Cromartie High School is not Slice-of-Life (Unfortunately)
Cromartie High School? Slice-of-life? Holy shit, that would kick ass! I would do anything to live in a world where it’s plausible, let alone ordinary, to go to school with a sentient robot, a sushi-making gorilla, and Freddie Mercury. Unfortunately, Cromartie High School is the least realistic anime I have ever seen.
That’s not to say the show is 100% unrealistic. It actually reminds me a lot of CMU: there are more robots than women. It’s also realistic enough to have me as a side character, except I was given an afro and renamed Yamaguchi.
Relevant scene begins at 0:41
How does a farce like Cromartie High School get the slice-of-life tag? In this post-Lucky Star age of ignorance and pedophilia, you need to pass only three tests to be categorized as slice-of-life.
1. It is what it is
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find a single difference between Cromartie High School and Cromartie High School. Its cast of characters was the same as its cast of characters. It had the same number of episodes as it had. Was I missing something? To clear up this confusing matter, I paid another visit to The King of Anime.
The King of Anime: Baka-Raptor, my dearest friend, what a pleasant surprise! How I’ve missed you—
Baka-Raptor: Shove it, King. I’ve got questions and you’ve got answers.
The King of Anime: You may ask me anything about anime, for I, The King of Anime, know all and see all.
Baka-Raptor: Is Cromartie High School what it is?
The King of Anime: Yes.
Baka-Raptor: Is any anime not what it is?
The King of Anime: No.
Baka-Raptor: Then why do so many people attempt to defend shows by saying “it is what it is”?
The King of Anime: Because they love shitty anime that can’t be defended with anything other than a tautology.
Baka-Raptor: Your wisdom belies your slovenliness. I shall now take my leave.
The King of Anime: So soon? I am grief-stricken. Please, call me sometime, or at least respond to my e-mail.
Baka-Raptor: Gayyyyyyyyyyyy
2. It’s relaxing
Cromartie High School is the anime you could have a beer with. After a long, hard day at work, nothing relaxes me like an episode of Cromartie High School. Have you heard Mechazawa’s voice? So soothing. Cromartie High School isn’t some fast-paced, intellectual anime that’s up its own ass. It’s good ol’ down-home entertainment for everyday folk like you and me.
3. It has no plot, or some plot, but not too much plot
You will not find an anime with less of a plot than Cromartie High School.
It is what it is + It’s relaxing + It has no plot, or some plot, but not too much plot = Slice-of-Life
That’s all it takes to call something slice-of-life these days. Useless? Inane? Sure, but I’ll play along. If Cromartie High School is slice-of-life, it’s immune from criticism, so if anyone tries to disagree with my rating, I can simply say, “you’re watching it wrong.”
Final Grade: ++
Slice-of-life idiocy aside, this rating is highly subjective. In its weaker moments, Cromartie High School devolves into something of a Lucky Star for Men: the jokes are bland and predictable, but fans ignore it because they like the character designs. As Lucky Star uses moé character designs as a crutch for bad humor, Cromartie High School does the same (albeit much less often) with manly character designs. As Lucky Star’s OP has a moé cheerleader dance, Cromartie High School’s OP has the manliest walking in the universe. I would seriously reconsider the value of friendship if I met six other people who could walk this way.
Relevant scene from 0:42–0:53
Tags: cromartie high school, king of anime
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January 10th, 2010 at 1:06 am
HMMM HMMM HMMM HMM HMMMMM
HMM HMMM HMMM HMMM HMMM HMMMMM
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HMMM HMMM HMMM HMMM HMMM HMMMM
[Reply]
Shinmaru Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 2:40 am
Hahaha, Norio Wakamoto’s motorcycle noises are fucking hilarious. I wanted more of Mechazawa and Kamiyama fighting crime. That would be a great show all on its own.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
There’s supposedly a Mechazawa-kun manga that nobody’s had the good sense to scanlate.
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g0rth0r Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Ningen Nante became my favorite song forever after I saw Cromartie.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
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January 10th, 2010 at 1:11 am
ROFL, whoever tagged this show slice-of-life deserves to be hung by a noose of their large intestine.
