Mahoujin Guruguru (2017) is probably one of the most vivid and frenetic titles to have arrived in recent times. As the year in its name implies, it is a remake of a relatively popular franchise in Japan back in the 90s, that gave birth to a manga that spanned for more than 10 years as well as two anime series of 45 and 38 episodes respectively. Packing into 24 episodes a story that was originally fit into that much material undoubtedly sounds like a recipe for disaster. Therefore, how does this show manage to work (besides removing fillers)? First of all it is important tonote that Guruguru is a goofy but clever, frenetic and never-stopping comedy. It’s a story based on a classic quest to save the world, adorned with constant RPG game references and tropes, which main purpose is making fun of itself. It’s probably the only type of narrative that can manage to move faster than what it used to, and yet only take advantage from it.

When it comes to the main protagonists, they benefit from the fact that they’re both as important and relevant to the whole picture. They also care for each other in an organic and noticeable way, which is rare for this type of shows where the characters tend to be quite flat besides their counted quirks (in plain terms, they're one of the CUTEST couple/duo in anime as a whole). 

In regard to the art, Mahoujin depicts an overly colorful world with an updated but faithful approach to its original character designs. These are peculiar in the sense people appear to be quite short and young, which might be appealing by itself after a while, but also help to transmit emotion and gesticulation in a more fluid manner. Really well animated to keep up with the inherent rhythm of the series, it does take some extra liberties like momentarily portraying the characters and world in a pixellated 2D version, as if they were part of an early 90s Final Fantasy game. 

Most anime of this kind has a major inconvenient: it gets boring fast. Gags repeating over and over, hit-or-miss episodic approaches, annoying secondary characters one always wants to ignore but can’t... Surprisingly, Guruguru is seemingly free of all these issues, affording the viewer a nice variety of lovely side characters and even villains that work nicely with the main duo, as well as a storyline that both for obligation and determination, moves in the hastiest of paces. 

Who knows if bringing back gems like these is an attempt to capture nostalgic people, or simply to make old works available for the newer generations. What is clear is that, if all results were to be like this, nothing left to say but welcome!

Note: Even though this remake adapts the whole original manga and story, since 2012 a sequel manga has been publishing. Considering what the series hinted at the end, there is a possibility we get to see this in the future.

Thanks for reading.
      

        From the promotional art of this show it looked like it wouldn't be more than a boring kid's show, however, after seeing the (2017) besides the title, meaning this is a remake and the original is probably quite popular in Japan and after seeing it's rated PG 13 and after reading the synopsis of the manga I decided to give it a try. What I expected, as the synopsis suggested, was a cute and somewhat fun show about video game tropes. However, what I got was a show that was far less focused of video game tropes or being cute and much more on comedy...good comedy.This show is absolutely hilarious! In the beginning of the show the parents of MC tell him to become a hero and, when the boy refuses, shoot him of with a giant slingshot! Who thinks of this stuff? This show is comedic gold! And it isn’t just a good joke occasionally; this show is funny constantly. This anime is a remake of a 45 episode show from the 90’s and a 38 episode show from 2000, but this one is only 24 episodes, so they could skim all the fat and as a result this show is dense. There are constantly jokes flying left and right and you’ll find yourself constantly entertained.

The show mostly advertises itself as a show about RPG-tropes, but you don't actually need to have any interest in this subject. Sure, being into old jRPGs helps, but the meat of the story is the personality driven comedy. Old RPGs aren't the subject matter, but the theme. It can be fully enjoyed as a comedy show or even a fantasy show, without caring about RPGs.

The two main characters are a young boy and a young girl around his age (They’re 12 at the start of the story). The boy is lazy and easily seduced, but seems to at least have the heart of the traditional hero. The girl is a typical girl of around her age who is very concerned with her image and who is infatuated with the boy in a very endearing manner. The two are absolutely adorable together. Also, a lot of the comedy around these characters is based on the contrast between them being normal teenagers and the fact that it is expected of them to be capable warriors, ready to take on the big bad and any of his henchmen (which they are not).

One of the first things you'll notice about the show is the art style. The character designs look very young, which will turn a lot of people off, but if you take the time to look at it you will realize they are actually very nice to look at and incredibly cute. Also, a lot of work is put into their outfits. Half of the time they’ll be walking around in their usual clothes, but whenever they go on an adventure they put on cute outfits that look adorable and have a lot of work put into them. And also, because the designs are very simple, they are permitted to constantly be moving and often in interesting ways. The show is constantly animated and oozes style. Besides that, the backgrounds are fantastic and especially the landscapes are incredibly nice to look at. It’s a very visually pleasing show.

Despite all that, the show is still a comedy show and the main appeal of the show is this comedy. If you watch one episode of the show and you didn't like the comedy you'll probably not like the show at all. If you do find it funny, then you'll love the show as it just gets funnier and it stays funny throughout.
      

