I was a bit late to realize how charming this show would be. When Aoharu x Kikanjuu [青春×機関銃 / Aoharu x Machinegun] was already on its half of entire eps, I started to download and watch it. And even more late to give review for it. If you're having fun to see the battle with (toy)guns and comedy and this might be one for you. 【Download the theme songs here ♪♩♫♬】 The #1 post for Aoharu x Kikanjuu's pictures >> ( ง ´◇`)ง♪ The #2 post for Aoharu x Kikanjuu's pictures >> ♪ ~(´ε` ) |
From the title itself, it's true that it might make us imagine the show would likely to put (toy)guns into its scene. But from the artwork itself, it didn't make me believe it for the first time ('till I found video of this show being one of #10 Best Anime of Summer 2015). I could say this Machinegun anime, to a greater extent, felt like a school life series as usual. But, it was only the introduction of it. Later we get more scenes of them doing the airsoft gun. It was a contradictory for me when few peeps said about this show is in sync with Sabagebu! series and school life boys daily life such as Ouran Highschool Host Club. While Sabagebu! has more fun and absurd jokes all the way with a fast-like speech, Machinegun seems more normal-like school activity while the main characters have side activity in a field to do survival games. Let's rejoice your time with this show, the mixing between fun, ambition, friendship, and sad experiences, covered passionately in a field of airsofter.
(somewhat SPOILER) The first and second eps were damn great! How the studio made the viewers like "we need more of it" and "what will we figure out next?." The first ep brings the outline story of how the main character will get involved forcefully to do the survival games by another main character. Yeah, Hotaru is captured to survival games field. It was amusing to find the trick Mattsun does for making Hotarou joins his survival game team called Toy Gun Gun. Then, the appearance of third main character comes, there is Yukimura, an S&M manga artist also a member of Toy Gun Gun. He is fixated on Mattsun.. Hotaru bumps into a problem for getting closer with Yukimura because of his distrust issues
The core of its story is about Toy Gun Gun's members past experiences that affect their lives in present. For instance, the traumatic past experience of Yukimura makes him hard to trust anyone, he only sets his eyes for Mattsun thus trust him. Covered by his act of detaching to everyone except Mattsun, he is actually very soft and captivating inside. Don’t worry, you won’t be bored by its storyline because we also got battlefield here. It is affecting how Yukimura makes friends too, his point of view of friendship. Tho' it sounds like Yukimura is the one who has unbeatable sadness, Mattsun too has his own pain haunts him. The story develops both in whole storyline and character development. They are progressing continually. The story pushes them to keep bearing the old wounds and make the pain inverted into something better for the present. When the black envelope which acts as entrance gate for bringing forward the major problem for the three of them appears, it starts to be pretty gloomy for them in sense. Their past experiences rage on their mind in present. But, no matter what, they have to bear the survival games (airsoft) competition as a team in its best. This is where I enjoyed it. Enjoying the visualization of this show to the pinnacle at this period of time, because we can see how the show is showing Toy Gun Gun's member skill by its smooth and eager movements, strong determination, and great passion in battle field. |
And for the visualization, it is supporting our excitement to the max. It’s not superb but not decent either. Plenty much for slice-of-life comedy genre, well, since there are battle scenes of airsofter players, it is appealing and enchanting just enough. I had my taste being satisfied there, not much of sololiquies but when it comes, it comes beautifully. I moved by its story, the relationship between them and their love to their game. The slow motion sequences are touching.
For music part, I said before that I decided to pick this show to watch after watching "#10 Best Anime of Summer 2015" on YouTube. That's when the OP is used on its video to present the Aoharu x Kikanjuu series is up to my ears. OP "The Bravest Destiny" by Toy☆GunGun (トイ☆ガンガン) is fit to the series. I rarely like anime theme songs which are sung by low-voice men, but this one is an exception. Still listed on my playlist nowadays. The ED, "Gunjou Survival (群青サバイバル)" by Mikako Komatsu and "Tic Tac (チクタク)" by Mikako Komatsu (for ep 8), are great too! In addition to this, you ought to try the insert song "Locker" also by Mikako Komatsu whose melancholy vocal is remarkable.
This series focuses on the friendship between them. The slice-of-life as team is the central of it rather than the sports (survival game) aspect. Therefore, their development much more on the relation between them. The strength of their friendship and visualization of survival game are worth 8.
Pros:
- Music & Seiyuu(s)
- Nice visualization for more-to-slice-of-life series than sports
- My enjoyment when watching this, I like the comedy parts too
- It's not too unique (storyline). But, I like the airsofter theme here. They need to elaborate more about the airsofter itself (I wanna know moreee!)
"Let me tell you something. I take my games seriously because I'm an adult. *pointing gun at Houtarou while says* Game over." ーMatsuoka Masamune "Huh. A man? Yeah, it's okay. I'm not going to report you. Sometimes I go into the ladies' room and fantasize for my job. Don't worry about it." ーYukki's début in the show (lol this pervert jokes popped out when Yukki found out Houtarou was changing in a ladies room' for her first survival games match without knowing the true gender of Houtarou, and without knowing this Hotaru was the new member of Toy Gun Gun) "Giving up before you even try is kind of uncool. That’s why I want to be someone who’ll fight as many times as it takes, and never give up." ーHotaru Tachibana |
【増原 紀花】