Sometimes all a dream needs is someone completely out-of-the-box to turn it into reality. Paripi Koumei, also known as Ya Boy Kongming!, is a 2022 slice-of-life, musical-comedy anime. Directed by Shū Honma, Paripi Koumei adapts four volumes (29 chapters) of the manga into a comprehensive 12-episode series. Staying faithful to its source material, the anime has smooth, well-choreographed animation, a lovely ambience, and a warm color palette that signifies hope.

The story follows Eiko (Kaede Hondo), an up-and-coming singer, who so far, hasn’t had any luck with her singing career, when she comes across Kongming/Koumei (Ryōtarō Okiayu). A famous Chinese military tactician from Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era, Kongming was killed during battle. Getting reincarnated into modern-day Shibuya in Japan, Kongming runs into Eiko. Charmed by her beautiful voice, he becomes her strategist, turning her from an amateur street singer to a popular musical sensation.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

     Tokyo MXMBSBSNTV

As protagonists go, Eiko is the classic underdog who uses her infectious bubbly energy to get through the most difficult times. Despite having a rocky relationship with her mother and not having the best childhood, she manages to turn her life around with Kongming’s help.

Kongming on the other hand, has known nothing but greatness. He’s recognized as the most accomplished war strategist of his era, even being compared to Sun Tzu. He leads his kingdom to many victories until the time he gets slain in war. Having lived and died in an incredibly turbulent time, he wishes to be reborn in a more peaceful era. His wish is granted, and Kongming ends up becoming the greatest talent manager in all of Shibuya in 2022. He even continues to use actual cataloged war strategies to ensure Eiko’s success in the modern music industry.

Combine Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler) with Sora (No Game No Life) and you get Kongming! Rounding the ensemble are the supporting characters: Kabetaijin (Shōya Chiba), a young rapper who was on the verge of giving up music, but found strength after hearing Eiko sing. Nanami (Hibiku Yamamura), the friendly rival whose band Azalea experiences a revival after meeting with Eiko and Kongming. Along for the ride is Kobayashi (Jun Fukushima), who is the owner of the BB Lounge and a huge history buff for the Three Kingdoms period.

The Most Visually Stunning Anime, Ranked

What Worked?

     Tokyo MXMBSBSNTV 

Without a doubt, what makes up the essence of Paripi Koumei is its incredible music. From an opening track by Queendom that is so catchy it becomes an earworm, to the various iterations of pop and hip hop music used throughout, the music is refreshing and memorable. Completely in contrast with famous Studio Ghibli musical scores.

Another unique attribute about the anime is the depiction of a real-life historical figure in such a fictional setting. Since Kongming was the great Chinese war strategist Zhuge Liang, the anime incorporates bite-sized history lessons at the start of each episode. They provide references to important psychological war strategies used within each episode, or general information on the Three Kingdoms era in China. This includes conversations between Kongming and his King, sometimes relayed through Kongming’s nostalgic rumination of his past life.

Kongming and Eiko’s dynamic from strangers, to an artist and her manager, to good friends is incredibly fun to watch on screen. They’re both vastly different individuals from two equally distinct time periods, and yet they’ve come together to become the best team in the music industry. Kongming even uses his war strategies to bring Eiko to the spotlight by rearranging the performance areas. Through this tactic, he redirects people towards Eiko instead of an already popular singer who’s been hoarding the people’s attention.

As a slice-of-life anime, Paripi Koumei also encapsulates important issues like the artist’s struggle, mental health issues, and mutual growth. Although Eiko is the primary protagonist, the story dedicates time to the development of the side characters as well. The audience sees a struggle with identity crisis and medical conditions through Kabetaijin. Nanami and her band Azalea represent the artist’s struggle to maintain a consistent quality in their music which once brought them fame. By interacting with each other, all these characters undergo a transformation that is a ray of hope for real life artists to prosper. Additionally, the animation breathes life into both J-pop culture and Chinese history.

The Most Anticipated Anime Releasing In 2022

What Didn’t Work?

For people who are avid history buffs, parts of the anime will feel slightly misleading as some historical details are misrepresented for the sake of storytelling. One such detail is the presence of the Qipao-wearing girl in episode 3, who Kongming recognizes as being native to his land. In reality, the Qipao wasn’t popularized until the 1900s, which was almost 1600 years after Kongming’s death.

While the anime maintains a consistent quality throughout all its musical numbers, there are times when the final products aren’t as great as they’re set up to be. Songs made for important situations, like the confrontation between Eiko and Azalea, didn’t really have the emotional impact that was expected from it. Other times, some of the hip hop tracks feel slightly unnatural to listen to, with the rapping working great in some places, but falling flat in others.

Despite these shortcomings, Paripi Koumei shines as a light-hearted, optimistic gem that redefines the slice-of-life isekai genre. With lovable protagonists, wholesome supporting characters and a sweet animation, it is certain to lighten a rough mood. Adapted from the manga series written by Yuto Yotsuba and illustrated by Ryō Ogawa, it’s Studio P.A. Works’ first manga adaptation. Recognized for their signature slice-of-life animation style, the studio was previously known mainly for video game and novel adaptations of popular works like Charlotte and Angel Beats!

If these names don’t sound convincing, the unforgettable opening soundtrack of the anime will surely stick with the audience. It will be a reminder for them to come back to this fun, historic romp through pop music, a fusion genre that is inherently unique and completely unforgettable.