One of the most “out there” shows of this season has to be Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They (Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sō Desu yo? In Japanese), but they use that to its advantage. The world in Problem Children is very imaginative, taking a new take on classic fairy tales and legends. There are plenty moments that are outrageous as well as indulging, which can keep any seasoned anime fan satisfied while enticing new comers to the genre.
The plot centers around three super powered teens, Izayoi with the power of incredible strength, Asuka who has the power of obedience, and Yo who is capable of communicating with animals. This strange trio originates from different dimensions of Earth and are whisked away to the fantasy world of Little Garden. There, they meet a referee who goes by Black Rabbit (a literal bunny girl) and teaches them about the world they have entered as well as the Gift Games. In Little Garden, tribes are formed and battle against each other in the Gift Games, where the winning tribe claims all the gifts that were gambled.
To start, the world of Little Garden is well explored throughout the series as they visit various locations through participating the Games. It is very open and it feels like there is plenty more for the group to explore. There are also a great number of characters that live in these lands as well, plenty of which are derived from well-known myths and legends. It’s these side characters that truly help bring to this wonderful world.
The animation in the show seems to have a very good budget, having good detail on the characters and backgrounds most of the time. There are plenty of entertaining and creative battle scenes sprinkled out, but it is obvious they are saving most of it for the climactic battle toward the end of the season. Also, they sprinkle in a bit of fan service, but besides the typical “hot springs” episode, it wasn’t too distracting. It doesn’t add anything to the show, but it didn’t take away anything either.
Our main characters, for the most part, are interesting. Asuka seems to take the role as the “lead girl” of the trio and having the most development throughout. Even though it seems like they want to focus on all three equally, Asuka seems to just have the more compelling story, therefore having the more interesting parts. You, to a lesser extent, also has a bit of her own character arc, but she isn’t explored too much to really have any kind of story that needs to be told.
Izayoi, who seems to be the lead protagonist of the show, seems to have no faults at all. While this would be good for a side character we would see occasionally, it’s not that interesting for a lead character. He faces any challenge that comes to him and comes out victoriously most of the time, and is unharmed. The most he does is help move the plot along, which makes him more of a pivotal character than one with flaws.
Izayoi’s character can nearly be forgiven though because the show, while having a complex world, seems pretty simple. In that way, Problem Children is very approachable, just like Sword Art Online. It’s also good that the plot is very tight, although it can be confusing at times if you don’t pay a lot of attention to it. Problem Children does seem to understand though that the overall plot is not the main draw, which actually aids it more than it hinders it. The stories are interesting, but it’s the unique characters that keep the audience coming back.
Problem Children started out as a show that may have been a bit slow, but it showed potential of being a very entertaining show, and it was able to end on a great note. For me, it gave me the same excitement many fans felt when they first watched Sword Art Online. This is a clear stand out from all the other anime in the season, and would probably do great with an American audience once it gets an English dub (which has not been announced as of the time of this review). If it is available state side in the near future, it’ll make a good addition to any fan’s collection and could possibly help bring in new anime fans.
Overall, Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They gets seven stars out of ten.
