Ganbare, Douki-chan Review: Cute, Funny, and a Little Too Ecchi

"Want to eat dinner with me? I'm free until morning!" - Kouhai-chan

The cute Douki-chan and the bane(s) of her existence

Binge-watching an anime series, or any series for that matter, can be challenging for working adults. Professional and personal responsibilities take up a lot of time. Ganbare, Douki-chan understands that and packs a surprising amount of comedy and cute moments into its short six minute episodes.

Ganbare, Douki-chan is a romantic comedy about the cute Douki-chan, a single office lady who lives with a cat, and her crush on Douki-kun, her colleague with a face straight out of your favorite hentai anime. 

And don't let Douki-kun's face—or lack thereof—deceive you. This is not hentai.

A faceless Douki-kun stuck in an elevator with Douki-chan

Douki-kun's character design is deliberate. His faceless appearance forces us viewers to focus on Douki-chan and the other girls. Though, reading that back, it sounds like something straight out of a typical hentai flick! I promise it isn't!

Ganbare, Douki-chan is anchored by the three girls: the eponymous Douki-chan, Kouhai-chan, and an onee-san who is apparently named Maiko, according to Wikipedia—her name was not mentioned once in the anime.

Douki-chan seems to be highly regarded in the office. She instructs people to revise reports, goes to out-of-town meetings, and meets with clients and business partners. She seems like a typical go-getter type. However, what she has in professional experience, she lacks on the romantic side of life.

Douki-chan spends the whole show crushing on Douki-kun, looking for ways to progress their relationship, and getting Dikembe Mutombo'd by the bane(s) of her existence.

Kouhai-chan, on the other hand, is the opposite of the meek Douki-chan. There is no doubt about her intentions of pursuing Douki-kun. I counted three instances where she wanted to turn the show into a full-blown hentai instead of the sweet, fluffy show that it is! And I love her for it.

Kouhai-chan! Stop making the show hentai!

Now, Maiko is a senior of Douki-kun from college. There may have been a past between the two. She is introduced in the middle of the show as a business partner of our MC's company. She is a sly, sexy woman who delights in bringing out that chibi, frustrated expression on Douki-chan.

DOUKI-KUN!! YOU DIRTY DOG!

Ganbare, Douki-chan does not start off hot. The first episode only features Douki-chan and Douki-kun. Though the episode shows the two on a business trip sharing a hotel room, à la some Japanese AV, having this happen in the first episode softens its impact. It actually hurts the show because the ecchi moments that the first episode gives us do not really match the tone of the rest of the show.

The tone and comedy of the show really start from the second episode. Douki-kun and Douki-chan give us some cute moments, we get introduced to a very perky and touchy Kouhai-chan, and we also get to meet cockblocked Douki-chan.

 

The first time we see Douki-chan Mutombo'd

The show is limited in a lot of ways, from the animation quality to the lack of music to enhance the story. But for a show with a runtime of six minutes per episode, you can't expect anything big.

The strength of Ganbare, Douki-chan is its three girls bouncing off each other and Douki-kun. Each of the girls has her own distinct characteristics, and each of them stays true to that characterization. Douki-chan excels in the cutesy moments and in her reactions to the chaos induced by Kouhai-chan, while Maiko is there to create opportunities to put the cast in comedic situations or simply tease her kouhais.

The three girls go out for a drink... Douki-kun with them I guess...

Ganbare, Douki-chan is really geared toward anime fans in their twenties to thirties. There may be a will-they, won't-they dynamic, but subject matter like Douki-chan hoping for something sexual to happen in the first episode and the cast getting blackout drunk are relatable to people in that demographic.

It's not a groundbreaking romantic comedy, but Ganbare, Douki-chan is a fun, short anime worth watching if you enjoy cute romantic comedies with a bit of ecchi humor. Its six-minute episodes make it easy to binge, and the entire series takes only about an hour to finish.

Just like Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra, which I previously wrote about, Ganbare, Douki-chan is available for free on Muse Asia's YouTube channel for people in Southeast Asia. 

Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra Anime Review: The Evil Faces of Mynoghra

Evil people can do good things and they can do bad things. Being bad means being selfish and totally free. They believe in only what they think is right, never listen to others and charge ahead without ever looking back. That's what makes someone truly evil.

The Evil Faces of Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra

A person's death and reincarnation have been catalysts for many stories in Japanese media. Known as isekai, the concept has led to stories of great power, harems, and other wish-fulfillment fantasies. It is a great starting point that opens up plenty of potential for world-building and character growth.

Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra; World Conquest Starts with the Civilization of Ruin does not deviate from this formula. 

The first scene is a familiar sight for isekai anime viewers. Protag-kun, Takuto Ira, is shown weakly using his laptop from his bed. Without giving specifics, the scene proceeds with Takuto falling face-first onto his desk and taking his last breath before being transported to another world, where he meets Atou the Sludge.

The cute and wonderful Atou is more than happy to bring the apocalypse on Takuto's behalf. 

