This show is going to get ahead.
What They Say:
“A Visceral Allegory of Seven Years of My Artistic Life”
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Considering the variety of shows we get in this block alone, never mind short-form anime in general, Sekko Boys is the one that I was most curious about simply because of the highly non-standard promotional spots that we had for it. With the live-action pieces with the busts, it was just plain weird and that left me hopeful that the show would just go its own way and really have fun with being weird. The busts also gave me a mild Thermae Romae vibe, even though I know it has zero to do with it, but there’s a kind of subconscious appeal there as I really want to see that whole work explored in some way. Suffice to say, Sekko Boys capitalizes on weird.
The surreal idol status of these busts and their place in the world is just that surreal, but there’s also that sense once again that in anime (and Japan), anything goes. With some great animation, we’re introduced to twenty-two year old Miki, who has just joined an entertainment company to help out and get her career going. She’s surprised to learn that she’s being set as a manager, but she’s wholly unprepared for the kinds of stars she’s going to have to deal with. We get to see what kind of person she is, however, through an amusing flashback sequence when she was at art school and faced a whole lot of adversity in having to draw sculptures, which just drove her nuts. So much so that no matter where she went that’s all she saw. The expression of her psychological pressure is great and the show just handles the animation and over the top nature beautifully.
So, naturally, the group that she has to manage is a new idol group, which she hilariously goes into dream mode about what it’ll be like to interact with. Dream sequences can be hit or miss, but this one is a hit. And seeing that dream shatter so hard when the other manage wheels out the four busts on a cart and introduces them as we get their basic personality types, well, it’s just spot on perfect. While I can see the idol side of it getting to be a bit problematic over the course of the series, Miki is selling this show big time as she discovers what’s in store for her – idols whose personalities and morals are etched in stone. Oh my.
In Summary:
I am beyond sold on this show. While it’s going to take a bit to adjust to the idol side and who they are since they mostly get just a cursory introduction here at the end, Miki is the real selling point and she delivers in scene after scene here. The show looks great, has some great humor, and just hits its time perfectly. It’s weird and surreal and I simply cannot wait to see more of it.
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.
