Common Name: Gabriel DropOut
Score: 8/10, 5/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Comedy, Magical, Supernatural, School Life
Summary: In both Heaven and Hell, it is standard practice for young angels and devils to learn about the human world and their role in it by spending time on Earth itself. Angels, like Gabriel and Raphiel, do good deeds in a world rife with corrupting influences. Devils, like Vigne and Satania, wreak chaos in a world that might be harsher than any hell they've known. So it stands to reason that a few angels and devils might lose their way and give in to the trial of human existence--creating a truly divine comedy.
Review: For once, I find myself at a bit of a loss when it comes to addressing what looks like a pretty simplistic comedy about angels and devils interacting in human society. I think that's mainly because calling this show simplistic is a bit of a misnomer that underplays how much there is to this title. There's so much to this comedy, in fact, that I can't bring myself pin it down to a particular brand of comedy without feeling dissatisfied with trying to shove it into a particular niche. As the summary implies, this is, at its core, a comedy built on role reversals and the subversion of expectation. It is also, however, a character comedy, a slapstick comedy, a slice of life comedy, an absurdist comedy, a ecchi comedy, a nerd-centered comedy, a deadpan comedy, and even a self-aware comedy every now and then. Starting to see why I'm having so much trouble with this one? But here's the thing though: I love this show for it's large and varied comedic arsenal.
If only the characters agreed with that sentiment.
While having all those different brands of humor might sound a tad overwhelming, I think they are what keep this rather simple show interesting, engaging, and worth a good laugh for almost anyone. Rarely was there a moment when I found the show dull or unamusing in some way since every character speaks to a different brand of humor in their own way that only gets better when they get together. For example, Gabriel's character speaks to people with a more deadpan or emotionally jaded sense of humor, since she has all but given up on both her heavenly duties and the real world alike. On top of that, she brings a nerdy aspect, albeit a self-deprecating one, to the table through her shut-in lifestyle and obsession with MMOs. Opposite Gabriel is the straight-laced straight man of the show, the devil Vigne, whose brand of humor is more subtle and down to earth than the rest of the cast. Her brand of comedic support and slapstick are also a fantastic tool the show uses every now and then to put an end to jokes that start to get old.
I am, of course, referring to the more literal interpretation of "slapstick."
On their own, they are fun and interesting characters in their own right, but it's when they're together that a more complex brand of comedy takes shape--the comedy of role reversal--where the angel is a slothful devil and the actual devil is angelic in comparison. As the two interact, a comedy of opposites attracting and conflicting takes shape. But this isn't the show's only comedic duo. To offer a little more variety and degrees to the comedy of polar opposites, we also have a divine pair who are serious about their respective duties as devil and angel. With the devil Satania we're given access to an almost endless font of gags that comes from the cringey but simultaneously endearing existence of the chuunibyou character, aka someone so caught up in their fantasies that they can't/won't acknowledge reality. While it might be noble for a devil to strive for the position of "Queen of Hell," it's kinda pathetic to watch Satania's plans come undone because of her own inadequacy. To be fair though, her "great machinations" and "evil schemes" typically only amount to childish pranks or gags that only harm her social and emotional well-being. With that being the case, it's not exactly hard for Raphiel's brand of sadistic cunning and bullying to be a home run every time she does her angelic duty. The duty I'm referring to is antagonizing the forces of Hell of Earth, which basically amounts to Satania and Vigne, provided Satania's not available. The real comedy of Raphiel's character comes into play though whenever her plans fall apart the same way Satania's always do.
She's a danger to herself, others, and general human decency.
So, like with Gabriel and Vigne, the dynamic duo comes together to form a more complex kind of comedy about two opposites butting heads to outdo the other while they form a bizarre kind of friendship in the process. There are, of course, a few other characters that mix up the formula and create specific, plot-related situations but none of them are particularly worth mentioning.
So, to summarize, this is a comedy centered around a "faillen" angel, a saintly devil, a wannabe-archdemon chuunibyou, and a sadistic crusader angel and their interactions during their time in the human world, which is already a pretty messed up place to begin with. Outside of that premise, there really isn't too much meat to this show. It's a simple show that is so well executed and has such a wide variety of jokes, gags, and types of humor that it can hardly be called simplistic. If anything, I think this is the kind of show other comedy anime should aspire to be. With the market so over saturated with moeblob nonsense and predictable/brain dead brands of comedy, the genre is in desperate need of more creative titles like this one. While, sure, the cast here is based on those same archetypes with those built-in jokes the industry loves so much, they feel like they were built up from that bottom line enough to be special and unique. More than that, though, they were built in such a way that their brands of comedy fit together so well that their already great parts meld into something truly worthwhile. To be clear though, Gabriel DropOut isn't a personal favorite for me, but it's definitely a step in the right direction in terms of quality.