        To be honest I don’t really like the pure comedy anime that all that much. One of the reasons why I don’t these types of anime because the comedy/gags can get really repetitive to the point where the comedy/gags become predictable, unfunny and at worse annoying. Konosuba 2 and School Rumble, in my opinion, are the worst examples for this because not only they kept the same jokes to the point where they overstayed them welcome but those shows ended up being wasted potential. You can the viewer laugh all they want but if you don’t have any substance to back it up as welltiming your comedy/gags then you have screw up your comedy series director. As much I don’t like the pure comedy anime there were a few pure comedy anime that I actually liked such Excel Saga, Baka and Test and Osomatsu San.

Now I am here talking about Mahoujin Guru Guru (2017).

Now I was originally going to avoid this show altogether because since I didn’t like Konosuba 2 all that much and I thought this show would just be a repeat of that. However, some of my friends have recommended this show to me because they said its really great comedy/parody series that is really funny and it doesn't have problems of other comedy series such as Konosuba and School Rumble.

Since my friends have told me great things about I decided to take the bait and watched it and after watching al 24 episodes of Mahoujin Guruguru (2017) all I can say is its one of the better comedy animes out that I have seen but at the same time it does have some problems which I will explain throughout this review

Now with that hello everyone this is Shawn aka KurataLordStage and welcome to of Mahoujin Guruguru (2017) and with that out of the way let’s get started.

Story.

The story follows a young boy named Nike who gets sent along to a quest against his own will to defeat the newly revived devil king. He soon meets a magical old woman where he gets entrusted with caring for a young girl called Kukuri, who still doesn’t know how to control her mysterious Guru Guru magic. From there Niki and Kukuri head off for an adventure together.

The story of Mahoujin Guruguru (2017) is not that special in fact it's pretty generic. However, while the story is generic it makes up its comedy, gags, and RPG (Role-Playing Game) references which for the most part this show does a good job.

The best part of Mahoujin Guruguru is the RPG references that this show does. From the word, items are “acquired” instead of Nike has picked up a bunch of items.
As for the comedy itself its pretty good for the most part.
Now unlike most comedy anime ever made this show, for the most part, knows to times its jokes and gags. Because of the jokes and gags being almost well timed the show can be really hilarious at times. 

However, the show has some problems.
For starters, the show is not always consistent with its pacing as the show sometimes the show goes way too fast for its own good and it makes the average viewer feel confused about what is happening on screen. I also find that ironic because the original series had the slow pacing and not to mention filler.
Another problem that I had with the show that shares with other comedy animes such as School Rumble and Konosuba 2 is some of the gags/comedy start to get repetitive over time such as the Kita Kita dance gag which got annoying as the series went on and that gag alone made me heavily dislike certain charter in this show which I will get in a bit.
Overall the story while being generic was still pretty funny thanks to its comedy, gags and RPG references. 

7/10

Characters.

When it comes to the characters I thought they were pretty great overall minus a certain character which I will mention in a bit
First, we have Nike. I liked him as a character. Yes, he’s just your typical male fantasy protagonist but what makes him so enjoyable to watch is he’s gags, reaction to situations and character interactions with other characters especially with Kukuri. 

Next, we have Kukuri.

She is easily the best character mainly due to her character development which was great. Yes, Nike gets a bit of character development as well but Kukuri character development was more impactful.

As for the rest of the characters, they were range cool to annoying.

Udberg Eldol is easily the most annoying in this anime. His gags were funny for the first couple of times but after the 6th time, it got really annoying to point where I cringe every time he appeared on screen doing that god-damn Kita-Kita dance. Not only has the Kita Kita decent that it general became unfunny and repetitive had hell. The only redeeming thing about this character is some of his references that he does throughout the show. Other than that this character is an annoying piece of shit who actually ruined my enjoyment of the show quite a lot and every time I hear the Kita Kita I just close my ears. Because of that he’s easily one of my least favourite characters from 2017 period.

Juju and Raid are funny characters overall that being a lot of good comedy. I just wish Raid and especially Juji had more screen time in this show over a certain character that I really dislike throughout the series.

Overall besides from Eldol the characters were funny, likable and enjoyable to watch.

7.5/10

Visuals.

Visually this show looks good but at the same time, a bit disappointing.

The backgrounds were great and they have that nice flat retro color feel to it that perfectly represents the classic JRPG games from the 90s but in an HD format.
I also loved the 8-bit style of the show as it reminds of the fantasy games from the NES library like the legend of Zelda to Final Fantasy.
As for animation is pretty basic and it fits well with the show however I wish they did more with it.

Now the things that I don’t like about the visuals.

For starters, if you compare to other anime from Production I.G such as Haikyuu, Guilty Crown and even to Ghost in the Shell stand-alone complex from 2002 you find out the animation is kind limited especially for Production I.G standards which are known for they great productions values. Am not trying to say the animation of Guru Guru was bad or anything. In fact, I would it has unique animation, however, I still have to say it’s one of Production I.G weaker animes in terms of production values.

