I was really looking forward to seeing this anime, so when I saw it listed on Tokyotosho, my heart nearly skipped a beat! Well, maybe not, but I do get excited whenever a new anime gets subbed! So was Yoshinaga-san chi no Gargoyle really worth the wait?
Yoshinaga-san chi no Gargoyle tells the heartwarming tale of the Yoshinaga family and their gargoyle. The title as translated by Shi-Fa was “The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas,” but I think something like “The Yoshinaga Household Gargoyle” would be closer.
The family wins the gargoyle in some kind of twisted lottery, and are forced to keep it. Gar-kun watches over the family with his omniscience, teleportation, and beam attacks. He can also talk to animals… I’m not sure if Gar-kun is some mystical relic, or a super robot from the future (a la Doraemon).
The plot at this point involves Gar-kun assimilating into the family. Since he can detect everything in the town, he also helps fight crime (just like those Disney Gargoyles!). By doing this, Gar-kun starts to gain the trust of the kick-happy fang girl, Futaba. Side note: did anyone else notice that half of the town is burglars? And do burglars really look like this in Japan, or is it only in anime?
Gar-kun’s main purpose is to protect the family, but no one in the family seems to be needing protecting at this point. Futaba does get kidnapped at the end of the episode, so I’m sure there’ll be some good plot development in the next episode. At this point, I’ll be content with this anime as long as Futaba keeps kicking things.
The character designs are all colorful and bright. They remind me of the Mahoraba designs in that sense. There might also be other reasons that Yoshinaga-san chi no Gargoyle reminds me of Mahoraba…
The dad is sorta unremarkable, but the mom is a milf, and she’s got moves! The brother, Kazumi, seems strangely effeminate. I should also mention that there’s a sword-wielding meganekko! I’d say that the character designs are the strong point of this anime.
The animation itself was kinda average. And yes, animators, I did notice the bad CG train! Don’t think you can get away with this stuff since it only shows up for an instant! I’m keeping my eyes on you!
The OP and ED are sung by the three seiyuu, and the music was composed by Funta (Thanks to Matthew for being better at deciphering Kanji than I). They both sound a little too kiddie, and it’s hard to take them seriously when they’re both sung by the seiyuu. It feels like more of a gimmick, but that’s just my opinion.
Download the OP: “Ohayo” by Futaba & Lili & Mimori
Download the ED: “Ai ni Oide, Ai ni Oide” by Futaba & Lili & Mimori
While it’s off to a somewhat slow start, Yoshinaga-san chi no Gargoyle’s character designs will keep me watching, at least for a few more episodes. I’ll be really happy with this anime if it ends up being more like Mahoraba (and not just looking like it).
2 replies on “Yoshinaga-san chi no Gargoyle – Anime First Impressions”
Heh we both did a first impressions sort of post on this with totally different focuses.
I think the character designs are strikingly similar to the ones in Happy Seven to the extent that some of the characters here are spitting images of the ones in Happy Seven. I did some research and it turned out that Studio Hibari which is responsible for animating Happy Seven is also reposible for animating Yoshinaga san. My hunch was correct after all.
I really like Futaba’s mother. She will definitely have a place in the Anime Mothers Hall of Fame. I also hope that the show will be just as touching and enjoyable as Mahoraba.