Yoshinaga-san Chi no Gargoyle

I've noticed that there is a trend amongst anime fans to automatically hate shows with no real plot, or where the plot takes a long time to develop. It's a shame that this is the case as there are a number of gems out there that have been misnomered by one fan or another, and have thus failed to gain any sort of popularity or commendation. Take Yoshinaga-san`chi no Gargoyle for example. The show is about young Yoshinaga Futaba and her family (mum, dad, older brother), and the strange statue that she wins in a lotttery at the local shopping district. This statue is Gargoyle - a talking statue that moves (just not how you expect), flies, and shoots beams from it's eyes. Gargoyle is alive, and in the tradition of gargoyles, he has taken it upon himself to protect the yoshinaga's and their home from such menaces as the paperboy, the mailman, people walking down the street, etc. There's more to the story than just that, but it all gets a little surreal from the get-go. The animation in Yoshinaga-san`chi no Gargoyle isn't anything special. The creators weren't trying to break any new ground either visuals or sound. The score is reasonable, yet forgettable. The animation is sometimes jerky whilst the backgrounds are okay at best. The one big plus point the show had for me, in terms of sound that is, was the fact that Gargoyle is voiced by the stupendous Wakamoto Norio. The characters were, again, nothing special. Futaba is a typical tomboy, while her brother has his girlish tendencies. Mother likes wrestling, and will punish the kids and hubby by using a suplex or similar. Father is just plain forgettable. The only really memorable character in the show is Gargoyle-kun. Given all of the "flaws" of the show, you're probably wondering why I gave it a score of 8. I'll explain.... If I were to classify Yoshinaga-san`chi no Gargoyle, I would have to place it firmly under the heading of "no-brain" entertainment. It has no real plot, the characters get little to no development, the animation is okay at best, and the music an sound effects are reasonable enough. HOWEVER, Yoshinaga-san`chi no Gargoyle is no-brain entertainment of the best kind. It is a surrealistic, oddball comedy, and barring a few blips, doesn't really pretend to be anything else. That's one of the beauties of a show like this. The fact that they aren't concerned with great animation, sound, music, plot, etc, as all they really want to do is make you laugh. And I did. A lot :D If you're terminally addicted to shows where there has to be a plot, then you probably won't like Yoshinaga-san`chi no Gargoyle. Likewise if you can't live without seeing strong character development, great animation, excellent music and effects, etc, then you probably should avoid this show. It's unfortunate that there's a lot of people out there who fit into those categories, but that's by-the-by. If you're after something that is entertaining (without the need to engage higher brain functions), will make you laugh (a lot), and basically does exactly what it says on the tin, then give Yoshinaga-san`chi no Gargoyle a try. And for all those addicts I referred to above - why not give this, or another show (Seto no Hanayome or Inukami), a try. You never know. You may find you enjoy them...

Why you should watch this: The main character doesn't actually visibly move. He just sort of...teleports from scene to scene. If you're the type who likes to have a firm logical grip on reality this is really not for you. A lot of things don't exactly make sense, but overall it's really not supposed to, and in fact I think it kind of makes fun of itself in a way. Very episode-to-episode style, but the relationships between the characters do develop in a satisfying way. This would be a good animé as a sort of intro for kids. It's definitely lighthearted in general, though it's still got some points serious enough to make it not totally silly by any means. If you've got a bit of a silly sense of humour or you like something vaguely, but not totally mindless, I think this animé is worth watching. Uber-serious watchers are best advised not to approach.

The Gargoyle of Yoshinaga is exactly the kind of unapolagetically hilarious, weird, and outlandish slice of life comedy that was so common in the 2000s, and this anime in particular is very much a classic example of an anime from 2006, about a supernaturally powerful dog-shaped Gargoyle that a family wins in a raffle. I am personally an absolute sucker for this era of anime, so the fact that this title checks all the boxes of the archetypes and tropes common to that period is a big plus for me. I'll go into more detail here, as I discuss this anime's strongest aspect, the story. Right out the gate, it takes a funny yet honest approach to many classic tropes of the time, embodied in its various characters. Everything from the psychic experimental subject girl Lily, or the gentleman thief Kaito, or the eccentric and single-minded magic shop owner Iyo, and even all the cryptids and references they pack in throughout, further proves the point I'm making here. It feels very much a product of its time, and seems in some ways to even be self-aware of that, which I personally love. On its overall merits, however, it is funny, creative, engaging, with snappy and clever dialogue, and a skill for ensuring you have no idea where the story's going to go next. The art is solid, certainly a great example of the standard of quality for the time, with fun character designs and a strong emotive sense throughout. It even has an unusually solid grasp of motion for a SoL comedy from this period that I find impressive. The sound is good, meeting the standard of quality for the time, with a special note towards the fun and characteristic voice work. The characters are great, each one a perfect fit for their role and the world they inhabit. My favorites among them are the titular Gargoyle, and the psychic girl Lily. Gargyole, with his immense power and deadpan, overly-literal approach to life and line delivery, makes for a fun central figure of the show, contrasting his frequent misunderstandings with his honorable heart and loyalty to the Yoshinaga family and, by extension, the entire town. Lily, meanwhile, is a fun and interesting character who experiences the most direct changes over the course of the show. She goes from this kind of strange, taciturn figure to an inquisitive and eager young girl who wants to try new experiences and gets perhaps a little too interested in following in the steps of those she idolizes. Overall, this is a fun, lighthearted, and unusual show in that archetypal anime sort of way, and I can easily recommend it, especially if you're a fan of the 2000s like I am.