[Anime Review] Invaders of the Rokujyōma!?

Unlike most viewers that detest the “run-of-mill’ harem series, they are a really guilty pleasure for me – one that I can not get enough of. The more outrageous and ludicrous the idea, the better and without hesitation, I can say that Takehaya’s light novel turned anime, Invaders of the Rokujyōma is about as bizarre as it gets. Not only bizarre in the sense that highschool kid can rent an apartment for 5,000 yen a month (about $46.58 USD), but also by proxy it is hotbed for all sorts of supernatural shenanigans that are found to desirable. Sanae is ghost that haunts the room, Kiriha is apart of an ancient race of underground dwellers hoping to use it to invade the surface, Theiamillis (Theia for short) and her servant Ruth hope to claim the room to assert the former’s dominance to an intergalactic throne, and Yurika is scatterbrain magical girl (who is regarded as a hardcore otaku cosplayer) that seeks the room for magical energy…or to freeload. Heck, they don’t even care about living in room (well, expect Yurika and Sanae) more than coveting it like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. Nonetheless, a convoluted battle for claiming this abnormal homestead begins and turns out to be a very enjoyable series.

For the first 4 episodes, Invaders of the Rokujyōma takes on a relatively slice-of-life/comedy bent as Kōtarō desperately tries to hold onto his progressively nebulous rights to apartment 106. Not only does his fellow classmate and landlord Shizuka approve of a peaceful resolution (unless they all want to get beat to an inch of their lives by using violence), even Kōtarō’s safe haven of school is fair game for these ladies plans. If surviving the equivalent of strip poker (instead of stripping clothes, part of the room are bets) wasn’t bad enough at home. However, from episode 5 and onward, the show changes its tone for more action and drama voice as each episode zeros in on a specific girls background and Kōtarō acting in their favor from whatever outside conflicts present themselves to this odd coalition of flatmates. The series still does keep its lighthearted nature in tact, yet the change does make the story itself move along on a smoother track. My favorite episode had to be the 5th that focuses on Sanae and their battle against some odd ghost hunters, two of which that are mostly likely a parody of the The Blues Brothers. It also the first look at the landlord’s abilities – the lady pulling off moves that look like they belong in a Street Fighter game.

Although, for a show that wears so many genre hats and does it respectful to a degree, Shin Ōnuma has no trouble whatsoever directing it all – something that would mostly likely and does like a train-wreck of an idea. Of course, he doesn’t fall short of experience either. With most of character designs and artwork not going for anything out the ordinary, the animation is pleasurable, if not anything to write home about – yet doesn’t need to be. On the flipside, most of the supernatural action sequences do look very well done to the point it could pass for something like Fate/Kaleid liner Prisma Illya, but cheaper. The same can be applied to the musical score by Ryosuke Nakanishi – well-known for his work with on the Highschool DXD and The Devil Is a Part-Timer soundtracks – not so much of that is transferable to this series. The opening and ending theme are nice, too, but again – nothing much to say about them.

If you’re not fan of harem series, I highly doubt Invaders of the Rokujyōma will do anything to change your mindset or necessarily different, but for all the silliness and zany characters – it provides a lot of amusement. For that fact alone, it will be more than enough to suffice for many that don’t mind it. With the light novel still ongoing in Japan and the anime ending on rather satisfying note, another sounds like a great idea – although, it probably isn’t in the realm of possibility. That being said, it is still a fine choice to add to your viewing if you want an enjoyable series to kill any spare time you might have.

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Pros: Likeable and quirky characters, smooth story progression, decent approach to the conventional harem series, nice mix of action and comedy.

Cons: lackluster soundtrack