Nerds play quiz bowl.

I liked how this approached its topic with such directness and enthusiasm. You know how most anime will end with the heroes saving the world, or winning the national championships? Well, this show has the lowest stakes imaginable. The climax of the show (spoilers, but really, who cares) ends with the main character playing against his rival in a quiz bowl meet among neighboring schools and losing in the semi-finals. The stakes are the lowest imaginable. And yet, who cares? You can still see how much it matters to the characters, trivial as the stakes may be. And the main character takes his loss well and becomes even better friends with his rival.

What a great show. Totally forgettable, perhaps, but I sure did enjoy watching it.

• Storytelling – B – Takes such small stakes and makes an engaging story.
• Voice – B – Very direct. Unique topic.
• Characters – B – Simple but perfect for a show like this.
• Attention Grab – B – Kept my interest.
• Production – C – Not the greatest but who cares?
• Overall – B-

Recommendations – Chihayafuru