Alternative Names: The Helpful Fox Senko-san
Score: 5/10, 4/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Summary: The life of a salaryman isn't an easy one. Forced to work overtime, robbed of any time to pursue any hobbies, and lacking any kind of social life or romance, this is especially true for Nakano Kuroto. Belittled, exploited, and abused for years on end now, this life is taking a toll on Nakano that could be fatal if it isn't treated soon. Luckily, there is someone out there who is more than happy to pamper him until his view of the world stops looking so bleak. The helpful fox spirit, Senko-san, lives to bring happiness and fluff to the humans that catch her eye and, luckily for Nakano, she's had her eyes on him for quite a while.
Review: For once, I honestly can't think of any preamble or introduction that might suit a review for Senko-san. It's not even because I want to just dive into this review and gush about how great or how terrible is. Nothing important or poignant comes to mind when I think about this show and that might simply be because I've still not been able to sort out my feelings for this series. On the one hand, it's a fairly cute title that doesn't do all that much to stand out from its peers beyond speaking to a particular fetish. On the other, it's a series that's built on a foundation I find suspect at best and traditionalist at worst. So, while I can say that I don't mind Senko-san, I find myself struggling to make any kind of critical headway with it beyond simply stating that it exists.
For better or worse, existing is probably one of the few things this show does well.
Appropriately enough, though, this kind of indecisive half-assing is more or less this show's bread and butter. Both it and its central character strive to be many things but never actually settles for any of them, leaving them with only a vague outline of a premise that only gets blurrier as the series goes on. For example, in the show's beginning, it is fairly clear that Senko-san is going for a slightly more ecchi take on the "healing anime" formula. Through her care of the chronically depressed Nakano, Senko reinforces the idea that the little things are what make life worth living. Whether it's taking the time to get some sleep, living in a clean space, or just eating good food, the little things Senko does for Nakano steadily chip away at the stress and anxiety he carries with him every day. Important as this lesson is, though, the nature and intention behind this premise are quickly lost in the nonsense that is their relationship. Within the first few episodes, Senko professes that she is simultaneously Nakano's wife, mother, daughter, god, and pet. In essence, she is simply stating that she intends to be whatever Nakano needs her to be to help his recovery. The wholesome nature is instantly lost, though, as the show begins to fetishize her with those same roles. Just like that, her earnest desire to clean, cook, and care for Nakano takes on a much more unsettling tone.
Of course, this tone that is only made worse by the fact the show needs to
constantly remind us that she's 800 years old and, thus, Totally Legal.
Before long, the "healing" aspect of this series is all but forgotten as it spends more and more time playing to a variety fetishes, validating the idea that Senko would make a good wife, and building up drama that is as predictable as it comes. The drama, in particular, is functionally where this show just falls apart. Lacking any novel ideas or characters that have much agency beyond what the show demands, the series builds its drama on the introduction of more characters and some vague foreboding that Senko might leave one day. Instantly, thoughts of impossible, forbidden love or a simple time limit come to mind since those are the most common dramatic hooks in slice of life shows but nothing ever comes of this or any of the show's dramatic moments. Just like how each character's introduction is used as a cheap means to tempt Nakano away from Senko, nothing ever actually happens. Everything always ends happily and all the dramatic build-up simply misfires as all these characters end up coming and going on a whim just to stir things up for the happy couple.
Of course, all these other characters speak to other fetishes and tropes that Nakano
and, by extension, the audience might find more appealing than the homey Senko.
More than anything else, though, that specific attitude and use of the show's female cast is what speaks to my biggest problem with this series. All of the show's romantic drama, its dedication to fetishizing the female cast, and the general premise of curing Nakano's depression with a happy home life feels grounded in the idea that women and wives exist to wait on their men hand and foot. As much as I'd like to assume that narrative throughline wasn't intentional, it bleeds into every facet of the series. Especially when you acknowledge that Nakano is supposed to be little more than a male audience insert character, that line of thought becomes all the more egregious. It's like the show is saying that the cure to depression or a terrible work-life is to just get married and have your wife pamper you until everything is better. Very rarely does the show consider Senko's hang-ups or offer justification for why she's so dedicated to Nakano but, whenever such matters do come up, they ultimately end with a throwaway comment that serving him is what makes her happy. Put less charitably, Senko functionally has no personal drive or agency and serves no greater purpose beyond being Nakano's dutiful housewife. Despite the show's comments early on that fox spirits do this for many people, the series offers no example of this being the case beyond Nakano and his previous incarnation. So, in the end, it feels clear to me that this show isn't so much about "healing" in general so much as satisfying the needs of one man and, by proxy, the audience that Senko is entertaining.
Christ, I'd forgotten about the show's obsession with 1st person angles and the cringy "Super Senko Time" segments until now. If those aren't proof that Nakano is a sock puppet protagonist, I don't know what is.
Despite my issues with the show's cast, it's half-assed drama, and the sexist overtones of its narrative, though, I can't say I entirely dislike Senko-san. For what it's worth, I did enjoy the comedy present in Senko and Nakano's romantic banter. What's more, I did appreciate the little hook in the end that basically stated that depression isn't something that can be magically cured--that it's a long and hard fight to chip away at a person's insecurities and deeper emotional issues. Little bits of quality had a way of sneaking into the series here and there that I did appreciate. Those little bits of quality hardly hide what a mess this series was on a fundamental level though. So, in the end, I'm resigned to simply label this series as yet another disappointment that I can't, in good conscience, recommend to anyone. It's simply not worth the time or effort to watch a series that can't be bothered to invest in its characters or drama. There are dozens of better shows that appeal to a predominantly male audience and you can certainly find a better "healing anime" than this mess. Personally, I'd recommend nice, wholesome titles like Yuru Camp, My Roommate is a Cat, or Bakaramon if you need to heal your worries and societal pressures away.
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