the evolution of the main character Ika, culminating in the beautiful final episode. Now i praise the characterization, due to the growth I got to Ika as the season progressed. Now as for the story, i found it to be old hat, but it worked very well, and was surprised to see how engaging it was kept with such a limiting setting such as the beach. In all this anime is worth the watch if just for humor alone.

I give this anime an 88/100 For some of you who know my taste in anime, I've never really watched a PURE comedy series. The only true comedy series I've really seen was Ouran High School Host Club, and that was long ago. But even so, Ouran is still technically a romantic comedy (though I really love it!), and I've never really encountered a PURE comedy anime that I really liked...that is, until Shinryaku! Ika Musume came around. I mean, how can you resist a story about a cute little squid girl who claims she wants to take over the world, but doesn't know beans about the human world nor does anyone take her seriously!? I read the premise of this before it came out and approached it with caution, and much to my surprise, the show is soooooo adorable in the best of ways! Even though Ika Musume came to earth because of her anger about ocean pollution and littering, this isn't really the theme behind the series. Then again, I don't know the whole point of this series at all! But who cares!? Alright, I'm gonna start off with talking about the soundtrack first. The soundtrack fits the series very well, and I often found BGMs that ALMOST sound similar to the soundtrack for 07-Ghost (especially during the scene where Chizuru attacks Ika Musume at the end of the first episode and karate chops her tentacles)! Plus the show has the catchiest theme song EVER! It's so wonderfully catchy that its almost impossible to get it out of your head! Now, onto the characters. The main cast are what really make this series shine. Ika Musume, our favorite little squid girl, is just adorable and wonderfully developed throughout the series. Her innocence regarding the human world is so endearing, especially when you consider she's a sea creature who wants nothing more than to rule the world! The other characters are nice too, and the best part? They're not stereotypes at all! They're actually ordinary people with a few quirks here and there. In my opinion, Eiko is kind of like the voice of reason for Ika Musume, Chizuru is basically the friendly older sister with a possibly deadly alter ego sleeping inside of her, Sanae, albeit being a bit too fangirly over Ika Musume most of the time, can be sane and normal when she wants to be, and this is shown in the final episode. But my favorite minor character has to be Kiyomi, the little girl whom Ika Musume is friends with. She's soooo adorable! I would've rated this series a bit higher, but my reason for this? Well...I thought Cindy Campbell and her scientist friends were a bit too weirdly portrayed and overly obsessive about aliens. I especially didn't like the scientists. They were the only bad thing about the series. I loved it when Chizuru rebuked them and stripped them and made them beg for her mercy in that one episode. But I honestly feel that the #1 best thing about Ika Musume is the 7 minute segment featuring "mini" Ika Musume at the end of episode five. I would give that single segment a 97/100 if it were just a standard anime since it's short but so adorable, cute, endearing, sad, and just plain simple and to the point. That particular segment seriously MADE the series for me. And it made the series for a lot of other people too, especially since it's inspired the creators to include segments in later DVDs! All in all, if you're looking for a cute and refreshing comedy anime with good characters, a nice atmosphere, and mildly great comedy, than Shinryaku! Ika Musume is the one for you! I know I really liked it! In fact, it's the ONLY fall 2010 anime I ever watched! The other ones didn't interest me. You should try it! You'll really be surprised!

This was my first ever anime I actively put on to watch. Somewhat forgettable but a neat premise nonetheless. It centers around a "Squid Girl" who tries to overtake humanity, but gets stuck at a seafood job to pay off some debt for property damange. She meets a colorful cast of characters along the way but I'd be damned if I actually remembered their names. I vaguely remember their personalities but now that's all of the anime I remember. It's your run-of-the-mill animation for the era and lower stakes for what it could actually be. Overall it's decent for putting on in the background to fill the void of silence. Other than that I wouldn't reccomend watching it if you want something to be engaged in.