Another problem that I had with the art-style constancy. I have no issues with the many art styles of the show as it fits with the show, however, the show like to change its art style way too often.

Overall the visuals were good for what they were but it could a lot better if it was more consistent.

6.5/10

Sound

The soundtrack is good for what it is but ultimately is not that memorable.
However, the sound effects in this anime are amazing and well executed. It feels like you’re playing a real JRPG game with these sound effects.
The openings are pretty great overall.
Opening 1 Trip Trip is a great catchy theme that fits well with the adventure tone perfectly.
Opening 2 Ryuusei Dance is good but I prefer opening 1 more. 
As for the ending themes. Both of them were fine but they were not that memorable.

The voice acting is great overall as each of the seiyuu did a great job with the roles that they were giving. My favorite performance of the show was Konomi Kohara as Kukuri. She did a wonderful job voicing this character.
8/10
Final Thoughts.

Mahoujin Guruguru (2017) is a pretty good series overall.

The show has a lot of good things in it but at the same time, it has its fair share of problems. The pacing of the show could have been a lot better, the comedy/gags were not always great as some of them got repetitive as the series went on, Some of the characters became annoying over-time and while the art style itself was unique as it represents an RPG world it actual animation was pretty lacking for a production I.G as well its art style constancy where the show likes to change its art-style way too much. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad as the show had pretty good comedy overall that when it was done right it made me laugh quite a lot as well having great JRPG references and great characters like Nike, Kukuri, and Juju. 

If you a fan of pure comedy anime then you will definitely like this show.

Final Score 7/10
      

        So, going into this show I didn't really know what to think. The artstyle looked retro and when I looked it up and found the 90s-show first, I partly knew why. Mahoujin GuruGuru is a parody of old RPGs like Dragonquest and Final Fantasy. It openly mocks its tropes and plays around with them in ways you won't expect. The more interesting thing about it is, however, that it serves a totally different purpose nowadays than it did back in the day. In 1994, when the first version came out, the type of game this is spoofing was still relevant in the exact way this show isspoofing them. But like everything, RPGs have also changed with time. Therefore, this 2017 version is more of a nostalgia trip for those of us who have played those games or at least know their tropes, so we can fully appreciate every gag they're throwing at us.

What makes this even better for me, personally, is a Youtuber called "Lennyficate" (german). He made a video series about illogical things in the Pokemon universe / games and a lot of those things are very much present in GuruGuru in a similar way.

Anyway: As you may see from my score: I find this show highly enjoyable. Most of the jokes land very well, the characters are interesting and fun, as they should be, and the parody elements aren't forced in any way. You can genuinely feel the love the creators have to have had for old RPGs to revamp this 1994 show and leave its artstyle completely untouched.
Textboxes are popping up from time to time, and even though I can't enjoy them as much as the japanese can (because I still have to read the subtitles and it's hard to also read text that is on top of the screen, since the textboxes are indeed written in japanese), but I can at least appreciate the humour they're trying to create with it. It's like the old "It's very effective" joke from Pokemon.

All in all: A great nostalgia trip back to the 90s and parody in more ways than one.
      

        This is possibly the most underappreciated show I've watched. For how good it is, it is criminal that more people have not watched it. If you want to know if you should watch it, the answer is yes. It's consistently funny, the characters are charming, it has enjoyable action, really in most senses it's a worthwhile trip. The premise is every 80s JRPG ever. Evil lord is risen, go slay it hero! And this series is a deliberate parody of those, from occasionally shifting to a pixilated art style to mocking the tropes of said genre to even the fact that there's 4 elemental swordsto collect. (Gee, an epic RPG where you collect four items representing the elements. I've never heard that one before) And while it definitely spends a lot of time mocking those tropes, that's not the only trick in the shows bag of jokes. Trying to describe why the jokes are funny kinda defeats the purpose, but suffice to say they consistently are. I won't say every joke hits bullseye, particularly the ones about bodily functions that pop up every once in a while tend to miss, but there's lots of great ones. 

The real meat of the show is the characters, and these two leads are adorable. They both are insanely likable, with Kukuri, the heroine, being more innocent but having a kinda immature streak, but also being really fun and hard to get angry at, and Nike (or Hero as he's called 99% of the time) being a bit selfish and cowardly, but also earnest enough that you love him, and the romance between the two leads is adorable. And then the side cast..... honestly, they're all great. Violent priestess Juju, cynical Gipple, inventor Toma, and perpetually useless Old Man North North are all great. And almost every episode had me with a huge grin on my face, just from watching these characters bounce off each other. 

