Anime Reviews
Dagashi Kashi (2016, Feel / Tezuka Productions)
だがしかし
Kokonotsu Shikada and his father runs a small store selling "dagashi (cheap snacks)" in the rural countryside. One day a mysterious girl named Hotaru Shidare appears looking for the potential employees that are well-versed with the world of Dagashi and Kokonotsu seems just the person. However, his father refuses to let his son join unless Hotaru could somehow convince him to take over the store first. As Kokonotsu refuses and instead aspires to become a Manga artist, the Dagashi obssessed Hotaru is determined to change his mind.
When I first heard this title I thought the title was a word play on "da ga, shikashi (but however)" but, it's all about cheap Japanese snacks that you'll probably have come across if like me you grew up with a lot of Japanese food. It features a lot of real world snacks like whistle candy but, the jokes themselves are horribly done and doesn't make sense. Only fun is watching Hotaru's goofy expressions although it does sort of return to the regular scenarios like romance etc.
The second season picks up on the series well as a new rival convenience store appears. Hotaru has left and a new character moves in. None of the wackiness (and fan service) from the first season is left out.
It's filled with fan service but, it's fun learning about how the various snacks came about and might even make you pick some up next time you're in a Japanese snacks store. Who knew there used to be a "Super Mario-kun Comic Gum" candy that came with a mini comic? Or that the drink "ramune" got its name from the Japanese mishearing the pronunciation for "lemonade"?
Otherwise, if you don't care about cheap dagashi snacks or ramune then best avoid.
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