Title: Pita Ten
U. S. Distributor: Nozomi/Lucky Penny
U. S. Release Date: February 2, 2016
Format: DVD (English subtitles) / 26 episodes / 650 Minutes
Genre: Comedy
Age Rating: 7+
Overall Personal Rating: B
Synopsis:
Kotarou Higuchi is a normal, average grade school boy. At least I think so. He spends much of his time outside of school alone because his mother has died and his dad is often busy at work.
His new neighbor is Misha, who is sort of an angel in training. She is very enthusiastic and upbeat. Too much so, and, she doesn’t really understand (or take the time to notice) how things are done on earth. Soon she has a roommate, Shia, who is actually a demon in training but her kind and quiet demeanor is the opposite of how she is supposed to act. This is an on going problem with her companion/mentor who is a black cat that tries to steer her towards her true purpose.
Kotarou Higuchi’s friends since they were very little are Takashi, probably the top student in school (in grades, athletics and popularity), and Koboshi, the cute, cat eared girl who has a big crush on him. Constant companions, Misha changes the group dynamics, especially since she is all over Kotarou.
Then, a new student arrives at the school, it is Hiroshi Mitarai. He competitive to the extreme and has come to challenge Takashi. His sister follows and she is just as far out crazy and intense.
There is a web of crushes, who likes who causes most of the conflict. Oh wait, there are those otherworldly issues, that can be a problem especially since they seem to forget why they are on earth.
Commentary:
Pita ten is a comedy, of grade schoolers, who act more like high school kids. It is a fun series that focuses on friendship. Occasionally there is some seriousness which makes the characters more endearing to the viewer. I have seen it listed as a romance, but really they just have one sided crushes on each other. Comedy.
The girls of the series really embody the heart of cuteness. Misha, is supposed to be learning to become a full fledged angel, but I don’t know how that is supposed to happen. She doesn’t have a teacher and she not exactly sharp enough to figure it out on her own. She will have to take a test. Shia is harder to figure out. She is here to become a demon, but she doesn’t have the personality to do it. She tries now and then to please her mentor. Koboshi is petite and chronically cute, and just like the other girls, is dressed in the frilly Lolita costumes. Her cat ears were adorable but oddly nobody seem to question them.
The anime employs many cliche’s of the genre. Notable is the old tricks to make sure the kid is left alone most of the time to have their uninterrupted adventures. And of course, the girls fighting over a guy who seems clueless of the who thing. I shouldn’t forget the familiar beach and spa episodes, they are classic.
If you have read the manga first, be prepared for many story changes, and quite a bit of simplification. I really do think these differences make the anime play better. The underlying story of ancestors in the manga was rather complex and would have muddled the comedy.
Overall Personal Rating: B
An anime that is the spirit of cute comedy.