The action is the weakest part of the three I mentioned above, but it's still cool enough to be fun. The best part is how bizarre and unconventional a lot of the fights can be. Like Kukuri's magic manifests in kinda strange spells that are surprisingly effective, and Nike never plays by the rules. Usually the fights are more excuses for comedic bits, but it is genuinely satisfying to see them beat up their opponents.

 I'd say the biggest criticism of the show is it's pacing. The show condensed a lot of material into 24 episodes, and there's definitely times where you can feel it. It's rather quickly paced, and while it never drew me out, it can be a bit distracting. Although you never miss plot points because of it and it's MILES better than having everything drawn out forever.

Magical Circle Guru Guru is a great show that got overlooked because.... probably the artstyle, and that's a shame. This is much better than a lot of what I watched this year, and not just that but is something unique and not redundant like so many other shows. At the very least, TRY THIS SHOW. It deserves more attention than it got upon it's initial airing.
      

        I wasn't really expecting anything from a show that looked to be from the wrong side of the 90s, but boy was I wrong. Mahoujin Guruguru is perhaps a more "appropriate" version of Konosuba. While I don't necessarily believe that fans of one will be won over by the other, they feature many similarities. Both shows feature a reluctant hero thrown into a world of idiots. Often times the main character can't be bothered to put in any effort and just gets lucky. Every obstacle scares him , and he's obsessed with the heroine's butt. Most of the gags land very well, and theanimation is impeccable. Though the art style is very basic, there is always tons of fluid movement on screen. Effects also look particularly good. 

At 24 episodes, there is plenty of entertainment for viewers and a surprisingly satisfactory conclusion. I couldn't recommend this anime enough. If you've already seen this and are looking for your next laugh please consider a personal favorite of mine: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
      

        Mahoujin Guru Guru is quirky, adorable and at times smart. Most of all, Mahoujin Guru Guru is criminally funny. * minor spoilers * The series starts with the setup of classic early RPGs: hero (勇者) Nike sets off a journey with guru guru magic user Kukuri -- a girl admires the hero -- to challenge the evil master Giri Giri who is awakening to take over the world. Right away, the series makes it very clear that it intends not to take such a setup seriously. Our hero does not care for adventuring as the hero -- if anything, being a magic user is cooler (and itis of course all about being cool.) Instead, it is Nike's father who bears all the passion about being a hero but couldn't himself because the evil master Giri Giri was not yet awaken during his own youth. Through the unorthodox setup, it is as if the show carries a message in its first episode: the urgency to remove the evil's threat to the world is never the reason to start a journey -- the romantic yearning for a heroic adventure away from boredom in the "Boering Village" is the why. And thus, from the get go, the gags are fun and, if there is an underlying message, the message is very true.

The driving forces of the story are quite simple. Nike (nee-ke) and Kukuri adventure to acquire the knowledge of magic and ways to defeat Giri Giri. Kukuri is in love with Nike at first sight, although Nike's feelings in return will only develop gradually. Nike is all about being cool. So is his archrival and 'villain' Keido. The simple elements are put together to make great comedy. In RPGs, the villains and heroes gotta look cool right? Indeed, Keido would make hard effort to climb the tree and appear from an exalted position. The series then proceeds to show how impractical it is. Remember how boss fights in our beloved RPGs all had cinematic sound effect? The series shows how the demon's minions have to sing in a choir in order to produce the boss music. The series makes fun of the RPG canons, character stereotypes and the various ways of being cool in 80s/90s show bis (in Japan/East Asia). From the belly-dancing Old Man North North, to the rebellious flower goddess, culminating in the group of four super cool old dudes G-Fantasy (G for Oji-chan, ie. grandpa), all of the supporting characters are unique and fun. Viewers can be baffled with new cast, new magic and new places from episode to episode but the uniqueness saves them from being disjunct and confusing. 

The series is good at its comedic touch. Whenever the story is about to grow serious (and thus off-track for a comedy), the show always dashes the moment with some bizarre action from its bizarre trope of characters. The love dialogue between Kukuri and Nike become too embarrassing and too much of a love story? Wind Fairy Gipple will be there to cleanse both with fart gas -- yes, fart gas -- because any loving/embarrassing lines are stench to be cleansed. The wind fairly is not a tiny winged angel, by the way. He takes the form of a weather doll and wears a loincloth. Battle gets intense? Old Man North North is there to belly-dance super hard. (His 'hard' work is often awarded instead of the hero himself.) When the strategy meeting to storm castle gets too serious, the series points out how itself is not meant to be serious and our hero Nike starts to dance and sing. The four gods of nature -- who would necessarily be very cool characters in classic RPGs -- are mid-age dudes that look like mid-age freaks: the fire god is the "minister of chefs" (fire for cooking fire), the water god has a masculine body yet wears female bathing suit and the wind god only wears loincloth in his lower half. Only the earth god is an average, unmotivated mid-age dude who raised a money loving daughter, although being average is hardly average for one of the four gods of nature. A recurring feature of the series is how it perverts pervertness. Nike fantasizes about the underwear and the naked body of Kukuri. Said underwear takes the form of a child's dampon -- very inocent and non-sexy. The sexy belly dancer role is taken up by old man North North because no young girls would do such embarassing things......

