Otaku Elf: 1 Fatal Flaw Spoils a Charming Anime

I wish I liked Otaku Elf better than I do. I really like the art style for the show, and the main characters are great--I just wish they were in a better show. But I can't get past the experience of sitting there feeling like the show was either stalling for time or focusing on something much less interesting than its enjoyable cast. In this anime review, I'll explain the main problem with Otaku Elf, as well as some of its high points, so you can decide for yourself if it's worth a look.
Chapters
00:00 The Fatal Flaw
00:35 Series Recap
01:17 Edo Otaku
03:01 Elda and Miko In-Depth
04:29 Art Style Is a Plus
05:05 Discussion of OP & ED
05:40 Supporting Cast Problems
06:53 Rating
Stream Otaku Elf on HiDive:
www.hidive.com/stream/otaku-elf
COPYRIGHT STUFF:
Anime:
Otaku Elf
© Akihiko Higuchi, KODANSHA/ "Otaku Elf" Production Committee.
Images:
Tim Reckmann, "Sushi"
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
TheCulinaryGeek, "Taco"
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Music:
The Mini Vandals Featuring Mamadou Koita and Lasso, "Ngoni"
Before I Forget by Artificial.Music | soundcloud.com/artificial-music
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Flash Games by Patchworker f.k.a. [friendzoned] | soundcloud.com/patchworker
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
#OtakuElf

[@dreadogastusf3548]

I did enjoy Otaku Elf. It's true there was not much depth to it. But I find Japanese SOL refreshing. The characters know they are part of a larger society and work hard to create harmony with other folks. An excellent change from the contentious times here in the U.S. edit: Forgot to mention that your review was thoughtful and articulate. good job.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks. I like that point about the characters being part of the larger community: there's a definite sense of connection between the main cast and the community they live in.

[@RagnamanEXE]

I liked the show and to me it did seem to have issues where not enough was happening and didn't focus enough on the concept of the realization of the effects of Elf's immortality. It was hinted here and there which is nice, but I think it was so subtle that I feel like most viewers overlooked something important that I noticed. The story kind of shows how the main cast are coping with previous Miku's death which in this case was sudden and likely still young. When a significant death happens, the people around them end up hurt and each person around said person have different ways to deal with the burden. It takes a long time and people change as a result. Elda basically tried to shut herself off to the world completely, only to go against her coping mechanism to support Koito because she too was hurting. As a result, Koito tried to be a strong person who looked up to what was an unnamed shoulder to cry on. Koyuzu, being the little sister, coped by trying to be supportive to her sister and become an independent person by learning to cook and self sustaining who looks up to her sister as a mother figure. However since she is young she still wants to be doted by her sister which is why that one episode she emphasized it. Honestly the real shame is that 12 episodes wasn't enough to flesh out a complete story and give some depth to the supporting cast. Also making a slice of life such as this just doesn't draw as much fans and so only performs average at best.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Nice psych analysis of the characters; I liked your thoughts on Koyuzu in particular. I also would like to see a second season that developed some of the stories and the supporting cast more. Who knows? Maybe it'll happen.

[@nicoleturkowski]

Great video. I adored this anime but very few people talked about it this season

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks! I'm surprised it didn't get talked about as much, too.

[@ShukakuTheCrazy1]

This show made my friday lunch break at work even better

[@littleorphananimeYT]

This would make a good background anime. I usually watched it right before bed.

[@ShukakuTheCrazy1]

@@littleorphananimeYT yeah I always make sure I have something to watch when on lunch.

[@furakanoabira7111]

This is exactly my thoughts on this show, thanks for spitting them up xD

[@littleorphananimeYT]

No problem 👍 I kept feeling something was holding the show back, and finally figured out what it was, so I wondered if anyone else had that feeling, too.

[@septimus4762]

The art is gorgeous *drooling*

[@littleorphananimeYT]

The character art was my favorite part of the show.

[@captainpanda8060]

That bus stop analogy was spot on.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

If they ever make season 2, I'll watch for that reason: maybe season 1 was the bus stop.

[@angelofdeath0203]

Great breakdown and analysis of this anime.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@corycianangel6321]

I thought that Otaku Elf was for promoting the city that was the setting of the show.

[@littleorphananimeYT]

I agree that it feels like a celebration of Tokyo, though I wasn't expecting that going in.

[@Larsgman]

A show about a girl who’s an otaku….my god. Definite pass