DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ComedyHimouto! Umaru-chan
OVA ComedyHimouto! Umaru-chan OVA
SPECIAL ComedyHimouto! Umaru-chanS
ANIME ComedyHimouto! Umaru-chan R

REVIEWS

• 

  CryingLad

  42/100
  A glimpse into a life of a 16 year old who turns into a 8 year old gamer.

  [Can one even spoil Slice of Life?]()

  
  
  Umaru-Chan has a nice idea, make an Anime that portrays your local gamer quite well...sadly the Main Character is unbearable.

  [PREMISE OF THE SHOW:]()
  There is not much to say about Umaru-Chan's story, that's quite understandable for a SOL Anime and this does not mean that the show can be bad. SOL shows rely on their character cast and gimmicks. If the show has a bad cast and doesn't try to stand out then why even bother?

  Now back to Umaru-Chan. She is a High School student who shows herself as "Elegant" and "Mature" and even to a point of being inept at Technology...this is all a charade her true form, and I do mean form, is that a of a annoying Chibi rat with a hamster attire.

  The show tries to potray a "Gamer" and how they would behave in real life and in their gamer cave. To be honest with you, I believe that this show did a better job showing the true gamer moments. Though the Main Character (Umaru-Chan) is the most annoying creature ever making the show very unreletable and not even slightly enjoyable.

  

  
  

  [CHARACTERS:]()
  So I already talked about Umaru-Chan. She is a High School student who hides her "Gamer" identity, at school she is perfection but at her house she is the opposite with her crying, whining, and sheer mess of a life style. This character is one of the most annoying ones I saw, she shows no remorse to the mental state of the people around her, she wants something so she gets that something with the power of tears. Her portrayal of a "Gamer", as I said numerous times, is quite decent (to a degree), her wasting her time away in games and buying a bunch of collectibles is quite true. The part that starts falling apart is when she goes on her fits of crying and rage when she doesn't get her Gamer Fuel (Cola and Crisps). This aspect of the character is really off putting and just makes you look at ther and say "What a spoiled brat".

  Pretty much everyone else in the show is a decent character though. Each and every one of them have their unique quirks.
  The brother is what you would call "Normie", he doesn't know much about Vidya Geamz and doesn't care that much, he also is the one responsible for Umaru-Chan and her luxurious life style.

  Sylphynford is quite energetic, she is the rival to Umaru-Chan gamer life. She acts like a nice lady but is quite dumb to say the least. If I'm to be honest with you if she was the Main Character I would probably enjoy the show much more. This is something I can get behind, an Energetic and less annoying version of Umaru.

  Nana Ebina, best girl of the show, the main reason I haven't dropped it.
  She is quite shy, she also lives in the same apartment block as Umaru. She is the nicest human in the whole show. She tries her best ot make everyone have fun but kinda struggles due to he intense shy behaviour. She doesn't know anything at all the Life of A Gamer but despite that she still manages to be one of the best.

  Kirie Motoba, VERY shy. She has a gaze that people would call "Deadly". People avoid her but she is quite a nice person.
  In the show she swears to protect Umaru-Chan's Chibi transformation. She will go to great lengths to satisfy the needs of the monster lurking in the house that is Umaru-Chan. Quite a decent character if you ask me though her over attached personality kind of makes her not the best.

  

  
  

  [ART/ANIMATION:]()
  Umaru-Chan has quite the average animation, its the usual smooth and yet sometimes choppy due to budget kind of thing we see from a lot of SOL shows. Though the art style does looks quite neat.
  The art style is nice and vibrant which makes us feel more energetic like the gamers we are.

  

  
  

  [MUSIC:]()
  The OP is....quite catchy actually. It has Umaru's high pitched voice yeah but the beat and lyrics sound actually really good. I've been listening to it a few times.
  The ED on the other hand...well it sounds...decent I suppose. Nothing that unique and quite forgetable. Its much slower compared to the OP and has normal vocals from Umaru and the rest of the cast but still, just not as catchy as the fast paced OP.