Oh now is a good time to mention that Mahoujin Guru Guru is drawn in the style of children's cartoons. Nike is a grade-school aged boy and Kukuri is a grade-school aged girl. They are 14. To accompany, many characters and items have names of repeated syllables -- giving many what-would-be serious and majestic characters and magical items a cute and childish feel. (As in many other languages, repeating syllables in Japanese tend to trivialize a concept and not the other way around. That is a bit like the 'y' in horsy and doggy. ) The style probably puts off many viewers -- as grown adults, we are not here to watch a children's show, just like how we are not ever in cinema to watch Pixar's WallE or Up unless we are with smaller children, (or are we?) I actually think the cartoonish style fits quite well with the premise of the series -- classic RPG adventure story made un-serious. Much of the comedy wouldn't work without the art style. The style also gives license for Nike and Kukuri to be adorable. The cartoonish art helps to accentuate the free spirited nature of Nike and the romantic mind of Kukuri.

If Oscar Awards is any clue, it is not easy to do comedy well. A good comedy makes one laugh. But what makes a great comedy? Like many things in life, a great comedy probably takes many forms. Perhaps a comedy is great because it reflects and distills the emotions and stories of real life and that it is thought provoking. Perhaps a comedy is great because it paces itself well and it has a way to continue to produce fun from repeated gags. Or perhaps a comedy is great for other reasons. I think Mahoujin Guru Guru tends towards the latter. It is indeed great at its comedic pacing. It is good at placing gags amid stories -- sometimes bizarre stories -- at the right time and frequently. On top of that, as an avid gamer, I am quite happy to see game elements parodied. One probably wouldn't consider making fun of TV show stereotypes or game stereotypes as something deep. It is nevertheless enjoyable and relatable for a gamer like me. Relatability is quite necessary for a great comedy.

What score should Mahoujin Guru Guru get? Looking around, there aren't actually many comedy series that have managed to maintain a constant level of hilarity, tell the stories of an interesting adventure, and please the eyes with good artwork episode-after-episode. The clever timing of gags and constant level of fun put  Mahoujin Guru Guru as a candidate for a great comedy. On top of that, the artwork and depths of the adventure world puts Mahoujin Guru Guru above even the more successful mainstream comedy TV shows, at least in my eyes. Mahoujin Guru Guru is going to be an epitome of anime comedy -- although sadly only for the hardcore viewers -- for many years to come. Still I am not giving 10/10 to Mahoujin Guru Guru (2017). The main reason being the ending. (Minor reason is there are one or two episodes that feel mundane and not funny enough. The 25-episode format for what-used-to-be a 43-episode run might've made episode to episode pacing a little more difficult for the series' producers.) The ending feels underwhelming. For a show of this level of eccentricity, I feel the ending could use a bit of 'firework'. A bit more dazzling art fare. A bit more awe. If I understand correctly, at the end, Nike and Kukuri moved on to 'heaven' Anastasia, which means they probably died in sealing away Giri Giri. My complaint here is that this 'Anastasia' place has no foreshadowing whatsoever in previous episodes -- as viewers we are not invested in the concept. So the passing on to heaven is more confusing than touching. What became of the prior story where the previous hero was sealed away too by the previous guru guru user? How is the resolution of love between Nike and Kukuri different? I feel more can be done here. Along with the minor reason, 9/10 it is. 

Mahoujin Guru Guru has been a weekly treat. I really wouldn't mind the epilogue become real. (The world is really weak. So Giri Giri comes out again in two years...)
      

        Mahoujin Guruguru is an anime with all the necesarry to be a good show, a decent paicing, charismatic characters, decent comedy and an animation that remember to the retro esthetic of the first serie, but more polish; although that, the anime has some mistakes.The most evident problem are the principal cast,of the three protagonist, kukuri ,nike and the old kita-kita. The history takes to much attention in kukury and her evolution around grown and the love,which eventually becomes annoying,to the point that forget develoment the other two characters.While the old kitta-kitta is an unnecesary comic relief, since the series already possess many caracters that fulfillthe position, nike doesnt have a propose apart of being the romantic interest of kukuri, to two share the same level of complicity with the secondary characters that appear, in at least,6 episodes like juju and kaya. In general, is a petty simple anime without big downsides and something that I recomend in case of that the modern anime dont like you and prefer the old (and always best) anime.
      

