Anime: Sensei no Ojikan: Doki Doki School Hours

I've heard Doki Doki School Hours compared to Azumanga Daioh a lot in terms of general theme and attitude, but in my mind it much more closely resembles School Rumble, albeit without the romantic main-plot. (Or the romantic sub-plots. Or any other plots.) The show - at least at its best - is heavily character-based humor, and while the characters are pretty one-dimensional (each one has only one or two jokes), but the humor stands up pretty well regardless.

Animation

Doki Doki School Hours is just about the most average-looking show I've ever seen. The character designs are cartoony and simple, and the animation is cartoony and simple. The animation is never poor enough to cause distraction, but isn't the show's strong point.

Sound

The opening and closing themes are both serviceable, and the opening song certainly is strong enough to keep me from simply skipping over the opening and is catchy enough to keep me mumbling "Hey! Hey! Hey!" under my breath for a while. The voice acting suits the characters well (although it makes the more annoying characters even more annoying), and Doki Doki School Hours has the honor of being one of the few programs for which I haven't found the dub to be utterly heinous.

Story

What story? Doki Doki School Hours is driven almost entirely by its characters. The show is only even episodic in the sense that each episode tends to take place in one location during one day; even from scene to scene there's not much running plot. There's also not much character development, no real conflict, and all of the romance in the show is played strictly for laughs. If you're looking for a deep and engaging plot or tender romantic stuff, you're looking in the wrong place. The closest thing the show has to continuity is that it introduces new characters once in a while. (Unless running gags count as continuity.) The show is at its strongest by far when it just lets the characters be themselves, and at its weakest when it throws them into some "wacky" situation. Most episodes simply place the characters somewhere (at the pool, it's festival day, it's Christmas, whatever) and let the characters interact with each other with highly comedic results. On the rare occasion that there is a 'real' conflict, it is typically wrapped up with a comic solution or simple Deus ex Machina.

Character

Doki Doki School Hours's characters are pretty much all one-dimensional. I don't mean that as a criticism, but each character has somewhere in the area of one joke, and variations on it are played over and over. Nevertheless, the characters are for the most part very likable, although one later addition grates on the nerves somewhat. Despite the fact that they don't grow or change, it's easy to root for the characters and to grow attached to them. The cast is quirky and outrageous, but generally very lovable, and all are established very early on. The show derives a great deal of its humor, in fact, by simply placing different combinations of the cast together.

Value

It's tough to place a value rating on Doki Doki School Hours. While I certainly intend to rewatch it, there are several episodes mid-late in the run that are extremely weak; the show starts out on a high note, but deteriorates slowly as it goes on (although the final episode, fortunately, is quite strong.) You certainly don't have to wait around for the show to hit its stride or anything - if you don't like the first few episodes, you're unlikely to like the rest.

Enjoyment

For all of the shortcomings the show has on paper, I loved the hell out of it. Its better episodes consistently made me laugh out loud, and even many of the weak episodes have bright spots. The comedy is extremely accessible, relying on character-based humor rather than obscure parody, and the show is just so dang adorable.

In short: Azumanga-style comedy, but don't expect Azumanga

Story
In quite a similar fashion to Azumanga Daioh, Sensei no Ojikan is a comedy of the everyday lives of a certain class in Okitsu High School. The story focuses on the interactions between the teacher, tiny 27-year-old Mika Suzuki, and her various students. As for plot... there really is none. Like Azumanga Daioh, the 'plot' is merely what happens in this comedic representation of a classroom. Of course, that doesn't mean it's not good - it has some funny and memorable parts, but nothing really eye-opening.

Characters
Diverse. That's the best way to put into words the clash of personalities in Sensei no Ojikan. Anything from your typical Japanese Anime Schoolgirl character to your Flamboyantly Homosexual and/or Crossdresser type, nearly every type of personality is covered. What really makes this anime tick is how these personalities interact and clash with each other. You can get into some strange situations with this cast of characters, and none too distasteful. The main character, teacher Mika Suzuki, is a fun character to watch - you laugh with her sometimes, you laugh at her sometimse, and you may even sympathize with her (for her height mainly) sometimes. Overall, the characters were well done, though there isn't much development or long-term interactions.

Production
The animation and soundtrack are both only average at best. It has a simple, smooth quality of animation that isn't too fancy, but suitable for the style of anime - it's not action/adventure, after all. There's nothing I noticed wrong about it, and the artwork was drawn well. The soundtrack was nothing spectacular... in fact, it wasn't very memorable. The OP/ED has a nice happy and carefree feel to it, which suits the style once again, but it's not something you'll probably want to listen to over and over again. Overall, not too bad, but they could have done better.

Bottom Line
If you enjoyed Azumanga Daioh, you will probably enjoy this - but be warned, don't expect to see Azumanga 2. Take it for what it is - a comedy about people and school, and a play on different anime characters. Sensei no Ojikan is a good series to watch as a fun and relaxing time killer, but if you're looking for something spectacular and memorable, you're better off with something else.