I shouldn’t like this…
What They Say:
The original HackaDoll app delivers a customized feed of news for each user. The user answers some simple questions when launching the app for the first time, and then the app will filter the news that caters to the user’s personal interests — boys love (BL), cosplay, anime, manga, games, light novels, voice cast members, and more. With daily use, the app automatically analyzes and learns which news articles the user reads and recommends to further personalize the feed.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With its basis in an app that personalizes and curates news and content for users, I can’t say I was surprised to see an anime come out for it. Frankly, Japan has figured out ways to make everything cute and news curation apps should be no exception. Bringing the apps to life as cute girls that do the job and have fun along the way is something that could really work in some interesting ways if it wanted to be edgy, but I have serious doubts that Japan even knows what edgy is anymore as even though we get a lot of anime every season and year, it all tends to be very safe and cautious because of the risks involved. HackaDoll basically whittles it down to the core of targeting its viewers even more so.
The premise here gives us our main three Hackadolls that are basically considered to be inferior to previous ones, being called out as junk from the start as they don’t stack up against previous HackaDoll’s. So they’re being sent to Earth proper to work towards being better, which means these girls and all their cuteness have to work hard. The trio get synced up to a young woman that has just installed the app on her phone and they come popping out of thin air to help her. Of course, their personalities are what drives it as we get a lazy one, and outgoing one and a somewhat competent one. Seeing them go through ways to bring her information works surprisingly well, from finding awkward magazines to scandalous outfits that she’d look good in. Suffice to say, they’re not exactly competent – and she’s not going to make it easy on them either since she’s into boys-love manga of her own creation.
In Summary:
I’ll admit that I was predisposed against this series from the start simply because it’s another way to fetishize something in Japan that doesn’t need to be. And they excel at that. To make matters worse it’s all about a new curation app being brought to life. That said, the show, with all its crazy energy and quick movements, does manage to work. It could learn to slow down a touch and enjoy its eight minute run time a bit more and not be quite so frantic, as it acts like a three minute show, but it has some pretty good animation quality, fanservice and overall strong approach to how it wants to present itself. It knows what it wants to be and runs with it. I think I could go either way with this in the long run by either being driven nuts by it or just totally getting into its rhythm. The first episode has me wanting to see which it’ll be though.
Grade: B-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
