"Seitokai no Ichizon" review: A masterpiece of youth comedy?

"Seitokai no Ichizon": The daily lives of beautiful girls and Kagi Sugisaki's grand dream

"Seitokai no Ichizon" is a TV anime series based on the light novel by Aoi Sekina and Inugami Kou, which aired from October 2nd to December 18th, 2009. This work is a comedy set in the student council of the private Hekiyou Academy, depicting the daily lives of the protagonist Sugisaki Kagi and a group of beautiful girls with unique personalities. Below, we will introduce the appeal and detailed information of this anime, and explain the recommended points for viewers.

■Overview of the work

"Seitokai no Ichizon" is a popular light novel series published by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko, which has sold over 3 million copies. For the anime adaptation, Studio DEEN was in charge of animation production and Takuya Sato served as director. During the broadcast period, it was broadcast on TV Aichi, BS Nippon TV, TV Kanagawa, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting, Sun TV, Teletama, Chiba TV, Tokyo MX, and other networks, and was also streamed online.

■ Story

At the private Hekiyou Academy, a unique system is used to select student council officers. It is a purely "popularity vote" method of selection, and almost every year, attractive students, especially "cute girls," are elected as officers. However, there are times when objections are raised to this system, and as a compromise, a "meritocracy slot" was created. This means that the top-achieving students in each grade can join the student council if they wish.

The protagonist, Sugisaki Kagi, aims to use this "excellent slot" to enter the student council, and after studying hard, he comes in at the top of the exam at the end of the year. His goal is to build a community with other beautiful girls in the student council, where beautiful girls with unique personalities gather. Will Sugisaki be able to build his ideal harem?

■Character Introduction

The appeal of "Seitokai no Ichizon" is, above all, its unique characters. The main characters are introduced below.

• Sakurano Cream
  Student council president. A third-year student. A beautiful girl with a lolita-like appearance, she is short and has a modest chest. Not only her appearance, but her speech, behavior, and thoughts are childish, but that's what makes her so cute. She is known for coming up with great quotes and speaking them in a bossy manner.
• Akaba Chizuru
  Student council secretary. Third year. Kurumi's best friend, tall and with ideal proportions. A cool, gentle and mature-looking senior, she is sadistic at heart. She also serves as the student council's advisor.
• Minatsu Shiina
  Vice President of the Student Council. A second-year student. A boyish girl who is good at sports and is a classmate of Sugisaki. She is popular with both boys and girls. She has a cold attitude towards Sugisaki and is a classic tsundere with no sign of becoming affectionate.
• Mafuyu Shiina
  Student council treasurer. First year. Mikan's younger sister, she is a beautiful young woman with a fragile personality, in stark contrast to her lively older sister. Her charm points are her fair skin, straight hair, and ribbon. She doesn't like men, and hides this secret.
• Ken Sugisaki
  Vice-president of the student council. A second-year student. The protagonist of this story, he has a grand dream of creating his ideal harem with all the beautiful girls in the student council. Because he is honest about his desires, he is often treated as a pervert by the girls, but he also has a reliable side.

■ The appeal of anime

The greatest appeal of "Seitokai no Ichizon" is the comedic element that depicts the daily life in the student council room. The setting basically does not move from the student council room, and the conversations and delusions that unfold there drive the story. The dialogue drama, which highlights the personalities of the characters, entertains the audience with a mix of laughter and emotion. In particular, the charms of the characters are brought out to the fullest, such as Sakurano Kurimu's famous lines, Momiji Chizuru's sadistic side, and the gap between the Shiina sisters' tsundere and little sister characters.

The story, which centers around Sugisaki Kagi's harem vision, provides viewers with empathy and laughter. His dream is both grand and ridiculous, but the show portrays his determination to pursue it and his growth through his interactions with beautiful girls. Another highlight is how the student council members support each other and deepen their bonds despite their occasional conflicts.

■ Production staff

Many staff members were involved in the anime adaptation of "Seitokai no Ichizon." The original work was written by Aoi Sekina and Inugami Kou, the director was Sato Takuya, and the animation was produced by Studio DEEN. The series composition and script were handled by Hanada Jukki, the character design by Horii Kumi, the art directors were Azuma Junichi and Nakamura Eri, and the music by Kamimura Shuhei. These staff members worked together to create an anime that brought out the charm of the original work to the fullest.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme, "Treasure", is sung by the Hekiyou Academy Student Council (Sakurano Kurimu (Honda Mariko), Momiji Chizuru (Saito Yuki), Shiina Minatsu (Togashi Misuzu), Shiina Mafuyu (Horinaka Yuki)). The lyrics, composition and arrangement were done by Hashimoto Yukari. There are multiple ending themes, with different versions used for each episode, such as "Mousou☆Fetish!" and "Up Up Down Down Right Left Right BA". These songs also play an important role in creating the atmosphere of the work.

■Broadcast information

"Seitokai no Ichizon" was broadcast for a total of 12 episodes from October 2nd to December 18th, 2009. The broadcasting stations are as follows.

• TV Aichi: Every Friday 25:58-26:28
• BS Nippon Television: Every Friday 26:00-26:30
• tvk: Every Saturday 25:00-25:30
• TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting: Every Sunday 26:30-27:00
• Sun TV: Every Monday 26:10-26:40
• Teletama: Every Wednesday 25:30-26:00
• Chiba TV: Every Wednesday from 26:30 to 27:00
• TOKYO MX: Every Thursday from 26:30 to 27:00
• BS11: Every Friday from 24:00 to 24:30 (from February 19 to May 7, 2010)
• AT-X: Every Wednesday from 10:30 to 11:00 (from August 25 to November 10, 2010)

It was also streamed online, updated every Saturday from 12:00 on the Anime One and Anime Newtype channels.

■ Related works

There are sequels to "Seitokai no Ichizon", "Seitokai no Ichizon Lv.2" and "Seitokai no Ichizon Lv.2 OVA". These works also inherit the charm of the original while adding new stories and characters. If you are interested, please check them out.

■Recommended points for viewers

"Seitokai no Ichizon" is a comedy anime that depicts the daily lives of beautiful girls and is loved by many viewers. It is especially recommended for the following viewers:

• For those who like beautiful girls : There are many beautiful girls with rich personalities, and each character's charm is fully brought out. You can enjoy various types of beautiful girls, such as the lolita-like Curm, the cool Chizuru, the tsundere Mikan, and the fragile Mafuyu.
• For those who like comedy anime : This is full of comedy elements centered around the conversations and delusions in the student council room. You can enjoy the dialogue that highlights the personalities of the characters, and the slapstick comedy surrounding Sugisaki Kagi's harem plan.
• For those who like anime based on light novels : This anime is based on a popular light novel that has sold over 3 million copies, and it brings out the best of the original. Fans of the original will be pleased with the content.
• People who like slice-of-life anime : The setting is basically the student council room, so you can enjoy the little things that happen in everyday life and the interactions between the characters. It depicts a daily life that is a mix of laughter and emotion.

Conclusion

"Seitokai no Ichizon" is a comedy anime that depicts the grand dream of Sugisaki Kagi and beautiful girls with unique personalities. Highlights include the conversations and delusions that unfold in the daily life of the student council room, as well as the characters' growth and deepening bonds. This is especially recommended for those who like beautiful characters and comedy anime, anime based on light novels, and slice-of-life anime. Be sure to watch this work and experience the fun daily life of the Hekiyou Academy Student Council.