The appeal and reviews of "The Mad Family Diary": The perfect balance of family ties and humor

All-round evaluation and recommendation of Diary of a Crazy Family

■Overview of the work

"Kyouran Kazoku Nikki" is a TV anime series that aired in 2008, based on a light novel by Hibichi Hibichi. It consists of 26 episodes, and was broadcast from April 13th to October 5th, 2008. This work depicts the "Peaceful Family Plan" in which the incarnation of destruction, Enka, lives together with humans and creatures who may be his children, after he is destroyed, leaving behind the words that his child will bring despair to the world in a thousand years.

■Broadcast information

"Diary of a Crazy Family" was broadcast on the following stations:

• tvk: April 12, 2008 to October 4, 2008, every Saturday from 25:00 to 25:30
• TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting: April 12, 2008 to October 4, 2008, every Saturday from 26:40 to 27:10
• Chiba TV: April 16, 2008 to October 8, 2008, every Wednesday from 25:30 to 26:00
• TV Shin-Hiroshima: April 16, 2008 to October 8, 2008, every Wednesday from 25:35 to 26:05
• Teletama: April 17, 2008 to October 9, 2008, every Thursday from 26:00 to 26:30
• Tokai TV: April 17, 2008 to October 9, 2008, every Thursday from 27:35 to 28:05
• TV Osaka: April 18, 2008 to October 10, 2008, every Friday from 26:35 to 27:05
• AT-X: April 21, 2008 to October 13, 2008, every Monday from 9:30 to 10:00

It was also streamed online on the Bandai Channel from April 25th to October 17th, 2008.

■Production information

The animation was produced by Nomad, directed by Yasuhiro Kuroda, with series composition by Mamiko Ikeda, and character design and general animation direction by Makoto Koga. Music was by Tomoki Kikutani, with music production by Lantis. The series is produced by the Paranormal Phenomena Countermeasures Bureau Branch (Bandai Visual, Enterbrain, Movic, and Lantis).

■ Story

About 1000 years ago, the powerful "Enka" led the world to ruin. However, humanity joined forces and succeeded in defeating Enka. On his deathbed, Enka left behind a curse: "My child, who sleeps in a secret place unknown to anyone, will awaken in 1000 years, carry on my will and surely destroy the world."

In 2063, DNA testing discovered several individuals that could be "Children of Enka." However, even with modern science, it was impossible to determine which ones were "Children of Enka." Therefore, the Imperial Japanese Paranormal Phenomena Countermeasures Bureau carried out the "Operation Peaceful Family." In this operation, humans and creatures that could be children of Enka were made to live together as a family, with the aim of determining which ones were the real children of Enka.

■ Characters

There are many unique characters in "The Mad Family Diary." The main characters are introduced below.

• Kyoka Ranzaki : The mother of the Ranzaki family. Her real name is Kyokia Airea. A girl who uses a special ability called a "cell phone" to intervene in and control the thoughts and sensory organs of others. She was once worshipped as a god in the underground empire of Shangri-La.
• Arasaki Ouka : The father of the Arasaki family. Head of the First Task Force of the Imperial Japanese Government's Paranormal Phenomena Countermeasures Bureau. Always calm and collected. He is forced to participate in the "Peaceful Family Operation" and ends up being manipulated by Kyouka.
• Ginka Arasaki : The eldest son of the Arasaki family. His real name is Ginichi Kizakura. He was born into a yakuza family, but ran away from home in rebellion against his father's actions. He is one of the few people with common sense in the Arasaki family. He is actually a transvestite, so he speaks in a feminine tone, but when he gets angry, he speaks in a masculine tone.
• Teika Ranzaki : The second son of the Ranzaki family. His real name is Shakuya. A lion who can understand and speak human language. He is the last of the lineage of the "Brown Emperor" who lived in the westernmost part of the Empire of Japan, commonly known as the "Savannah." He has a very proud personality.
• Ranzaki Hakuka : The third son of the Ranzaki family. He was originally a biological weapon, Black No. 13, made from the "Flesh of Enmaya". However, through various events and interactions with Kyoka and her family, he gradually begins to develop human-like feelings.
• Yuka Ranzaki : The second daughter of the Ranzaki family. Her real name is Reiko Himemiya. She has a painful past where she was abused as a "lonely doll" by the Himemiya family, known as a clan of demons. However, she has a very calm and gentle personality. Her favorite phrase is "refreshing."
• Tsukika Arasaki : The third daughter of the Arasaki family. She looks like a pink jellyfish. She expresses her emotions through the color of her body. For some reason, she can only eat high-quality food, she can write letters, and she grows huge by absorbing seawater, so it's doubtful that she's really a jellyfish.
• Chika Arasaki : The eldest daughter of the Arasaki family. She is Yuka's older sister, and her real name is Himemiya Senko. Although she was not qualified to join the Arasaki family, she was able to join the family through the power of Kyoka. She had feelings for Ginka, a manly man she met when she was young.

■ Episode

"Crazy Family Diary" consists of 26 episodes, each with a different subtitle. Below is a list of the episodes.

