The appeal and evaluation of "Asobiniikuyo!": A new perspective on interspecies interaction

I'm Coming to Play! - A Tale of Youth in Okinawa and Visitors from Space

The TV anime series "Asobininikuyo!", which aired in 2010, is based on a light novel by Okina Kamino. Set in Okinawa, it is a sci-fi action love comedy that depicts the encounter and adventures of Eris, a cat-eared girl from another planet, and Kio Kawa, a local high school student. The work skillfully incorporates elements such as cat ears, mecha, and firearms to entertain viewers.

story

One day, Kio Kawaka, a high school student living in Okinawa, meets a girl named Eris who calls herself an "alien" at a memorial service where his entire family gathers. Eris is a cute girl with cat ears and a tail, and claims to have come to Earth to "play." Her appearance completely changes Kio's daily life, and he becomes embroiled in various incidents and adventures. Together with Eris and his friends, Kio throws himself into the fight to protect peace on Earth.

Commentary

"Asobiniikuyo!" is a popular light novel that has been published by Media Factory's MF Bunko J since October 2003, with 13 volumes released to date. The manga adaptation has also been serialized in Monthly Comic Alive, with six tankobon volumes released. The anime was produced with great attention to detail, including cat ears, mecha, and firearms, in order to bring out the best in the original work. This work, which combines sci-fi action and romantic comedy, is popular with a wide range of viewers.

cast

The voice actors playing the main characters in this work are impressive, as follows:

• Yoshikazu Kio - Tamura Mutsumi
• Ellis - Kanae Ito
• Manami Kinjo - Haruka Tomatsu
• Futaba Aoi - Kana Hanazawa
• Jens - Yui Horie
• Maki Itoyoshi - Hiromi Hirata
• Yuichi Miyagi - Fumihiko Tachiki
• Antonia Roulos - Iori Nomizu
• Jack - Sachiko Kadota
• Chaika - Minako Kotobuki
• Kune - Kikuko Inoue
• Melwin - Aki Toyosaki
• Sarah - Akino Watanabe
• Maya - Sayori Ishizuka
• Durell - Naomi Shindo
• Matt Ray - Hironori Kondo
• Alyshkova - Junko Kitanishi
• Fuchi Higashi - Kanji Suzumori
• Aiko Ishimine - Sendai Eri
• Arisa Oshiro - Mai Aizawa
• Video Department Manager - Keigo Manaka
• Satoshi Fukuhara - Yuuta Kasuya
• Announcer - Natsuko Kuwatani
• Laurie - Minori Chihara
• Narration - Ayahi Takagaki

Main Staff

The following staff members are involved in the production of this work:

• Planning - Kazuyoshi Fukuba, Toru Miura, Taiji Misaka, Tsuneo Takechi, Yoshiyuki Ito, Naoki Nakamura
• Original author: Okina Kamino (Media Factory MF Bunko J)
• Character design - Discharge Eizou
• Series composition and scriptwriting - Katsuhiko Takayama
• Character design and chief animation director: Noriko Morishima
• Main animator: Masakazu Yamagishi
• Mechanical design - Naohiro Washio
• Prop design - Rie Kawaguchi
• Vehicle Design - Yoshio Mizumura
• Art director: Hiroshi Kato
• Color design - Reiko Iwasawa
• 3DCG Director - Tetsuya Watanabe
• Composite Director - Hideki Imaizumi
• Edited by Takashi Sakurai
• Sound Director - Yota Tsuruoka
• Music - Tomoki Kikutani
• Music Production - Lantis
• Special effects - Toshio Hasegawa (Studio Rayart)
• Art setting - Hiroshi Kato
• Composite Chief - Chae Kyung Hun
• Video editing - Sony PCL (Hideki Takei, Yoko Mikami)
• Sound effects - Eiko Morikawa (Chura Sound)
• Recording adjustment - Yasushi Nagura
• Recording assistant - Takuma Kishi
• Recording Studio - Studio2010
• Sound Production - Rakuonsha
• Sound Production: Yoshimi Sugiyama
• Special cooperation - NPO From Okinawa Promotion Organization (Itarashiki Asatake, Maeshiro Gensuke)
• Okinawa local staff - Hayako Shimosato
• Assistroid character design - Motoko Watanabe
• Advertising - Sadakazu Kikuchi, Ryoichi Ishihara
• Comic serialization - Monthly Comic Alive (author/888)
• Cooperation - Comic Alive Editorial Department (Masatoshi Takahashi), MF Bunko J Editorial Department (Kohei Takiguchi)
• Production Desk - Hideki Takahashi
• Setting production - Shinya Nakano
• Production Publicity - Mineumihiko
• Producers - Yuichiro Takabatake, Niyu Oki, Akihiro Kurita, Jun Fukuda, Yoichi Sekine
• Animation Producer - Yukiya Sakikawa
• Assistant Director - Kaoru Suzuki
• Director: Yoichi Ueda
• Animation Production - AIC PLUS+
• Title - Yasuki Uchida (Sailor)
• Produced by: Caitia Embassy (Pony Canyon, AIC, Media Factory, Clockworks, Lantis, AT-X)

Main Characters

The main characters of this work are as follows:

