Plot: A teenage band loses their keyboard player because he doesn’t want to play anymore. The group laments over this loss as they prepare for a concert in a local park. However, their spot is soon canceled and wacky hijinks ensue.
Breakdown: This 30 minute OVA is the epitome of meh. Some of the jokes hit with me, most fell flat. It’s like this show couldn’t decide if it wanted to be insane and unrealistic or a slice of life show.
The story is convoluted and forced. There’s no real reason, given anyway, why they had to try so desperately to be in that park show, especially not to the point they went to, which is faking a terrible accident to hijack the park organizer’s car to stop her from getting to the show because of some bet the leader made with her in order to ensure a spot in the show again.
Then there’s somehow setting up a motion-activated perfectly disguised kite that latches on to people and flies by someone, pulling them by bicycle to basically kidnap their keyboardist to get him to the concert. Right, because if there’s one thing I’d like to do after being kidnapped and flown dangerously through the air against my will, it’s play keyboard in a concert with the people who did that to me.
Why are they so dedicated to this band or the Canary (never figured out if that was a song or the name of the group)? Especially the leader. I know they like playing music, but why does it mean so much to them?
The characters are incredibly forgettable. I can’t remember anyone’s name except Jun’s (the keyboardist) which is odd because he hardly gets any screentime. I also remember that one of them was bald and wore a bandanna on their head. There’s way too many of them to be shelled out at all in a 30 minute OVA, which means none of them are. There’s also some sort of backstory between the park organizer and a famous rocker. They talk about it like it’s something we should know already.
The music is….alright. It’s not something I’d go out and buy, but it’s okay.
The art is meh and the animation is meh.
Bottom Line: You’d be missing nothing if you watched this. I give it points for making me smile sometimes, but it’s confusing, boring and just there, really.
Additional Information and Notes: Canary was directed by Keitaro Motonaga, who also directed Digimon Adventure: Tri, Jormungand and….School Days, and it was written by Naruhisa Arakawa, writer of Blue Seed, Spice and Wolf I and II and Elemental Gelade.
Canary was produced by Frontwing, and it is not currently licensed in English.
Runtime: 30 Minutes.
Year: 2002
Recommended Audience: Nothing offensive. E for everyone!
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The Anime Madhouse 