Moyashimon Live Action, episode 1: Let’s Brew!

If it’s good enough for NoitaminA, it’s good enough for me. Even though it’s not anime per se, I’ve decided to join in on the Moyashimon live action fun. Moyashimon was one of the first anime series I watched, and one of the more unique unique shows I’ve seen. Even though the anime unraveled a bit towards the end, I still have fond memories of the cute little microbes. If the first episode of the live action is any hint, 3D should be just as good as 2D (and if 3D Haruka is any indication, maybe even better than 2D).

   

The OP song’s not bad, a catchy little pop song that would fit in just as well as an anime OP. Judging by some of the scenes, it looks like they’re going with a heavy dose of the Yuuki trap. I won’t spoil it any further. But, I never thought a trap could be so convincing in 3D. We’ll see how the acting goes, but based on just looks alone, I think they did a fantastic job with the casting. I also can’t wait to see 3D Mutou and Hazuki’s one night yuri stand.

This episode is basically your standard character introduction episode. Basically, Moyashimon follows Tadayasu Sawaki, a college freshman, fresh from his parent’s farm entering an Agricultural University. But Tadayasu’s got a special "power" – the ability to see and speak to microbes. Thankfully for us, these microbes aren’t the hideous looking blobs you might recall seeing under a microscope, but they’re cuddly, loveable chibis. Along the way, Tadayasu meets Takuma (the fat one, but not as fat in live action) and Kaoru (pony oni), who serve as the slapstick delinquent characters in the show. And they inadvertently help him meet Professor Itsuki – the fermentation king, who we see for the first time sucking on a bloody seal carcass, known as Kiviak. One of the more memorable scenes from the anime, the live action setup for it strays from the anime, and it ends up being not quite as funny, but seeing Itsuki suck out the goo was definitely cringeworthy.

  

"But what about the microbes?" you might be thinking, "do they look cute?" And the answer is a resounding "YES!" The CGI for the microbes in the live version is pretty good. They’re just as cute in the show as they looked in the anime. Maybe moreso, because of their 3D textures. No, they don’t fit seamlessly, but the design style fits really well. At no point during the show did I think, "wow, this show looks cheap." The only dodgy part was when the Sake tubs fell over and all the fake liquid gushed out, but that’s forgivable. Plus, they have the same sort of squeak voices and personality quirks (cue random "LET’S BREW!") I got a kick out of the "gozaru" topknot Japanese yogurt bacteria, and was hoping we’d see some snooty French bacteria too.

   

The highlight – from an eye candy standpoint – was seeing the hot-tempered and scantily dressed, 3D S&M queen Haruka. She actually looks about as close as possible to the anime version. From the hair color, to the outfit… to the outfit… legs… what was I saying? Real nice job casting! I’m looking forward to when she breaks out the whip to snap Tadayasu, Takuma, and Kaoru into shape.

  

The ED’s pretty good. Fun to listen to, and the "animation" is both educational and cute, introducing us to new bacteria along the way.

The first episode of the live action show looks great. The show was funny, the real life characters were great and IMO faithful to the anime, and the CGI looks really nice as well. This might be blasphemy, but I also liked that they were willing to stray from the anime at certain points. My issue with the anime was that the microbes got the short shaft as the season went on, and the weird trap storyline took over the front lines. I’m hoping the live action version keeps Tadayasu and the microbes front and center.