        When I finished this last night I found it hard to not be biased and just give the series a 10 simply for the amount of enjoyment I found in it's 24 episodes. But, this is not about me and is intended to steer any curious readers on whether, "Mahoujin Guruguru," is for them. A description of the story sounds like your average adventure and, in a way, it is! It's an adventure we've all seen, played, or even heard about; The hero is chosen from normal circumstances and given the task of healing the world from the evil Demon King. As 'cookie-cutter' as that sounds,the story is centered on this crux, but as the first episode plays out the true nature of the show being a delightful comedic romp through some of adventures most tried and true tropes begins. The humor CAN be hit and miss, sure- but the nature of the comedy is so varied that it literally plays-out like a buffet of gags; a vocal reaction, a character facial expression, great slow-motion reactions and shots, a perfect tsukkomi retort, visual comedy, absurdity, or even breaking the 4th-wall. For each joke that might make you roll your eyes there is bound to be three more that tickle you quite well. It's this point that I think makes the show feel quite superior even if the story is a shared idea, Mahoujin Guruguru does it's best to make it original and fresh.

A series' art can be very subjective and there are bound to be disagreements, but please indulge my nostalgia for a little bit. I watch/ have watched a decent amount of anime and, admittedly, there are times I burn-out from my favorite medium of entertainment. It happens. The art of this show reminded me of Saturday morning cartoons, a concept that loses all meaning as you grow older, but I was instantly whisked away to that nostalgic feeling of waking up early in order to catch an episode of dubbed anime before the regular programming block would begin. It's not flashy, it's not too defined, but it's charming and is just very fun to watch. Anyone who remembers the show, 'Samurai Pizza Cats,' and trying to catch an episode at an odd-time might notice a bit of that excitement right from the gate. 

Personally, I liked both Openings and Endings, that sort of music genre never bothered me and it suits the show, especially the 2nd OP. The show itself has RPG sound-effects scattered throughout and even if you don't personally recognize the reference it's not too niche to understand the idea behind it. I include voice-acting in sound, of course, and I think the cast do a great job of not only giving the characters life, but also in making the jokes work as well as they do. There are times when an 'epic' voice is needed and it's delivered with just enough smirk behind it that you can hear it and makes a joke that much better. Sounds strange, but watch the show and you might see what I mean; think of it like trying to be serious while stifling a laugh- something like that. 

Characters make the show and what a great line-up. Nike is a VERY average hero character; he's lazy, a bit oblivious, a bit conniving, but he shines. He gets his awesome moments and when it really counts he comes through like a hero should. Kukuri is his partner in heroics and, quite simply, she's just as fun, if not more-so, than Nike himself. As a fledgling mage we see Kukuri grow through experience (my, how RPG) and even through some more unexpected means, but she has a lot of heart and at the end, that's what really counts. You can't help but root for both of them. The rest of the cast, like Juju, Toma, Raid, and a certain person who ALWAYS seems to get in the shot, are great foils for both the MC's and the viewer- often giving us context, explanations, exposition, or another reason to laugh. I'd also be remiss to not mention Gipple, a mascot character who not only provides his own brand of humor, but if you're one of the folks out there who roll your eyes at cheesy lines, well- you might want to keep an eye out for him. 

Without sounding redundant at this point (personally, I think it's obvious I enjoyed the show) I overall give this series a very high 9/10! Personally, I want it to be a 10/10, but I try to be fair. The show is great and I think worth a look-in at the very least, but like everything, it might not be everyone's cup of tea, my feelings of nostalgia are not universal, of course. However, if you are hungry for a fun show with comedy, heart-warming moments, shocking moments, epic moments, and just enjoyable character interaction and progression than Mahoujin Gurguru (2017) might be an agreeable ticket for you. I think the characters are charming enough and the comedy varied enough that mostly anyone can find something they like to cling-to; whether it be Kukuri learning something new, Nike being a bit of a sneak, or even a rather intoxicating dance that never seems to end. Great fun and that's why it's a 9 out of 10. It's Great! (please excuse my awful Saturday morning commercial reference there).

Thanks for reading!
      

        I have no experience writing a review and this is my first time so bear with me. The very first thing I want to say is... This show is Under-Rated as hell! Most of my otaku friends even haven't heard about this show. Well as one of that person who always watches the popular animes, This show makes me rethink to consider watching other underrated animes. As a 2017 anime, this show really has a lot of competitors, and good ones at that. Maybe thats the reason that mahoujin guruguru 2017 is not well known. People end up watching other animes of this season. Enough bs here'smy opinion :
Story: Nice 
The story is decent... it feels kinda rushed but I don't know why I don't mind that at all, it's your usual defeat demon king to save the world story but admit it we are all to blame for this never-ending cliche. oh, you will be seeing some more cliche as you watch this, the show even jokes about those cliches by our gipple. and that's why people love him Lols

Art: Well done 
For some of my friends, it's the art style that makes them don't watch this, maybe because they think they can never enjoy kid show...  for me at least the art style goes well with the comedy that this show emphasize. The comedy maybe won't make you laugh your ass off on the floor. But some chuckles and giggles will be very much appreciated by me... 

