Since ancient times, Japan has upheld the tradition of the 12 Zodiac signs. Eto-musume (Zodiac girls), who have the appearance and behavior of the animals of the Zodiac, are pure-hearted messengers who act as a bridge between humans and the gods. Every 60 years, the “ETM 12” tournament takes place in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, where aspiring girls from all over Japan gather for the chance to become the next zodiac sign.
Etotama is the most moe anime I've ever seen lately. Granted, I haven't been keeping up with the new anime shows, but I still found Etotama to be delightful and super kawaii! Young girls and most kids will definitely get a kick out of this new series.
This first episode opened up with a nice short background story, and it's about a pure-hearted eto-musume cat named Nyaa-tan and her quest to be part of the zodiac. Pretty simple and easy to comprehend, especially if the show is targeting young viewers. Takeru Amato is the male protagonist. He's a high school student who just moved in to Akihabara and lives alone. He's laid-back and carefree. With his benevolence, he produces a mysterious "Sol/Lull" that seems to give Nyaa-tan power in battles.
Speaking of battles, this is where Etotama shows its uniqueness. Normally in anime, when characters powers up, they get bigger and intimidating. However, when the characters in Etotama transforms, they turn into a super adorable chibi! Thus, making the battles cuddly instead of bloody. Notably, the animation during battles changes from regular 2D to Cel Shading. I find this intriguing as the battles end up producing an attractive video game like quality. The rest of the zodiac girls are a good mix of funny, oddball characters. I like the part where they ask random people to name all 12 zodiac animals in order and no one seems to remember what comes after snake.
There's not much else to say about Etotama other than it's a cute series that aims to entertain younger viewers. As an adult, the series might not be as appealing, but if you're into ultimate moe characters, you'll love this new series.
Rating: B
BY: Evelyn Febrero
Speaking of battles, this is where Etotama shows its uniqueness. Normally in anime, when characters powers up, they get bigger and intimidating. However, when the characters in Etotama transforms, they turn into a super adorable chibi! Thus, making the battles cuddly instead of bloody. Notably, the animation during battles changes from regular 2D to Cel Shading. I find this intriguing as the battles end up producing an attractive video game like quality. The rest of the zodiac girls are a good mix of funny, oddball characters. I like the part where they ask random people to name all 12 zodiac animals in order and no one seems to remember what comes after snake.
There's not much else to say about Etotama other than it's a cute series that aims to entertain younger viewers. As an adult, the series might not be as appealing, but if you're into ultimate moe characters, you'll love this new series.
Rating: B
BY: Evelyn Febrero
