Common Name: Demi-chan wa Kataritai
Alternative Names: Interviews With Monster Girls
Score: 8/10, 5/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Slice of Life, School Life, Comedy
Summary: In modern society, a kind of peace has been struck between humanity and those who are categorized as demi-humans: beings of myth and legend that have been feared for their "otherness." Despite their differences, vampires, succubi, snow women, and the rare dullahan, just want to live a normal life like everyone else. It's a good thing their teacher wants to prove to these "Demis" that their dreams aren't impossible.
Review: Diversity is one of those topics that is difficult to address without stepping on somebody's toes. It should go without saying it's an extremely personal topic for anyone who is not part of a majority. However, even the majority can feel offended when the topic is given too much attention since it often infers an inherent fault with said majority. Heck, over the course of this review I guarantee I'm going to offend somebody. Now that I think about it, the fact that I'm a member of several social majorities and am acting like I know what I'm talking about is pretty damn offensive already.
So...yeah. Apologies in advance.
Acknowledgment of inherent faults and obscene levels of entitlement aside, time to get back what really matters: foreign cartoons. As much as I would love for all people everywhere to just get along and acknowledge each other as individuals, this is a dream that has been quashed too many times to count in human history. That doesn't mean spreading a good message isn't worth the time and effort necessary though, and that is precisely what Demi-chan wa Kataritai accomplishes. Not only that, but it offers probably one of the best arguments for acknowledging and accepting diversity while also seeing people as unique individuals who are more than just their race, sex, gender, creed, etc., I've ever seen. It's too bad the rest of the show gets bogged down by the standards of the anime industry.
There's that classic innuendo humor no anime can go without.
For the most part, though, the show takes itself seriously as it deals with its characters and their flaws while it also analyses how demi-humans (humanoid monsters) might function in a society that doesn't actively discriminate against them but doesn't know how to handle them either. Most of the show is actually spent dealing with the characters' personal hangups so that they can find their place in society without compromising what makes them who they are. Takanashi Hikari the vampire, Machi Kyouko the dullahan, Kusakabe Yuki the yuki-onna or snow woman, and Satou Sakie the succubus are all portrayed as interesting and unique characters who are defined from their demi-human "natures" just as much as they are from their very human flaws and strengths. The first three are high school students, which is problematic enough for most people, who want nothing more than to fit in in an environment where they are a significant minority. Sakie, on the other hand, is an adult who struggles with more adult issues of the personal and romantic variety. It wouldn't be accurate to say the show is entirely about its demi-human cast, however. While it certainly focuses on them, the show is mainly centered around Takahashi Tetsuo, the school's Biology teacher who has taken an academic (as well as personal) interest in demi-human culture. Specifically, he's determined to separate fact from fiction in the interest of expanding humanity's knowledge of it
s demi-human population. Thing is, his discoveries are frequently just as beneficial to the girls as they are to his own research.
That has to be one of the strangest charts I've ever seen.
While it might be fair to argue that what the show really does is rationalize what's basically pseudoscience through a series of sociological anecdotes, did you really expect actual science from a show about monster girls? If so, you are a strange duck indeed. Even if some of the show's "science" is utter nonsense (even in its own world logic), it doesn't change the show's overall message and its analysis of diversity on a personal and societal level. In fact, my biggest complaint against the show can be easily considered a calculated and appropriate decision due to that big message about diversity. I am, of course, referring to the show's appealing to the anime industry's baser standards--the fetishizing of the demi-human traits and the...questionable relationship Takahashi shares with the girls.
It's not inappropriate when it's for the good of SCIENCE.
What I mean is that this show takes almost every aspect of the diversity conversation in all it's facets and subtly features each one over the course of the series. For example, that fetishizing of unique cultural traits is almost ingrained into the diversity discussion. Now, I know that might sound super insulting, but consider that accepting diversity is, at least in part, about accepting all the things that make a person or group of people different. If the old adage that "variety is the spice of life" rings true, then some people will be attracted to and crave a particular spice, and, really, there's only a fine line between honoring those unique qualities and fetishizing them. Here's the thing though, while this show does engage that topic on a minor level, it also calls it out as rude and inappropriate behavior--natural, sure, but still insulting on some level. But this isn't the only big facet of the diversity conversation that gets featured though.
While certainly problematic, I'm not referring to generalizing of people though.
