Where: Funimation
When: Fridays at 6:30 a.m. CDT
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life
Synopsis: Expert gamer Tomozaki Fumiya doesn’t exactly fit in, but he wishes he did. With no written rules for success and gameplay that doesn’t work in his favor, the real world seems impossible for someone like him. But, like any noob, all he really needs are some strategies and a seasoned player like Aoi Hinami to help him. Hopefully with her guidance, Tomozaki will gain the experience he needs. (Credit: Funimation)
The word for this show is “slow”. I’m having a lot of trouble trying to stick with this one. Is it bad? No. Is it good? Ehhhh. I think it has potential.
POTENTIAL SPOILERS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
Bottom-Tier is your formulaic slice of life. We have our protagonist, Tomozaki, who is basically invisible. He doesn’t fit in and his only “skill” he has to offer is gaming. He’s given up on himself and given up on the idea of being a normal student.
Enter Hinami. She is the complete opposite of Tomozaki. She is popular and well-liked by all of her classmates. Hinami and Tomozaki officially meet as gamers where Hinami declares her disgust for the kind of person that showed up. As a top-ranked gamer, she expected so much more than a slovenly-dressed person who doesn’t even try. She compare real life to a game and suddenly, Tomozaki is interested to learn to play.
Sidebar: When will we progress from this “all gamers are losers” mentality? Can we please stop portraying gaming enthusiasts as people who are incapable of being normal or something to be ashamed of? Please?!
Each episode thus far has been Hinami “coaching” Tomozaki on basic social skills like posture, how to speak, how to engage in conversation. I think if you’re a middle-school student, a lot of what she “teaches” might actually help you become a more confident person. So, it isn’t like the information she gives is wrong. It’s just slow and very dull.
As we enter episode three, we have been introduced to a potential love interest, so I am hoping that things will spice up a bit. Right now, I feel like this show is dutifully following all of the normal tropes with nothing exciting to offer. I’m not saying that is a bad thing, but it isn’t exactly great, either. Right now, I am bored with this one, but continuing to watch it because it does have flickers of possibility.
Filthy Casual for Life 