English Dub Review: URAHARA “Donut Crisis”

This is no time to be eating dessert.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The story revolves around three girls (Rito, Kotoko, and Mari) who live in Harajuku, a hub for tourists and a home of bold fashion choices and youth culture. When the radio reports that UFO’s have suddenly begun appearing across the globe, the trio go outside to investigate. Called ‘Scoopers’, the extraterrestrials seem to be targeting cultural landmarks worldwide. (Scoopers can’t create any culture on their own, you see, so they have to capture bits and pieces of it from elsewhere.)

Rather than evacuating, the girls choose to stay in the place they love most – which just happens to be where the aliens are heading next. The group encounters a strange little pink-haired girl from America who is wearing a fried shrimp – which talks. Vowing to protect their home, our three main characters get magical girl-style outfits and weapons (But no transformation sequence. Sad face.) Will they be able to successfully stick it to the Scoopers?

Our Take:

As one of the first shows being co-produced by anime streaming service Crunchyroll, hopes were high for URAHARA. When the initial trailer came out, I was cautiously optimistic. Skateboards, demon horns, and fashion sound like a recipe for success. URAHARA’s ingredients do not live up to their full potential in the premiere.

Storywise, the show treads familiar water with things like aliens, magical girls, and talking mascots. The characters are pretty much standard anime stereotypes so far, with the fashionista, the overly-enthusiastic one with the shrill voice, and the more withdrawn main character. The simuldub itself is okay, but nothing to write home about. The three main actresses fill their roles fine (though Rito sounds a bit older than she’s drawn), but there aren’t any standout performances. Except maybe the fried shrimp, who has a silly Southern accent.

Despite the mediocre plot, characters, and soundtrack, the show is made bearable by it’s uniquely inventive visual style. Let’s hope things improve as the story continues.