Cute squid girl. Classing Ending animation. For opening is so-so. Both opening and ending song is not bad. The story is good, balance of the comedy and SoL. Some episode are predictable, for SoL watcher of course. As for character, each of them are unique. they have their roles well within the story. For Art style, like other SoL anime, simple and classic. Realistic? Definitely not, it's a Squid Girl. For me, i enjoy this anime. Recommended for you to spend your days in chill sofa with big TV and snacks. Not recommended for Action fans anime, Obviously. For them, they will say "boring anime".

Squid Girl was my childhood anime, so I'll try not to be biased about my review. From what I remember, the story itself was good. The plot was interesting, a squid girl who leaves the ocean because it's polluted? Pretty original, if you ask me. The art is relatively good, and the voice actors were pretty good (even for the dubbed version) Each of the characters were very special in their own way, but of course Squid-Girl stood out the most, with her peppy and cute personality. Overall, the show was enjoyable and very worth the while. I'd recommend this anime to anyone that enjoys comedy and slice of life.

Shinryaku! Ika Musume is a lesser known gem that excels in a genre that did not become popular until many years later. Shinryaku! Ika Musume is a lighthearted, comedic slice of life in which many traits of modern anime within the same vein can be traced back to earlier titles like this. I loved things like Gabriel DropOut and Dragon Maid, but Shinryaku! Ika Musume seems to have done many of the things those more modern anime prior even to their conceptualization. The comedy is of good quality, and the characters are funny. The art is moderately above-average for its time, and the music is catchy with a lot of uniqueness and character to it. Sadly, the second season drops this for a much more generic and unrelated opening theme. Overall, I really liked this. With a new job, I hardly have time after work to do anything but drink and sleep, so it's difficult for me to watch more complicated anime and write an in-depth and meaningful review for them. Shinryaku! Ika Musume is something I found myself easily watching an episode or two before bed to unwind and relax with some good laughs.

What's not to love about an anime with the english tidetle, "The Squid Girl: The Invader Comes from the Bottom of the Sea". In truth, I was inkspecting this anime to be trash, and I was not dissapointed. It is trash; simply the best kind of trash. If you were to look at my ratings you would see a wall of 7s followed by a 9 for enjoyment. This is because my enjoyment of Shinryaku! Ika Musume massively exceeded the show's actual quality. There were moments where I was laughing uncontrollably, but the fact remains that in terms of actual quality the show is fairly simplistink. Shinryaku! Ika Musume sinks or swims on its main character, Ika. All the other characters feel a squiddle one-note with the inkception of the other major character, Eiko. However, Eiko's role as the "Mature one" limits the enjoyment of her character. Therefore; the show's enjoyment stems primarily from Ika, with other characters providing entertainment through inkteraction with her. This means that if you don't like Ika, you won't like the show. However, I think this is a moot point, as Ika hershelf is such a vibrant and eninkmatic character that it doesn't really matter. To conchclude, while Shinryaku! Ika Musume is hardly a masterpiece, it is most certainly a lot of fun. If you're worried that it seems a bit fishy, why not give it a watch and see for yourshellf. I highly reccomend it if you're after something entertaining. It is inkredible how much joy can be developed from such simplistink execution.

