Studio SHAFT does one thing better than any other anime studio, and that is make weird anime. It’s newest show, Arakawa Under the Bridge will make you, once again, question SHAFT’s use of performance enhancing drugs (or drugs in general). Kou is a man who has accomplished many things in his life, all because he does not depend on anyone. His family’s number one rule is to “Never be indebted to anyone”, a rule that is soon broken when a girl named Nino saves his life. The only thing Kou has to do to pay back this debt is fall in love with Nino. This isn’t as amazing as it sounds for he now has to live under a bridge, in a society of strange people who dress up in weird costumes with mental disorders. Much like Bakemonogatari and Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei, this anime has tons of visual “noise” splattered through it, making the art direction as zany as the story itself. Other than that the art is bright and vibrant, making the world under the bridge look more like heaven than a polluted cesspool. However, unlike Zetsubo Sensei, Arakawa has a bit of a romantic subplot, under the insanity that exists on the surface. I personally did not laugh when watching this show, but I found it funny and entertaining; as crazy as that sounds. What’s great about Arakawa is that it actually has plot (unlike Zetsubo), while also being random and unexpected. It’s like walking home drunk, you might stop to kick a cat or piss in the bushes, but eventually you will make it home. If you are a fan of comedy, surreal, and bizarre anime you must give Arakawa a shot. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gPXmvqZIn8Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gPXmvqZIn8Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385" wmode="transparent"></embed></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param></object>
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