The Comic Artist and Assistants: The Animation (2014)

[マンガ家さんとアシスタントさんと]

Director: Takeshi Furuta
Studio: Zecks
Starring: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Saori Hayami, Arisa Noto
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A perverted mangaka struggles with sagging popularity while his harried editor and assistant struggle to keep him on task.

Impressions:
I was drawn to this series because the core subject matter is the inner workings of the manga industry but was a little leery (pun not intended) of the ecchi side to it. At the end of the day, it's not that much more ecchi than most other series, which really makes me step back and think about things. However, this review isn't the place for a treatise on ecchi subject matter (or perhaps it is?). My prudish aversion to ecchi subject matter gets overridden if the art and the characters click with me and that's certainly the case here. Because this is based on a yonkoma series, it plays a bit like a pervier Azumanga Daioh. Yes, Aito is a pervert, but his character has a little depth to it and I think it helps that he's constantly being shut down by Ashisu and Mihari. I wouldn't quite call this a harem anime, but a perverted geek like Aito gets surrounded by pretty girls who are drawn to him to one degree or another, so it's pretty close and this sort of blatant wish fulfillment is a little off-putting for me personally. Anyway, it's pretty funny, the characters are appealing and the art design is solid. It's a short series and entertaining enough. I'd say give an episode a try if you're curious and if you're still on board, you should enjoy yourself.

Rating:
Watch It