• Episode 1: Kyoka-sama reigns supreme! (2008/04/12)
• Part 2: The party never ends (2008/04/19)
• Third: Demon Princess of Himemiya (2008/04/26)
• Fourth: Travel and curses should be planned (2008/05/03)
• Fifth: Survival Honeymoon (2008/05/10)
• Episode 6: The Mad Doctor and the Banquet, Act 2 (2008/05/17)
• The Seventh: Thank you! Assassinate China! (2008/05/24)
• The 8th: How to make a gentle Grim Reaper (2008/05/31)
• The 9th: Feast of God and Death (2008/06/07)
• The first one: Innocent Pirate Mujacky (2008/06/14)
• The eleventh: Hail and the haze's first love (2008/06/21)
• The 12th: Picking up a cat on Monday (2008/06/28)
• The Thirteenth: Chika's Melancholy (2008/07/05)
• Fourteenth: Electric-Butterfly (2008/07/12)
• The 15th: My Wife is a Witch♪ (2008/07/19)
• The Sixteenth: Red and White Spotted (2008/07/26)
• The Seventeenth: Let's have the final battle with melon bread (2008/08/02)
• The 18th: The correct way to care for someone (2008/08/09)
• The 19th: Even if you don't mean to, you're a clumsy devil (2008/08/16)
• No. 2: Vitamin C Forest (2008/08/23)
• No. 21: Black Santa can't sleep at night (2008/08/30)
• 22nd: The Fallen Princess (2008/09/06)
• No. 23: The name is the Greedy King! (2008/09/13)
• No. 24: The Thing from Space (2008/09/20)
• No. 25: Kyouka-sama, Madness! (2008/09/27)
• Episode 26: The legend of Hell again! (2008/10/04)

■ Theme songs and music

The theme song and ending songs for "Crazy Family Diary" are as follows.

• OP1 : Super Wife and Wise Mother Declaration
  • Lyricist: Miiko
  • Composer: Susumu Kashiwamori
  • Arrangement: Susumu Kashiwamori
  • Sung by: MOSAIC.WAV
• ED1 : Madness War Chronicles ~God of Everyday Life~
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Miki Asano
  • Arrangement: Murai Dai
  • Sung by: Ranzaki Kyouka (Fujimura Ayumi)
• ED2 : THE PITFALLS
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Nozomi Matsui
  • Arrangement: Nozomi Matsui
  • Sung by: Ranzaki Ouka (Takayuki Kondo)
• ED3 : I know a strange god
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Masumi Ito
  • Arrangement: Ballet Mechanique
  • Sung by: Yuka Ranzaki (Kana Hanazawa)
• ED4 : Codename is Lady-X
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Koshiro Fukumoto
  • Arrangement: Akio Kondo
  • Sung by: Ranzaki Ginka (Fujita Keisuke)
• ED5 : I've been updated
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Tsukida Tadashi
  • Arrangement: Tsukida Tadashi
  • Singer: Ranzaki Haikasumi (Ryo Hirohashi)
• ED6 : What a change.
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Koshiro Fukumoto
  • Arrangement: Yukihiro Yoneda
  • Sung by: Tsukika Ranzaki (Rina Sato)
• ED7 : The World's Most Dangerous Love
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Yukari Hashimoto
  • Arrangement: Yukari Hashimoto
  • Sung by: Ranzaki Chika (Tomatsu Haruka)
• ED8 : Am I the guardian beast?
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Kanai Kosuke
  • Arrangement: Kanai Eiyu
  • Sung by: Ranzaki Teika (Yasumoto Hiroki)

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Crazy Family Diary" is a work that is attractive for its unique setting and unique characters. Below, we will explain the evaluation and recommended points of the work in detail.

■ The appeal of the story

The story of "Kyouran Kazoku Nikki" is based on the grand theme of searching for the "Child of Enka" in a world a thousand years in the future. This theme provides the viewer with an element of mystery-solving: "Who is the real Child of Enka?", adding depth to the story. In addition, the setting of "Peaceful Family Strategy" depicts characters with different backgrounds living under the same roof, moving the viewer by depicting the family ties and growth.

■Charm of the characters

Each character in "Kyoran Kazoku Nikki" has their own unique personality, and leaves a strong impression on viewers. In particular, the characteristics of each character, such as Ranzaki Kyouka's special ability "cell phone", Ranzaki Ginka's okama character, and Ranzaki Teika's proud personality as a lion, add excitement to the story. In addition, the growth and changes of the characters, such as Ranzaki Hakuka's growth in human-like emotions, Ranzaki Yuuka's gentle personality, and Ranzaki Tsukika's mysterious ability as a jellyfish, evoke empathy from viewers.

■Animation and Music

Nomad, the animation studio, paid particular attention to the character movements and background depictions, resulting in a visually appealing work. Additionally, the music by Tomoki Kikutani not only adds to the atmosphere of the story, but each ending song is also highly acclaimed for reflecting the individuality of the characters. In particular, MOSAIC.WAV's "Super Wife and Wise Mother Declaration" and each character's ending song are memorable masterpieces that viewers will never forget.

■ Recommendation points

"Crazy Family Diary" is a work that is appealing for its mystery-solving elements, story depicting family ties, unique characters, and high quality animation and music. It is especially recommended for viewers who enjoy fantasy and comedy elements. It is also recommended for viewers who want to enjoy the growth and change of characters. In addition, the variations in subtitles and ending songs for each episode make it a work that can withstand repeated viewing.

■ Related works

A related work to "Crazy Family Diary" is "Crazy Family Diary Last Minute Special." In this special, an overview of the work and introduction of the characters are given before the broadcast, raising the viewers' expectations.

Conclusion

"Crazy Family Diary" is a work that is appealing with its unique setting, distinctive characters, and high-quality animation and music. The story that depicts the mystery-solving elements and family ties will move the viewer, and the growth and changes of each character will evoke empathy. It is a work that is especially recommended for viewers who like fantasy and comedy elements, and the content is suitable for repeated viewing. Please give it a watch.