Anime Review: Recorder to Randoseru Mi

The series is mainly about the Miyagawa siblings: Atsushi—an elementary student whose build and appearance is the same as a typical adult man; and Atsumi—his sister and a high school girl whose appearance is like an elementary student. They live everyday encountering misunderstandings and misadventures, most to be blamed to their ironic age/looks. (Source: ANN)

Recorder to Randoseru has always been one of those odd, quirky five-minute episode series that really shouldn't be as enjoyable as it sounds. On the surface alone, it's loli/shota bait disguised as a height difference gag series. Atsushi is in fifth grade but looks like an adult! Atsumi looks like a little girl but is in high school! For the first two seasons, RtR managed to rise above the cheap jokes, for the most part. 

Yet somewhere in the development of its third and final season, that concept of fun times with mismatched bodies got lost. Everything got a little weird - and not in a positive way. Still, it was good while it lasted.

Top Five Anime of 2012 (So Far)

Do you know what kind of blog posts people with limited access to computers write up when pressed to update their blog? This kind! Honestly, it's already June, why aren't more people making posts like this? Probably waiting for the summer season to end, but I've never been known for my patience.

Note: I have limited interests when it comes to new anime. I don't watch sequel series of series I haven't seen yet (like Fate/Zero) and harem/ecchi series for the most part do not interest me. Without further ado, here comes the top five!

5. Recorder to Randoseru Re♪

What can I say? The first season was loads of fun and so was this. I especially enjoyed how the humor shifted away from Atsushi's height to Atsumi's size, and we saw more of the high school and of their slacker neighbor. Also interesting has been the story arc between Atsushi and Sayo, who first thinks Atsushi is an adult - and then learns the hard way how old he is. Despite that, Sayo can't help but have a crush on this older-looking grade schooler. I can only imagine what direction this season will take that in. Hopefully nothing too Kodomo no Jikan for most people!

Also, the way they've been alternating opening sequences and have had different characters in the OP is lovely. My favorite so far is the one with Atsushi's female classmates in the recording studio.

Read the rest of my top five list after the jump!

Final Thoughts: Recorder to Randoseru Do♪

Been a while since I've done one of these, hasn't it? Maybe I'll actually watch more anime this year! One can only hope.

Miyagawa Atsushi is an 11-year-old boy who is 180 centimeters tall. Since he has a grown-up looking build but acts his age, he has always been running into troubles. On the other hand, his 17-year-old elder sister Atsumi is only 137 centimeters tall. Even though she has a childish looking build, Atsumi takes good care of Atsushi. (Source: MAL)

Spoiler warning: The following reviews contain spoilers for the first two episodes of Recorder to Randoseru Do♪. Read with caution!

I had my initial trepidations about Recorder to Randoseru and how it would handle its own premise, since it seems like it could tip so easily into creepy territory. I mean, a little kid that looks like a handsome grown man? A high school girl that looks like she is in elementary school? Certainly there would be no way for this show not to become inherently skeevier with each episode. Surprise surprise – that did not happen! 

Sure, it occasionally went for the cheap “Atsushi holding a young girl’s hand, call the cops!” joke but somehow Recorder to Randoseru managed to go beyond that and become something enjoyable and surprisingly sweet.

Initial Thoughts: Recorder to Randoseru; Poyopoyo

Spoiler warning: The following reviews contain spoilers for the first two episodes of Recorder to Randoseru and Poyopoyo. Read with caution!

Miyagawa Atsushi is an 11-year-old boy who is 180 centimeters tall. Since he has a grown-up looking build but acts his age, he has always been running into troubles. On the other hand, his 17-year-old elder sister Atsumi is only 137 centimeters tall. Even though she has a childish looking build, Atsumi takes good care of Atsushi.

 

Initially, I wasn't sure what to make of Recorder to Randoseru aka Recorder and Randsell. The premise itself is deceivingly simple, and it is by the same studio who brought us Morita-san Wa Mukuchi (the characters of which make really neat cameos in the first Recorder episode). But something about this series is quite delightful despite the fact that it's centered on a little boy who looks like a grown-man and a teenage girl who looks like a much younger girl. 

For one thing, the episodes (like Morita-san) are short so it doesn't demand a great deal of your attention all at one time or threaten to drive any particular joke into the ground like, say, Kill Me Baby and its reliance on flat gags and visual humor.

Read on after the jump for the rest of my reviews!