Detailed review and evaluation of Mecha☆Afro-kun pilot episode

Mecha☆Afro-kun Pilot Edition - A comedy anime depicting the office worker society of the near future

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

character

■ Release date

September 3, 2010 *Included in the packaged version of "Mecha☆Afro-kun"

■Release and sales

・Seller: Happinet (SB) (D)

■Frequencies

2 minutes

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Yusaku Hanakuma "Cyborg Salaryman Mecha☆Afro-kun" (published by Magazine House/Gentosha Bunko)

■ Director

Flower Kuma Yusaku

■ Production

Animation: KOCKA (Sachiko Takahashi, Yurika Kaneko, Wakana Oishi)

■Works

©Hanakuma Yusaku/Creative Akuza/Happinet

■ Story

The story is set in the near future in Japan. A cutting-edge cyborg office worker, Mecha☆Afro-kun, joins a certain "company." He is a cyborg who doesn't even understand his own principles of behavior. He has special abilities and superpowers that go beyond appearances. While living and working in human society, he spends his days feeling happy and sad about the complex and strange human habits and the harshness of the office worker's life. This is a comedy anime that depicts the heartwarming and heartfelt daily life of Mecha☆Afro-kun, where he cries, laughs, dies, and more.

■Explanation

New cyborg employee Mecha☆Afro-kun continues to cut his way through the absurd world of office workers!

Subculture manga artist Hanakuma Yusaku's cute but somehow soothing characters "Afro" and "Hage" unfold their relaxed, heartwarming, and slightly cynical stories in a company set in the near future in this anime!

The original work is the popular manga "Cyborg Salaryman Mecha☆Afro-kun" serialized in the monthly magazine "Da Capo" (Magazine House). The main character is a cyborg salaryman named Mecha Afro-kun, who is not human and therefore witnesses the sorrows of the salaryman society more than anyone else. The strange characters who appear in the story, such as the stingy section chief who loves sexual harassment, the business-like department head, the cleaning robot Shirai-san, and Kuma, deliver powerful gags that shake the foundations of Japanese society after the collapse of the bubble economy.

The original author, Yusaku Hanakuma, himself carefully selected episodes from his own work and created all the necessary illustrations. The film has been made with the same quality as the original!

*Quoted from Amazon

■Cast

・Mecha Afro-kun/Yasuhi Nakamura・Chief/Sakichi Sato・Section chief/Yoshiyuki Morishita・Cleaning robot Shirai-san/Yoji Tanaka・Bear/???
・Narrator: Kanji Tsuda

■ Main staff

・Original work: "Cyborg Salaryman Mecha☆Afro-kun" by Yusaku Hanakuma (published by Magazine House/Gentosha Bunko)
・Director, scriptwriter: Yusaku Hanakuma ・Illustration: Yusaku Hanakuma ・Production: Image Rings Animation: KOCKA (Sachiko Takahashi, Yurika Kaneko, Wakana Oishi)
・Music/Scat Goto

■ Main Characters

・Mecha Afro-kun is a cyborg salaryman. No one knows the true motives behind his actions.
・Chief Mecha ☆ Afro-kun's boss. Has a beard. Likes to follow trends.
・Section Chief Mecha ☆ Afro-kun's boss. Unpopular due to his vulgar personality. Dies often.
・Cleaning Robot Shirai-san Mecha☆Afro-kun's colleague. A cleaning robot.

■ Related works

・Mecha☆Afro-kun

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Working man (light work)
Lyrics: Makita Sports Composition: Makita Sports Performance: Makita Class

・ED1
・School Children's Hymn ・Lyrics by Makitas ・Music by Makitas

Mecha☆Afro-kun Pilot Edition - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Background and production process of the work

Mecha☆Afro-kun is an OVA based on the popular manga "Cyborg Salaryman Mecha☆Afro-kun" by Hanakuma Yusaku. The original work was serialized in the monthly magazine "Da Capo", and its unique world view and humor attracted many readers. The pilot episode of the OVA was released on September 3, 2010, and although it is only two minutes long, it condenses the charm of the original work.

The anime was produced by Image Rings and KOCKA, and the original author, Yusaku Hanakuma, directed, wrote the script, and drew the illustrations. This allowed the atmosphere of the original to be reproduced exactly as it was in the anime. The music was also provided by Goto of Scat, who provided songs that matched the atmosphere of the work.

■ Story and Characters

Set in a near-future Japan, Mecha☆Afro-kun depicts the daily life of Mecha☆Afro-kun, a cutting-edge cyborg office worker who joins a company. Mecha☆Afro-kun is a cyborg who doesn't quite understand his principles of action, and while he encounters various events in human society, he lives a humorous life.

Besides Mecha☆Afro-kun, the main characters include the stingy and sexually harassing section chief, the business-like department chief, the cleaning robot Shirai-san, and the mysterious character Kuma. The comedy woven by these characters brings out the charm of the original work to the fullest.

■Animation and direction

The Mecha☆Afro-kun OVA is drawn by the original author, Yusaku Hanakuma, so the unique touch of the original work is reflected in the anime. The amateurish drawing style makes the viewer feel familiar and humorous. In addition, the effective development of gags in the short two-minute time slot is also impressive.

KOCKA, the animation production company, includes staff members such as Sachiko Takahashi, Yurika Kaneko, and Wakana Oishi, whose skills and sense have raised the quality of the work. In particular, the depiction of Mecha☆Afro-kun's movements and expressions has been animated without compromising the atmosphere of the original work.

■Music and theme songs

The music for Mecha☆Afro-kun was written by Scat Goto. His music enhances the humorous atmosphere of the work. In particular, the opening song "Working Uncle (Light Work Version)" and the ending song "School Children's Song" were written and composed by Makita Sports and Makitaus, and perfectly match the worldview of the work.

The opening song, "Working Uncle (Light Work Version)," features a light rhythm and humorous lyrics, and is a song that symbolizes the daily life of Mecha☆Afro-kun. Meanwhile, the ending song, "School Children's Song," has a heartwarming atmosphere and serves to conclude the series. These songs help the viewer to immerse themselves in the world of the series.

■Cast and voice actors

Mecha☆Afro-kun is cast with talented voice actors such as Nakamura Yasuhi, Sato Sakichi, Morishita Yoshiyuki, Tanaka Yoji, and Tsuda Kanji. Nakamura Yasuhi's voice as Mecha☆Afro-kun especially brings out the humorous side of the character. Morishita Yoshiyuki's vulgar voice as the section chief and Sato Sakichi's business-like voice as the department chief also bring out the individuality of the characters.

The voice of the cleaning robot Shirai, voiced by Yoji Tanaka, expresses the character's lovability, and although the voice actor for Kuma is unknown, his voice was chosen to match the atmosphere of the work. The voice of the narrator, Kanji Tsuda, plays an important role in bringing out the worldview of the work.

■ Work evaluation and recommendation

The Mecha☆Afro-kun OVA has been highly praised for being an animated version that retains the charm of the original work. In particular, the fact that it is directed, scripted, and illustrated by the original author, Yusaku Hanakuma, is a major attraction. In addition, the direction of the comedy is also impressive, as it effectively develops the comedy in a short time of just 2 minutes.

This work is highly recommended for viewers who enjoy humor and a heartwarming atmosphere. It is especially a must-see for fans of the original work and those who like subculture works. It can also be enjoyed as a comedy anime depicting the office worker society of the near future.

The Mecha☆Afro-kun OVA is included in the packaged version of "Mecha☆Afro-kun" and is sold by Happinet(SB)(D). If you're interested, be sure to check it out.