Miss Monochrome

Summary: >

Inspired while watching a performance by super idol Kuriko, Miss Monochrome decides to become an idol herself. This is problematic for an android who doesn't understand what makes an idol an idol. Fortunately she encounters others who will help her on the way to success. Wether she succeeds in the way she wants remains to be seen.

Thoughts: >

A robot girl becoming an idol was done nearly Two Decades Ago, so I wasn't sure this would have much to offer. I'm burning out on idol anime in general, so I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed this show as much as I did. That's partially due to the setup being more robot-girl oriented than idol oriented.

The first season of Miss Monochrome works out to 3 minutes per episode. It's not a gut busting comedy, but it's certainly amusing enough to pass the time. The first season deals with Miss Monochrome attempting to emulate the process of becoming an idol, then unintentionally succeeding in ways not progressing her career. Along the way Miss Monochrome accidentally wins various world championships and saves humanity from alien invasions.

It's off the wall and silly, but time constraints limited the show to a handful of gags, and one final punchline per episode. The second season lengthens episodes to 5 minutes, allowing for a few more jokes and better fleshing out stories. It also better leverages Monochrome's quirky robot personality. There isn't much to the characters, but Monochrome's mascot companion being a Roomba Vacuum cleaner (Ru-chan) is a cute touch. Other than that, it's a collection of one-off situations.

While often fun with weird humor, it's just as often spaced out and pointless. The past life experience with idol Kuriko works because it's bazaar, but long term it can't sustain this anime as plot. It feels more tired the longer it goes, but still provides laughs even in the third season. With more focus, this anime could be better (and shorter), but it has an odd flavor that works to differentiate it, and may make it worth checking out if you can overlook the many dud episodes.

Screen Caps: >