First Impression – Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku
Ready for an interesting school experience?
We’re on the downslope for the FI’s now, but there are still a few more to go. So let’s talk about Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku, or Mikagura School Suite (as in a suite of music), another DogaKobo offering for this spring season.
Meet The Protagonist
Eruna loses it a bit (a bit?) when she sees a cute girl
In a way that feels at least a little reminiscent of Mekakucity Actors, Mikagura School Suite is a light novel series inspired by Vocaloid songs written by the author(s) Last Note, or at least the characters are inspired by the songs. But I’ll say that unlike Mekakucity Actors, which was at best barely struggling above the weight of its fairly downer source songs (and usually drowned under that same depressive weight), Mikagura School Suite has a much lighter, much more ‘rock’ feeling, mostly down to the irrepressible bubbliness of the lead character, Eruna Ichinomiya (whose song is Houkago Stride).
Give it up already, Shigure
A third year middle-schooler who doesn’t know what she wants to do with herself, starting with what high school she wants to go to, Eruna just can’t figure out something fun to do. Instead she ends up wasting a lot of time with galges, indulging her proclivity towards cute girls. She doesn’t have any real direction until her cousin Shigure shows up to try to interest her in the school he goes to, Mikagura Academy. Shigure’s got a big interest in Eruna, but seems destined to be the turned down cousin. I don’t know if that’s because Eruna’s only interested in cute girls, or just not interested in Shigure, but no chance.
The Fix Is In
It’s a flying talking cat!
It’s obvious (to everyone bar Eruna) from the ridiculously easy admittance process that Eruna is subjected to that the fix is in and she’s going to get admitted no matter what. In fact, on rewatching the show to write this post, even Shigure’s first introducing Eruna to the school is part of that, since he ‘got special permission to leave the dorm’ to come let her know about the school. So it’s obvious that someone at the school thinks there’s something special about her, and that would be Bimii, some sort of cat spirit with wings. That’s actually not his real name, but that’s all that Eruna’s going to call him.
Enjoy your ‘room’, Eruna
Bimii’s main job in the episode is exposition (which is also the episode’s main job), explaining to Eruna (and us) what the school is about. And what it’s about is clubs: be in a good one, and you get good perks. Not so good ones, not as many perks. No club, and you’re out in the hall in a sleeping bag, like Eruna. But she can’t decide (we’ve seen this before) on a club, even when goaded to just pick one to try. What she wants is to be around Seisa, the granddaughter of the principal, and also the cute model in the catalog that enticed her to go there. Lucky for Eruna that Seisa is interested in Bimii’s pick for who to admit, and offers her a rare spot on the Kitaku-bu (Going Home Club, usually describing people who aren’t in a club and just “go home” after school). Oh, and Eruna’s instantly the ‘club’ representative, expected to fight for the club’s positioning. Yoroshiku!
Does Seisa have Grade-Half Zettai Ryouiki?
I liked this first episode, even though there sure wasn’t much in the way of plot. The whole episode was pretty much just setup for the series, from Eruna’s character to the school setting. It was also a chance for Eruna’s character to vamp a lot, which ended up mostly funny, especially when she was taking the ‘entrance examination’. We’ll see how the show goes. There seems to be a chance that it could turn into a “battle the next strongest, because they’re the next strongest!” setting, which loses me pretty darn quickly if that’s the whole point of the show. That’s what got me disinterested in the second season of Medaka Box. But if they keep it mostly about Eruna and her adventures in school, with some battles thrown in, I think it might be a fun show to keep watching.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
For another Vocaloid anime series this was fun! Eruna is definitely a ton of fun to watch even if she does get a bit extreme around certain girls, but that is the kind of yuri I like! Comical just like Yuru Yuri.
Gotta watch more and <3 the character designs! Now I want to see how the "battles" go.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Not a bad for a first run and looks as though things will keep getting interesting. The criteria and standards surrounding clubs are so severe I can’t help feeling a swell of pity for those who aren’t part of one. The way they’re determined reminds me of Divergent and right now, Eruna is part of the factionless without benefits of any kind. Last but not least, Eruna is a certified fruit cake with extra nuts for good measure with her erratic behavior. A perfect fit for an insane asylum, if you ask me.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I would imagine that the only person not in a club is Eruna. Most people aren’t as stubborn as she is about wanting to do the things they like, so I can imagine most people actually try to get into the club of their choosing, especially given the hardships thrust upon those without clubs. I do wonder what the delta is between Eruna’s treatment not in a club and being in the lowest rated club.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yes, a show that looks like it knows to have fun. Eruna is pretty darn cool, and weird with a beard.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
Ok, Let’s see now…This maybe a mix of Yuri and (excuse me) Yaoi…? (OH OH….)
and if that lady is a generous one, that girl maybe is so…uh…funny…well, she maybe good as in really good, but really funny…!
OK…a Seiyuu Joke Alright…