Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san [Review]
“The comedy manga’s story centers on a skeleton named Honda who works in a bookstore. Hilarity ensues daily in his work at the shop’s manga counter.” -Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san (manga)
Story:
I’ve always wondered what it would be like to work at a bookstore and Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san gave me the answer I was looking for. The bookstore is a raging battlefield, the cries of customers, the endless waves of new literature, and the painful agony of…CUSTOMER SERVICE. Jokes aside, how bookstores function isn’t as simple as you would think! The best part about this show is that the mangaka, Honda, is also the main character for the show. he talks about his experiences working at a bookstore as well as the complications of writing a manga.
Artwork & Animation:
The art and animation are extremely simple, using only a handful a sprites (with masks which also limits the amount of animating) and basic animation. The backgrounds are set up the same way and while it’s not a Kyoto Animation quality, there’s a charm to the minimalism.
Character(s):
Ah yes, Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san best selling point, the characters! The writing for this show really brings the best out of each character as each of them are genuine and down to earth making them relatable and extremely funny.
Sound (OST & Voice Acting):
With the art being very minimal, what makes Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san so entertaining is the dialogue between the characters, more specifically Honda-san and Foreigners! Saitou Soma’s (Honda-san) uneasiness and admirable English makes the dialogue entertaining and when dealing with questionable things (such as BL in a public space) makes it that much better. The soundtrack for the show is similar to the art, simple and gets the point across so nothing to discuss there.
Enjoyment:
Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san was a joy to watch and with it being only 12-minutes, it was easy to sit down and watch one before going to class. I had good about of laughs (my favorite episode was when they sent Honda for customer service training LOL) and look forward to seeing more in the future!
Overall: Score
9
An anime about the ins and outs of a Japanese bookstore, through the eyes of the author of the story himself. Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san is a simple yet charming show that is filled with genuine characters and perfect comedic timing. If you love manga or books, in general, this is something you should “check out”!
Best Girl: Armour
As the only female who freaks out as much as Honda, Armour made it easy to give her the best girl spot. Her reactions and managing skills but also her nature of wanting to help others was a joy to watch and I can’t wait to see more!
There are multiple characters in this image…but I’m pretty sure you can guess which one she is LOL
KiritoNarukami 