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[Everyday is Sunday art - no box art available for this series]
AKA: 毎日が日曜日 (Mainichi ga Nichiyoubi)
Genre: Romantic comedy
Length: OAV series, 6 episodes, 30 minutes each
Distributor: Currently unlicensed in North America
Content Rating: 13+ (violence, nudity, brief sexual situations, substance abuse)
Related Series: N/A
Also Recommended: Maison Ikkoku, You're Under Arrest!
Notes: Based on a manga by Takada Yuzo (Blue Seed, 3x3 Eyes). 3x3 Eyes fans should be on the look out for a Pai cameo in the opening sequence of the last episode.
Rating:

Everyday is Sunday

Synopsis

When a strange man begins following young Takeshita Yumi she becomes frightened and attempts to flee. In her panicked haste, she steps right in front of a truck and is only saved as the object of her fear pushes her out of the way and is hit by the truck himself. Instead of wishing her harm, the man was hungry and simply wanted to share some of her food.

Years later, Yumi has joined the police force out of a desire for justice and also to help track down the man who helped her many years ago. A chance encounter with a pick-pocket will lead her to her long lost knight, an amateur magician, Ichidaiji Toru. Besides being overjoyed at finding him, Yumi's wrestling skills and Toru's magic skills might prove a useful combination for solving crimes.


Review

Clocking in at a mere six episodes, in a lot of ways Everyday Is Sunday forms what seems like it should have been the opening few episodes of a much longer series. We have the background setting established and the general introduction of various whimsical side characters. The six episodes are various one shots with no real plot connecting them. While I suspect that only a small part of the manga got adapted into the anime, the comedic and episodic nature of this title makes it work as entertainment despite its short length. If anything, it may be to its advantage since most of the humor, reoccuring gags, and characters do not end up wearing out their welcome over its short length. I was still able to smile at the antics of the various characters just as much at the end of the sixth episode as I did at the first.

The title really emphasizes comedy over actual romantic content. Though Yumi does have romantic interest in Toru, besides a little bit of the standard romantic confusion, they don't really have a huge amount of difficulty or distress concerning the two becoming enamored of each other. This isn't to say the two instantly fall in love just that the title doesn't drown itself in hours and hours of unnecessary romantic complications. It was intriguing, though, to have Toru as a romantic focus especially given that he is presented as not all that attractive and a bit of a scamp. The pairing does, though, fit well with the general atmosphere of the show.

Low-level situational comedy plots form the basis for most of Everyday Is Sunday with many of the episode focusing around Yumi's job as a police officer. Though the range of cases varies in scope and importance, the show manages to keep itself relatively light and provides a number of opportunities for Yumi to be assisted by Toru's skills as a magician. None of the comedy is gutwrenchingly hysterically funny or, for that matter particularly sophisticated (though by no means scatological or anything of that nature), but I was entertained and amused by every episode.

Toru and Yumi are fairly likable characters and we get to understand more about them as the show progresses while at the same time we are introduced to a large number of side characters. While I can't say that many of these characters get a huge amount of character development they were given enough personality to be likable and distinct. There is a very cozy neighborhood feeling communicated by the characters and locations presented in Everyday Is Sunday. Most of the side characters, individually, would not be enough to really help enhance the atmosphere but taken together they help reinforce an amiable comedic atmosphere that helped me enjoy the show.

Being a somewhat older title that probably wasn't all that high budget to begin with, there is some noticeable weakness in the technical areas. The character designs are serviceable and true to Takada's style but they are a bit on the simplistic side. Yumi has a habit of beating on criminals using some pro-wrestling moves and I can't really claim that these action sequences are anywhere near impressive. Music is only average though the opening theme is pleasant enough. Since I enjoyed the comedy and characters of the title, I'm not going to particularly hold the weaker animation against it but those seeking higher quality art work and animation should take that into account.

Though it didn't change my life or anything, Everyday Is Sunday was still a pleasant enough light comedy with likable characters that didn't wear out their welcome. Though there is a little bit of action and drama here and there, this is first and foremost a comedy with some romantic elements. If you are looking for something a bit meatier in terms of plot, you'll want to subtract a star. As noted above, this is an older title that doesn't have the most stunning of production values compared to newer titles, so if you are seeking beautiful artwork and slick animation you'll be disappointed.Jeremy A Beard

Recommended Audience: Yumi beats the snot out of people on more than a few occasions but it ends up seeming more comical than violent. There are, however, two episodes featuring somewhat sexual nudity and attempted sexual molestation. Alcohol abuse and drunken antics figure prominently into a few later episodes. Overall, I would say the show is best for teens and above.



Version(s) Viewed: digital source
Review Status: Full (6/6)
Everyday is Sunday © 1990 Yuzo Takada / Comic Magazine / Tokuno Japan / Animate Film
 
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