A Channel
Studio: Studio Gokumi
Premiere Date: 4/7
Genre: Yuri Slice of Life

First Impression: Oh what’s the fuss about? That was cute!

Separated from her yuri love by graduation, middle schooler Tooru works hard and gets into the same high school as her best friend Run. Only she’s dismayed to find out that she’s made new friends with Yuuko and Nagi. In this episode, the four some will have to learn how to be friendly with each other as Tooru continues her quest to make sure everyone knows that Run is HERS.

Good and the Bad

That’s probably the shortest story description I’m going to write this season but what do you say about this series? Yet another slice of life school comedy, this one stands out against the rest because of its cast of characters. For once, I’m watching a series where I can’t clearly categorize the characters. I’m not describing one as the tsundere, or the sporty one. All of the characters in this series are their own unique personality that is sometimes shy, sometimes flighty (admittedly, Run abuses this one) but overall fun.

Produced by Studio Gokumi, the look of the series is one of the better I’ve seen this season. A Channel is heavy in the moe similar to the style of K-ON. The animation is crisp but it’s specifically designed to create the perfect world for the girls to be cute in. From the opening animation to the backgrounds, no spot is missed and for all of the school comedies that I’ve watched this season, this one looks the nicest.

A Channel does occasionally suffer from scenes stuttering from one to the next but it makes up for it with strong writing. Each scene is a slow build to an extreme punch line that always managed to get a laugh. Based around the still rocky relationships between the characters, the physical comedy came across as just a bit more original than the usual bonk on the head or the more extreme freak outs that we’ve seen in the past. This is the second season to make me laugh simply by catching me off guard with its humor (My Ordinary Life was the first).

Music

I was really impressed with the strong musical presence throughout this episode. Carrying a soft jazz theme, Satoru Kousaki once again creates a score that stands out on its own. Instead of matching the mood of the scene, the music creates its own mood that carries the episode from one scene to the next. Seriously, this man is talented.

Overall

A Channel is one of the cuter and more unexpectedly pleasant series of the season. With the season just crammed with school comedies and slice of life, there has to be an original element to a series in order to make it stand out. A Channel manages to find that unique angle and rides it all the way through a successful first episode. This is an easy one to pick up and enjoy.