Sound:  Well done 
The Op and ed are one of the best kid show ost that I enjoy...
and the other soundtracks and sfx make this show more and more enjoyable and funny at the same time.

Character: Superb 
"The f*ck Those characters design is soo f*ckin' CUUTEE!!  OMG i need to watch this! "  - Me, 2017

Enjoyment: Tremendous amount of enjoyment!
I enjoy it very much, I believe a lot of people agrees 

Overall: Watch this sh*t!
Very very recommended.


My fav character from Mahoujin guruguru is Just Do It boy.. he is so wacky,funny,pervert and cringey... oh there's so much to like from the characters~

and also I want to ask for whoever reading this
I haven't watched the original mahoujin guruguru, so is it worth my time?
      

        Mahoujin Guru Guru is a remake of the original 1994 anime and is a 24 episode long story about a boy who gets sent out by his parents to be the hero. He immediately meets kukuri, the last user of a special magic called guru guru which can be used to seal of the final antagonist of this series, Giri. This show is a parody of more traditional RPGs but is able to make jokes besides making fun of RPGs. This show has a story that is is the acclimation of every jrpg plot but that is due to the fact that this isa parody which is why. However, the writers did introduce some of their own concepts like a tower that was built upside down due to the architect who built it reading the instructions upside down. The main focus of the show is comedy which it pulls of in spades. It has impeccable timing and jokes that both kids and adults can find hilarious. It never gets too complicated but never also treats the viewer like an idiot. The main source of the comedy is through the characters which each are also very enticing on their own but the hero, nike, being the most entertaining one. however, the show also has a good size pool of memorable and unique side characters to pull from ,which it frequently does, which sort of a spice to each episode. the sound is good overall and the voice actors accomplish making all the characters sound good. the highlight, sound wise, has to be the OPs and EDs which are all bops. last of all, the art captures the style of the original 1994 show but also doesn't do much. It does't do much wrong but it doesn't do anything really impressive either. However, thats not why you would want to watch this show. This show is for someone who is looking for a good show to watch with friends and can be enjoyed by anyone, even if you don't have any background with RPGs.
      

        This is a "remake" of the original serious that was 48 episodes long, while this one is only 24. They seem to have ripped the sound from the original, truncated and replaced the graphics. It is still a joy to watch, but not as good as the original. The best thing about this show is the slapstick humour, the sound effects and the characters. They are all likeable.Gipple being my favourit, though in this new version, I think they cut out a lot of his scenes. Shame on them, he is funny as hell. Worth watching if you like humour. I would recommend the originalover this one.

I am still watching it, though I doubt my review will change. I know what the series is about, just don't know what else they cut out (yet).
      

        first time give a review when you look at the artwork you will think Mahoujin Guru-Guru is recommended for kids or someone who like cute characters, but thats not entirely true its a remake from old anime my favourite in 90s that parody of rpg adventure that used to popular around 1990s,2000s era that can captivate vieawer of some retro games likes final fantasy, etc. But they add it with a slapstick comedy. Story& Enjoyment: The Story it's actually really good, but compare to the first version, the comedy quality quite lacking because the pace is quite fast, i cannot fully enjoy the comedy because of thepace. maybe because it should have 45 eps but they only get 24 eps, so they accelerate some of the story  

Art: the art is better than the previous series for sure

Sound: i am amaze that the sound almost same as it used to be

Overall:
These anime is very crazy and funny, I really recommended these anime especially if you are like comedy or gamers especially from 90s, if you feel these pace quite fast, i recommend the first version
      

        I watched this series much longer than I first expected to, but the child-like quality finally overwhelmed the attractive character development and the general zaniness. Might have worked better for me with fewer episodes. Still, this series is an interesting alternative to the "usual" -- but "Girls' Last Tour", "Kaiba", "Knights of Sidonia, "RWBY," everything by Shinbo/Shaft, etc. provide a lot of other alternative anime too, but are much better IMHO. BTW, since I am a dinosaur, I played the old 2-D games to which this series makes occasional references -- they aren't half-bad even today (I'm not sure, but there may benew games of this type still being created by amateurs).  Had they managed somehow to integrate them into the story the series might have been odd enough to make more of an impression on me.  Even better would have been to actually cut in "scenes" using the text style of the ur-game "adventure," although the market segment of pre-PC gamers who watch modern anime must be quite small (and shrinking as we gradually die off).  Fortunately increasing age does not necessarily lead to decreasing interest in novelty, although I'm sorry to say that I've not had much success in getting my fellow senior citizens to watch anime or listen to hip-hop, even with Studio Ghibli's or the Gorillaz amazing productions.
      

