Review of Ya Boy Kongming!
This anime. This one. This thing right here. It's the weirdest, dumbest, most out-there anime series I've ever been forced to lay my eyes on, and I have seen a LOT of weird anime in my day. Upon completing the season, I am left with just one question. That question is: WHERE OH WHERE DO I GET MORE OF OUR BOY KONGMING? As you might be able to tell from the above, I absolutely REQUIRE a second season of this gem. Plot Summary: An ancient Chinese general gets isekai’d into the middle of modern day, party-central Shibuya, where he uses his military knowledge to help thisrandom singer girl achieve EDM vocalist stardom via his innate understanding of Instagram and also crowd control. Like... that's it. That's the plot. It's balls-to-the-wall weird AF, y'all, but it WORKS, and it is so, so good.
STORY/WRITING: This plot takes a host of disparate elements (Three Kingdoms history, Shibuya nightlife, the music industry, drama) and SOMEHOW makes what should be an "everything but the kitchen sink" disaster work. While it's just one season right now, they end it at a perfect spot. Even if the series doesn't get a second season (TRAGEDY) this works as a satisfying standalone series...something I can't say for a lot of other titles that totally leave you hanging. But more importantly, the writing strikes a perfect balance between the absurd elements of the plot and the real, heartfelt emotional beats of the characters, who are all so believably written that you can't help but root for them as soon as you hear Eiko sing or Kongming scheme. Just magic, y'all. Just magic. I swear to God the first four minutes of episode 1 are the most tightly and effectively written opening minutes of an anime I HAVE EVER SEEN. Like the way they establish tone and character and concept so succinctly is literally mind-blowing, and somehow they managed to work a genuinely emotional moment and a killer acoustic track into a discussion involving CRYPTO CURRENCY??? WHAT??? Color me impressed.
ANIMATION: It's by PA Works. It's pretty. Great sight gags and visual comedy, lovely character design, Shibuya looks great and true to life. No complaints.
MUSIC: Music plays a central role in this series, and all of the songs are very good and catchy. The insert songs could've had more variety, but that's all the criticism I've got. And don't get me STARTED on the OP, which is the best of the year for me by a wiiiiiide margin. Whoever thought to do a Japanese cover of a Hungarian Eurobeat song as the OP was experiencing galaxy-brain-level thinking, and for that, I commend them.
THE VIBES: The above says a lot about why I love this show, but it's far from the main reason I love Ya Boy Kongming the way Mayaya from Princess Jellyfish loves TKP (kudos if you get that reference). And it took me a while to really, truly put my finger on why I love this show so damn much. But after much reflection, here's the main reason I think everyone should give this show a shot, even if (perhaps ESPECIALLY IF) they think the premise is too buckwild for their tastes:
**Everyone should give this show a shot BECAUSE IT'S GOOD.**
Wait, wait, hear me out. I don't mean it's “good quality” (though it IS that). I don't mean “good writing” (though it HAS that). And I don't even mean “good music” (though it has THAT in spades, case in point being the ridiculously perfect OP)… I mean it’s “good” in the sense that it’s a show about good people being good to each other and doing good for one another in a world where not everything is guaranteed to be good.
When Kongming wakes up in Shibuya confused and alone, people are nice and good to him from the jump as he gets adjusted. No judgment, no mockery, just earnest kindness and offers of help in a world that isn't keen on either. And then he in turn is like, “I’m going to do good by making these people’s dreams come true using my skills, in the hopes of making the world just a little bit better overall,” and he does so WITHOUT CUTTING OTHER PEOPLE DOWN. And it doesn’t get shoved in your face or talked about; it’s just part of the show, goodness inherent to its characters and plot.
Anime after anime, season after season, we get dark shows that’re fixated on being “edgy” and “gritty” and “dark,” but this is like “Nah b*tch, we’re GOOD TO EACH OTHER," and it’s fun and hilarious and heartwarming and earnest and totally sincere. No winks or nods about naiveté or cynicism in sight. Just real, earnest goodness. Bon appetite.
And that’s so f*cking rare, y’all.
Yeah, there are some sh*tty people in the show. Episode 2 sets up a rival for the main girl, Eiko, and that rival is underhanded and fights dirty. But people don’t insult the rival or get mad; Kongming just does his best to propel Eiko higher in spite of the odds. And then there are more rivals later on that Kongming HELPS and TREATS KINDLY after trouncing them with his tactics, cementing one of the core unspoken principles of the show: "Don’t focus on the haters; just do your best. And maybe show people who are hurting some love along the way." And that’s a beautiful thing in a world that often prioritizes getting even over being kind.
Anyway. Watch it if you can. This show is good for the soul, and our boy Kongming is the kind of hero we need more of in the world of anime.
Time to go watch it again. Just imagine me singing Chiki Chiki Ban Ban as I moonwalk away into the sunset, all right?
(Some of the above text I wrote for a Tumblr post, so if you see any of this verbiage repeated on that site, no worries. I gave myself permission to plagiarize myself, promise.)