Admin's Anime Review: Akikan! - Empty Can!

Title: Akikan!
Studio: Brain's Base
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Action
Original Run: January 3- March 28, 2009
Episodes: 12
Director: Yuji Himaki
Original Character Design: Hiro Suzuhira
Number One Theme Song: Opening Theme "Miracle Plan ga Dekichatta" by Charmmy Queen

Admin's Score:
Story: 89
Character Development: 89
Artwork: 86
Songs: 80
Animation/ Battle Depiction: 84

Akikan! all stars( left to right, front to back): Yell, Tenkuuji Najimi, Yurika Kochikaze, Daichi Kakeru, Melon, Budoko, and Airin Kizaki.

Akikan! is originally a series of light novel written by Riku Ranjo and illustrated by Hiro Suzuhira. 8 volumes have been released by April 24, 2009 by Shueisha under Super Dash Bunko Label. A manga serialization began on October 28, 2008 in Ultra Jump.

Synopsis

One day Daichi Kakeru, a high school student, stopped by the vending machine to buy melon soda. When he opened the can and drank it at his home, the can suddenly turned to a girl, which appeared right before him, kissing him. The girl was apparently an Akikan, girls that transformed from beverages can. Soon, Daichi found that Akikans were created to participate in the Akikan Elect, a battle tournament that decides which is better, the aluminium can or the steel can. The Akikans must fight each other until the only strongest type of can is left standing, and the the type that lost is eliminated from the market. The melon soda girl was apparently a steel can and Daichi named her Melon. At first, Daichi didn't allow Melon to fight in Akikan Elect, but the situations won't let them to just stay the way they are, as more and more Akikan appeared before them. Who will be the winner of the Akikan Elect ?

Strength:

Nice character design (the color, appearance, chemistry and all), the main idea of the story is as fresh as the cold drinks (can turns into a girl), supported by the plot twist and love complication in the story. The main character (Daichi) help to lift up the story because of his over self-confidence speeches and his pervert side, making the comedy more enjoyable along the way. The character development is quite good (but I was hoping more Akikan will show up...)

Weakness:

There are just too many flaws in the drawing in the anime, wasting the good character design (especially the eyes, sometimes they are too rectangular, sometimes not in the right place so the eye contact messed up, changing of character faces, proportion, etc). Some things are just way impossible, making the anime looked a bit lame (Najimi who gets drunk with only drinking carbonated drinks). There are no good theme song and the animation doesn't show the display of 2009 (passive animation although the battles and movements are needed in the anime).

Screenshot:

Daichi Kakeru, drinking the melon soda from the can (it's the Akikan) with a straw, preventing direct kiss with Melon. It's useless though. Unless he drinks it directly from the hole of the can, the can won't turn to a girl, in this case Melon. Aww, just drink it directly you fool, the kiss tastes like melon soda, there's no reason to refuse !

Akikan Elect requires the Akikan with different type of material to fight each other. One of the most interesting battle taken place in the baseball field. It's Melon vs Yell. Both of them went all out to eliminate each other.

Najimi, who owned Yell, a sports drink Akikan, who is standing in her right. Yell, who transformed from a sports drink can, is absolutely athletic and even do very well in her first sport session in school.