Manabi Style, or UFO Table Loves Me

I call it the intersection of “loli and heart.” And it’s more like this loli than that loli.

But for real, Manabi Straight is by-the-book UFOTable. In a way this is what I was expecting from Coyote Ragtime Show, but that one was “heart and cool” except it’s a lot more “heart” and UFOTable’s “cool” is a little passe and not 80s enough? We may love Mister and Angelica, but it just wasn’t Cowboy Bebop-like?

But yes, it’s signature UFOTable. If you haven’t seen Dokkoida then not only you should be ashamed of yourself, nor you know not what loli (and definitely sisucon) really is. I think the same probably can be said of the Norio piece that is Ninja Nonsense, except that was more Coyote than Manabi.

I’m an UFOTable fan. The point of this rant isn’t so much to explain why already by episode 2 (not even to mention 3) this is already blowing away all the other new shows this season, as much as to explain why I like UFOTable so. I like them mostly because, in as much as you expect something like Suzumiya Haruhi or Kyoani’s Kanon from Kyoani, I expect Manabi from UFOTable.

From an objective perspective, sure, it’s just a decent studio delivering what they promised its audience early on, even after stumbling at a few turns here and there, but it blows away all competition. It’s like a Gainax show, almost.

And like Gainax, not everything is a hit. They’ve came up short three times since Dokkoida, but it seems three times is what it takes to do a good enough job. It’s not to talk smack of Futakoi Alternative, but well, that’s a rant for another time. But I’m all about smack for Coyote!


6 Responses to “Manabi Style, or UFO Table Loves Me”

  • dm

    As I cruise the blogs looking for news of titles from UFOtable, I’m always disappointed at how few people seem to know anything about what has been their best series: Dokkoida. Maybe it’s just because it is a (somewhat) older series, from the semi-early days of digisub distribution, but it seems a shame no one knows about this gem.

    The promise of another Dokkoida is what has me checking out each new release from this studio.

    Manabi is great, but we’re only three episodes in? Futakoi Alternative was still going strong (with “Gothloli Mask” yet to be revealed) at this point, too, after all? (Though I’d be curious about how you’d smack Futakoi Alternative around? I liked it all the way through.)

  • omo

    How would I? I’ll probably rant about it in a separate entry.

    Too much wow means not enough time watching anime.

  • wildarmsheero

    My main problem with Coyote was that it was simply too long. I’ve said this over and over, but you can’t have a “GET THE GOLD BEFORE THE PLANET BLOWS” plot spread out over 6 hours (over the course of 12 weeks at that) because all the tension is just totally lost. Maybe if it was a 4 episode OVA, or just a movie then it would have been better.

    Also, you’re right, it simply wasn’t as “cool” as it promised to be. Sure, it had some good moments, but they were few and far between. Most of the show was just the bad guys being LOL BADGUYS and the main characters making jokes about each other.

    …gotta watch Dokkoida sometime…

  • TheBigN

    I need to go watch Dokkoida myself. And I cringed with “that’s a rant for another time” comment. I also loved Futakoi Alternative all the way through myself. :P

  • wildarmsheero

    FutaAlt’s problem was that weird change of tone near the middle. While I liked it, it was just off putting.

  • omo

    Yea, time and timing and length.

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