Special A 01

NOODLEPEOPLE.

I’m pretty sure everyone by now knows exactly what the hell happens in this episode, so I’ll skip to the comments.

First of all, despite Gonzo having worked on Special A, I don’t see too many dips in quality, nor do I see excessive CG, unlike a certain other show. Instead, we have this; it’s actually pretty good, from what I’ve seen so far (less than 30 minutes). I haven’t been exposed to the original material unlike most other people, so there is nothing for me to compare it with.
In Special A, the story is basically about the rivalry between Hikari and Takishima, with the former constantly trying to beat the latter so that she can be “number one”, but Of course, Takishima is superior to her in every aspect, no matter how ridiculous (lol sexism). So the story might not sound all that special, but it is interesting enough a premise to keep me watching.
I did have some problems with the series itself though. The idea with pro wrestling in the show somehow makes me wonder if the creator just put it there as an excuse to allow Hikari and Takishima to pull off crazy moves on evil delinquents.
Furthermore, the idea behind a “Special A” class, which is actually just a tiny group of students being allowed to do whatever they want in a giant terrrarium – be it drinking tea, eating waffles, or raising sloths – is kinda preposterous, considering the budget required to maintain such things would be insane. However, logic and anime don’t exactly blend together, so I guess the point is moot. I can at least see the reasoning behind people not exactly getting along with them though; even I’d harbor some form of dislike for people like that.
As for character designs, I actually find them to be pretty nice; girls look cute, guys look like… well, half of them look like men, the other half look like pretty men. I guess it’s to be expected though, seeing as this is probably mostly shoujo.
The music was barely noticeable. Or perhaps I just didn’t pay enough attention. I skipped through the ED though, since I was watching this at three in the morning with a jacket draped over my head and the monitor so that my parents wouldn’t see the glow from the monitor through the ventilation fan between our rooms.
All that aside, Special A, while nothing too special, is still a generally enjoyable watch. Of course, knowing Gonzo, it may deteriorate greatly from there.

PS: Trivia: looking at the clock, one can note that the show may place during the year 2007.