Anime Anime Global

Oct. 21 is the day of Akari (light).

It was established as Thomas Edison invented the practical incandescent light bulb on the same day in 1879.

Speaking of Akari, something glittering comes to mind, so here, at Anime!Anime!, we conducted a readers’ survey titled ‘Which is your most favorite Kirara anime?’

Among the manga works that were serialized in four-panel manga magazines published by Houbunsha such as ‘Manga Time Kirara’, and its sister magazines ‘Manga Time Kirara Max’, ‘Manga Time Kirara Carat’, ‘Manga Time Kirara Miracle’, and ‘Manga Time Kirara Forward’, many of them have become anime adaptations since the late 2000s.
In the fall 2020 anime cour, “Dropout Idol Fruit Tart” premiered from Oct. 4. Which do you think is the most popular “Kirara anime” among the fans?

The survey was conducted from Oct. 8 to Oct. 15, and we received 172 answers. The male-to-female ratio was about 75% to 25%, which means that the male readers accounted for a large percentage. About 35% of the readers were minors, 35% were in their twenties, which means that the young readers accounted for a large percentage.

■”Is the Order a Rabbit?” was ranked as number one. The latest work got a favorable notice!
The 1st place
The 1st place went to “Is the Order a Rabbit?” with about 23% support ratings.

“Is the Order a Rabbit?” is a popular series that depicts girls working in the Rabbit House cafe. Its TV anime series was aired from Apr. 2014, and the 3rd season “Is the Order a Rabbit? BLOOM” is currently on air from Oct. 2020.
The readers were attracted to the relationships between the characters, saying ‘Out of all the Kirara works, the characters are so cute that I thought this would be a big hit for sure! The story progressed steadily, and I enjoyed every single episode!’, and ‘I have kept watching the relationships between the characters and their growth, which is exciting.’ Some readers are looking forward to the future development, saying ‘The 3rd season has finally been released! I’ve been excited since the 1st episode.’

The 2nd place
The 2nd place went to “K-On!” with about 8% support ratings. The story is set in Sakuragaoka High School K-On* Club.
The 1st season of its anime adaptation was aired in Apr. 2020, and the 2nd season in Apr. 2010, and the film was released in 2011.
Votes from the readers in their late twenties and thirties accounted for a large percentage. The comments from some of them are ‘”K-On!” is the first Kirara anime that I watched.’, and ‘It is the first and the best.’
*K-On ₌ Kei-Ongaku means popular/band music in Japanese.

The 3rd place
The 3rd place went to “School-Live!” and “Yuyushiki” with about 7% support ratings.
“School-Live!” depicts high school girls that belong to the School Living Club and live at their school. At first glance, it seems
a warm, everyday life…

The readers are attracted to its unexpected story development, saying ‘The story has really skillful foreshadowing, and later development. The main story was perfectly concluded. The gap between the story and illustrations add so much to the entire work.’, and ‘This anime taught me that I have to live in the moment as the future is unpredictable.’

“Yuyushiki” features three high school girls, who are all part of their school’s Data Processing Club. Its TV anime adaptation was aired in Apr. 2013, and OVA was released in 2017. Some readers referred to it as the best anime that depicts everyday life, saying ‘I’m into the girls to have a slow living without any big life event!’, and ‘New character never appears, and nothing in particular happens. It is the ultimate style of an everyday life anime.’

If we look at the votes from the male readers alone, the 1st place went to “Is the Order a Rabbit?”, 2nd to “Yuyushiki”, 3rd to “K-On!”,
“Hidamari Sketch”, and “The Demon Girl Next Door”. From the female readers alone, the 1st place went to “Is the Order a Rabbit?”, 2nd to “School-Live!” and 3rd to “K-On!”.

The comments for “Hidamari Sketch” include ‘I want to cheer for her as she keeps making an effort for her dream.’ and ‘It’s not only about her everyday life, but also about her growth story, which is wonderful.’
The comments for “The Demon Girl Next Door” include ‘It depicts the everyday life of the cute characters, but I particularly like their unique way of picking words and lively conversation. The story also has really skillful foreshadowing, and later development. The story itself is great as well.’

■Other comments are below.
For “Slow Start”.
‘Hana-chan is feeling guilty as she keeps it secret that she ended up spending a gap year as a ronin*, but her friends and others around her are still supportive. I like such a heart-warming world.’
*the person who missed the entrance exams and spend a gap year to prepare for next year’s exams

For “Blend S”.
‘Maika-chan is so cute with a sadistic look and cheerful personality. Other characters are also unique, including the character that calls herself ‘Boku*’, and that likes adult contents. I like the gap between work mode and normal mode.’
*a first personal pronoun that usually young boys use

For “Laid-Back Camp”.
The latest season will be coming soon, and some reader voted for this, saying ‘Hot pot and meat looks delicious, and makes me feel calm. I’m looking forward to the 2nd season!’

In this survey, “Is the Order a Rabbit?” dominated with triple the votes of 2nd place, which shows that the latest season has just begun, and a lot of fans are looking forward to its future development.

■Ranking Top 20
‘Which is your most favorite Kirara anime?’
1. “Is the Order a Rabbit?”
2. “K-On!”
3. “School-Live!”
3. “Yuyushiki”
5. “The Demon Girl Next Door”
6. “New Game!”
6. “Hidamari Sketch”
6. “Asteroid in Love”
9. “Slow Start”
9. “Hanayamata”
9. “Blend S”
9. “Laid-Back Camp”
13. “GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class”
13. “Kin-iro Mosaic”
15. “Place to Place”
15. “Comic Girls”
17. “Kill Me Baby”
18. “Tamayomi”
18. “Gourmet Girl Graffiti”
18. “Three Leaves, Three Colors”

(Survey Period was from Oct. 8 to Oct. 15, 2020.)