Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi

Reviewed by Marcio Guastavino
May 26, 2006

Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga Genre: Sci-fi, Comedy, Action Age Rating: 13+ Distributor: ADV Films Website: Click Here Review Rating: 9 out of 10

Screencap from Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. Courtesy of ADV Films. (Click image to enlarge)

Sasshi and Arumi are very close friends. Both their families own a shop in the infamous Abenobashi shopping arcade (in Japan arcades are like strip malls). While coming home one day they see Arumi's grandpa get into an accident. During the accident a seal is accidentally broken and all hell breaks loose. Sasshi and Arumi find themselves trapped in different dimensions of their world. In each world they encounter different perils and new versions of their hometown Abenobashi. This anime had me laughing so hard I had to stop and take a breather now and then. The situations the characters get in are hilarious and the plot will have you laughing all day long. There are a few “serious” episodes, but they are needed to move the story along. Being only 13 episodes long, it's good if you feel like a quick series.

The voice acting needs a little getting use to since it doesn't feel like each voice fits the character. The characters have a country accent for this anime and while it's not the best choice, it does get the job done and isn't so bad after watching it for awhile. The soundtrack is great, a lot of upbeat tunes and the beginning and ending themes are very catchy. While the anime itself is funny, the plot does have its serious twists. So you get a good story and a bunch of laughs along the way, how can you go wrong? Abenobashi does have it share of violence and very little nudity so I wouldn't recommend it for children.

I give Abenobashi a high Evolution Factor. There is no reason for anyone to skip over this anime. The laughs you'll get will have you going back for more time and time again. All the characters are well done and their personalities make the story much more enjoyable. Don't miss it!