This review contains minor spoilers. If you’ve looked through Shouji Kawamori’s massive backlog before, then you’d be aware of the occasional original concept that takes a departure from his iconic mecha anime. For myself, learning about these outliers was surprising, especially with Anyamal Tantei Kiruminzoo, a children’s anime about anthropomorphic magical girls with themes of ecological concern and friendship. Another one of these anime was Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku, which, unlike Kiruminzoo, Kawamori plays a much bigger part in besides just creating the original concept for. Having played a huge role in the script-writing for Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku, I was surprised to learn that this was Kawamori’sfirst time writing a comedy anime — because his ability to intertwine complete and utter absurdity through a story about the interpersonal conflicts of a dysfunctional family on the brink of divorce is some of the best you can find within the sphere of comedy-drama anime. If this overly long sentence has piqued your interest, then allow me to introduce you to Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku.
Starting off amidst a family deciding which child goes with which parent once the two parents get a divorce, Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku makes itself clear that this is not a normal functional family. A disruptive boy playing with his food who doesn’t want to leave either parent; an apprehensive older girl reluctantly deciding to go with her father; who’s a stereotypical otaku stuck to his computer, avoiding the divorce papers due to a fear of rejection; and a loud-mouthed mother who jokingly threatens those around her and isn’t afraid to say how she feels, no matter how hurtful. What’s more is the incoming fax paper that causes a ruckus at the breakfast table, announcing very suddenly to the family that they must join together as heroes and “Save the Earth”. With no explanation other than the purpose of their mission and how to use their given powers, Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku also makes itself clear that it isn’t afraid to be absurd. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s weird, and all of this absurdity is about to clash headfirst with the relationships in this dysfunctional family.
Dai is the youngest child in the family. He’s a disruptive and crude child, not afraid to cause trouble to those around him to gain attention. At school, he flips the skirts of every girl he runs by, including his teacher. At home, he jumps into the chest of his own mother to piss her off. He’s rude to his sister and talks about literally eating shit with his father (yes, this actually happens). He's perverted, inconsiderate, loud, and isn’t afraid of it, so much so that as a viewer, I felt a sense of distaste towards him. However, behind this bombastic personality is a sense of humanity. Humanity that feels as if Dai has lost after living this dysfunctional life with his family. For example, in episode 4, after Dai swallows a mysterious orange ball he found in the previous episode and gets pregnant the next morning with a strange alien rodent (did I mention this anime is absurd?), the family insists that Dai throw it away. Having given birth to the strange creature, Dai understandably doesn’t want to let him go. It’s his own child, and he doesn’t want to give it up like Dai’s mother did to him. This relationship Dai has with the rodent is in direct contrast to his relationship with his mother, who does an incredibly poor job of being a mother figure for him. Dai resents his own mother for this, going so far as to say towards the end of the episode “I can’t believe you call yourself a mother; there is no way I’m abandoning him”, to which she responds, saying “I should’ve abandoned a brat like you long ago”. Both are clearly very reactionary statements, but it goes to show just how Dai’s mother treats him and the reality of his dysfunctional family. This understandably affects Dai immensely, and we’re able to see the extent of this effect in the later episodes. Understanding how Dai has lived a dysfunctional life with his family puts into perspective exactly why he acts the way he does. He seeks attention from others because he never got the right amount from his own parents. He’s crude and inconsiderate because that’s the kind of environment he’s grown up in. He flips up the skirts of girls at his school and causes trouble because he seeks attention that he doesn't get from his parents. He jumps into the chests of his mother and his teacher is because he wants to feel the motherly love that he lost. He’s constantly joking around and not taking things seriously because he’s afraid of confronting what’s truly affecting him. This dynamic within Dai’s personality is juxtaposed with the absurdity of the anime, as it's used to mask how Dai truly feels inside through a more literal representation that the viewer can feel, which goes to show how strong of an understanding the staff of Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku have of its tone. If this is something that sounds interesting to you, then I implore you to give this anime a chance.
One complaint I have with Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku’s storytelling is that Dai is the only character with a fulfilling amount of character development. This is due to the cancellation of the project, putting most of the stories for each character indefinitely on hold. While Nozomi, the oldest child, has some phenomenal episodes that detail her own personal struggles as the only one trying to keep the family together, as well as her experience with love, the parents spend most of their own stories building up their character, which unfortunately never reaches any proper development. That’s why this review is only detailing Dai’s story, as his development essentially represents Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku and its themes as a whole. Now, about this cancellation problem going on.
As of writing this, I cannot say for certain why exactly Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku never got a second season; despite clearly setting up for one at the end of this season. The Japanese wiki mentions that it was cancelled during production, but nothing more. There are suspicions that the low VHS sales and a DVD version releasing far too late after the broadcasting are what hindered the popularity of the series. There are rumours that Kawamori doesn’t like it, with the lack of any Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku material showing at one of his events that featured all of his original creations, including Kiruminzoo. However, there is an ever-looming uncertainty surrounding the whole situation, without an answer in sight. But honestly, I’m okay with it.
Much like the uncertainty of the family’s divorce and where each character is heading in Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku; we most likely won't find out what happened to the project. But despite this constant worry about the future and how things will turn out, it’s important to keep moving forward in life. If Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku ever got an ending, I believe this is the message it would tell the audience. The family is only being held back from divorce by a force they’re unable to control. No matter how hard they try to work together and put their arguments aside, it never works. They’re forever fated into a depressive family dynamic held together only by a necessity to "save the world", yet they themselves do not understand what exactly this world they’re saving is, because they’re trapped in their own. Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku’s ending didn’t tie up any loose ends, nor did it deliver any satisfying answers to our questions, but I’m okay with that. Forming our own interpretations and simply moving on with our lives is equally as important, and that's the conclusion I've found myself ending at.
Just some extra thoughts to round up the review:
- The visuals are mind-bogglingly impressive. Each episode is as consistently gorgeous as the previous, right up to the very end. The animation is impressive in particular, as its over-exaggerated movements and expressions add another layer to the absurdity of the world. Shot composition, impressive layouts, and slow pacing complement the more sombre dramatic character moments, while flashy effects, colourful lighting, and exaggerated posing overwhelm the absurd action scenes. It’s a delightful mix that consistently stays great throughout the 13-episode run.
- The soundtrack is amazing. With music by Shigeo Naka of “The Surf Coaster”, a surf rock band, his flavour of surf rock and heavily distorted electronics complement every scene of the show more than any other element. The music too has an absurd-serious dynamic going on, with tracks ranging from loud, bombastic guitar solos to harrowing low electronic distortions with vocal scream samples.
- It’s honestly impressive just how many elements of art all work together to form the identity of Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku. Art, music, writing, and character performance all ooze absurdity while still being grounded in reality. It’s an impressive mix that I consider to be some of the best you can find within the sphere of comedy-drama anime.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you decide to give Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku a try.