Invader from the Sea turned to a waitress at a beach shack! ~geso. We've seen in anime that even the devil gets a part time job to psychics wanting a mundane life to the perfect classmate's awesome antics and all, this rendition is not different, character jabbing and GREAT comedy to go along with it ~geso. Shinryaku! Ika Musume is one of those comedies LA has been on LA's comedy anime bucket list for a great deal of time and really the anime didn't disappoint by the end of it. Let's DIVE right in shall we? ~geso. Shinryaku! Ika Musume's narrative structure is that of the typical comedic set piece lasting roughly 5 minutes each, rounding up to 3 or 4 large skits within one episode, largely following Ika Musume's daily life in trying to take over the world or those surrounding her and this plot structure though simple, pays off quite well due to the comedy given ~geso. This being a character-centralized kind of sitcom, LA might as well start talking about the characters before even talking about the comedy. Let's start with the titular character herself Ika Musume (or Squid Girl) voiced by Hisako Kanemoto, she is the narrative focus of the anime (to be expected) as we see her interacting with the human civilization as well as her plans for world domination through mundane ways made funny, Chizuru and Eiko Aizawa (Rie Tanaka and Ayumi Fujimura respectively) are both the tsukommi to Ika Musume's antics as well as keeping everyone in line, Eiko more to Ika Musume, Chizuru to EVERYONE. Sanae Nagatsuki voiced by Kanae Ito is an utter fangirl on borderline stalking to Ika Musume. Takeru Aizawa voiced by Miki Ootani is the younger brother of Aizawa sisters and is generally the character to involve Ika Musume in the mundane world domination plans. Nagisa Saitou voiced by Azusa Enoki is the only "sane" one of the cast, actually fearing Ika Musume's plan for world domination, which in turn Ika Musume likes to tease her with because she likes being feared. Gorou Arashiyama voiced by Yuuichi Nakamura is a lifeguard but has a crush on Chizuru, he normally is involved when Chizuru, Eiko or Nagisa is involved. Finally Cyndi Campbell voiced by Hitome Nabatame is an investigator trying to get Ika Musume into her lab so Ika Musume can be experimented as an alien. LA's favourite character though she doesn't get as much screentime and is an odd "main character status" but satellite character to Eiko (but later episodes gives full focus to Chizuru breaking her status as a satellite character), Chizuru was LA's favourite, well because of her being the MOST badass character in the entire series ~geso. Really all these diverse and wacky characters really drives the comedy for this anime. Ika Musume being the centralized comedic focus of the entire anime, Ika Musume either is the catalyst starting things off like her running gag of wanting world domination, or her mundane fascination of human culture through whenever she encounters Takeru doing something, new powers or talents Ika Musume taken to either over the top results or again, her not being taken seriously, instead being used for mundane chores or Ika Musume gets involved later in other situations only to make it even crazier or evolve the other comedic skits in the process of her "intervention" ~geso. Many of the character-focused skits do have their running gags such as Nagisa's fear of Ika Musume, Eiko's boke to tskuommi routine with Ika Musume as well as any of the other wacky cast, Sanae and Gorou's obsession with Ika Musume and Chizuru respectively and Cyndi's obsession in trying to get Ika Musume into the lab, but where it makes the comedy and running gags not as stale from it's conception onwards is Ika Musume's involvement and just making the running gags evolve along with Ika Musume's involvement with it all, from Eiko and Ika Musume's relationship grows as Ika Musume gets integrated to Eiko's home to Nagisa's relationship and how she feels about Ika Musume's presences. Add in the fact that the pre-established comedic skits LA already mentioned gets combined in the later episodes due to certain wacky characters meeting up with one another giving almost unpredictable results on the matter as well as some of the more genre-switching "silent comedy" like the Ika-tan skit to "slice of life" like Ika Musume gaining an "accidental" best friend of Kiyomi Sakura voiced by Kokoro Kikuchi (which later gets a sports genre skit) to "scary-horror" with "supernatural phenomenon" which is linked to Ika Musume's fascination of human culture taken in the more scary superstitious route (which is ironic due to Ika Musume essentially being an anomaly herself) in between the largely comedic nature of the anime and you got a really good slapstick yet wide ranging comedy about a Squid Girl who isn't taken seriously with goal of world domination with oddballs and wackjobs surrounding her. LA's favourite skits would go to anytime Ika Musume finds out a new power about herself, the entire deal with Nagisa's fear of Ika Musume (as it changes things up of Ika Musume not being the boke to Eiko's tsukommi, instead Ika Musume is the tsukommi to Nagisa's boke), the combined skits due to the obvious wacky hilarity that ensues and finally Ika Musume's attempts at world domination through mundane ways were some of LA's favourite comedic skits ~geso. Though LA said that the comedic running gags do evolve, the majority of them goes back to status quo is some ways or another, (though in a slightly deviated stance, same skit, differing results) those being Cyndi's obsession of wanting to get Ika Musume as a test subject, Sanae's obsession with Ika Musume to Gorou's crush with Chizuru, these skits though sometimes deviating from it's typical running gags, it ends nearly the same way it does though sometimes the great punchlines does mask this, but even with that, it's easily compensated with the variety of comedic skits, newer and older or characters you just didn't expect to meet up and start interacting with one other (be it similar goals to Ika Musume or just weird meetups in general) as well as some of developed comedic skits really changing things anyways ~geso. In terms of animation done by diomedea, the character designs are very standardized, the only exception being Ika Musume herself who has probably the most unique character designs, obviously what with her being a squid girl and all. The backgrounding is overall nothing much to talk about, but the more "overexagerrated" animations given can bring more variety to the animation as well. LA's most prominence in the animation would go to the character designs as Ika Musume herself was a memorable character designs further helped with the wacky antics she gets up to, the other cast members are rather noticeable usually because of their hair color or their wacky behaviour but nonetheless even that's helped due to their screentime and all ~geso. In terms of voice acting, the voice acting is decent to say the least with some notable performances from Kanae Ito with her borderline yandere vocals, Rie Tanaka's dual vocals of her sweet to red-eyed with anger vocals were pretty well done. LA's favorite voice actor would actually go to Ika Musume's voice actor, Hisako Kanemoto. Why?, because of Hisako constantly being in character with her "squid" accenting of "~geso" at the end of her sentences. It may not be much and some people might found it annoying, due to Ika Musume going through several "whining moments" within the anime, but Hisako Kanemoto is the only one with this kind of accenting and her "in-character" quite honestly made Hisako Kanemoto deserves this spot, "annoying" or otherwise ~geso. Shinryaku! Ika Musume is a very well done sitcom which is greatly helped by our titular character of Ika Musume, LA said it before but she's the glue that holds this anime together, both comedically as well as relationship-wise towards the other main cast as well, which was perfectly shown t…