  

  
  

  [OVERALL OPINION:]()
  Himouto! Umaru-Chan is a show centered around the Otaku culture and more on the "Gamer" aspect. Its portrayal is decent to a degree, at least in my opinion. Her addiction to playing games and collecting items is very true to me. But the part that really throws me off is the incredibly annyoing main. She cries and cries and rages a second can't pass without her crying or raging. If they toned down that aspect then I believe this show would've been a 6.8/10.

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• 

  joey638

  53/100
  An "ok" slice of life comedy that was overshadowed by numerous cliches and unrealism

  Summary:
  While overall I found this series "ok" for laughs and gags, there are numerous writing tropes that I did not agree with the series, enough to distract me from the fun. I actually found Umaru to be okay, not as annoying as people make it up to be, although I definitely have issue with her. My main distastes are solely on the various cliche tropes this series uses.

  Perhaps thing will get better in the spinoff S and sequel R series. No rush in watching those though.

  What I like: Decently fun, Taihei is the best character in the series
  What I dislike: Cliche tropes, basically nothing happens

  Details: POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW
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  • Starting from our hamster Umaru Doma, a female who can switch between a persona of a perfect girl (cute, smart, and body wise seemingly healthy), to gamer girl with talents in both arcade and console games, to the lazy chibi mode we know: lazy, irresponsible, and unhealthy dietary wise. Yeah, good luck finding this kind of person in real life. Very unrealistic, almost borderline offensive.
  • Aside from the unrealistic depiction, and her constant nuisance towards her brother,
    she is actually quite hilarious on multiple occasions, so as long as she keeps her whining in check, I actually would not mind having more Umaru content. Plus, her chibi hamster design is unique.
  • I wish Ebina has her own arc, separate from especially Taihei. Not saying they cannot be together, just that she needs other major traits other than crushing over Taihei
  • Now comes the distasteful cliche tropes:
    1. Every main female casts except Ebina have an older brother. How many times have we seen a female with an older brother in an anime? Now make it triple, basically 75% of the main female casts in the series have this trait.
    2. The implication of brother complex with Sylphina. She is already unique without the brother complex trait, I do not see why she needs the trait.
    3. The violent tsundere in Kirie. One of the most distatsteful form of comedy personally. We get it, she is awkward and needs friends, but I am never a fan of using violence as a media for comic relief, especially if it is done constantly.
  • Extra comment for "okay" cliche trope:
    1. Beach episode, pretty standard for slice of life
    2. Sylphina ojou-sama persona, quite hilarious
  • Aside from Ebina's backstory, I did not recall any memorable or major moments from this season, aside from one "game, game" rant from Umaru, that was hilarious.
  • One of the few likeable characters is Taihei, very reliable and relatable, especially with his struggles with his sister's antics, has good interactions with his peers
  • The discount product placements are funny, but are slightly too saturated
  • Best character(s): Taihei Doma
  • Worst character(s): Kirie
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• 

  Ciaora39

  86/100
  A sweet and hilarious anime that will you give you diabetes afterwards, in a good way.

  

  Do you want to watch something that will smile on your face regardless of what mood you are in? Specifically, an anime that has one particular character that has the charisma and charm to make an entire series into a glorious package of fun and cuteness all by herself? Oh boy, do I have an anime for you if you do.

  Himouto Umaru-chan is one experience that still perplexes me as I am writing this. Not just because of how much I loved it, but also how something like this could exist. It is essentially a gag comedy anime with the most generic formula you could ever witness if you read this idea on paper. She is an otaku girl who tries to keep her otaku secret from the people around her, even her close friends. Only her brother is aware of this and takes care of her despite her wacky and almost nerve-racking antics driving him to insanity. When you read these two sentences, more often than not, you would most likely shrug off and browse off to the next anime on the anime list. But hear me out for a spare moment of your time.

