Outbreak Company

Everything going into this makes it look like any other 'anime about anime' shows that's been produced, but after a wonky start, what comes out is a show that is both genuinely funny and profound in its own way.

Don't let the boob-filled poster fool you: this is not just a sex comedy about a sad nerd and his hot friends. This is something special, even if the parody names and references to anime might be a little obtuse for all but the most hardcore (I've watched for 10+ years and still missed about half of them). For a series that feels like it would be lost in translation, it really pulls out all the stops.

Outbreak Company crossed my mind on first impression with no prior information on the show at all, however the Anime delivered what the audiences wants from a haren series with comedy while proving me wrong. The very first episode is very engaging with how the fantasy will be playing out. Very interesting idea which could leave the impression that the Anime could have been better with the potential of a great idea, however I thought that the potential was handled well. Here's to hoping for a second season and that the sales will perform in Japan!

If I have one complaint about this series, it's that it seems almost too well written and conceived for the fluffy and frequently cliche harem rom-com that it is. The premise is clever and requires only a bit of suspension of belief, the characters are mostly realistic, and the setting is coherent and consistent. The protagonist is only mostly clueless, and the affection of the girls who surround him seems based on a genuine regard for his qualities; qualities that are demonstrated in ways that feel natural and not forced. Most of all, there seems to be a valid and intelligent story that is being told. Alas, that story really only covers three or four episodes, with the rest of the show focusing on somewhat-ironic otaku tropes and clever industry self-references. Still, while I can bemoan how much more they could have done with this, there's no real sense of waste...it's a fun anime on every level.

This review might contain spoilers! If you dont want to spoilers don't skip those parts! They will be labeled. Off we go!

Outbreak Company! If you like to call yourself an otaku then you might want to watch is! Its starts off with a young man who as reluctantly given up on his school life and social life after being turned down by his high school love he confessed to. While living his lonely life, much like I do, little does he know that hes being watched by the Japan Government so he can be hired for a "special job".

You may think this is the only "main character" nie there is but one more and its a lovely maid around the same age as our boy hero of this anime that has yet to take off.

The anime really takes off when these two meet for the first time, that being our hero and heroine. I won't get into to much detail cause there is a lot to cover but it comes down to that, so lets start.

One day our hero falls asleep without know what is about to happen and how it will change is life from what he does as nothing in our world to a full time job in another. The Government takes him to another world where he is there to teach the "races" that inhabit this other world about anime and the otaku lifestyle, which im sure that all of use would love to do ourselves at least I would.

Moving swiftly on!

You soon find yourself with our hero talking to the Queen of this world, and she, of course falls for him as does the maid that he lives with in his own mansion in this world because he is also seen as a diplomat for our earth, as opposed to their? earth? euuehu? Thus this anime swiftly turns for one love point to two and three later down the road and I won't go past that but its a harem for sure and if you like them then you'll like this.

As the plot goes on the relationships grow and the are the ups and downs, the drama and the feels along the way so im sure you will get your fill one way or another, there is also a filler episode which. . . you guessed its a swimsuit episode! Which them selves in the anime talk about how the 9th episode of every anime is a swimsuit episode. They also break a few more walls and talk about other animes that the director of this anime himself worked on before but if you haven't seen them you wouldn't know with out being told.

All in all its a fun anime harem with feels and drama to carry you to the end. So..

SHOULD YOU WATCH!?: Outbreak Company?
Ya.

Short Synopsis:

A wormhole is discovered that leads to an alternate dimension. There, the Japanese government tries to promote their culture for their own profit. Shinichi is hired as an otaku-expert to aid the growth of Japanese manga and anime in Eldant.


Main Cast:

Shinichi: Main character, and an extreme otaku. Acts in a benevolent manner.
Myucel: Half-elf, maid that serves the MC. Comes across as very innocent.
Petralka: Loli character, empress of the Eldant Empire. She is very childish.
Minori: Well endowed female officer. Has a severe yaoi obsession.


Characters:

We both thought the characters were handled well. The character potential was used properly in numerous funny situations, as well as serious situations. However, one noticeable character we both seem to be split on is Petralka. Albeit her discrimination against the non-humans angered us, we cannot conclude that she had bad character design. Petralka's attitude made us feel sympathy for the non-humans, it gave us a reason to care for them rather than to be indifferent.

Characters who don't face any hardships do not have appeal to us, this is because without one, there is little to no room for character development and growth. In Outbreak Company, a few of the characters displayed some amount of growth during this series, which is great because no one likes to watch cardboard cutouts.

That is why we are split on Petrakla. She was very racist to the other species, but it also helped to show how 'racism' in this world was a commonly accepted practice, giving us the sense of rank and oppression in their society. We were impressed with how these mechanics actually worked out, it felt very natural and made logical sense while giving you reason to care at the same time.

I'm convinced that the characters and their comedic interactions are undoubtedly what made the series as entertaining as it was.


Plot/Storyline:

The plot was amazing.
-A loli
-Busty cop girl
-Half-elf maid
-Kemonomimi girl
-A Beach episode
- Lots of other fanservices

But jokes aside. . .
Outbreak Company switched between phases of being serious and being a light-hearted comedy. With it more or less being the latter most of the time.

The series uses the serious moments well; the problems in the story are played off of legitimate cultural and economical reasons that don't feel forced or rushed. Even towards the end, Outbreak Company maintained this posture and didn't degrade in the quality of it's plot. The anime just had good pacing in general and tells us the story over the course of time while mixing in several comedic elements.