If you like cute things mixed in with slice of life and comedy, than this is the anime for you! Shinryaku! ika musume(侵略!イカ娘) is by far one of my favorite animes. It is cute, there are many recurring characters who you'll love the instant you meet them and the show is funny too. What more do you want? Story 8/10 Each episode is divided into 3 smaller episodes. The episodes themselves are, in my opinion, so easily thought of that even a child could come up with it. For example(mind you, this does not happen in the show itself): >Ika-chan goes to the supermarket because she has to buy some things for dinner. Instead of buying the needed suplies she buys some icecream. The money is now gone and she is in trouble, because Chizuru is going to kick her behind< This could be an episode of Shinryaku Ika Musume, it's that easy. Does that mean that Shinryaku Ika Musume story is boring? NO, NOT AT ALL! Altough the stories are easy to come up with, they are well written and unless you've seen Shinryaku Ika Musume a couple of times like I have, you won't think about how simple the plot line is, you just go with the flow and enjoy it. Mainly because Shinryaku Ika Musume is so funny that your attention is diverted from the simple plotline. For that reason, I give the story an 8. Art 7/10 There's not a lot I can say about the art. I think most people would give it a 6 since the art is like any other regular anime. To me, however, because I like regular anime art, I gave it a 7. That is the sole reason. The art is definately not outstanding. Sound 6/10 Expect a lot of sea in your ears. That's all folks! Character 9/10 The characters are in one word: AWESOME. All the recurring characters are something special. You'll bond with them the moment you meet them. Every character has their own little quirks which makes this comedy so good. You'll meet Ika-chan who finishes her sentences with Geso, the san baka(three stooges) who destroy more than Ika-chan ever will, scary Chizuru and many more lovable characters. Enjoyment 10/10 I have watched this anime 3 times and I'm planning on watching this one for a fourth time pretty soon! Before I watch Shinryaku Ika Musume I tend to watch tons of action and psychological anime so afterwards I can relax with Ika-chan and her friend. I enjoy every episode, even after watching it 3 times. This show is simply amazing. For me, it's definately a 10 out of 10. I recommend this anime to anyone who likes cute things, the slice of life genre and likes a slow paced, relaxed anime. This is not an anime for people who crave action, because you won't find that here.

