Nichijou is the anime adaption by Kyoto Animation of the eponymous manga by Arai Keiichi. In a way, it might be one of the most important series in recent years, and in another way it's just a loveable comedy dense in quality and unadulterated joy of the art of animation. At 26 episodes, setting and keeping the bar high can be a tough job, but Kyoto Animation tackles any issues head-on and what remains is an awe-inspiring amount of everything that keeps anime fans in the medium. Nichijou translates to roughly “everyday”, as in ordinary or regular. But the show stays true to the quote above and is able to present unique, bizarre and completely ridiculous situations taken from “everyday life” but turned up to 11.
Before I explain why, I’ll declare right away that after much consideration I’ve named Nichijou my absolute favorite anime that I’ve ever seen. I want readers to know and consider my bias, as a review will never be truly objective.
I've been wondering what word I would assign Nichijou. One single word to define the experience as a whole. The word I'm leaning towards is 'modern', mainly because of its presentation. Nichijou takes place in a crisp, colorful, detailed and absolutely beautiful, animated world full of quirks and memorable little doodles and characteristics. As first-time viewers will soon come to realize: A LOT of money went into Nichijou. Art and animation is treated as not only a way to convey images or adapt them from the manga, KyoAni frequently experiments with the art direction and animation to create some of the most brilliant moments of anime where the art and writing come together to not only complement one another but to carry a joke or situation to heights previously impossible. I don't say this lightly, but Nichijou may be (in more ways than one) the most beautiful anime I have ever seen in terms of visuals. No matter if you've seen over 300 series prior to this, you will find something new and something impressive. But it's not only beauty, detail, experimentation and innovation Nichijou's art does--it's also memorability. Nichijou’s strongest 10 goes to the art.
The opening and ending singles all offer something refreshing and new while tying the show together in a way that few songs manage to do. The two opening singles by Hyadain are memorable in the best of ways, but also set the stage with the fast tempo and energetic sound. The word “modern” comes to mind again. The first opening, Kataomoi, feels especially fresh and lively. I could not imagine a better pick for this show even if the lyrics don’t belong quite as well as the second opening with its theme around friendship. The two songs capture the insanity of the gags, but also tie into some of Nichijou's underlying themes like love and friendship. The result is a duo of openings that not only represents the series but brings it to life while bringing the viewer into the right frame of mind while the equally beautiful ending themes closes up each episode. The ending themes, particularly Zzz, is the perfect closer. The music slows down the frantic pace of the rest of the show while its lyrics will urge the listener to take a breath and think about what’s been going on. It’s like a review of the episode, letting the viewer appreciate and reflect on what they’ve seen as they “go to bed”, fitting the theme of the ending track. The second series of endings has a different animated short which I felt I had to mention. The fly-by of the town at dusk and seeing all the characters off-camera making their way home is entertaining every time. I never skipped the ending as there was always something to look at. The soundtrack itself can either be subdued or bombastic depending on the scene, building tension or releasing it. Not only does the soundtrack work, the way the sound interacts with the scenes is what sets it apart. I’m mainly reminded of the temple scene in the rain, where the total absence of music raises the tension to an unbearable level.
The real stars of Nichijou’s sound is the sound of its stars, the main characters and their excellent voice actors. I especially want to offer my appreciation for Mio and Yuuko’s actresses for pulling off some amazing cries and screams. Unlike the high-pitched whine of usual anime girls, they’re raw, hoarse and the resulting contrast is absolutely hilarious. Of course, the entire cast does a great job at getting the humor of each situation across, as well as each individual character’s personality. For example, Nano isn’t only the motherly high-school robot because she’s written that way, it’s because it’s in her voice.
Nichijou’s format is basically loosely-tied sketches with short animation snippets like “Love-like” and “Helvetica Standard” thrown in-between. I feel that Nichijou uses this format to its limit, picking and choosing the best parts for jokes while being able to throw in unrelated jokes now and then. The show centers on mainly six characters in two separate environments: Mai, Yuuko and Mio together in their classroom, and Nano, Hakase and Sakamoto in the Shinonome Lab. While it is a standard, the girls come visit the laboratory and Nano joins the three in school later on in the show. This way it feels much more fluid to watch and the characters can mix and interact. Unlike other comedies and slice-of-life shows, Nichijou has a rich cast of side characters with their own lives, sketches, quirks and jokes. What really impresses me is the attention they give to each character and how well-written the mains are. Yuuko isn’t just the dumb, genki girl that Mio has to keep in check, she has a different relationship with Mai as the one who has to retort her jokes and “troll attempts”. Not only that, she’s misunderstood and even a relatable character to someone who is a “black sheep” while still being funny.
You’ve probably entertained the thought “what if a certain studio had unlimited funds and worked on something they really wanted to do?” That’s what I think Nichijou answers. It’s a labor of love for the KyoAni staff, and proof of the talent they have on board. When I watch this show, I feel the creativity and love they put in, and in the end it’s what makes Nichijou what it is. The finale is a heartwarming ode to friendship and the everyday, and the overarching message is revealed like something that had been right in front of you all this time. It’s so obvious and so basic you can’t help but smile and wipe away a tear. Underneath all the insanity and surreal situations lies something humble. It wants you to love what you have, even if it’s been there so long you hardly ever notice it. In its own way, Nichijou heals you.
