Enjoying Shingeki no Kyojin doesn’t mean you
have to adore its various spin-offs. I watched the live-action movies recently,
and can’t say I enjoyed them very much despite impressive visuals. The manga
version of this gag spin-off also hasn’t been received too well, though I
haven’t actually read it myself. But fully accepting it’s just a silly bit of
comedy fanservice, I thoroughly enjoyed Chiugakkou.
I tuned in for the first episode and the new premise
amused me quite a bit – exaggerated, silly versions of our main characters are
attending a school split between humans and titans. Eren’s grudge comes not
from personal loss but because his lunch was stolen and eaten. In fact, that’s
what the nefarious titans do here – invade the school grounds of the poor
defenceless humans and steal their bento. It’s silly and fun and I really like
the characters rendered in such cutesy styles, especially Eren and Armin.
Character traits are amplified in the ways fandoms
enjoy. Levi is an authoritarian upperclassman obsessed with cleaning and rules.
Mikasa’s skills are superhuman and her devotion to an oblivious Eren boundless.
Armin for some reason is extremely susceptible to the cold and needs to go
everywhere wrapped in his futon.
The 12-episode season treads the usual ground for
school comedies. The kids take part in sports days and go to a matsuri, where
romance is in the air. There are mix-ups with love letters and fierce
competition to be student president. It’s silly, innocuous stuff and much of
the humour comes from seeing these characters who are usually in such a serious
and grim setting transposed to one that’s so light and fluffy. I’d say it works
better than it ever did for Full Metal Panic!
I’m not saying this is a superb anime or one to
recommend highly. It’s cheaply-done, unoriginal and the laughs aren’t on a par
with the likes of Azumanga Daioh or Nichijou. It’s very much a
by-the-numbers comedy spin-off that plays it safe and follows a formula. But
that’s all I wanted from it, and it certainly succeeded.
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