This anime is very light hearted and simple to enjoy. For starters, the show is about a squid girl who wants to invade the surface. Nothing to get confused with here. Much like something like spongebob, it's structured where there's a general plot and setting introduced into the first episode, and afterwards each episode is made with multiple story arcs that can introduce characters, develop characters, and make you laugh your butt off. The art was quite pleasing to the eye. Bubbly and fun. Bright and colorful. Nothing too out of the ordinary. The characters are nice and cheerful. I would describe most of the characters as being 2D without much more to them besides that they're all unique. This includes Alex, the dog. As for enjoyment, I would rate this a 8. Most comedy genre titles won't make even make me smirk. However multiple times throughout this anime, its just too funny not to laugh. There are way too many times I had to close the door to my room while watching this anime just so I don't creep out the rest of my family. I would definitely recommend this anime to any anime fan. Whether you're just starting to watch anime or need a nice comedy to sit down and laugh to after a long day.

Konnichi-wa! It's my first anime review on MAL, and since I've completed this series just recently, I'd like to do my impressions for it before going back to other series I've watched earlier. STORY: Shinryaku Ika-Musume does not have any real plot, rather every episode is made up of three short skits that illustrates the humorous everyday life of Ika-chan (the protagonist) and her 'adoptive' family. Just like other similarly structured comedies such as Crayon Shin-Chan and Seitokai Yakuindomo, each skit is either a hit or miss: you either have a good laugh at the end of every seven minutes or you go 'jeez~'. However, let me assure you that Shinryaku Ika-Musume will definitely have you ROFL at the end of every skit. At least I do. Unlike a lot of other comedies which usually consists of repeating the same old joke every episode until you are totally bored, Shinryaku Ika-Musume doesn't. You can see Ika-chan playing with her friends in one skit, and the next you see her fooling the three MID scientists. The same joke rarely repeats itself. Every skit is well-crafted, and it brings you a broad smile on your face at the end. ART: Shinryaku Ika-Musume sports some good character designs, most unforgettable of all includes Ika-chan and of course the three MID scientists. Other than that, the art throughout the whole series is pretty standard. SOUND: I wonder why slice-of-life comedy series seldom gets awesome soundtrack. Probably because it's a 'slice-of-life' series, it's meant to emphasize the everyday lives, not some epic story or things like that. That being said, the soundtrack of Ika-Musume is also not something you would look out for. On the other hand, the OP and ED of the series are quite good. The OP, 'Shinryaku no Susume' is catchy and fits the overall mood of the series. The ED, 'Metamerism' was a weird choice for such a lively show, but nevertheless it was a decent song. What I particularly enjoy most about Shinryaku Ika-Musume's sound is the voice acting. Ika-chan's voice actress was obviously a correct choice - she managed to inject life into the cute character. Another character who had a great voice was Chizuru (I call her Brock Ver. Female, just to let you know). CHARACTER: Because it was a show made up of character-driven skits, the character development was done quite well. Each character had enough screentime and had good development. As the show progresses, we see more and more different perspectives of the characters. Obviously the one who got the most development was Ika-chan. Other people, such as Eiko and Sanae, was developed well too. However, Chizuru still remains my favorite character. OVERALL: All in all, Shinryaku Ika-Musume is one good comedic series that I would recommend to even my friends who don't watch anime. The well-written humor mixed with the slice-of-lifeness would make you want to watch it again and again.

