Anime Review - B Gata H Kei

No wonder Yamada is ashamed of her B-cup chest...

During the Second World War, a movement called the Suffragettes saw women’s rights brought to the forefront of everyone’s mind and the fairer sex allowed to vote. At the turn of the century, Sex and the City saw women liberated and able to talk openly about masturbation with the discovery of the rampant rabbit. And now, as we’re about to leave the current decade, can B Gata H Kei have a similar effect on the anime watching world?

Probably not, but damn is it fun. Telling the tale of Yamada, B Gata proceeds to explain how a rampant teenager is determined to find herself 100 sexual partners as soon as possible. The only problem is that she is currently a virgin with her cherry still firmly in place. A bizarre “I tripped and fell” mishap sees her selecting the unlikely Kosuda as her first potential bed buddy. The only problem with this is that the feckless boy isn’t the most clued up on women, and has yet to experience a rumble in the sack himself! Cue much hilarity as the forward Yamada attempts to meet Kosuda Jr. and numerous sexy-time situations are foiled by countless cock-blocks.

The same look my fiancé had when he caught 5 minutes of B Gata 

When watching the show one evening, my fiancé sat for a moment open mouthed before asking what the hell I had on. After explaining to him that the Japanese title roughly translated to “B-Cup Slut”, he shook his head and resolved himself to trying to read some Tolstoy. I definitely think the title is going to appeal to female perverts more than our Y-chromosome brothers due to the relentless teasing that will leave the viewer more than a little frustrated. However, the B Gata is also an intriguing insight into how the brains of the sexes differ; Yamada is demanding on the outside, but suffers from submissive thoughts that see her frustrated as Kosuda misreads the signs she gives off.

Sure, the story can seem somewhat convoluted at times, but it’s been a while since I laughed out loud so much through a show. From Yamada’s sex God tips to the Kanejou family perpetually sparkling, the jokes may be recycled but they kept me consistently amused. Paired with this is a good old fashioned romance that is coloured perverted with a distinctly modern twist. Many have expressed their dislike of this show, but I can honestly say it’s been one of my favourite ecchi shows in a long while.

Pretty AND sparkly!

Far from being the best animation of the year, the artist quite obviously had some fun with the character designs. The whole joke about Kosuda being a plain-faced nobody is enhanced by a comical use of ASCII features, whilst Kanejou flip-flops easily between evil mastermind and proper lady with the addition of over-the-top twinkles. Thankfully, the girls are beautiful and the colours are rich, making this an ecchi anime that for once is easy on the eye. My biggest complaint about the show is the perpetual use of demon faces to cover the pinnacles of the saucy action. I can only pray they release an uncensored DVD for all of the true perverts out there!

Cute voices singing questionable lyrics about “waiting until you’re ready” serenade the viewer as they start each episode. This is echoed in the closing track, and both are listenable, but not particularly special. Instead, it is the not too subtle background music that echoes the show’s title that brought a broad smile to my face; like a cross between cheesy j-pop and bad 90’s porn music, it suits the light-hearted tone of the show.

I think we've all had that awkward moment in our lives...

It’s hard to believe that the sexual panther tones of Yamada once belonged to Rika Furude of Higurashi fame. Switching between raging nymphette and shy girly, Yukari Tamura does the lead character proud. Atsushi Abe gives Kosuda a similar feckless flavour to Toma Kamijo from To Aru Majutsu no Index, but somehow retains a deep-voiced sexiness that gives him a surprising edge. The entire vocal cast has been well selected, and although the series is short overall, there is not one character that stands out for a poor performance.

The moment Yamada met Kosuda Jr.

One of the reasons for my love of B Gata is that I find Yamada to be easy to relate to. Not because I want to bed 100 men, mind you, but because of her ability to talk the talk only to become a shy, submissive girl – much like my (now long gone) highschool days. Her naivety is somewhat endearing, as she expects the object of her affections to read her mind with the smallest of hints. Unfortunately, this can also be somewhat frustrating as the action is often killed off by her overenthusiastic reaction to the slightest sniff of seduction. Kosuda is a somewhat generic anime male – his mind (and penis) race ahead as he lacks the balls to seize the opportunity presenting itself. Still, he is extremely charming and plays an excellent challenge for the leading lady.

The previously mentioned Kyouka Kanejou features many characteristics seen in almost every feminine villain, including the evil cackling laugh, but somehow it feels like she brings something new to the table. As Yamada’s beleaguered best friend, you can’t help but feel sympathy for poor Takeshita. Having to listen to the perverted desires of a repressed girl would be enough to drive anyone insane!

Boobs! And lots of them!

For some reason, the strong female lead of B Gata H Kei reminds me of Kyoko from Skip Beat. Although one show is pure unapologetic perversion, and the other a dramatic, romantic comedy, there are definitely features of one that will draw in fans of the other. Loveable characters, a fun story and a healthy dose of ecchi easily make this one of the best shows I have seen in a good while.