Kiitaro’s Yokai Picture Diary – Cute Yokai Doing Silly Things

• Genre : Comedy, Harem, Slice of Life; Supernatural
• Episodes: 12
• Studio: Creators in Pack

 

Kiitaro is a handsome boy who has been seeing strange things since he was a child. It seems he was born with the ability to see Yokai (spirits that live all around us but are normally not visible to humans) and this has caused him many problems and misunderstandings. Because of his unusual behavior, he is sent off to live by himself in a remote cabin where he meets a spirited Yokai named Suzu. As she is already living in the cabin with no intention of leaving, the two start their adventures together, as they get to know the various Yokai around. This reminds me of something but I just can’t put my finger on it….

Have any of you ever watched Red Dwarf? It’s great, you should! It’s also British, but they attempted an American remake that never got off the ground. I read an interview with one of the actors long ago that jokingly suggested that American audiences just couldn’t wrap their heads around the concept of a show called Red Dwarf that wasn’t particularly red and was distinctly lacking in dwarves. I snickered at those silly literal Americans.

During my entire watch of Kiitaro’ Yokai picture diary, I kept looking for the diary. I don’t think there’s anything resembling a book at all in the series. Maybe the diary was all of us?

Kiitaro is a show I put on my watch list for one reason and one reason alone, the title made it sound like a Natsume ripoff. You guys may not be aware of this but I’m a huge fan of Natsume’s book of friends. (My phone was desperately suggesting I change that to Natsume’s Book of Mormon). I hadn’t the slightest idea it was a short program until I hit play on the first episode and realized a bite sized distraction was exactly what I needed.

As far as production goes, this one is fairly decent. The artwork is pretty. A borderline Moe style with lots of Yokai allowing for varied designs and intricately detailed outfits. The colors are extremely saturated here which punctuates the energetic and offhand atmosphere. I also enjoyed voice acting across the board. Honestly, I just can’t find anything bad to say about the technical aspects.

So what about the more creative ones? This really isn’t a good way to split up my reviews. Music and voice acting are quite creative… And there’s a technical element to writing that shouldn’t be ignored.

But I digress. Can you believe this is the first time I’ve used this segue. It will NOT be the last!

Basically, Kiitaro is a comedic slice of life with some fanservice. Up skirt jokes and cleavage shots abound however these are fairly non-intrusive. There’s nothing particularly mean spirited or predatory in the presentation and I can guarantee you’ve seen worse and more risqué in the past few days. It’s just that when episodes are this short, including a set up and punch line of a mildly dirty joke takes up the entire time.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is all there is to it though, I would say only about a quarter of the episodes go blue, the rest are a mix of absurdist humor, traditional sight gags and surprisingly touching moments. For the most part it’s very slightly pervy fluff with a touch of moe and a bit of humor but it does have a heart which is rather surprising.

I looked up the MAL rating and it’s quite low (under 7). I’m not sure why. I read 2 or 3 reviews that all had it at 4 or 5 and all of them basically said that there wasn’t much to this show, but it was fun to watch. I’m wondering what they were expecting as the entire season is roughly 36 minutes. No there isn’t any great character development, social commentary or deep analysis. Somehow that didn’t disappoint me too much.

 It won’t make you think but it might make you smile which is a fantastic outcome if you ask me. The way I see it, this is a perfect little palate cleanser or picker upper. You can easily binge the entire thing over a day or two after a more emotionally charged series to reset your mind and get ready for something else but it’s also a great little tidbit to insert throughout your day.

Watching one of these on my lap top in the mornings as I went through my get ready routine allowed me to wake up and face the day lighthearted and carefree. Getting one in just before bedtime was perfect to unwind without filling your mind with complicated thoughts.

No, this isn’t my favorite short anime by any means, there are better out there, and I’ve already reviewed some of them. I did like this more than Love is Like a Cocktail for what that’s worth. However, as I sat down to write this review, I realized that while I may not be able to warmly praise it, I also couldn’t really find anything wrong with it at all. And I wager that if you’re in the mood for this type of story, you will find it very enjoyable.

I dunno, I guess it’s like yummy canned soup? You know. It’s not special, you can’t really find any way to sell it to your friends but there are some days where it really hits the spot. It’s easy, and tasty and it won’t ever give you a tummy ache. You’ll probably forget all about it the next day.

Favorite character: Yukihaha

What this anime taught me: Mirrors lie! I knew it!

I love water. Especially frozen into cubes and surrounded by vodka.

Suggested drink: Fox River

• Every time Kiitaro and Suzu bicker – take a sip
• Every time Kiitaro hisses – take a sip
• Every time we gat a fanservice joke – clutch your pearls
• Every time we only see he fox tail – take a sip
• Every time a *friend* of Suzu’s visits – take a sip
• Every time Yuki says onii-chan – take a sip
• Every time Kiitaro strips – raise your glass
• Every time anyone acts tsundere – take a sip
• Every time anyone says hentai – take a sip
• Every time Kiitaro is surprisingly thoughtful  clap