Summer is supposedly a good time for swimsuits, swimming in pools and oceans, seasonal work, tanning, the air conditioner, and mainly having fun. (Also for "getting laid.") And we humans still need to remind ourselves that our environment is not something you can mindlessly throw in the trash can. Said trash can is where latter message went; with this "comedy" called Shinryaku Ika Musume. This anime is about the plight of a "moe-tized" squid as she tries to exact her revenge against us "evil humans" yet can't even defeat those humans who run and frequent a seaside restaurant. Two issues I have with this title: 1) The Invincible Chizuru. She has no weak spot or exploitable weakness. She just cuts anybody down to size. Despite her sweetness, her character's NO GOOD. 2) Japan's blatant anti-American, "non-Asians are stupid / the bad guys (if they're not hot chicks or cute jailbaits)" strikes once again here. (I mean... Media Blasters had license this for Western release, right?) I held my tongue about the lack of good male lead in this anime. (Takeru is a little boy and Goro is in his 20s.) But DAMN, animu industry! Summer's mainly about having fun! Why does YOUR idea of "having fun" need to ruin it for everybody else?!

I'll be honest: The first time I watched this anime, I thought it was quite possibly one of the worst shows ever made in history, mainly because at the time, I thought Squid Girl was obnoxious and the plot of the series didn't seem to develop that much, as it was supposed to centre around a squid girl living in an ocean who was fed up with the pollution of the sea, and wanted to get revenge on all humans, only to result in her actually just playing around with other children and the owners of the beachside restaurant and not really accomplishing her supposed mission. If you're looking for a certain anime that is somewhat plot-heavy, Shinryaku Ika Musume is most definitely NOT the show for you. However, as time went on, I decided to give this show another shot, and not take it as seriously as I did the first time, and I actually found this show to have quite a lot of potential, despite its misleading plot. I really regret being harsh on this show at the time, as the humour in this anime is very similar to that of Azumanga Daioh, a famous slice-of-life show that is known to have quite a lot of hilarious slapstick comedy, such as Chiyo-chan and Osaka getting smacked in the face with a volleyball time and time again, and similar humour can be shown in this show, as there is a scene where Squid Girl throws up squid ink all over Chizuru after sneezing. At least Azumanga Daioh gives us a more genuine description of what to expect in its respective show, whereas Shinryaku Ika Musume just misleads us into something we did not expect. Anyway, let me give my ratings for the six key anime elements: Story - 6/10 To be honest, I thought the story set-up was excellent. When I read a description of this anime, I was expecting it to be jam-packed full of action. It was supposed to be about a little girl in the form of a squid vowing to get revenge on the human population for polluting the sea, but as soon as she sets foot on earth above the ocean surface, that's when the show instantly begins to lose its plot, as she doesn't really do much to accomplish her mission, and instead just goofs around with other kids and the owners of the beachside restaurant by doing things such as having a fake birthday party for her, and having her consume shrimp to get over an illness that she just caught. Art 10/10 I'm in love with the artwork. It is all bright and colourful and the character designs look adorable with their blobby-looking faces. Sound 10/10 The voice acting is cute, and the opening theme song is extremely catchy, though to some people, it may seem annoying as many people dislike high-pitched anime girls singing. Characters - 9/10 Squid Girl is hilarious, as she doesn't understand the concept of everyday human life. For example, when she sees children playing with inflatable sharks and fish, she mistakes them for being brought out of the sea and murdered so that the children can take advantage of them. Eiko is another hilarious character, as she is often portrayed as being embarrassed by squid girls antics, an example being when squid girl gets sick from consuming so much seafood that in order to cure her illness, she has to consume some more shrimp. Enjoyment - 9/10 Like I said, this anime does mislead you into thinking that it is a plot-heavy show, but It's still a good slice-of-life comedy if you don't take it too seriously. If you liked Azumanga Daioh, you are guaranteed to enjoy this show as well. Overall 9/10 This anime is a must-watch, as it is jam-packed full of comedy. It may not have much in the way of a story, but the witty humour of this show is what gives this anime lots and lots of potential. :)

A solid comedy to the end with some pretty funny sub-episodes, and enough of a emotional ending to not feel like it just stopped. I thought it kind of overplayed everyone's distinguishing characteristic (like Chizuru's martial arts) to the point where season 2 might be a strained pale parody of the original which outstays its welcome, but that's not a big problem if you stop with season 1.