Review of Arakawa Under the Bridge

When I heard the premise for "Arakawa", I was immediately attracted to it. Something so strange, but yet simple. One man living under a bridge, and the small community that he spends his time with. It received plenty of positive reception from the reviewers on MAL, so I dove right in. And what I found was a charming, albeit eccentric slice-of-life that quickly became one of my favorites in the genre. First and foremost, this is a character driven show. By no means will anything happen beyond the two main conflicts (the main character's acceptance into the community, and the other big one, which I won'tmention for the sake of those who have yet to see "Under the Bridge"), and your enjoyment of this series will rest solely on your ability to enjoy this type of show.

If shows like "Azumanga Daioh", "K-On!/!" or "Minami-ke" were your cup of tea, then by all means hop right into AUtB. However, if you fall into the group of individuals who found these shows completely pointless and a waste of your time, you might want to sit this one out. Having said that, this one in particular is heavy on the comedy, and if it can't make even the most stone faced of otaku crack a smile, then give up on life. Or lighten up, life doesn't always have to be about epic battles and heart-wrenching love stories.