Originally a dating game released in 1999 by the game studio Leaf, it was adapted into an anime in 2001 by OLM Inc., and dubbed in 2002 by The Right Stuf International. Comic Party tells the tale of Kazuki Sendo, a high school student on his way out into the real world. One day, his friend Taishi convinces (more like drags) him to come to the Toyko Big Sight for a comic book convention. Along with them is Kazuki's childhood friend Mizuki Takase, who is repulsed by the sight of so many nerds & otaku. After getting inside, Kazuki gets separated from the others, and eventually starts wandering around the convention, unaware of just about everything around him. Eventually, he stops right in front of a table run by Yu Inagawa, a highly popular comic author. There's a big commotion going on, and eventually tries to convince the crowd that Kazuki is a highly trained bodyguard that will beat up everybody if they don't disperse. The group disperses, and Yu takes Kazuki for a bit of fresh air. After a small tiff, she hands Kazuki a comic that she made. When he's done reading it, he feels different somehow, and from that point on decides to become a comic book author.
It's a wild (and slightly dramatic) ride, as he comes across a host of other characters that help (or hinder) his progress. There's Eimi Obha, a highly prideful comic author, Aya Hasebe, a timid & shy author, Minami Makimura, the head staffer of the convention, Chisa Tsukamoto, the young daughter of a local printing shop, Reiko Haga and her friends Miho, Mayu, and Yuka, girls that are obsessed with cosplay, and Ikumi Tachikawa, a young sickly girl that is Kazuki's first fan. These characters, along with Mizuki and Taishi, form the cast that carries this crazy story from start to finish.
The first thing that this show has going for it is it's story. Comic Party shows the life of a comic author in Japan pretty realistically. Kazuki quickly learns the tricks of the trade, like what pencils & paper to use, the best way to balance time between school and comic drawing, where to find a good printing shop, and other things that ensure the success of a good comic author. Besides that aspect of the story, Comic Party is also good about showing the relationship between friends who have something in common. When Kazuki meets up with the other girls, he becomes friends with them (even with Eimi to an extent). Since he doesn't know much about the comic world, he has to rely on the strength of his friends to carry him to greatness until he can carry the weight himself. It's pretty cool, in my opinion, especially since I have a lot in common with some of the cast.
Next is the length of the show. Comic Party is made up of 13 main episodes, along with 1 mini episode per DvD. The main episodes are about 22 to 24 minutes long, while the minisodes are a respectable 10 minutes. Couple them together, and you have a show that will last you at least a couple days. Pretty good, if you ask me. You can find the show on either 4 separate DvDs, or in one single collection, but more on that in a little bit.
Another positive aspect of Comic Party is the dub. The voices that each of the characters have is spot on for their characters: Aya is quiet yet gentle, Yu is very loud, but can be comforting and kind, Taishi is also loud, and can also be very sly & tricky. Despite being only composed of a small group of characters, it would actually take up a lot more space than needed to describe their voices. Suffice it to say, you won't be disappointed with how they sound, and will definitely agree (or mostly agree) with the voices chosen.
The visuals of the show are also a good point. Being an anime made back in 2001, it was drawn by hand, and processed with computers, giving the show a smooth look. The look of Tokyo is pretty nice, with all of the skyscrapes, shops, and other locations. Perhaps the most detailed of all the building of the show is the Tokyo Big Sight itself. On the outside, it looks just like the real thing. While on the inside, you aren't really shown everywhere, but what little is shown gives the viewer a tantalizing taste that may have them wanting for more.
The final positive aspect of Comic Party is how available it is. I originally bought the entire collection on Amazon at the beginning of the year for almost 25 dollars, which is a pretty good deal. Used copies of the collection are a bit more cheaper, with a couple starting at $9.99, an even greater deal if you ask me. If for some reason you don't want to buy the whole thing, and go for the individual DvD, then you may run into a bit of trouble. Your best bet will be (with the exception of the first DvD, which costs a paltry 96 cents. No joke!) to buy used copies. Used copies on Amazon are a bargain, ranging from 98 cents to $2.70. In either case, the used copies are much less strenuous on your budget, but the normal copies aren't too terrible when it comes to pricing.
Now onto the negatives. Luckily, there's only two things. Bad news is that their kinda big things.
First negative of Comic Party is the Americanization. If anyone you watched Pokemon back in the day, and I'm sure you have, then you'll no doubt come across certain things that seem a bit odd. In fact, a section of the Wikipedia article on Comic Party describes it perfectly:
"A number of re-writes and cultural changes was made to the English dub as it was Americanized. Some examples include converting the Japanese yen to dollars (although the coins of the value is clearly seen), kimono to Versace summer dress, and replacing the "Panda Onseniko" or "Hot Springs Panda" that Eimi calls Yu with "Stupid Panda""
That section of the article goes a little further, saying that "The changes were not made to the subtitles as they are correct translations of the original Japanese script".
Comic Party's second negative is in the character Mizuki. Despite being Kazuki's childhood friend, she's very negative about his new hobby. In one of the earlier episodes, she even says that "I hate the drawings you do now!" It's something like that that may make most viewers of the show hate Mizuki. A few of Kazuki's friends occasionally step in to try and tell her that comic authors, and otaku in general, are as normal as the rest of society, but nothing phases her. It isn't until the last episode (SPOILER ALERT!!) when she finally understands the whole situation, and goes to help Kazuki out. To me, this is a little too convenient, but perhaps I'm being a little harsh.
Comic Party gets a 7.5 out of 10. It offers some insight into the world of Japanese comic authors and shows some great friendships, the show's length ensures that the viewer may need a couple days to watch, the dubbing matches the personalities of the characters, the visuals are detailed and smooth, and the pricing and availability are fairly accessible, but the Americanization and Mizuki's attitude may be a bit too much for some.
I'll be here a little later this week, when I post up the review for Comic Party Revolution, Comic Party's sequel. Until then, stay Otaku!
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