Moyashimon - 1
Any show with an opening that features CG bacteria dancing around laboratories in time with the music deserves SOME recognition.
The latest show to run in the Noitamina block on Fuji TV is another slightly quirky college-based show - this time, we’re off to agricultural college to follow the misadventures of Tadayasu Sawaki, who can see microbes without the use of the naked eye. It helps that rather than being little squodgy blobs they’re cute little creatures that do funny things, otherwise this would be a REALLY weird show.
Anyhoo, Sawaki and his best friend Kei are enrolling at agricultural college in Tokyo (where they have their entrance ceremony outside by the tractors) having lived out in the boonies previously. The somewhat heavy police presence on campus is due to the disappearance of Haruka Hasegawa, a graduate student studying microbes. Sawaki’s microbe-vision leads him to a grave in the middle of the forest marked “Hasegawa” that smells like something’s died - after it’s dug up by the mole-man-like Professor Itsuki it turns out it was just a dead pigeon that Hasegawa had buried to experiment regarding the role of bacteria in decomposition. Hasegawa puts Sawaki’s skills to the test in a variety of ways - distinguishing Japanese yoghurt from the archaic speech patterns of the bacteria within, drawing pictures of what they look like etc. etc. but refuses to believe that he is superior to her in terms of microbes. However, one look at the bacteria living on Hasegawa’s exposed feet tells Sawaki that she is well-loved; their momentary peace, however, is shattered by the realisation that something nasty is brewing in a downstairs lab - hiochi bacteria, which is deadly to sake-brewers as it spoils the wine…
The episode ends with a little short where a penicillin bacillus accidentally frightens a huge swarm of the bacteria used to ferment soy sauce - of course, they’re both moulds, but they fight anyway! Oh what fun!
Seriously, though, this show is entirely made by the cute, slightly CG-ish bacteria. The human characters don’t look to be overly interesting and the pacing of the show is actually quite flat, but it’s all made fun by having the bacterial cultures play around all the time.
I suppose your tolerance for Moyashimon depends on how much you like quirky stuff. It’s not an emotionally engaging show, nor is it hysterically funny, and the animation is relatively plain aside from the bacteria which are basically the only reason to watch the show. I presume it’s only going to be 12 episodes long or so, and hopefully there will be plenty of interesting stuff to do with the somewhat odd premise in that time. I shall definitely be watching at least the next episode, if only to have an excuse to watch the opening sequence again…
October 11th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
“…who can see microbes without the use of the naked eye…”
oops. o_O
Sorry, hate to be a grammar Nazi.
Anyway, I’m really excited about how this show will develop. It’s one of the most unique and intriguing concepts I’ve seen in quite a while. :)
October 12th, 2007 at 12:09 am
Oops.
Intentional mistake!
As a fellow grammar/spelling/English Nazi - ta! It doesn’t help that I write in ridiculous run-on sentences anyway…
I agree that the concept is what’s most interesting about Moyashimon - I still have slight doubts about the execution, but hopefully those will be dispelled next week.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Why do I get the feeling from the first episode that this should be called “Full Metal Biologist”?… LOL
Anyway, after so many garbage date-sim adaptations, this show is a real breath of fresh air… (fresh airborne viruses?)
October 12th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
It’s slice of life, no doubt. This is one of those shows that only fans of the slow ride can probably enjoy. I knew this was gonna be a really unique show as soon as all the previews for it came up. The bacteria are awesome!
October 15th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
[…] people have already blogged about this series, but I find it an absolute need to say at least something about this quirky anime […]
October 15th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
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October 19th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
[…] people have already blogged about this series, but I find it an absolute need to say at least something about this quirky anime […]
October 23rd, 2007 at 1:52 am
Yep I agree - the opening sequence is a style I’ve never seen before! (probably don’t watch enough anime) but I adore the little bacteria characters. Not sure about the actual humans as well, but am definitely going to be watching more episodes of this series.
Denno Coil is ending soon, I need something to keep me going at least till the next AMAZING anime (*aka Denno Coil) arrives.
October 25th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
JESUS CHRIST. What the hell was up with that fermented seal thing? I had to stop watching after that, it actually put a bad taste in my mouth. Blargh.
November 18th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
[…] se, että siltä ei löydy Moyashimonia - koska se on, oikeasti, hiton hauska sarja; kaikki muut ovat samaa mieltä. Sitä alettiin onneksi sittenkin subata, mutta länsimaista lisenssiä on melkoisen […]
November 28th, 2007 at 5:20 am
The fermented seal thing is actually common in some countries. It’s a cultural thing and I was a little grossed out, but delighted to see another show add some culture, science, and history to anime.
This show very much reminds me of JaPan and in that sense that you learn something new and exciting about a topic you never knew much about.
Penguin_Factory, it’s too bad you don’t have more of an open mind as you were so easily deterred.
Keep watching. You’ll expand your horizons and learn more about the world in a less conventional way.