Cromartie is the fuckwin, though it is almost overshadowed just by the awesomeness of Mechazawa and Wakamoto playing him.
[Reply]
Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Along with the guy who said it had nudity. Excluding the genderbending episode, there were only two females on the entire show: Maeda’s mom and that chick who got harassed before being saved by moto-Mechazawa. Neither was nude by any strech of the imagination. No male nudity either.
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digitalboy Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Maybe they were referring to Freddie Mercury LOL
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January 10th, 2010 at 1:26 am
Where does the King of Anime live?
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Gesso City. To get there, head in the direction of the link to your blog.
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January 10th, 2010 at 2:44 am
Love the pink! Definitely love the pink! ;3
Also, Cromartie was great! I remember watching it dubbed back in the oldie days (don’t judge me…)
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
I also watched it dubbed. Dubs kick ass, especially for comedy, when delivery is half the battle.
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January 10th, 2010 at 3:35 am
Sentient robot + sushi making gorilla. Why would someone even attempt to call that a slice of life anime?
And I definitely wouldn’t say relaxing and plotless make for a slice of life…that’s much too broad.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Agreed, but ridiculous as it may be, that’s the definition people actually do use these days. If they used an accurate definition, most of the shows they call slice-of-life wouldn’t be included. Then they wouldn’t be able to say, “This show isn’t supposed to be good or exciting or well-written; it’s slice-of-life! If you don’t get it, you’re watching it wrong!”
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mefloraine Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Thus implying that slice of life shows cannot be good or well written? That’s just sad.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
It’s a view that all slice-of-life shows are equal. Slice-of-life doesn’t come in good or bad flavors. IT IS WHAT IT IS! It’s just there to be enjoyed, and if you don’t enjoy it, you must be watching it wrong.
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January 10th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Popeye says “I yam what I yam.” I also find his cartoons relaxing, since they remind me of my childhood watching old cartoons. There’s no interlocking plot that branches between episodes of his cartoon.
Therefore Popeye is a slice of life anime. Also, Olive Oyl is very moe since she appeases he pettanko/flat-chested fetishists.
[Reply]
Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Damn that Popeye and its moé-pandering.
Now that I think about it, my favorite show when I was three years old, Sesame Street, was also slice-of-life. Cookie Monster doesn’t take himself seriously. He isn’t trying to be intellectual. He’s just eating his cookies, doing what he loves, living his life. How can that not be slice-of-life?
[Reply]
January 10th, 2010 at 4:29 am
WHY HAVE I NOT SEEN THIS ANIME BEFORE?
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Because you read too much. Stop being such a nerd.
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January 10th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Maybe it was just labeled as slice of life because most think that seeing a school setting that seems similar to school settings in slice of life anime is considered such as well? Ah I dunno . . .
What I know is that I should catch up on this *reads to-catch-up list* . . . . shit freakin’ long. . .
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
I do hear almost every show in a school setting being called slice-of-life these days. Then again, I hear shows about magical spirits in the forests of nowhere being called slice-of-life too. It doesn’t matter anymore. The term is beyond saving.
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January 10th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Thats why you shouldnt care too much about genre definitions of media since they are very often bullshit made up by fans/media/whatever.The people who truly care about those use them to profile themselves or use it as an ace up their sleeve to defend their precious gem.
Its the same arguments when theres shitty music and people defend it by beeing indie/punk.Fine,so its music from an exclusive club of elitists but that doesnt change the fact that its SHITTY music.
The same applies to Anime…
In the end most people use the genres of any media to identify themselves and show off their “personality”.Its especially evident with the people who are in puberty and still are searching for themselves.Instead of training in the mountains they argue about Anime Genres and why its superior to X or Y.
A genre should only help you to identify if you could like this particular anime and not be a goddamn religion / wildcard for shitty stuff.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
People who actually do use genre to help decide whether they’d like a show are thrown off by these far-fetched slice-of-life claims. Some people out there are actually going to reject Cromartie High School because the Anime News Network page says slice-of-life. They’re the real victims.
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January 10th, 2010 at 10:11 am
You are so manly, Baka-Raptor.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
You know who you’d never find in Cromartie High School? Eli Manning. He’s not in the playoffs either.
