First Impression – Keijo!!!!!!!!
A surprising response
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It’s me by myself again for an FI, because I get the shows that come later. And this may be one of the surprises of the season. That’s right, it’s Keijo!!!!!!!!, or the english name of Hip Whip Girls (which I have to say is not a bad name). |
Playing It Perfect
Hah! Can’t hit me!
So let’s get this out of the way first: when they announced a show where the whole point is fights between girls where they are dressed in swimsuits and can only hit each other with their butt and their bust, everyone thought that the only thing this show would be about would be prurient malegazery. I even commented to skylion before I started watching the show that I was preparing for an onslaught of “byewww” sound effects. Yeah, Keijo!!!!!!!! was not getting a lot of respect prior to viewing.
Played Straight and True, it turns out to be a rather exciting sport
But a funny thing happened on the way to making the show a solid joke: They decided to play it straight. Completely straight. They made a sport, and then they made a show out of it. And while the show is probably still at least half about looking at girls fighting by smooshing their bodies into each other, it’s not the equivalent of jello wrestling or a strip club. The number one thing about it: They don’t think it’s a joke. So the production is about as serious as it can be. And it works. It ends up having a lot more interest than you would imagine, and it really feels like it treats the characters with respect.
Even when they’re doing this, it feels like there’s respect for the subject
What’s It Actually About
As Miyata says, it’s an awful lot of noise for girls moving into a dorm
So now that that’s out of the way, what’s it actually about? Well, this is a contemporary world but with a popular sport of Keijo, where the goal is to be the last person standing on the “Land”, a platform in the middle of a pool. And the only parts of the body you can use to hit the other people are the aforementioned butt and bust. And this is a well-funded sport, where girls are recruited and can make a good living. So the characters we’re following are the new admissions to the Setouchi Keijo Training School, where a lot of highly regarded athletes are atttending… and also Nozomi Kaminashi. In a place with an Elite class of well-known recruits, she’s a nobody. Except to the other incoming recruits, who remember her from tryouts as someone who is going to need to be reckoned with.
“Why are you interviewing that nobody?”
This reporter’s going to have her chance to say “I told you so!”
But that doesn’t keep her out of Room 309: “The Empty Room”, also known as the place that the most-likely-to-wash-out students go. And Nozomi is there with Miyata, a well-known judo fighter, who seems unlikely to run away, but the other two in the room are Non, the class klutz, and Kazane, the quiet one who wants the others to quit bothering her. Definitely looks like nobody expects this group to make it, but this is a sports anime, that’s what it’s all about.
The group of misfits we’re going to focus on
This was really an enjoyable show to watch. A sport that could only exist in animation, it comes across as having the mix of strategy and physicality that you actually want to see in a sport. Yeah it’s a bit silly, but it holds that level of just a bit silly, and it’s not like we haven’t seen silly sports be very enjoyable before (sensha-do, anyone?). The yokel aspect to Nozomi is part of what sets her apart, as well as her basic motivation: To make a lot of money. But the real star of the show was the attitude it took, in that it took this concept which was a laugh to everyone, and made it just another setup. I’m really interested to see more of this show, and hope that it continues with the same feel.
And don’t get knocked off!
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: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Excellent. This very much was as surprising as all those punctuations. They’ve earned them bangs!
It’s good to see a creator that earns the suspension of disbelief. You literally cannot buy any of this, it’s silly at it’s face. But when you give the benefit of the doubt, it works. This is because it remains consistent. The fighting isn’t random and there is thought put into it.
Good stuff, I can’t wait to see this team of lovable losers progress.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
I agree with everything you said in this post. I made the same argument that this show understands how silly it is and doesnt want you to take it seriously; regardless of that, it’s actually making an effort to make its characters feel earnest and give them personalities beyond just avatars for big ass and tits. It’s like the writer of this series was like “dont take the concept seriously, but respect that the characters in this world do”. The fact that the writing is able to convey this duality in the tone of the show is an accomplishment of itself. Im sticking around for more
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
the spam gods must have a bone to pick with me :***(
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Our spam monster gets a bit ravenous around FIs… But saved! ^^
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
What is up with this season and sparkles?
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I think Keijo’s mangaka definitely learnt from experience on the type of attitude to approach Keijo’s story, especially accounting how Keijo’s still ongoing at 13 volumes, while his last work* only lasted for 3.
*His last work, Momi-Baraishi, was about a male exorcist who had to touch women’s boobs to banish the demons possessing them.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
13 volumes is a lot of chapters, definitely.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Playing this show straight was exactly the right way to go unless it did want to be pure echii. I like the fact that there was actual strategy in the timing and manner of their butt attacks. And that they avoided giving the girls ridiculously big boobs and butts.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It certainly wouldn’t have been anywhere near as interesting if it was *just* a show that is about ogling girls. And I don’t know if anyone would have watched it. The key is finding that balance of an interesting premise, a plot that carries it out, and characters and story that hold it together. Focus too much on titillation, and you’re not going to keep people watching (like last season’s Masou Gakuen HxH, which I just stopped watching because it was boring and far too contrived).