• Kio Kawaka - A timid, slightly nerdy, glasses-wearing high school freshman. However, he also has a reliable side when it counts.
• Eris - A cat-eared alien named "Caitia" who claims to have come to Earth to "play." She has perfect proportions and the flawless (?) attribute of being naturally natural.
• Kinjo Manami - A childhood friend who lives near Kio's house and attends the same high school. She has an incredible figure and is something of an idol at school, but she has a secret part-time job that she can't tell anyone about.
• Futaba Aoi - Kio's classmate, a quiet beauty with glasses. She loves Japanese movies so much that she can be called a maniac, which is why she has become good friends with Kio. However, she has a certain ability that you would never imagine from her appearance.
• Koone - A woman who is full of elegance, calmness, and kindness that everyone loves. By the way, she is said to be a G cup.
• Melwin - He has a very serious personality and seems to be exhausted from being pushed around every day by the free-spirited members.
• Chaika - A playful and cheerful person who always gets the mood going. Although he is often seen as a joker, he actually has excellent analytical skills.
• Antonia - A mysterious girl with cat ears. What kind of relationship will she have with Kio and the others?
• Maya - Antonia's maid. She wears a maid uniform, but her eyes are sharp and her true identity is shrouded in mystery.
• Sarah - A woman in a maid outfit who, like Maya, adores Antonia. She is also beautiful, but has a distinctive eyepatch over her right eye.
• Yuichi Miyagi - Kio's uncle. He's a very friendly and fun-loving mood maker!
• Maki Itokashu - Kio's school teacher, she is very beautiful but a little inflexible.
• Jens - A woman shrouded in mystery. Is she friend or foe?
• Jack - A foreign woman living in Okinawa whose identity is a mystery.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1 - The Cat that Fell into the Earth (2010/07/10)
• Episode 2 - We went to play (2010/07/17)
• Episode 3 - We've reached the sea (2010/07/24)
• Episode 4 - I went to Saraiki (2010/07/31)
• Episode 5 - I was saved (2010/08/07)
• Episode 6 - Practice (2010/08/14)
• Episode 7 - I went swimming (2010/08/21)
• Episode 8 - The Battle (2010/08/28)
• Episode 9 - The Greatest First AshiTroid? (2010/09/04)
• Episode 10 - I Got a Target (2010/09/11)
• Episode 11 - I went looking for something (2010/09/18)
• Episode 12 - I Found It (2010/09/25)

Related Titles

A related work to this work is "Asobininikuyo! OVA Special." This OVA is a complement to the episodes of the TV series, and is a must-see for fans.

Theme songs and music

The theme songs and insert songs for this work are as follows.

• OP1 - Now loading...SKY!!
• Lyricist: Aki Hata
• Composed by: Nijine
• Arrangement - Nijine
• Song - Sphere
• ED1 - At the window of the heart
• Lyricist: rino
• Composer - rino
• Arrangement - Nijine
• Sung by: Futaba Aoi (Hanazawa Kana)
• ED2 - Now loading...SKY!!
• Lyricist: Aki Hata
• Composed by: Nijine
• Arrangement - Nijine
• Song - Sphere
• ED3 - Memories are getting in the way
• Lyricist: rino
• Composer - Nakamura Yu
• Arrangement - Masayuki Iwata
• Sung by: Manami Kinjo (Haruka Tomatsu)
• ED4 - Happy Sunshine
• Lyricist: rino
• Composer - rino
• Arrangement - Ryosuke Nakanishi
• Sung by: Ellis (Kanae Ito)
• ED5 - I'm a lonely spaceman
• Lyricist: Masahiro Noda
• Composer - Yuji Ohno
• Arrangement - Tomoki Kikutani
• Sung by: Laurie (Miri Chihara)
• ED6 - Smile Peace
• Lyricist: rino
• Composer - rino
• Arrangement - Akiyo Toda
• Sung by: Ellis (Kanae Ito), Manami Kinjo (Haruka Tomatsu), Aoi Futaba (Kana Hanazawa)

Broadcast information

"Asobiniikuyo!" was broadcast every Saturday from July 10 to September 25, 2010. It was broadcast on UHF and AT-X, and the broadcast times for each station are as follows:

• Mainichi Broadcasting System - July 10, 2010 to September 25, 2010 (episodes 1 to 12) Every Saturday 25:58 to 26:28
• tvk - July 10, 2010 to September 25, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Saturday 26:15 to 26:45
• Teletama - July 12, 2010 to September 27, 2010 (episodes 1 to 12) Every Monday 25:30 to 26:00
• TV Aichi - July 12, 2010 to September 27, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Monday 25:58 to 26:28
• AT-X - July 13, 2010 to September 28, 2010 (Episodes 1-12) Every Tuesday 11:30-12:00
• Chiba TV - July 14, 2010 to September 29, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Wednesday 26:00 to 26:30
• Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting - August 6, 2010 to November 12, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Friday 25:15 to 25:45

Ratings and Recommendations

"Asobiniikuyo!" has been well received by many viewers as a youthful sci-fi action love comedy about cat-eared alien Eris and high school student Kio. In particular, the story, set against the beautiful scenery of Okinawa, is full of visually appealing elements. In addition, the characters are rich in personality, and the careful depiction of their growth and changes in their relationships has also been praised.

The appeal of this work is the balance between science fiction elements and romantic comedy. Eris's natural character and Kio's unreliability are perfectly matched, making the viewer laugh, but at the same time, there are also scenes that are sometimes touching. In addition, the depiction of mecha and firearms is realistic, making it a satisfying content for science fiction fans.

Don't miss the performances by the gorgeous voice actors. In particular, Kanae Ito as Eris, Haruka Tomatsu as Manami Kinjo, and Kana Hanazawa as Aoi Futaba bring out the best in their characters. The music is also provided by popular artists such as Sphere and Minori Chihara, further enriching the viewing experience.

"Asobininikuyo!" is a work that can be recommended to a wide range of people, including those who like sci-fi action and romantic comedies, those who like cat-eared characters, and those who are interested in Okinawa's scenery. By watching all episodes, including the OVA, you will be able to enjoy the story more deeply. Please try experiencing this fascinating work.