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January 10th, 2010 at 11:29 am
I looooooooove how these are all anime: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slice_of_life_story#Examples
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
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January 10th, 2010 at 11:48 am
Quoting a Serious Character: “Oh God, Never Understimate The Power of Stupid Things on Large Numbers”.
[Reply]
Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Trust me, I don’t. It didn’t see it coming, but it didn’t really surprise me. Nothing does anymore.
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January 10th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Much funnier than I expected. Since this is dubbed (and surprisingly good) does that also mean it is or was being broadcasted over here at some point?
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
I’m not sure who gets Anime Network or how to get it, but it’s on their site. Alternatively, you could find all the episodes illegally on YouTube.
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January 10th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
I still say that slice of life shows don’t actually exist.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I still say that your mom doesn’t actually exist.
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OBALLER Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 12:58 am
oooh no… his mom exists… TRUST ME… and she is one fine piece of woman
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Glo Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
I’ll take that as a compliment to my family’s blood line. We Glowa’s are all perfect.
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January 10th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Was the gender of the gorilla ever confirmed? (Could ask the same about Maeda’s ‘mom’)
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
My assumption is that the regular gorilla is male and the flower-wearing gorilla is female. You know, ’cause being male is regular and being female is special.
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January 11th, 2010 at 1:29 am
Why is there even a ‘slice-of-life’ genre!? Who invented that genre!? The Japanese people!? Oh God why are Japanese people so out of their mind!?
In anime, there is NO anime that depicts the everyday life of an ORDINARY person. We all know that anime shows are crazy. well, most of them are kind of realistic.. but most of my watched anime are unrealistic and let’s say ‘you wouldn’t see that everyday!’ kind of story. But their genres are slice-of-life! Oh Japan..
What? This post is about Cromartie High School? Oops sorry wrong post. Also, Cromartie High School is shit! Bad shit.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Brilliant insight from The King of Shit.
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DrmChsr0 Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Cromartie isn’t ordinary.
It is MANLY.
It is SLICE-OF-MAN.
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January 11th, 2010 at 11:27 am
All this discussion about slice-of-life. I have no idea now what the genre is actually is.
I always thought slice-of-life anime is a slice of the character’s lives, an anime where it’s a depiction of the everyday routine of the characters, but…
I haven’t seen Cromartie High School though, so I don’t know if it actually is in that genre.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
That’s what it’s supposed to be. But when the jokes on Lucky Star sucked, all of a sudden it was slice-of-life to ignore the everyday routine of the characters and by jumping from gag to gag. Then K-ON comes along, and suddenly it’s slice-of-life to put on cat ears and maid costumes in every other scene. So yes, basically, you have the right idea, and the rest of the anime-watching community has it screwed up.
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Shance Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 9:06 am
If Cromartie is not at all any manly or slice-of-lifey to you, then what about Golden Boy? I mean, that one’s SLICE-OF-MAN, not slice-of-life, right? RIGHT?
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Yi Reply:
January 13th, 2010 at 10:59 am
What I meant was that slice of life is a routine of their lives not ours. So the routine gags of Lucky Star and the cosplaying of K-On!, while not a good portrayal of a slice of our life, is indeed a depiction of the girls’ lives in that world, thus making it part of that genre.
However, nowadays, I don’t even know anymore.
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January 11th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Baka-Raptor is what it is.
(…)
I just love plotless animes that doesn’t suck.
(…)
After watching DMC, i’m looking forward to your next good recommendations
(…)
Will watch this one as soon as i have time
(…)
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Don’t get your hopes up too high. Nothing I recommend will ever compare to DMC.
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January 12th, 2010 at 1:12 am
Honestly who the hell would care about 100% slice of life? Why watch someone else do the laundry when I can do it myself? Let’s call Gankutsuou slice of life since it depicts a young man riding a motorcycle and you know, that happens in real life!
[Reply]
Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Good point. Motorcycles are what they are. They’re relaxing. They don’t really have a plot. Cromartie has a motorcyle, so it must be slice-of-life.
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January 12th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
I started watching some of this on Anime On Demand sort of thing, but never really finished. I think it’s definitely a really funny show, but I still think Azumanga is THE best.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Cromartie is Azumanga for Men.
