Review of How to Keep a Mummy
More often than not, violence, lewd and comparable stuff is the selling point of most of Anime out there, I mean, why would you watch a cute show when you can watch body ripping Gundams all day, with intense battles and tone shifting dramas, am I right? No, hell not. Miira no Kaikata comes to address just that, we don't usually see similar relaxing slice of lives were we follow a cast of character while they go about their days, living in harmony and peace, no wars to worry about, no hardships of any sorts or nothing, and you know, we all deserve peace of mind. Story(8/10):
It's a stable among slice of life shows, they follow the life or a period of someone's daily hustles, sometimes, following a personal goal, trying to relate the characters to the viewer, Miira no Kaikata does not go against any of that, however, no goal is “truly” set, we get to focus on the relationships of four high schoolers and their secret Yokai pets that emit more cuteness than the name “Yokai” can ever bear.
Just like any other day, Sora receives a package from his father who made it a horrifying habit to send his son all sorts of horrible curses and haunted playthings as genuine presents, and as that habit taught Sora, never open any packages unless he's fully armed, full-on alert, and really for assault, until an adorable, helpless, tiny Mummy walks out with more cuteness than one can handle. That's when the story kicks in.
Along the line, Sora and the Mummy whom he names “Mii-kun” learn to understand each other, as every episode, each side learns about the other more.
Aside from a couple of episodes, all mini-arcs were self-contained, spaning an episode each, very easy to follow and cruise through, the pacing never felt too slow or too fast, always keeping things steady and relaxing.
Art (8.5/10):
Art is very subjective and prone to taste, that's why context matters a lot.
On normal circumstances, this show would have been around 7/10 in terms of visual fidelity, however, seeing how the show is trying to be cute, who am I to deny that, it nails special kind of art style that skyrockets the cuteness it tries to deliver. All creatures are super cute and heartwarming just to look at, the colors are very relaxing and well balanced, never too strain on the eyes, and the backgrounds fit tightly, bringing everything together just nicely.
Sound (9/10):
Ok, As soon as Mii-kun barked, I had to give this at least 9/10, seriously, go hear a compilation of that, I guarantee you a cure for every illness there is.
The voice acting is top-notch, I'm not talking about any world-class performances, but the sheer simplicity of it was more than enough to deliver of the relaxing, happy atmosphere that fills the show. All of the characters speak in a reassuring manner, the blend the humor and life lessons they teach perfectly, leaving nothing else to nag on.
The opening theme song is definitely a grower, not the best one out there, but man does it connect later on. The ending theme song was just on the spot. I like the energy and mood it delivers, perfectly suitable to hear after every heartwarming episode.
Character (10/10):
I am such an annoying picky perfectionist whenever it comes to the characters, I couldn't count on a single hand the show I considered as a solid 10/10 on the character department, but man, did this show blew me out of my rational.
To start off, I never hated, disliked, or rolled my eyes on any of the characters, they were all relatable on some level and very likable. Sora is a fantastic main character for his series, he embodies the idealistic philosophy that he represents, the ultimate Mary Sue.
The supporting cast was just as good, their backstories stuck to the mind easily, they are very relevant and with a lot of screentime. And of course, the adorable Yokai, Mii-kun, Conny, Isao, and Mukumuku. Oh right, the Galaxy Tights pig-thing that appeared on that one episode, not even Elvis can match his style.
Enjoyment (10/10):
I never expected anything from the show, and probably that was for the better, it was just another show I had to move from my plan-to-watch list and ended up easily one of the best things I've ever watched, but it's worth noting that time was very crucial and a heavy player for me.
Work had me on some immense pressure that I just had to invest and something and relax to easy off the deadlines, luckily, Miira no Kaikata was just the right mental medicine. I ended up binging the show under 3 days, and that's saying a lot looking at my suffocating schedule, what a great show.
Overall (9.1/10):
It's always good to take things slow and steady sometimes, turned up Anime can also do that aside from the mainstream lewd and violence trope that the media tags it as.
Miira no Kaikata is the show that values friendship, family and strong bonds, and for such times as today, a lot of relationships grow weaker and further day after day, and here is this show alluding to that indirectly, showing just how great it is to surround yourself with people that care about you and support you.
Definitely one of those shows that find YOU and not the other way around, highly recommend watching this, but please, proceed with low expectations. Let the show take its time, if you're here for romance, there is none, if it's drama you're after, there is a different kind of drama that gets tackled, but if you're here to relax primarily, then you might just have won a pre-paid ticket to Hawaii.