The other big topic is government involvement in the diversity conversation. While the government would rightfully be involved making legislation to protect the demi-human community in an effort to discourage violence and discrimination against them. It becomes an issue, though, when the government itself discriminates against the Demis, fearing they might commit acts of violence in retaliation to people objectifying and abusing them. While there are some heavy examples of that practice here in the real world, consider how much more intense it would be for the world where some people are categorized as natural predators--ie. vampires and succubi. So, it makes total sense that there would be something of a Demi-monitoring task force in the government that works to curb these "violent tendencies" through several small actions. Actions like rationing out blood packs to the vampire population to curb their "insatiable bloodlust."
Rationalizing violence at it's finest.
But here's the thing, the goverment might be able to slake a vampire's hunger, but how could they turn off a succubus's natural allure? Answer: they can't. So, instead, succubi suffer the indignation of always been under the government's watchful eye. They are seen as natural criminals when, in reality, they might be the ones being victimized. Thankfully, the government's presence in the show is an understanding one that acknowledges that the need for their existence is inherently messed up. So, rather than being Sakie's antagonist, the government worker she deals with ends up being something of a father figure or life coach who just wants her to be happy. More than that, he wants her to find a way to manage her succubus nature in her daily life and on her own terms, thus proving that the government doesn't need to worry about the Demis, violent or otherwise.
What's really interesting to me, though, is that the show expresses this celebration of diversity without tripping up on the topic equality. What I mean is, one of the biggest problems with the diversity topic is the desire to shut down difference for the sake of promoting the equality of all people. If everyone is equal, then there cannot be racism, as the idea goes. Honestly, while I do see some benefit to that mentality since it also states that all people are worthy of a bottom line level of respect and fairness, there is an inherent flaw with this ideal. People are not inherently equal. Some people have better senses than others. Some are better fits for a particular role in society than others. Some are simply born with more opportunities available to them than others. While some of these inherent differences can be associated with differences in race, sex, and creed, a good number of these differences are societal as well, and all of them can be adjusted or compensated for through an individual's own volition. In doing this, the individual becomes inherently different from their contemporaries by a matter of degrees while still being a part of that overall culture. It is that singular realization that powers the majority of this show's message of diversity; one that hinges on a balance of all these factors that make an individual who they are--race, sex, gender, class, creed, and nature. It does this, however, without discounting human equality, that belief that all people deserve a base level of respect, acknowledgment, and fairness.
To elaborate, without going into great detail, each of the characters finds a way to balance these parts of who they are. While Hikari is a vampire, she is described as "unvampire-like" at one point because she also acts like a normal high school girl. Without much exterior help from Takahashi, she balances her vampiric nature with her human identity, making her a unique individual who is living a happy and healthy life. In the case of Yuki the snow woman, it's revealed that overemphasis of either of these parts would lead to a repression of the other, which only serves to make her miserable. Lastly, with Machi the dullahan, it's understood that if these girls' demi-human natures were whitewashed or "solved" for the sake of equality, they would cease to exist as the fun and amusing people we've come to love. Sure, some of their personal struggles would cease to exist, but they would also lose those little mannerisms and quirks that, at least partially, define them. So, in the end, it makes sense that Takahashi is interested demystifying the demi-human population through exposing the truth of who these girls are. He earnestly believes that if he publicizes the truth of what it means to be a dullahan, vampire, snow woman, or succubus, people might be more willing and able to accept them as both human and demi-human.
It's almost like he's trying to prepare the girls for their life after high school.
Alright, my diversity vs. equality rant is now over. It's time to move to a topic I can discuss with some level of authority: the objective quality of foreign cartoons. In the end, I have to admit that I REALLY like this show. It has a thought of thought and heart put into each and every episode and has a message that it delivers without being too heavy-handed. The characters are cute, fun, and memorable. They're not perfect people, but that was never really the point. Its biggest flaw, though, is that it occasionally stumbles between its own two natures. Too frequently I found myself unsure of what a particular skit or episode was trying to express as it fumbled back and forth between its message and the comedy. I guess it does succeed in both aspects, though, since I was able to give its message the attention it deserves. Not only that, but the comedy never got stale for me and elicited a few open laughs. The animation and art were simplistic at times but kicked it up a notch when it really mattered. The music always felt appropriate and never went overboard, but it didn't really grab me either. So, I guess I could sum this show up as being imperfect in all things, but I was never dissatisfied with it. If my diversity rant hasn't dissuaded you from watching it, I'd say give it a shot since it's one of those titles with a little something for everyone, even over-analytical weirdos like me.