Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

Series Information
ANN Encyclopedia | AniDB | AnimeNfo
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Ecchi, Supernatural
Production: A.C.G.T
OP: [Hizamazuku Made 5 Byo Dake!] by Miyuki Hashimoto
ED: [Butler Switch On!] by Yuko Goto
Kimi ga Aruji de Shituji ga Ore de

When I first started to watch Kimi ga Aru de Shituji ga Ore de… Kimi Aru… I had a feeling we are finally going to have a comedy anime that doesn’t involve tons of shy girls who fall in love with our hero, have a decent plot and actually funny. For the most part, it done well, although it’s quite obvious towards the end the show doesn’t have any steam left. Even so, if you are looking for something to make you laugh, Kimi Aru is bound to make you do that at least one time.

Ren and Mihato Uesugi ran away from her abusive father’s house in order to seek a new life. After failing to find anything, they stumble upon Miyu Kuonji, who collapses in the hot sun. Ren, being the altruist he is, decided to carry her to her house. Apparently she lives in a mansion that belongs to none other than the famous conductor, Shinra Kuonji, Miyu’s older sister. Shinra decides to thank the two siblings by offering them a place to stay, if they work as a butler and a maid in return. The two accept and hilarity ensues.

The plot is simplistic, and I have to admit, I did expect great things out of it, but although it builds up nicely towards the end of the show, the way it is resolves is abrupt. Thankfully, the show is hilarious. The colorful cast of characters help the show stay unique at least for the first 8 episodes. Ren’s seiyuu, Tomokazu Seki, does a great job spouting pathetic cries when the situation is dire or sounding secure when he comforts the different beings of the Kuonji house. The guy, no matter how bad of anime he is featured in, still proves he has a great comedic and dramatic sense. I also liked Yosuke Akimoto’s character, Taisa, as the main butler who serves as a mentor for Ren’s butler duties. Other interesting characters include Kuki Ageha (voice by the notorious Rie Tanaka who does a great job sounding as an authority figure rather than a fragile girl like in the Lacus Clyne days. Her butler, Kojurou is wonderfully acted by the multi-talented Nobuyuki Hiyama and his “Ageha-sama” squeaks has become a trademark of the show. Whenever those four characters interact, the show is at its prime.

That doesn’t mean, however, it’s all good. The rest of the character do not fare as well. Mihato is considered a main character only in the first episode, and even during the final scene she doesn’t contribute to the story. Natose, as cool of a character as she is, never got her screentime and her background was explained in a slipshod way. The main offenders are the actual Kuonji masters: Shinra, Miyu and Yume. There is nothing really likeable about any of them. Miyu always complains on how everyone treats her as a child although she is a prodigy so you want to punch her in the face, Yume always complains no one cares about her even though she got the most dedicated episodes than any character, and Shinra is so monotone and boring, it takes 12 episodes to finally find a likable bone in her fine drawn body. The characters in the show are colorful, but they don’t develop in a way that the avid anime watcher will like them more.

The series does comedy well when they don’t try so hard. This, however, will only affect those who watch anime frequently. There are often an ample supply of in-jokes that only an otaku can figure out, like a reference to Shinra’s seiyuu, Shizuka Itou, radio show. Episode 6 is filled with tons of references, and although it centers on Yume, it was hilarious since you can tell the writers did their homework and researched each seiyuu’s role, like the interaction of Ren and Taisa is akin to the relationship of Domon and Master Asia from G-Gundam (since the two voiced those characters as well, respectively), which is an ongoing joke throughout the show. Despite this, there are times when the show takes it too far and the jokes are not funny, as seen later in the show. It’s funny to see Taisa shoot a Kamehameha the first time, but the 372nd time is too much.

Overall, I admit I expected Kimi Aru to be a lot more than just a regular ecchi comedy, but I have to admit it was a lot more tasteful than I thought. The boob and panty jokes don’t take a lot of the show, and the stories are fun to watch to say the least. I’m still going to wait for the perfect romantic comedy that can be both insightful and hilarious at the same time, but as of now, Kimi Aru, with all its flaws, was at least an entertaining ride.

[Final Score: 74/100]