Winter 2017 Highlight: Demi-chan wa Kataritai

April 01, 2017

The spring season is now upon us and it’s time to finally announce to you my anime of the season for winter. Wow, it's been a long time since I last wrote a seasonal highlight!

Amongst a few of the shows that I’ve watched for the duration of the winter season, a few stood up and some were let downs. Though some improved, some also failed. Initial candidates for my anime of the season are.

1. Little Witch Academia
2. Youjo Senki
3. Demi-chan wa Kataritai
4. Kuzu no Honkai


And as much as I’m really rooting for Little Witch Academia to be my anime of this season, the first cour didn’t do much in comparison to the last 2 of the candidates. That is not to say that LWA didn’t leave any impact on me at all, I actually can’t WAIT for the second cour.

In the case of Youjo Senki, as much as I was actually quite impressed with the plot, it didn’t grab me very well as to make me watch the succeeding episodes every week.

Spiritpact turned out better than what I expected and just as what I thought it would be, Masamune-kun was one of the season’s let downs.

I also added Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid to my watchlist midway through the season and it also made me impressed. However, the strong choices for my winter highlights post is between Kuzu no Honkai (Scum’s Wish) and Demi-chan wa Kataritai (Interviews with Monster Girls) and after watching the finale episode as well as debating with myself which to pick, I finally decided that Demi-chan is my anime of the season and would be featured here as my winter 2017 highlights.

Enough with the introduction. If you want to know why, please continue on.


Demi-chan wa Kataritai is a show that I started without having any high expectations for what it’s gonna turn out to be. I just started it because, I just did. In fact, I didn’t know why I started it in the first place. It was just on a random day and without me thinking, I just clicked on episode 1.

After watching the pilot episode, I thought that Demi-chan is just going to be one of those seasonal shows that I’m gonna casually watch for entertainment only.

But what I got in the end was more than just entertainment, I was able get insights. This show made me think alot on a social topic that is prevalent today - bullying and discrimination.


This show’s synopsis is as followed:

“The story takes place in an age where "Ajin" (demi-human), more casually known as "Demi," have slowly started to become accepted into human society. Tetsuo Takahashi is a biology teacher who ends up teaching three such Demi, hoping to understand more about them while also managing to catch their attention.” (Source: MyAnimeList)


Based on that, you may think that every episode in this show is lighthearted but let me tell you now that it isn’t, well at least for some parts.

Most of the episodes feature the characters go through personal development as their natures as demis aren’t yet fully known in the society, in this anime’s setting however, most of it take place in the school. If the episode's not about them going through a personal development, the episode will probably go and make the viewers get to know more about them and their backgrounds.

Through these episodes, one can be assured that every character is getting explored properly.

One thing that really keeps the show interesting is the fact that every demi is different - one is a vampire, the other is a dullahan, the other is a snow woman and one teacher is a succubus. Because of their different and unique natures, they all call for different wants and needs. Which is, albeit, accepted in the society in general, is never given a second-thought by the people in that society.

The demis tend to be misunderstood by real humans in the society and that gives them a hard time to adjust accordingly in the society. That is, until, a beacon of light will probably be lit, which takes form as a biology professor named, Tetsuo.


Tetsuo is teacher who has taken an interest on studying demis. Because of this drive to learn more about them, these students open up to the teacher, which can be both an easy and a hard task to do for the demis as some can be very controversial. Through this exchange of knowledge between Tetsuo and the demis, both of them gains knowledge and information on the characterstics of the different demis.



Hence the title of the anime in English is called "Interviews with Monster Girls".

Little by little, light is shown to a normal human being, Tetsuo, just how demis are pretty much different, yet still the same as to human beings. That even though demis will have different natures, they all have a similar human-like characteristic whoever and whatever they are and that is, human emotions.



The show uses their emotions as a way to move the story and develop the characters throughout the show and let me tell you that the dynamics are beautiful to watch.



It is a guy like Tetsuo is what we should achieve - someone eager to know more about the marginalized people in the society, the outcasts and the ones that we usually ignore. For it is by knowing others that we get to learn how to live with them in peace.

I really like how this show also mixes all that seriousness with very comedic scenes. Some contain double entendre which is very funny. But at the same time, doesn't mess with the overall message of the plot.

Yes, this show doesn't have harem in it's labels. But even so, Tetsuo actually builds a small harem of people who look up to him and admire him which is such a sight to see knowing that the admiration these people have for him is for his eagerness to learn more about them as well as his current profound knowledge for their kind.

  
Of course, any post of mine about anime will not end without me acknowledging the theme songs. The opening song is good but what astounds me is the ending theme. The ending theme of this show is one of my absolute favorite ending themes for the winter 2017 season. Here's a link to the video:

 Sangatsu no Phantasia - Fairy Tale

I have a few reasons why I love this theme song. First, I really love the mood and the tone of the song. It makes you feel relaxed and calmed - after all, this is a really heartwarming anime and what a better way to close off an episode than a closing theme that will strum your heartstrings.  The second reason why I love this is the visuals! Given the visuals are creative already, the directing of the clip gives off a playful vibe and will definitely give you a smile on your face or will make you tear up (which happens to me) and which will finally lead us to next big reason. And that is, this song is done by Sangatsu no Phantasia. YES, it is THE Sangatsu no Phantasia that did one of my all-time favorite anime's ending theme songs and that is Kiznaiver! That show was also given a title as my spring 2016 highlight last year! Coincidence? I think it's fate. Sangatsu no Phantasia is an underrated group that really deserves more. Because of this reason, though the song is a very cheerful song, it makes me teary-eyed at some episodes.



Okay, I got a little sidetracked there.


To sum up the reasons why I love this show and to why you should give it a shot is that every single episode is truly heartwarming. You will clearly see beautiful character development throughout this 12 episode show. Before I even realized it, my love for the characters are only ever-growing as it progressed.

The show knows how to deliver an inspiring message after every episode and will make you think of how much this applies to the world today and to your surroundings. Some episodes will also make you think of how life is actually a very beautiful thing.

And honestly, I couldn’t think of another anime that can describe and explore these themes wholeheartedly more better than this show.


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Greetings, I am Jefferson and welcome to my anime blog. This anime blog is where I'll be housing all of my reviews and recommendations for anime shows.

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