D-Fragments! - Let's Spin the Wheel of Characters

You know how I said comedies are hard to grade in my Azumanga Daioh review? Yeah, well, D-Frag is one of those anime that leave me with a total mixed bag. I know that comedy is subjective, and I don't know what most people think about it, but I think that to many viewers, D-Frag could be hit and miss. It certainly was to me. But the reason for this is actually largely in part to the style of the show, and could be intentional. So, what do I think of D-Frag in general? Let's start with the basics.

STORY: 4/10

All right, stop me if you've heard this one: a quirky school club- "STOP". Yeah. The premise is pretty much done to death by this point, and honestly I think that D-Frag seems to understand that. Actually, I'd probably be willing to give it a little bit of a point for mix and matching the quirky school club doing nothing genre (which sadly IS a genre now) with a FIGHTING SERIES of all things. Well, I use the term "fighting series" very loosely. It's hard to explain, but all the major story arcs after the (albeit weak) setup play out like typical shonen action arcs (most prominently the "tournament arc").

Pacing is difficult, but it never really feels terrible for a comedy. The story is split into basically three distinct story arcs, each of which takes up about three episodes with a few self-contained episodes (which still tie in with the previous arc). Honestly, it's more than I expected from a series like this.

The setting is probably something else that I need to mention. I give it points more because of the fact that there are so many characters with weird traits that are constantly moving in and out as the whim of the writer that it at least gives the series a feeling of being alive, if nothing else. It isn't just going through the motions. And speaking of, the massive cast of characters who are constantly sharing backstories are where the complexity score comes in.

Anyway, D-Frag knows that the plot isn't the focus. It's at least self-aware enough to know that. Honestly, when it comes to school club comedies, I'd say that it knows that the plot is completely unimportant. After all, they don't even have a finale of any kind (almost as if they're expecting a second season). It doesn't really end so much as it just... Stops.

Premise: 0.5/2
Pacing: 1/2
Immersion: 1/2
Setting: 0.5/2
Theme: 0/1
Complexity: 1/1

ART: 6/10

It's hard to say much about the art in D-Frag, mostly since I think it's just sort of average across the board. The animation isn't great but it's passable. Character designs are distinct but just sort of standard. Backgrounds look okay. It can be cute, but aside from Chibi Roka and Takao it isn't ever heart-meltingly cute. It tries to have fanservice now and again which (again aside from Takao) is sort of bland and forgettable. And it tries to have background characters that look like something you'd see out of... Okay, I don't know what series you'd see them out of. Sort of like watered-down Hokuto no Ken goons?

Regardless, it doesn't really do much with its visual design or animation outside of the norm. Everything is just kind of average, which is what makes it hard to grade. If you can handle having weirdly ugly men (and some weirdly ugly women) along with your standard moe team, that's sort of the idea you have here. It at least makes for an interesting juxtaposition, I suppose.

I will say that I like the colors. They match the tone well.

General Presence: 1.5/2
Visual Design: 1.5/2
Backgrounds: 1/2
Animation: 1/2
Attention to Detail: 0.5/1
Visual Effects: 0.5/1

SOUND: 6/10

Again, a sort of "not bad, not great" situation when it comes down to the sound. There are a lot of veteran voice actors on the cast (especially since the cast is so huge) and luckily the main characters manage to be consistently good on their roles. Konishi Katsuyuki (who I find has only one "comedic" voice) does a surprisingly good job at a tsukkomi role, and Hanazawa Kana, who I have yet to hear not give it a good try regardless of the script's quality, brings a unique feel to her job as Roka. Other veteran voice actors of note include Fukuyama Jun being pretty consistently funny, Itou Shizuka managing to play a hilarious sort of "reverse Hinagiku," and Ueda Kana managing to do a great job staying in the uncanny valley for her deliveries (which fits the character).

