Boys and girls, I think I’m going to like this anime! Several weeks ago, I added Sounan Desuka? to my list of “plan to watch” summer 2019 anime. I thought a survival themed short series would be great. Some time later, I realized it was probably going to be a fanservice show or an ecchi. I considered not watching, because Ao-chan Can’t Study, the Ecchi comedy, left a sour taste in my mouth. But it’s not fair to assume one ecchi/fanservice show will be like the last. So I gave the first episode a try… and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Notes on Story: 7/10

I’ve not seen very many fanservice show, so take this with a grain of salt; I feel like the story concept of girls stranded on an island is fairly original. At least, I haven’t seen it come up in anime before. Each episode is only 13 minutes long, which seems to me like the perfect length for a shallow, silly, sexy, and fun anime. Given the general absence of a plot, how I rate the story aspect will depend on how funny the humor is and if the fanservice is appealing or not. So far, it’s going moderately well on both fronts.

Impressions of Characters: 6/10

The characters don’t seem like anything special. Maybe they don’t have to be in this kind of show. There are 4 girls. Asuka-chan is the athletic tomboy type. Mutsu-chan is the smart, knowledgeable megane-bishoujo. Shion-chan is the cute and normal girl, but with a slightly spoiled, with ojou-chan vibes. Homare-kun is the only one who doesn’t quite fit into a typical anime girl category. She’s deadpan, frank, practical, skilled, and happens to know all about survival when stranded. Even though some of them are typical, the characters are engaging and funny.

Audio 7/10

There was some good instrumental music near the beginning. The sound effects throughout the episode were funny. The ED, “Ikiru” by Kiyono Yasuno (voice of Mutsu) was beautiful and upbeat. I recognized Shion’s seiyuu, Waki Azumi, since she was Ao in Ao-Chan Can’t Study. Voices of Mustu and Homare are great, too. Oh, and the OP was kind of fun.

Visuals: 6/10

As for art and animation, it’s ok, but it looks no better or more polished than something you’d see from 6 years ago. There’s nothing unique about the art, either. As far as being sexually appealing, I can’t say that this episode really did much for me. Well, besides the yuri kiss/ spit exchange. That was sort of exciting. But still, it was just more silly than arousing. A few of the thigh, skirt, and panty shots were hot, but the sheer number of them made it funny/ridiculous rather than sexy.

Enjoyment: 8/10

I enjoyed the whole episode. I like the realism of Homare’s survival tips and the risky and slightly gross experiences the girls have. I thought it was bad-ass when Homare caught a fish with a flagpole, and hot when she she took off her shirt. It was also hilarious in a gross kind of way when she drank the fish’s blood, and in the flashback, ate a moose’s testicle! Homare “Kissing” Mutsu with some locust still in her mouth made me laugh. Ah, this show’s just plain fun.

Overall Score (of First Impression) is 6.8/10 Fine

That may not be the best score, but compared to the last ecchi comedy I watched (Ao-Chan) it’s a very high number! I look forward to more silly, survivalist fun!

Images From: Sounan Desuka? Dir. N Nagayama. Ezola. 2019.