Review of Play It Cool, Guys

Cool Doji Danshi is basically Derp: The Anime. It’s a fun, easy watch, with each episode being around 10 minutes. The anime is about four good-looking guys who are clumsy or socially awkward; a fifth guy later joins the group. With the originality of a creator capturing derpiness and turning it into wholesome slice-of-life, the guys are literally named One (Hayate Ichikura), Two (Shun Futami), Three (Takayuki Mima), Four (Souma Shiki), and Five (Motoharu Igarashi). They each have their unique quirks, which I love—they aren’t just carbon copy characters, but each has his own charm. Whether it’s the shy fanboy or the play-it-cool kid, you’ll beable to relate to at least one of them, and you’ll definitely root for all or most of them.

The character interactions are also fantastic. Even in the first four episodes, which focus on each of the original four main characters, there’s still a sense of connection—it’s the idea that derp connects people, which is always fun. Then the characters begin to have proper interactions. Some of them are cute and shippable, if you’re into that. What I especially like about these interactions is that they feel genuine and are so wholesome, that whether or not you ship them, they’re fun to watch.

The art style is simple and light. At times, it’s like watching an animated manga, which fits the genre. And the visual effects make everything look so fluffy!

The soundtrack also helps set the fun, cheerful tone, and both OPs are wonderful. Bonus points for Mafumafu being featured on the first OP!

I recommend Cool Doji Danshi if you’re in the mood for slice-of-life, want fun and short episodes, and don’t mind a bit of second-hand embarrassment for very relatable/derp moments. ^^