But alas, a lot of the side cast have to just sort of have their characters slapped onto them. They still have famous voice actors, but none of them really feel like they've "become" their role. I dunno, compare it to Azumanga Daioh. I could easily rattle off voice actors for D-Frag, even relatively obscure ones like Takahashi Mikako, whereas the Azumanga cast got so into it, I was completely unable to recognize Kuwashima Houko as Kagura, and I still barely can believe Tanaka Rie voiced Yomi because it's so different from her usual performances. So D-Frag has the full spectrum, of decent to sort of bad (mostly reserved for one-off characters) to great voice acting.

Music is bland, I never noticed it once through the series run. The only exceptions are the opening and ending themes, which aren't bad, per se, just sort of average... I'd even go so far as to say they're pretty good... But I ended up skipping over them because they are those frustratingly catchy songs that get stuck in your head for a week. Whoever made those songs, I will subtract a point from the music score just to get back at you for making it impossible for me to stop hearing that opening... It's been half a year and I still can remember it.

Sound effects, again, just sort of normal. Give it a pass.

Voice Acting: 3/4
Music: 1/4
Sound Effects: 1/2

CHARACTERS: 4/10

I don't even think this is all of them.

Honestly, there are so many characters I don't think ANY score could properly capture them, mostly since the characters are the main source of comedy. Now, this wouldn't be a problem if the series was consistently funny, but as I said before, the comedy is very hit-and-miss when it comes to D-Frag. I think that a lot of it has to do with the fact that the writing style has someone think of a lot of fairly simple characters and just toss them at the wall one by one, giving each about three minutes of screentime tops. That means that both the really funny characters and the less funny ones appear, get their jokes in, and then sort of fade into the background. Sometimes they return for a cameo or something (the one who comes to mind being 50/50 Fujisaki), but really it's only Kenji, Takao, and Roka who get consistent screentime. That's fine with me, since they were the most enjoyable characters.

I honestly think if D-Frag were just a romantic comedy focusing on Kenji and Takao, it would've been a lot better (since honestly I found the Takao scenes to be the funniest). The other members of the Game Creation Club (Provisional) are almost trying to be unsympathetic, hoping that acting cutesy will make up for their complete lack of ability to hide that they are horrible people.

Okay, I admit I like Roka. Damn her cuteness.

Kenji at least is a fairly likeable main character who stands above the other generic "THIS IS YOU, VIEWER" that usually exist in this sort of show. Granted, he's still an audience surrogate, but he isn't without his share of solid personality traits that do more than just allow people to project and see themselves as the owner of a harem. He's allowed to have his own personality, and he works really well as a tsukkomi for all the jokes flying left and right at a hundred miles an hour.

But honestly, the characters have nothing really wrong with them on a grand scheme of things. Just that there are way too many and most just sort of come and go without leaving an impression. The main characters are fairly enjoyable, but they don't really bring much to the table.

Presence: 1/2
Personality: 1/2
Complexity: 0/2
Memorability: 1/2
Development: 0/1
Pathos: 1/1

FINAL JUDGMENT : 5/10

The three reasons to watch this show. Well, okay, five.

Alas, the ever looming question of "is it funny" comes to be the final obstacle to scoring this. The answer being "Fifty-Fifty" I'd say. When it's funny, it really knocks it out of the park. When it isn't, it drags on the bad gags for a long time. But honestly, around half the episodes are solid. I know the manga's been going on for a while, so it's possible that D-Frag could continue. To be honest, if it gets a second season, I'd probably watch it.

Pros:
+ Solid comedy a lot of the time
+ A few good characters, mainly Takao

Cons:
- When it isn't making you laugh, it probably won't for the whole episode
- Most characters are underdeveloped and/or unappealing

Recommended Watch List:
- Hayate no Gotoku!
Because Takao's role becomes infinitely funnier when you realize she's voiced by the same person who played Hinagiku. Also both are character-driven, parody humor.
- Kamen no Maid Guy
Both series are very heavy on having [semi-]rational human beings diametrically opposed with complete nutjobs. And boob jokes. Lots of boob jokes.
- Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi
If parody is your cup of tea, as well as fast-paced comedy. D-Frag is very similar to Abenobashi, except with an overall slower pace and removal of supernatural elements (as well as Abenobashi's theme of "each episode parodies a different genre.")