Rewind: KamiNomi

Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai, aka The World God Only Knows, is about a dating sim addict who treats real girls like routes to be conquered. He gets them to fall for him, kisses them, and ditches them.

That sounds offensive. Does it help if I say that Keima, the addict, has to treat girls like this, in order to save them from the lost souls that dwell inside them? Trust me, he doesn't want to kiss 'n ditch... he prefers to avoid real girls altogether, actually.

Obviously, we're dealing with a dysfunctional main character. He spends every moment possible playing his dating sims--including in class. He can be very rude about it, actually. And yet, he's relatable. Many of us have enjoyed the thrill of 2D romance, be it through anime or game. Not to mention the thrill of mastering a game, using our minds to conquer a challenge. And sometimes (particularly, I think, in high school), these 2D adventures seem a lot more palatable than real life.

Keima's dedication to 2D girls has paid off, and he is acknowledged as the master--nay, "god,"--of dating sims. There's another piece that caught my attention when I first watched KamiNomi. While I wouldn't want to be called a "god" of anything, I do fantasize about being acknowledged as the best--or at least very good--at some skill (yeah... I struggle with pride sometimes). I can experience some of that through characters like Keima.

I also fantasize about my hobbies becoming very useful in the real world. That's what happens with Keima, which I enjoy.

[Oh, dear... I'm running out of time again... let's rush the rest]

Keima and Shiori, episode 10.

Anyway, KamiNomi is basically just a fun show, with some sweet moments. My favorite arc is the one with the shy library girl, Shiori, since I find her so relatable. Keima reaches out to her, helping her speak up for what's important to her.

For more of my thoughts, see what I wrote when the third season came out last summer.

KamiNomi Returns

This shot of Keima in ep 1 sums up how I felt upon hearing
the music.

I loved The World God Only Knows, aka Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai, when I first saw it a few years ago. In fact, this amusing anime inspired me to Google free, clean, girl-oriented dating sims (aka otome games). The game Re: Alistair++ brought me great joy as I tried to get all the endings. If I wasn't so reluctant to expand my entertainment budget (read: slightly tightwad-ish), I'd support the wonderful, kind, generous creators at SakeVisual by buying their for-profit games.

Anyway, the second season of KamiNomi was just as enjoyable as the first, as far as I remember.

When I found out that another installment would air this season, I was tentatively excited. Why "tentatively"? I'm afraid that certain American movies have beaten me down, teaching me not to expect too much from sequels. The disappointment started early on, with Disney's Cinderella 2, and has returned several times. Yet I rarely have this problem with anime series. It's unfortunate that bad experiences in other media would follow me to anime.

The World God Only Knows: Goddesses arc (Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami-hen... oh, for heaven's sake! Let's call it KamiNomi 3) starts out wonderfully. The use of the first OP music releases happy chemicals before I can form the words "I like this." Oh, sure, much of the first episode is annoying. It makes me feel like I missed a whole season of anime, or forgot half of what I'd already watched. In truth, I just missed the OVAs and the manga. This comment on Crunchyroll helped me and many others feel better:

Nuclear42, you probably won't ever read this blog, but I thank you for being among the Crunchyroll users who think about their fellow fans. Thanks to the rest of you who take the time to clear things up, too.

Anyway, the makers could do anything short of completely butchering the episode, and I'd still forgive them. Happy feelings linger from their use of the old OP (which, conveniently, is titled "God Only Knows"). The second half of the episode had less flashbacks, leaving room for interesting scenes. We learn more about the mythology behind the show, which loosely employs some elements from various religious traditions about heaven, hell, demons, and goddesses.

We get to see old pals again, including Kanon-chan, who seems to be living a more balanced, happy life thanks to her time with Keima in the first season... of course, life would probably be even better balanced without Apollo taking up residence in her. But I think Kanon would take a slightly air headed goddess for a bodymate over a loose soul any day. I sure would. Besides, she finally has an excuse to get Keima-san's attention again.

If all that sounded ridiculous, go here to read the Anime-Planet description of the first season, and here to watch all three seasons on Crunchyroll. Things will clear up pretty quickly. If you're a fan of anime about otaku, harem anime, dating sims/VNs, comedy, and/or fantasy, then trust me, this show is worth a try. Even if you hate one of the those categories I listed (like harem), you might like this one.

KamiNomi: Megami-hen looks like it may have a little bit more action than previous seasons. I'm not expecting epic battles or anything, but this could be exciting!

I thought I'd wait to post this until I watched all the episodes released so far, but it looks like I had plenty to say just after the first episode. I might post more on this show... or I might not. But, barring an unforeseeable disaster, I will be posting another "Rewind" post on Thursday. Stay tuned!