"Meets" isn't really the perfect word. "Reunites" may be more appropriate. You see, Atou and Takuto are not strangers. Deprived of a strong body, Takuto spent most of his time playing and excelling at Eternal Nations, a simulation strategy game where Atou is his favorite character. For her part, Atou remembers all the conquests she shared with Takuto during his countless hours of mastering the game. This is the backbone of their ride-or-die relationship.

And this is where we begin. Using Takuto's vast knowledge of the world and Atou's power, the two set forth to build the empire of Mynoghra, conquer the world, and create many "doki-doki" moments... well... no.

Just like many isekai stories, the characters must struggle to make their eventual conquest feel earned. The two begin in the worst location imaginable: a thick forest devoid of settlements for trade and with no obvious source of raw materials. And unlike other shows like The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt or How a Realist Hero Rebuilt a Kingdom, our main characters aim to build Mynoghra all by themselves. Add to that the fact that they are not overpowered... or at least not in the beginning. Fortunately, Takuto has enough mana to summon this:

Takuto's insectoid scout in Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra

The three of them hardly qualify as an empire. A hamlet would even be too generous. This changes when the scout discovers a group of dark elves who eventually stumble upon our main characters. And this is where we see Takuto through the eyes of his new world.

He ain't a looker - Takuto's terrifying appearance from the dark elves' perspective

Banished and hunted, the group of dark elves is left with no choice but to enter the cursed woodlands that would become Mynoghra. Famished from the unending pursuit, they see the manifestation of pure evil: Takuto. The cold embrace of fear envelops them before the evil incarnate. Gia, their great soldier, attempts to reason with the great evil and explain their plight, only for the cold-hearted Atou the Sludge to browbeat him into giving a quick explanation of their trespass.

As with all "evil" entities, Takuto pities the lot and feeds the starving group. He introduces fruits endemic to his home world and alien to the dark elves, using his small amount of mana to Atou's chagrin. Surprised by the charity, the elves take bites of the fruits and are overwhelmed by their sumptuous taste. Takuto provides enough for the dark elves to return to their main group and share the bountiful gift of the dark lord.

Takuto, the "great" king of Mynoghra, surely wears the pants in the relationship

Back at camp, Gia sits by a fire alone. This is where the dark elven chief, Elder Moltar, questions the soldier about the source of the exquisite fruits. This is where we learn of sacred texts and tales of the evil King of Ruin, sealed away in the accursed forest, who will rain terror upon the world. Moltar is initially taken aback and upset by the positive light Gia is projecting onto the King of Ruin. But upon realizing his group's desperate state, he acknowledges that he needs to negotiate with the King.

And that is the gist of episode one. If you are in Southeast Asia, the show is available in Muse Asia's Youtube channel.

Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra has its ups and downs. The beginning of the anime leaves a lot to be desired as the supporting dark elf characters are not as strong as, for example, Rimuru  and the goblins of Tensura. The first episode's main dark elves barely felt consequential to the plot of the story. Gia, in particular, was pretty insignificant throughout the entire season. Emle's accomplishments as an interior secretary of sorts seem minimized considering the actual construction of the homes and planting of the main crop were kept in the background. And Moltar's moments came very late in the season.

That being said, Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra does have some decent characters to hang onto. Caria and Maria, who were introduced in the middle of the season, initially looked like the token poor kids with dark backstories the main character is supposed to babysit to get cute moments. But their dark pasts were not simply thrown away and were the catalyst of the final battle of the season. And then there are the three brain eaters who provide levity in the midst of their horrific act in episode 8. Lonius and Verdal also provide depth, with one being the young, by-the-book paladin while the other is the more pragmatic veteran.

Ichiro, Saburo and Jiro — the three brain eaters who are definitely not human and serve as Mynoghra's medics

The animation is also not up to par with other major isekai titles. The movements in the fight scenes aren't very crisp. It may be due to a lack of budget or time, but some epic moments fell flat.

Atou playing with blades at Lonius' expense - Lonius is welcomed to Mynoghra with a hail of slashes

What it may lack in crisp movement, it makes up for with the variety of character designs and expressions. Atou, in particular, boasts an abundant array of faces that display the multiple facets of her character.

This Atou came from out of nowhere - Atou's sadistic face as she preys on some poor trespassers

But for all the praise and faults, a major concern with Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra's first season is that it feels more like a setup for a compelling story that may come in a potential second season or in the light novels from which it was adapted. The latter stages of the season started pulling layers from the world. And the tidbits exposed will surely grab attention. 

There has been no announcement of a second season as of writing which is troubling for anime-only fans. But if one is looking for a light novel to binge, the show is a decent promotional tool. But the latter part of the show really makes this particular anime viewer wish for a season two.

The highlight of the show is episode five. Atou's speech directed at her helpless opponent was deliciously sadistic and EVIL.

Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra doesn't bring anything particularly new to the table. What it does bring is decent comedy and a good weekend anime binge. It may not be a top recommendation. But it is a good addition to your watchlist on MyAnimeList. 

Got nothing to do on a weekend after a long week at work or school? Check your watchlist and Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra and the many faces of evil will be there waiting for you.

Oh and by the way... 

Watching Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra is the best way for you to know if Takuto likes little girls.