What They Say:
Several weeks after arriving at Shinobu’s home, Alice has grown used to life there and is enjoying her high school life in Japan. The mild-mannered and kind Shinobu. The composed but sometimes scatterbrained Aya. The bright and energetic Yoko with her monstrous appetite. Sensitive about her height and shy, Alice managed to make good friends and was spending her days happily, but… Alice begins wondering what her friends think of her and becomes lost deep in thought.
The Review: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The episode starts of rough, with a recap of every character as they come along by Alice. The recap is largely unnecessary in a second episode. Perhaps in a second season it would work better.
But KINMOZA gets right into it from there, and the story and the jokes start to flow pretty seamlessly. The 4-koma gags could have gotten old really quickly, but they’re surprisingly resilient. Most of the jokes come from being in the school, but the moments outside the school (like in the arcade) break up the atmosphere just enough for nothing to get old.
Some of the jokes are the same old song and dance (Alice has a complex about her height and Aya about her breast size) but those jokes are quickly swept under the rug for the interesting parts: the cultural differences between Japan and England and the communication issues that pop up occasionally. The best parts of the episode are the interaction between Alice and Shinobu, who are both entranced by each other’s respective cultures. The dynamic between the two in their jokes isn’t overdone and is broken up by normal high school comedy.
In Summary:
I thought KINMOZA would grow weary on me pretty quickly, and just be a show that I enjoyed watching for a little break between the more serious things. But it’s been surprisingly funny and the show doesn’t feel like it’s pummeling you with joke after joke, sacrificing the joke for the story. I love being surprised by shows like these, where I can legitimately enjoy them instead of just turning my critical faculties off and sitting back.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