        This show takes a few minutes to catch its pacing. It does move at breakneck speed, but the middle and even latter parts of the show thrive on it. It is rough at the beginning because the characters have yet to endear themselves to you, but the show must continue at a breakneck pace nonetheless. The story itself is cliched, but in all the best ways. There isn't much to it, earnestly, but I enjoyed the simplicity and sincerity of it--despite the show overall thriving in its gags and comedy. I suppose the thing I like most about the show is that, while it recognizes andeven pokes fun at its own corniness (looking at you, Gimble), it still embraces it fully. 

It is funny, but, depending on your taste, some of the gags might be far less funny. The wordplay is on point, though, and the reoccurring gags did not get stale as I expected them to. Overall, fans of lighthearted fantasy or comedy will enjoy the show. The beginning of the show, in my opinion, prevents it from reaching any higher than an 8, but I enjoyed the latter 2/3 enough to bring it there.
      

        A remake of an anime from the mid-90's based on a manga that was being written at the same time, this was a fun romp of a watch. It's organized chaos as we follow a young hero who is literally thrown into action to defeat the Demon King by his parents putting him in a giant slingshot. Hilarity ensues as our hero Nike meets a young girl named Kukuri who literally crafts magic out of her imagination with Guru-Guru magic circles. I don't think I've ever seen a show with so many references (I'm aware Gintama has a lot, so maybe that would rival it)and such rapid-fire comedy. The show takes a pretty basic premise and manages to tell its story in such a dynamic and unpredictable way that it just kind of works. Not all the humor lands, but the jokes come so fast that you won't be groaning for long. The cutesy art style and video game-like setting work in its favor, and while this is a bit kiddish at times and you can predict the overall course for the show (they make it pretty blatant from the start), it's a fun ride.
      

        Someone who doesn’t know anything about Mahoujin Guruguru and watches the trailer or perhaps sees the poster and reads the synopsis will most likely think it’s a show for little kids like Dragon Quest. And someone who goes in blind will most likely expect it to be a run of the mill fantasy adventure ala King’s Raid. Well let me tell you this. It’s an anime made specifically for fans of old JRPGs, while at the same time it pokes at the clichés of the genre. And even then it’s not just a plotless parody, since it has an ongoing plot and a solid ending.You are not going to find many shows that manage to do all that.

Let it be noted that I knew about this anime thanks to the previous version it had during the early 90s. I liked even that one, since it was one of the better anime to come out at a time when the industry was in trouble and was given reduced budgets. And guess what, even as a remake the newer version manages to be better than the previous one, something which is also very rare. The animation, despite no longer being hand drawn, looks way more polished, the pacing has been improved tremendously, some of the not so funny jokes got removed, and they bothered to actually complete the plot instead of leaving it incomplete because the money ran out. This is what good reboots are supposed to be all about. Taking something that is already good and improving it.

Speaking about improvements, most modern anime fans will look at the first episode and, spoiled as they will be by Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen, they will think ‘How is this and improvement? How bad was the older one?’ The artwork is simplistic and the songs are silly, and yet they fit the type of a show it is. It has an easy going fairy tale-like atmosphere, it has a comedic tone, and it does occasionally change the animation style to something else for the heck of it, such as making it look like cut scenes from an NES game. Prettier colors wouldn’t add anything to it. It’s all about looking crude like an old sprite-based videogame.

Now regarding the comedy, it’s not exactly the smartest thing around. It has crude slapstick and basic fan service jokes you have seen a lot of times already. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, since the main point was to make you laugh with JRPG stereotypes, such as crisping enemy monsters and helping people only for food and money. And I know a lot of people will not like the sexual jokes, because the characters are drawn to look like they are five year olds and it comes off as pedoshit in some regards. It’s not that bad, since it’s not ever-present or extreme, and especially for something that was originally made in the 90s it’s fairly tame. There are no rapist villains or fully exposed nude scenes, which is what actually aged very badly when it comes to fan service. It’s mostly juvenile panty jokes, okay? If it looks offending to some nowadays, it’s because people became so sensitive they threaten to murder the animators over five seconds of something they didn’t like.

By the way, all I said thus far are not the best part of the show. It’s the attention to the plot and the lore. Although it’s not the most complex story out there, since it plays out like a generic fantasy JRPG, it has a decent amount of world-building, it has actual plot progression, and a solid ending. As I said, it is not a plotless slapstick comedy and it is not left incomplete. Same goes for the major characters. Although they don’t have super amazing character development, they do change in simple ways as the story goes on, so it’s not like everything is dumb fun with no actual end goal. There are even a few sad moments regarding the past of the witch and what happened to her people. Even the supporting characters are funny and memorable in their own silly little way, such as the exotic belly dancing old man and the poodle archmage.

These are the reasons for why I consider Mahoujin Guruguru a far better series than Made in Abyss, which came out in the same year by the way. It feels like a complete show with actual world building and character progression. It’s not an incomplete tortureporn about a hole in the ground with no lore and with little naked kids constantly suffering because the mangaka is a sick pedo.