Copihan

I’m not sure what to make out of this anime Copihan because as stated it is just a school comedy taking place in Tokyo in the near future, year 2034. This series is a joint project of Gonzo and Kei, the illustrator manga version of Copihan who is best known for Hatsune Miku. But don’t be fooled to see any of that Vocaloid idol anywhere in this series. Besides, with each of the 7 episodes lasting as short as over 5 minutes, I can’t really fathom the randomness even though they are funny in their own way.

Episode 1
In the year 21^st May 2034, Yuzuki Tsugayama is on her way to a baseball match. I’m not sure if it has something to do with boys peeping up her skirt. Sisters Saya and Sayu Mihashira are the cheeky commentators for the match between Kumashite High School and Sekishigire High School. When it’s Yuzuki’s turn to bat, she hits a home run on the first try! I guess this answers her critics for those who thought she is on the cheerleading team. Since Saya and Sayu continue to give lips service praising Yuzuki’s excellent play, Yuzuki is rather upset that they didn’t show her outstanding performance instead. And due to space limitations, they already warn this programme will be abruptly interrupted at 1:50, in which the climax has been cut out and replaced by the news. So much about finding out Yuzuki’s heroics.

Episode 2
Saya and Sayu get ready to host their live radio show for Kumashite High School. Saya starts off with a complaint to the principal that the east wing building of the school is taking forever to finish. Then they proceed to announce today’s theme for the listener’s mail (which is “I’m pissed off today”) followed by a corner that dedicates to those things you imagine a certain person would say (filled with corny puns by the way). Finally they announces today’s unlucky teacher and the results has world history teacher Ide as the ‘victim’. Speaking of which, a bucket of water just fell on his head. Coincidence or curse?

Episode 3
We are warned that this is a story about a busy girl who gets into all sorts of things. Yuna Kadokura is seen idling in the store flipping her pen till a customer shows up to buy a pack of cigarettes. The guy suddenly takes interest in her and wants her to be featured in the next issue of his published Playboy magazine. She declines but 3 weeks later, he face is in the magazine and the store owner thinks with her in it, more people will patron the store. While walking on the streets, she is stopped by a reporter who is scouting for new people to enter their makeover programme. Yuna declines as the reporter is interrupted by her handphone. After that, she continues pleading to her to join and what do you know? Yuna is on the programme and her makeover is so outstanding that it makes her look like a mature woman. See the before and after comparison? Her thoughts? Nothing really. Lastly her friends note how good she is at spinning pens and encourage her to enter a tournament. As usual she declines but 2 weeks later, there is a gold trophy sitting in her room. Uhm… I know she gets into all kinds of things but she a busy girl?

Episode 4
The female reporter who is covering the 24-hour coverage Mimasuka Police selects 24 year old police officer Haruhiko Tsugayama as her subject. Not looking forward, isn’t he? He is made to do an embarrassing “P” pose before the reporter follows him to his workplace at Hakoyanagai Police Station. The police chief Koshijo Kuwabara hijacks his screen time and later the reporter asks about Haruhiko’s reason of joining the force. It started off full of inspiration but when it turns into the part whereby his dad who was a policeman got fired, the reporter stops him and doesn’t want him to tell his sob story because it might scare the people. Then she thought there is a case going on as Haruhiko puts on his coat. Actually he’s just going out for lunch. I don’t know, she even suggests making a crime scene. Lastly as she asks him about the case he is working on (some hacker called Rei Deshima), Kuwabara once again tries to hijack the show using place cards. I don’t understand what’s happening because several guys in black start holding Haruhiko down and beating his ass with a club. WTF?! They say he’s out?

Episode 5
Hotaru Kitou leaves work, goes buy convenience store food and beer and then returns to the comfort of her home. After settling down nicely in front of her computer, she logs on to her… S&M lesson site!!! WOAH! As the sadistic teacher, she is going to teach all those sorry desktop pigs a lesson. Or a reward if you’re looking from their point of view. First, put your smelly toes on the keyboard and use them to close the laptop till they turn blue! Then put those toes on the keyboard and lick them! People, unless you are one of those ‘special’ people receiving this ‘special’ treatment, don’t try it anyhow or anywhere. It’s madness!!!

Episode 6
The events are similar to Saya and Sayu’s radio show but instead of focusing on them in the broadcast room, we see them from Hiromi Urino and her cat hand puppet’s view as the programme is being aired. While Hiromi is the quiet girl, the cat is the one who is being noisy and making all the comments. Makes you wonder if she’s a damn good ventriloquist. But definitely a person who is bloody good with her hands literally because on one hand she has this hand puppet and on the other she is texting with her iPhone!!! Superb! So we learn they are the pair who sent in puns and mails under the name of Mayori so much so they always win that handphone strap. It’s their 28^th one. Because the puppet is being too noisy, Hiromi has to ‘shut it up’. But what does she mean, ‘no broken clutch system’?

Episode 7
At Hyakuten Shrine, Asagi Tsugayama notes her shrine’s 200 year old history and she is the 13^th generation continuing to protect the shrine. Suddenly she sees a vision of a shady guy trying to make a pass on a lady. However she kicks him where it hurts most. This has her to remember when she realized about her modesty when boys started peeping up her skirt. Observing a couple of boys at the shrine, they started talking about a 5 Yen coin. Note that in the future, all sale and purchase transactions are cashless and are by card system so it is rare to see a real coin anymore. The boys make fun of how dirty the coin is and toss it into the donation box. Asagi notes if you look at the past and discover something new, then you have acquired knowledge. This has her remember the time she forgot to put her homework on her handphone. Her friend, Omoto Kumogiri offers to upload his data to hers. However she read his thoughts as this is part of his plan to get on her good side so he can receive Valentine’s Day chocolates. She gets annoyed and changes her mind. She is snapped out when the naughty boys make a mess over the leaves she raked. So she just heaves a sigh and notes there are things that are okay to be seen and those should be left unnoticed. The end omake feels like a dramatic movie trailer filled with madness and power.

Copi-huh?
Well, what just happened? Don’t get it, do you? I don’t blame you. Neither did I. So what I can see here is that each episode is focused on a particular character but nothing much in depth because it lasts for only 5 minutes! They are interesting in their own way like the athletic Yuzuki, the cheeky Mihashira sisters, the taciturn Yuna, the sadistic Hotaru and the ventriloquist Hiromi. You wish there would be some in-depth to these characters but the duration of the series won’t permit. By the time the episode ends, it makes you go WTF. So if you really want to watch this series, make sure you do so because you have free time on your hands. You won’t gain anything and of course you won’t lose much, just you 7 episodes x 5 minutes of life chucked away if you feel this series is a disappointment. The art and drawing is rather okay and your typical Japanese anime and if you like these kind of drawing then I guess you’ll find the cute girls here to your liking. The only interesting thing that caught my attention is the way people pay with their electronic cards. You don’t see them taking out the notes and coins anymore and it is amazing to know that this may be a possible daily occurrence in the future. A cashless society could save all those troubles of robbery and mugging but at the same a bunch of other headaches such as electronic breakdown like suddenly your funds go missing. There are pros and cons of having something that is tangible and otherwise. Oh wait. Was this series supposed to have any discussion on this? I must have strayed a little there. I’m not sure if they will be producing anymore future episodes but if they show more of Yuzuki’s shima pantsu, maybe it would peak my interest and have a peep…