It is true that the main focus of this anime was definitely not plot. If you're only into the anime with a hardcore and serious storyline then you probably wouldn't even spit in the direction of Outbreak Company. However, this series has undeniably good writing for being such a comedy oriented anime.


Soundtrack/BGM:

The OP was pretty decent, the ED was almost always skipped. There was one background track that was very memorable, it played during the more comedic moments and definitely fit the mood well. Besides that, none of the other music really stood out to us unfortunately.


Animation and Artstyle/Aesthetics:

Yes, yes the art. . . We both really enjoyed the fanser- we mean art style, very much. The animators took the time to include miniscule details that made the over-all picture much better. I don't think anybody will be disappointed at all with the camera ang- we mean artwork. . .


Overall Entertainment/Enjoyment:

We were both thoroughly entertained. Outbreak Company has funny comedy and a palatable story to back it up. Although there was no substantial elements, it still was a fun anime that we're somewhat sad to see end.

There are lots of cliches here but it's not as though this makes the series unbearable, and to be honest, this is actually one of the few anime to contain lots of stereotypes yet still manage to be good. I actually praise the writers for the genius of using the actual plot of this anime as an excuse to use the cliches you see so often in other anime.

If you're looking for a somewhat relaxing and comedic anime with a hint of plot, then Outbreak Company is a good match for you.


Pros and Cons:

[+] You actually somewhat feel for characters.
[+] Good plot for a comedy oriented anime.
[+] Decent Pacing.

[+/-?] Petralka is a bitch.

[-] Jokes are very cliche and repeated often.
[-] Stereo-Typical and somewhat predictable characters.

Minor problems and cliches are annoying but don't detract too much from the entertainment value. . .
Final Score: 8/10


Thanks for reading!
Reviewed by HG and RAZ, revised and edited by both of us.
HGandRAZ reviews

First off, let me say that I tend to grad more strictly than most reviews on Crunchyroll. A three star for me is average, a four is a good anime I would recommend to almost everyone, and a five is superb. So outbreak company is a short series about a college age otaku who gets enlisted by the Japanese Government to go to a newly discovered world and establish ties through manga and anime. Pretty girls and funny situations ensue, which is the norm for most anime these days.
What sets Outbreak Company apart and raises it above most series is the political undertone which undermines the silliness. I feel the writers were making a political point about otaku culture and political trends. I won't say more to not spoil the plot. In the end this was a heartwarming show that can also make you mad. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone and hope for a future series.

There are those who are very big fans of references. Watamote, in episode 1 if my memory serves me correctly, features a reference to Death Note as well as an 'Another' reference later on in the series. In Lucky Star there are multiple pieces of Otaku & Japanese culture sprinkled into every single episode. And if you are looking for another fun, comical, straight-to-the-otaku-heart anime, you need look no further.

After following the life of a true-to-fashion hikikomori, Shin'ichi Kano applies online to a job by completing a questionnaire about various aspects of otaku culture and after A-cing the almost quiz as it were, he is whisked away to a fantasy world of mystical wonder ruled by a flat-chested loli Petralka. And with the assistance of Minori, a Japanese Self-Defense Force Member, Matoba, a Japanese official, and Myucel, an elf maid they meet in this new fantasy world, they strive to bring Otaku culture to this new world with Shin'ichi the figurehead.

And, in all honesty, that is the main draw of this show. The plot is not over-arching but rather the plot serves to create various situations that give referenced and comical looks at various stereotypes, tropes, and cliches of many other anime and anime genres to date. While it does have its moments of series story and tone, the majority of the series consists of situations that help show the various preconceptions and obligatory-s of anime that we have all come to know and love. For instance: In episode....5 or 6 I can't remember which, Petralka tries her best to be a tsundere girl in-front of Shin'ichi. But the comical aspect of this encounter is that Petralka is already the tsundere of this series, so you have an already tsundere character trying to be a tsundere character so it throws Shin'ichi off and he doesn't even realize it until it is pointed out to him. And there are various other parodies of other anime, such as a shot-for-shot joke of an iconic scene from Attack on Titan to occasional plays on words to finding animals hidden in tall grass (Pokemon). All of these come together to form a heart whelming story of triumph and comical parody that, while more times than not consist of 1-off episodes, has more going for it than meets the eye.

Animation quality is not fantastic but it is more fitting than it is elegant. Due to this being a comical look at otaku culture, the series doesn't warrant the animation quality of 5 centimeters per second or even Sword Art Online. I would compare it the anime Log Horizon. While the quality is not Attack on Titan, the animation does what it is asked and is able to tell the story nicely because better animation would seem almost overdoing it. Soundtrack is kind of generic though there is one track that will be remembered from this, the "Awkward moment da-da-da" track, and if you have watched this series already you know which track I am speaking of. The opening, I personally, feel is the best track of this show and fits with the comical feel of this series. The ending also holds up well in comparison though animation I feel is somewhat lacking in terms of content. Character development can be lacking though the show knows what it wants to do and be(a parody of otaku culture) and executes it well most of the time. And while the ending does leave the possibility for more, it gives a satisfying conclusion that can be appreciated by most, if not all.

Outbreak Company is what it tries to be, a parody of otaku culture. While it does have some blunders here and there, it tells a nice story of comical otaku parody and heart that true anime fans will most certainly enjoy. Give it a watch and you will most certainly agree