I have some extra time on my hands at the moment, so I decided that I was going to try some anime.

The first one I watched was “Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid”. It was well animated. It was funny at times. And it was kind of dumb. I didn’t watch any further than the first episode (and not just because I couldn’t find an unsubbed and undubbed version).

The second one I watched was “Himouto! Umaru-chan”. It is about a perfect 15 year old girl who lives with her old brother, and when she gets behind closed doors, she turns into pretty much a spoiled brat. I couldn’t get through the first episode – what an annoying girl! Verdict: Funny at times, but dumb. I really didn’t see what the point was, honestly. On the bright side, I guess, it’s kind of wholesome in its way.

Then I found “Chibi Maruko-chan: The Boy from Italy”. I gotta say I really liked it. I was able to follow most of the plot from both context and understanding some of the language, which is a bonus! And it was a really sweet little story.

LIttle 3rd-grader Maruko ends up having to take in an exchange student from Italy, who is immediately attracted to Maruko, whose name sounds like that of Andrea’s dead grandfather, Marco. The movie follows the journey of all of the different exchange students as they explore Japan, but with a focus on Maruko and Andrea – who are trying to track down a restaurant Marco had ties to. Along the way they… I don’t know if you can say “fall in love” for children that young, but it’s definitely a kind of romance. It’s very sweet. And wholesome, too. There wasn’t an inkling of hentai in the whole thing, which was unfortunately a refreshing change. It really is a “slice of life” anime of a young girl, and nothing more.

It was in no way, shape, or form directed at otaku. And I loved that.

I think maybe my issue is – I don’t llike shounen. All the big, floppy breasts and action scenes and all that just don’t do it for me at all. But I liked that story. It was cute, and sweet, and I didn’t feel dirty or stupid after watching it. Maybe I need to find more anime like that.

Plus, sensei likes it too. That speaks volumes.