What they say:
At Binan High School in the city of Binan, Japan, Yufuin En and Kinugawa Atsushi, along with along with Naruko Io and Zaou Ryuu, enjoy leisurely high school lives while hosting meetings of a do-nothing club called the Earth Defense Club.
The Review:
Content:
Cute High Earth Defense Club Love’s first episode primarily revolves around parodying Sailor Moon. The episode begins with two of the lesser characters of the primary cast engaging in witty banter in a public bath. They encounter a pink wombat (as you do) and one of the bath’s workers immediately charges the wombat. This sets the tone for the episode’s first half.
The setting switches to high school where a boy who views himself as interesting as drying paint will inevitably become the episode’s stock villain, more on this later. The blond boy’s pursuit of the pink wombat culminates in a skirmish in the Go Home Club’s room which goes under the name “Earth Defense Club.” This will most likely come into the plot later down the line. Each of the boys in the club room receives a bracelet to protect earth from aliens with “love.” They encounter paint wall boy who has now become a food alien (no context necessary). Who they are forced to defeat against their will. Roll the credits.
I’m probably not giving this series nearly enough credit. The writing is leaps and bounds above most of the shows this winter. It is the main reason to continue watching this show. This could have quite easily been very standard material. Based on all promotional art and material that is most likely what everyone coming into this will expect. It certainly was for me; and yet despite this, the first episode was thoroughly enjoyable.
It has all the elements of being yet another rough spot amid the few diamonds of winter season: the colour palette is muddy which gives the show a more organic feel and the characters boil down to fundamental anime stereotypes. Yet that too was part of the joke. This show has some great talent behind it and it is clear they have their A game for this show.
In Summary:
The first episode does well at what it does: being corny and dryly witty! While the colors are not as bright as they should be, this is a parody of magical girl shows after all. It does a terrific job in terms of writing and being absolutely cuckoo. While there may be better offerings this season as a whole. This episode is, regardless, an absolute delight!
Grade: B
Streamed by: FUNimation
