Posted: 09/06/2011

Wagnaria!!: The Complete Series

(2010)

by Amber Burnham

Now available on DVD in a Premium Edition box set from NIS America.

Wagnaria!!, a thirteen episode anime based on the four panel strip manga entitled Working!! by Karino Takatsu, follows a 16 year old boy named Sota Takanashi as he begins an after school job. Popura Taneshima, a short girl who is a year ahead of Takanashi at school, bumps into him on the street and asks him if he would like to start working at a family restaurant, Wagnaria. Although Takanashi originally thinks this is just a strange statement from an elementary age student, he then decides to take the job after finding out that Taneshima just looks young. The anime follows Takanashi as he learns his job as well as how to deal with the strange ensemble of co-workers.

Wagnaria!! is visually interesting with varied yet realistic character designs and backgrounds. The characters are designed in such a way that they represent the kind of workers you may find at any mom n’ pop restaurant. At the same time, the restaurant, where most of the action takes place, is reminiscent of many restaurants that would be seen in everyday life. It creates a realistic back drop for some unrealistic characters, like a waitress who carries around a katana and another who can only serve female customers due to her fear of men. The visual reality is a good contrast to the quirks of the characters and the situations that happen at the restaurant, thus aiding in the comedic effects of the story.

The only drawback to the realistic design is the fact that some of the character quirks do not hold up on their own. For instance, the character that is afraid of men manifests this fear in a violent compulsion to hit any man that comes across her path. The main character Takanashi prefers children under the age of 12 and creatures that are cute, like puppies, kittens, and water fleas. The restaurant owner, who is not seen often, has no real personality beyond a search for his wife, who has gotten lost somewhere in Japan. Although, we do get small glimpses into why the characters act the way they do, the reasons are standard and do not help make the quirks more interesting. In a comedy, it is normal to have certain characteristics to be taken to an extreme but in this instance they are not strong enough to hold up to the realistic visuals and lack of further characterizations.

Wagnaria!! is a charming anime that provides some laughs. The character centered episodes provide for an enjoyable experience when backed up by the realistic visuals and fun music. In Japan, a second season of the anime, under the title Working!!, is currently in production, with a possible TV release date later this year. Hopefully we can look forward to an American release in the near future.

Amber Burnham has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Kendall College. She is also a regular panelist on Kichicast, the all-girl, Chicago-based podcast devoted to anime, manga, and Japanese culture. You can listen to Kichicast at kichigi.com.

Got a problem? E-mail us at filmmonthly@gmail.com