  

  I’ll start with the most substantial positive to Himouto Umaru-chan: Umaru-chan. There is no denying her cuteness exists. There is not. But since I know cuteness is not a character structure that is very clear to many people, I will explain her merits with less vague terms than just being cute. What character merits she has, one, in particular, she manages to show off with high tenacity and spark is charisma. Thanks to how she transitions from your stereotypical perfect girl to a wild chibi character who loves to play games, drink copious amounts of cola, and read the latest manga issue. After all, who could not relate to a character that exhibits these quirks?

  Two aspects make it enjoyable: how seamlessly the art style shifts from average to chibi character design and how the voice actress shifts her voice pitch from this transition. It gives Umaru-chan a great sense of character, not really from a development standard, but an engaging one. Her presence demands your attention to her in many ways that could become annoying when poorly done. But to the writer’s credit, they know how to pace off the comedic chibi bits and add in new and exciting subtle ways to make the jokes involving her seem fresh and new with each episode. Even when she is outright selfish and acts like a crybaby, she still comes off as incredibly lovable thanks to the considerable charm that he inhibited from her over-the-top design and personality.

  Another aspect of her that I enjoy immensely is her relationship with her brother, Taihei. You could say it is a relationship, albeit a bit exaggerated, that is hilarious and somewhat realistic if you’ve ever had an annoying little sister or brother who annoyed you. Despite her constant barraging of wants and needs to her big brother, they still form a close relationship of sibling love that is honestly touching in a few episodes. Taihei does good things for her out of his heart's kindness and vice versa with Umaru-chan. Her over-the-top personality doesn't overshadow him. He carries himself as another funny character in what can be described as the best sibling duo in anime in recent memory.

  

  Himouto Umaru-chan’s brand of comedy is one other big positive that sets itself higher than most comedies that center around otaku life. For one, it does not overly state that the otaku lifestyle is inherently tremendous or destructive at the same time. It mostly keeps the message subtle so that it does not distract us from the comedy bits too much. It has no well-defined message written into the narrative or characters since it knows what type of show it is and runs with it as a silly comedy. This is where the subject matter of being an otaku is seen better than most that try to because it can be enjoyed by everyone who has a particular view on this specific issue that can be against or for it.

  As for the comedy jokes themselves, most of them hit the mark quite well. Much of it centers around satire of real-life issues that we all go through, whether we go through the internet, social situations, or our need for material goods more than anything else. What’s great about it is that you do not have to be a self-described otaku, or know the culture for the matter, to get the jokes. Such as not getting any internet connection for today, realizing how life seems meaningless without it, etc. The banter between Umaru-chan and her brother is always the biggest highlight of the show’s comedy, as I’ve mentioned before about the great relationship. And there are even some funny moments with the supporting cast; unfortunately, they are not on the same comedic level as our two siblings.

  

  The supporting cast, which little there is, garners a significant role in a specific arc and has their moments here and there. Umaru-chan’s best friend, Ebina, is undoubtedly one note in how she is continuously shy whenever she is near people. Not to say that they are not funny by any stretch. It does not raise the bar for one of the best shy girls in anime. Sylphinford is pretty hilarious as Umaru-chan’s gaming rival. Kirie Motoba, however, is my least favorite of the cast. It mostly comes down to the fact that whenever she is with any other character, like Umaru-chan, her personality gets overshadowed by how bland it is.

  I want to give an honorable mention to the OP/ED, which I rarely ever do in reviews, only if it is something special. Umaru-chan’s is quite the special one continually sets the stage for what you are in for. Just the first ten seconds of the OP always makes me bob my body up and down to the rhythm of the cute repetition of Umaru-chan shouting “Umr hai” repeatedly makes me giddy with excitement every time. Aimi Tanaka’s performance proves she can be exciting with her voice-over and her singing, even if it isn’t the best voice in the business.

  

  Finding an excellent otaku comedy is hard to come by. Some are good or decent enough to think of it as a good time waster, and some are wholly average or below that do not have any punch to their jokes. Himouto Umaru-chan has officially raised my optimism for more comedies like this one to come out more often. It succeeded in proving to me that this type of comedy is far from dead. I know some may groan at that notion, but if more studios take notes from Himouto Umaru-chan, I’m all for it.

  Grade: A-

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