Written by Eclipsed_Oblivion
Among the vast genres of anime is a particular one that receives both much hatred and much love: otaku anime, or anime geared toward the ultimate anime nerds. Some are able to stand out along with the rest of the mainstream anime, but most just fall flat. Even so, while still being an otaku anime, The World God Only Knows manages to twinkle brightly among the 2010 fall season’s new anime through its quirky humor, interesting style, and admirable characters.
The World God Only Knows presents Keima Katsuragi, a high school otaku exceptionally skilled in dating sims. When he takes on the internet challenge of conquering yet another girl’s heart, a surprisingly cute demon named Elsie appears before him and explains that by accepting the challenge, Keima unknowingly signed a contract with Hell! He and Elsie must capture runaway spirits called loose souls that hide in real girls’ hearts, and to do so, Keima must make these girls fall in love with him. The problem is he has never even held hands with a real girl before, and worse, if he and Elsie can’t capture the souls, they’ll both lose their heads - literally!
From the very first seconds of The World God Only Knows, it’s obvious that one of its strongest points is its charming humor. Keima’s completely serious approach to the silliest of things and Elsie’s over-the-top style create hilarious situations, but this anime also knows when to tone it down to concentrate more on the emotional aspects of each character’s circumstances. Somewhat of a rarity, this show can pull off both the comedy and the emotional moments consistently without becoming dull or cheesy.
It’s clear from these short, but sweet instances that The World God Only Knows is definitely a character driven story rather than a plot driven one, something less common today. This makes the story focus more on the characters, especially the girls Keima must make fall in love with him. In turn, this focus makes his quest more difficult because he truly has to figure out what makes each girl laugh, tear up, get angry, etcetera, and the tremendous struggle he must go through to discover these traits will make the audience respect Keima for his efforts. These bizarre, yet honest feelings every girl has makes the story feel lifelike even with the Hell contract element, yet it is this sense of fantastical realism that makes anime special; to be real enough that you feel like you could live such a life, but fantastical enough that it’s fresh, fun, and captivating.
Aside from the story elements, the art design immediately gives The World God Only Knows a unique and instantly recognizable style, especially through its opening. The opening has a technological flavor that truly describes the main character and his otaku tendencies, yet it clearly gets across the point of the story; to capture girls’ hearts.
During the actual show, the nearly flawless ornamentation and design clearly separate the dating sim scenes from the world of The World God Only Knows based on atmosphere alone, having a clear difference between a lifelike world and the magical aura of dating sims. The character designs as well help to get the contrasting atmospheres across, yet they also contribute greatly to the personalities of the characters themselves. Each character’s design easily exemplifies his or her personality, from Elsie’s magical outfit and sweet face to Keima’s rather handsome, yet stern and concentrated expression.
Though the story and art lead The World God Only Knows toward the path of becoming a great anime, it is the characters that truly set it in the right direction. Thanks to the excellent voice acting, the characters come alive with a range of emotions and feelings, and that doesn’t change even with their multi-dimensional personalities. Each character goes through extensive character development that makes them rounded, complete individuals rather than total stereotypes.
Perhaps the most admirable, developed character is the main character, Keima Katsuragi, himself. A dark horse within the pool of anime protagonists, Keima may seem to be the stereotypical otaku at first, but as more episodes of The World God Only Knows air, the farther from that he becomes. He may be addicted to dating sims, but the amount of dedication and effort he puts into them is actually commendable, and he has gained skills usable in real life from them as well. Without any supernatural skills, he may not stand out among other protagonists, but this adds to the realism of The World God Only Knows; Keima is a respectable guy that many gamers and viewers relate to and even aspire to be like.
The World God Only Knows may be an otaku anime, but that doesn’t make it a letdown at all; in fact, it’s already been given the green light for a second season. With its strong story and humor, sound art design, and even more compelling characters with an excellent lead, it’s certainly worth a shot among not just otaku and gamers, but anybody and everybody.
1) Super Robot Taisen OG: The Inspector
Protect the Earth Sphere with the ATX pilots from The Inspectors who plan to finish the job the Aerogators could not! For more information click here.
2) Special Achievements
Limited time achievement badges by watching 5 episodes in a row for Milky Holmes and watching the latest and greatest episode of Fortune Arterial this month from 11/1 to 11/30. Learn more about it here!
