Post Number 6 and we look at an anime that is getting quite some interest in the wrong places, our next anime is Keijo.
Now I’m fully aware that Keijo is a current anime that has not long started and there could be changes in opinion in the future but from the three episodes I did see, I pretty much have a fair assessment on what to expect.
Keijo is about a combat sport in which women using their breasts and butts try and knock each other into the water, it’s very much the same as a typical pool party game but some genius decided to make it a sport and give the anime it’s typical over the top flavour it does to all its sports anime, think of it as Hajime no Ippo swimming pool version with girls, our heroine is the gymnast Nozomi Kaminashi who gives up her dream on the Olympics due to Keijo being a sport that can win her more money quickly if she turns professional, joined by other girls, Nozomi will try and turn pro and defeat many major players along the way.
This anime is silly and everyone with a sense of humour knows this and the anime is self aware of this fact, to take some key moments from episode two, the students at the sports college do exercises to improve their butt strength and technique while also learning about and I’m not making this up Asstrology and Boobology, there are also techniques like Butt Guillotine, Butt Gatling Gun and Vacuum Butt Cannon as if it were Monkey D Luffy stretching his butt instead of these girls so if the anime isn’t taking itself seriously then why should anyone else? Well some people do take it seriously unfortunately.
I get so sick and tired of the whole sexist argument when it comes to fan service style anime and while it is appealing to the male audience it’s designed in a way that is not sexist at all.
From three episodes there has only been one male character seen and he has no impact on the story so far and I doubt he ever will and I don’t even think he has a name, that’s important to note, even harem anime has at best one male character and depending on the series said male character is an abuse victim when he’s constantly mistaken for a pervert which is a painfully tired cliché.
People who write and make these shows are not stupid; they know full well that there are people all over the world watching their shows at any one point due to the availability of services like Crunchy Roll and they have to make it for everyone not just a set audience and they are painfully aware of the criticisms it might receive so it does its best to minimize the impact and Keijo would not only pass the Bechdel Test with flying colours, it never showcases the cast doing this sport against their will, each character wants to achieve great things from this sport and as silly as it looks, this is no different to every other sports anime, which makes it painfully predictable but the formula is tried and tested and worth the paper it was written on, Free, Kuroko’s Basketball and Yowamushi Pedal are rated some of the best anime of today and use the exact same formula but with the opposite gender.
Again it’s just a silly anime about a harmless swimming pool game and if you still think this anime is sexist then go watch Eiken, because that is a sexist anime and the worst anime in the world then you’ll see that in comparison this is tame!
Final Verdict: its silly fun at its finest using a formula that is tried and tested, I’m open to an opinion change but I kind of already know what else to expect so I don’t need any more time on it. This show is not meant to be taken seriously and the anime knows this along with 90% of the Otaku community, if you do take this seriously then sorry I can’t help you.
