Anime Pilgrimage RTT

Girls’ High – episode 1

April 15, 2006 on 11:52 pm | In Girls' High | 4 Comments

“High School Girls have their stupid side”

The words at the beginning of this episode were as a symphony to my eyes and ears: “This program brought to you with the cooperation of Geneon”. This does not mean that an announcement has yet been made, but it means both that this show is inevitably winging its way to you, helpless Americans in the audience, and that I don’t have to watch it any longer.

Girls’ High is the apparent punching-bag of this season. When I was less than impressed by the programs on offer, I thought a light bit of fan service was a fine proposition. Well, the season turned out well and, while this is not a terrible show it’s just too bland to be worthy of my time, with its decidedly slipshod production values and (controversy ahead) Noto Mamiko’s frankly bored performance of an ill defined character.

The first episode of Girls’ High is the same as episode zero, with an extra half added on in which the “tricked” girls become friends with the initial trio.

Because the first half of this episode was produced as a preview for the series as a whole, it feels very different to the second half. The second half, for one, is largely silent, while the intro to this episode is crammed full of horrible tinkly hentai-quality music. Likewise, the first half takes every possible opportunity to show a panty shot, but after the eyecatch the panty shot budget was exhausted to the point that you can count the number featured on one hand (gurgh, phrasing).

In a surprising feat of what can only be incompetence, the editing isn’t even good. Lousy cuts make for awkward transitions from one shot to another, and sound begins and ends totally abruptly. It’s a criticism I’ve never really had to make of anime before; I meant to do it for Suzuka, but that show had only one such instance in 26 episodes. Girls’ High has several transgressions of the editing code in the first episode alone!

The character designs are too angular to be special and, quite frankly, I’m getting a little bit past high school girls fan service. I love that this show in particular is being derided for its fan service despite the fact that there have been so many moe and fan service vehicles over the past few years; in the pantheon of fan service, I really don’t think Girls’ High would rank a mention.

Anyway, the show isn’t exactly boring, but the sense of camaraderie between the girls is at this stage very weak and I found the premise upon which the characters’ initial distrust was based to be insubstantial. Fan service has evolved to the point where it is so constant and meaningless that one need only check out the site of someone who is capping any given fan service anime; the disconnect between the characters and the panties inherent in modern shows makes this the most effective use of time for those in pursuit of service.

This season has a good deal of interesting programs; Girls’ High isn’t one of them. Plus the ED is one of those “dancing characters” efforts, but it’s lame. True style is The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, a series which is fast becoming the clichéd “must watch” of the season in this community. It really does blow Girls’ High and its ilk out of the water.