Anime: Kodomo no Jikan (2007) 4uy4q

Kodomo no Jikan is a heavily controversial title, and with good reason. But like most controversial titles, its subject matter is not exploited in vain, and the end result is something that can be credited, at the very least, as a decent series in its own right.

No series has dared to tell the story KoJikan tells and gotten away with it, but for all the underage fanservice it provides, the heartwarming drama beneath the disturbing ecchi comedy ultimately shines. Had KoJikan been solely about the fanservice, this series would deserve all the negative criticism it has received, but there's a heavy dollop of character-driven drama and unique relationships, the context of which have never been explored up until now. One of its more important plot aspects is the recognition of children as having the same emotional needs as the rest of us. It's a touchy subject, but handled with precision and never crossing the line, though toeing it on occasion. Though KoJikan still handles issues it brings up head-on, it does so in an abrupt and awkward presentation, constantly and abruptly switching between drama and comedy. It may flawed in its execution, but its heart is in the right place.

Likewise, no series has dared to have characters like KoJikan's and gotten away with it. This is in great part to the main character being far more than she appears on the surface, especially when her laudably deep and complex emotions are explored. Unfortunately for most characters, they are relegated to often insulting cliche traits substitued as personalities, though this may change in future seasons. For now, the only real depth is in Rin and her cousin Reiji. However, the series should be commended on portraying 8-year-old girls with relative intelligence while acknowledging that they are still physically and mentally children. It's territory anime often skips in favor of taking the "moe" way out and its nice to see a series that portrays kids as kids.

The art is bright and cute, though the character designs are a little off-putting, especially Rin and Mimi's hair. Outside of this flaw, everything looks nice and neat. It's a slightly above-average job all around.

The music didn't stick to me but I don't it intruding in any way. The OP is one of my favorites, not for being a good song, but because the lyrics fit the tone of the series to a T. The ED is a hyperactive J-pop number that the audience this kind of show often attracts will enjoy greatly.

For me, KoJikan was a mixed bag. It is not anywhere near the horror that it was constantly d as prior to its release, nor is it entirely redeemable due to its abrupt swings between the drama and its uncomfortable brand of comedy. The end result is quite commendable though, assuming one watches this without a die-hard need to find as many disturbing details as they can.

Overall, I give Kodomo no Jikan an 8 out of 10.

This is my first review I hope I do it well.....*takes deep breath*[br][br]When I first heard of this Kodomo no Jikan, or A Child's Time, I was a bit unnerved. An ecchi about 3rd graders isnt what I expect a college student such as myself to be watching at 3am, but alas...I was wrong. I fully expected to feel disgusted and "weirded out" by 10 year olds pulling their pants down and showing their goodies but again...I was wrong. It turned out to be very funny at times and also completely slow at times[br][br]Summary: 23 year old Daisuke Aoki gets his first teaching job at an elementary school as a 3rd grade teacher. He is unexperienced and seems to have a hard time on the job at first. Things turn insane when one of his students, Rin Kokonoe, forms a huge crush on him and frequently forces him into "questionable" scenarios often involving her showing him her body. Aoki tries to understand Rin and why she does these things.[br][br]Animation: The characters are drawn quite well and about average for your typical run of the comedy anime. Backgrounds are average as well. There were no mistakes or anything worth noting here[br][br]*CENSORSHIP* When you watch Kodomo no Jikan there are times when a censorship bar was created over questionable material such as Rin lifting up her shirt or showing her underwear. This was put in place by the creators because they believed that showing 10 year old boobs and panties was wrong I guess. Also, a lot of the swear words and sexual conversations that the children make are bleeped out. It gets annoying first but the viewer quickly gets used to it. The DVDs are uncensored but will not be released in America.[br][br]Sound: Sound gets some good marks here because of the opening and ending themes. "Hannamaru Sensation" by Little Non as the ending theme made me hum along a little. The opening is pretty good as well. The seiyuu are ok and do their voices without any complaints.[br][br]Story: This is where it hurts. At first the creators had a good thing going with Rin and Aoki and the pace seemed fairly reasonable. Then the side story of Rin' cousin, Reiji, just blows it. His story of why he takes care of Rin and why he doesn't like Aoki are ripped stereotypes straight from any day-time soap opera. The story never really completes itself because the manga isnt finished yet. We do however get some kind of resolution between Rin and Aoki.[br][br]Character: I liked the background of Rin's character the most and why she is drawn to Aoki-sensei. Once again average here as well. Rin's two classmates Kuro and Mimi are semi-interesting but a still just huge stereotypical anime the characters with Mimi being the shy, big breasted geek and Kuro being the brutish, dark haired lesbian.[br][br]Value: Watch it once...laugh....don't watch again[br][br]Enjoyment: For all the bad things Ive listed about it I really laughed out loud at some parts for thinking "Why is a ten year old asking to do THAT to a teacher!" It is funny at times and I enjoyed it for a good while. I would not recommend to re-watch it because it has no replay value.[br]