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January 12th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Cromartie is not slice-of-life.
It’s SLICE OF MAN.
Totally different.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Yes, it’s totally different, unless you’re a man.
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January 13th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Cromartie High School’s OP has the manliest walking in the universe. I would seriously reconsider the value of friendship if I met six other people who could walk this way.
Hell yes.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
One down, five to go?
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January 13th, 2010 at 10:00 am
[...] Baka-Raptor (1/10/2010) [...]
January 13th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Dude, that OP is hilarious. If this is as good a parody of shounen anime as School Rumble is of Shoujo/harem/fanservice anime, then Im sold.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Going once, going twice, sold, to the man who appreciates hallway-strutting, mascot-punching, and pillow-swording.
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January 13th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
I’m impressed. I didn’t think it was possible to crowbar Siska into an examination on Slice of Life.
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LJ Reply:
January 13th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Or anything, for that matter.
…
Yeah, that is kind of tiring.
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
It’s hard to imagine him not using all the flat-panels in his command center to watch all the anime available in 199X.
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January 14th, 2010 at 12:13 am
I once watched too many terrible, unfunny shows in a row. My doctor gave me a bottle of Cromartie high school and told me to take one when feeling nauseous. This show is how I make it through schlock (because, you know, you can’t say you don’t like something until you actually see it)
As for slice-of-life, what the hell does that even mean? Aren’t most things essentially one thing with slice-of-life elements? Like, if a bunch of characters are on a space ship doing menial tasks, it’s a sci-fi with slice-of-life elements. Or, if you have a bunch of characters interacting with each other, dealing with issues, it’s still a drama with slice-of-life elements. Gosh, this genre confuses me.
[Reply]
Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
The phrase “slice-of-life elements” is nonsense. You can’t break a scene into elements, point to some elements as slice-of-life, and carry that over to the entire scene. You have to look at the scene in totality to determine if it’s slice-of-life. Nobody does this for action, drama, comedy, etc. Why do it for slice-of-life? Because they’re pulling shit out of their asses to pretend their favorite shows don’t suck.
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January 15th, 2010 at 6:19 am
A high school series that appeals to my manliness and Freddy Mercury? This is… Beautiful… *tear*
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Baka-Raptor Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
I was a skeptic going in. Cromartie High School quickly won me over. Trust me, it’s is the real deal.
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January 26th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
I must apologize for not visiting as often as I should.. (I’m still catching up on my blogroll as of late) as here is one of the very few places on the interweb where I can find true peace, and where the freedom to express my distaste against the moelification of the anime industry is not discriminated against.
There is only one true slice-of-life show that I remember watching as a kid is Doraemon. Doraemon is literally, a slice of Nobita Nobi’s life, why isn’t it labeled as such???? I remember spending my childhood looking forward to Doraemon, just what has gone wrong here?
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July 24th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
I fucking love Cromartie High School. There are anime that attempt to be all smart and everything by pulling off “Socrates for Kids” type of philosophy left and right, which just makes them sound incredibly pretentious above all else; then there are other anime that occasionally brandish a philosphy slip that one would find in a fortune cookie before slam dunking it into the nearest garbage bin and then quipping a highly amusing one-liner. Cromartie High School fits under that second category of anime, and even then it’s set apart from the others in that category because its understands the elements of comedy much better than do any others, despite any snobby commentary Yamaguchi might say. Though the jokes are pretty predicatble or not quite laugh-out-loud funny, it’s fully aware of when a joke has reached its punchline and can be dropped then, or if a joke needs to be elongated wherein which it stretches the joke to a favorable length, part of the reason why none of the episodes really reach over 10 minutes. It also keeps its references to a minimum – though most of them are references to western rock music – and those references are also done very subtley. Furthermore, in comparison to Lucky Star or some other similar ones, where the anime is apparently trying way too hard to be funny, i.e. inexplicably obvious references to other anime/gags that run too far or jokes that are overly verbose, and Cromartie High School’s comedic genius is only further shown.
It’s also super manly. And it has Freddie Mercury.
[Reply]
August 26th, 2010 at 3:26 am
[...] (How it kind of felt like: Cromartie High School) [...]