Softenni – 12 (Finale)

Thinking back to before the season began, I thought Softenni was just gonna be another worthless ecchi anime, probably because the camera couldn’t focus on anything besides everyone’s panties in the PV.  Thinking back to the start of the season, I was unimpressed with the anime for its bland comedy and clichéd characters, not to mention the pitiful excuses so that they could add in unnecessary fanservice.  I picked it up though, since I thought it would be a challenge to blog this anime for an entire season when I otherwise would’ve dropped it, especially after that uneventful first episode.  But the series began to evolve, most noticeably when they had the practice tennis match (episode 6), with more authentic comedy, a decline in pointless fanservice, and an definite shift of focus toward tennis and the characters having fun together.  The latter half of Softenni really grew on me once these transformations occurred and I began to enjoy the series as a whole.  Now that it’s over and I look back on Softenni, I can say I have no regrets watching and blogging this anime.

Softenni – 11

So the story behind Softenni, or what I’d like to think was a story, was Asuna and the rest of the soft tennis team aiming to play in the national tournament and eventually end up as national champions.  With only one episode left in the anime, it has become obvious the girls will never become champions, let alone play in the tournament.  That shouldn’t be surprising, seeing as the manga is still continuing and this is only a 12-episode season, but that’s quite a tease they put on us.  Still, it’s a thousand times better, at the very minimum, than making an anime original ending.

Softenni – 10

With virtually every aspect of Softenni improving weekly, there’s been one characteristic that has remained constantly pleasing from the very beginning.  It was an initial quality of the series that helped hook me onto this anime and has yet to disappoint me in any way.  The camaraderie in Softenni is one of the more overlooked yet charming attributes of this anime.  The girls seem to have perfect chemistry with each other and it really supports everything the anime tries to do.

Softenni – 9

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing Kotone bombarded in the face by a high-velocity soft tennis ball.  But some of the other repetitive jokes have either lost their charm or have been used too frequently to be continuously amusing.  It’s time to check in on all the returning gags of Softenni and see how they’re doing.

Softenni – 8

Softenni seems to consistently do one thing right.  And that would be the comedy.  With the tennis scenes suddenly absent, the ecchi scenes unpredictably censored, and the romance scenes somehow still included (really?), the comedy has continued to remain delightful and satisfying.

Softenni – 7

If you’re able to watch Softenni without being a demanding, harsh, and elitist critic, then this anime can actually be pretty relaxing.

Softenni – 6

This may be difficult to believe but there were actual tennis matches in the sixth episode of Softenni.  Mind-boggling, I know, but it actually happened.  And that’s why it has been the best episode to date.  With more tennis matches set for future episodes, the series will certainly improve, at least for me.