Animation:
So, this is the pilot . . . and it shows.
This episode has that kind of incomplete feeling that a lot of anime pilots have. Everything looks a little bit rushed, a little bit choppy. There are scenes with no backgrounds or with minimal backgrounds that don't really seem like they should have no and/or minimal backgrounds. I spent a lot of my time while watching this episode thinking "Hey, where's the set?"
Of course, the animators may be trying to emulate the style of the manga, which is not exactly background-heavy, but what works in a black-and-white comic does not necessarily work as well once you add color and motion into the equation.
And speaking of backgrounds: In all 3 of the first 3 episodes of this series, there is a serious overuse of backgrounds constituted entirely by bubbles. I don't mind bubbles and sparkles and roses--oh my--in shoujo titles, generally speaking, but there is a tipping point. Seriously. Too many bubbles.
The character designs look good, and the animators were obviously conscientious about matching Julietta Suzuki's style. As I was watching, I remember thinking that there was something a little odd about the way the characters' mouths were drawn--and then I remembered thinking the exact same thing while reading the manga. So that's neat.
Voice Acting:
It's good. Not many characters are introduced in the first episode, but the male and female leads (Shinnosuke Tachibana and Suzuko Mimori) have really nice energy, and as a fan of the comic, I was pleased. (I never had that "Hey, that's not my Tomoe [or whomever]!" moment.) Tomoe comes off as both vulnerable and arrogant, and Nanami's voice actress manages an innocent enthusiasm and a sense of humor that helps to carry the more unlikely moments of the show. Both sound appropriate for their roles, and I enjoyed their performances. Unfortunately for me, I have seen just enough Sekirei to find Minato's voice actor a bit jarring as Tomoe, but I'll get over it.
Adaptation from the manga:
I think I wanted more. Like, literally, more. More content. Sometimes anime adaptations go out of their way to fill in what could be considered the "gaps" in manga: the stuff that happens between pages, between panels, between chapters and so forth. Sometimes they try to adhere strictly to the source material, adding and subtracting as little as possible. "Nanami Becomes a God" fits more in the second category than the first, but I think I would have been happier if the anime's creators had taken more creative license. Maybe added more detail, more backgrounds, more scenes. More little bits of business with the characters. If anything, this episode is less detailed than the equivalent plot arc in the manga.
The Opening Credits:
Song: "Kamisama Hajimemashita" by Hanae
Oh my. What is this song? Why is it here? Why does it sound like it's being performed by grown women pretending to be elementary-school girls? And why does it include lines like (according to the subtitles on Funimation and Hulu), "I want to be a bad girl / But I'll be a good girl" and "So I beg you / Let me keep doing sneaky things"? And why are most of the opening images just Nanami in various outfits? Boring, everyday, non-god-related outfits, at that? And what's with all the sensual focus on her mouth? And where are the men? I thought this was a reverse-harem title. Oh, wait, there they are. Lining up like the potential love interests in an otome game. There has to be a more interesting way to show them off.
Huh. I think these Opening Credits missed a really great opportunity to make use of the demons and other supernatural elements that are integral to this universe, but oh well. At least we've got inappropriate sexual innuendo. And clips of Nanami wearing clothes. Well, mostly. There are a couple of dubious images in which it's not exactly clear how much in the way of clothes she is actually wearing. And one in which she's posing with fruit. I don't know what to make of the overt sexualization of the overtly childlike Nanami in these opening credits.
The song itself is catchy, and kind of fun if you can get over or get into the 'little-girl' delivery. At first I thought it was just ridiculous, but to be honest, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. That's jpop for you, I guess.
On a side note, you can see Hanae's music video to the song on her youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/hanaechannel
Closing Credits:
Song: "Kamisama Onegai" by Hanae
So what's in the closing credits? The following:
A song that's fairly similar in tone to the opening song (which makes sense, since both songs are by the same artist, and both seem to have been made specifically for this anime), though less upbeat.
Still images of two male harem members who don't even make an appearance in the first episode, followed by a still image of Tomoe from his good ol'days, with more hair and more evil. All while silent "film clips" from the episode we just watched play in the upper right-hand corner. This is actually more forgettable than the opening credits sequence.
Overall Impression:
Um . . . undecided? I like the manga better so far, but I'm still really happy this exists. Since I plan to keep watching this series as it comes out, I may start doing episode recaps. Maybe I'll get a better grasp on how I feel about the show then.
