School Rumble: Ichi Gakki Hoshuu

This is just a simple prequel to the first School Rumble.

By the title School Rumble you know if you should watch or not. This is a prequel to School Rumble. It follows the crazy antics of Tenma, Yakumo, Harima and everyone else but mostly the first three. Honestly this anime is built on gags and there isn't really a story so I believe I'm grading the story based on the humor. The gags are somewhat funny. The best one being the Prehistoric Rumble gag. Otherwise, the rest of the OVA is....blargh. There really isn't much of the laugh-out-loud comedy that ... I saw in the original series and it just begins to lag. At first I saw this as a gread addition to the series but it was just...there. It was nice to see how Yakumo honestly feels about guys (apparently she can read mens minds). Honestly able gags.

The artwork isn't anything to brag about. As you may already know School Rumble is NOT known for their artwork. The chibi's were oddly enough well drawn and looked very clean and made the transition well. The artwork for the OVA is better than the series itself. The opening and endings have the same artwork but still seem crisp. The ending for the first episode of the OVA includes a train that actually made my jaw drop. It was so simple and basic but so vibrant at the same time.

The audio is of course, normal. Actually I like the dubs for English alot better. Tenma sounds cute, but annoying just like her character is meant to be. All the other characters are normal and it's hard to hear what they say at times since two characters speak at the same time on occasion. Harima sounds like a San Francisco yakuza and Yakumo sounds like a stoic introvert. Well, what am I saying the parts are perfect. The BGM is a bit annoying though. The little transition noises tend to get in the way of what someone is saying. Pretty good dub.

Oh, boy the characters. If you haven't seen the original series I wouldn't recommend starting here. Even though this is a prequel you won't be able to understand who's who or who likes who {other than Harima ->Tenma -> Karasuma). Everyone's here in the anime of stereotypes: Tough guy, ditz, rich girl, stoic Stacy, pervert, "I WANNA MARRY HER!" guy, and everyone else. But this is this anime's thing. It's supposed to be like that. I can't hold it able for something it's meant to be.

You know, this is an okay OVA. Worth the watch if you're an anime completionist like myself. Otherwise go see the first and second season. This OVA isn't terrible, just able. You can watch this when you've run out of anime to watch.

Pros:
- Wacky character antics.
- Even wackier characters.
- Excellent dubbing.

Cons:
- The gags aren't very funny.
- able.

This anime receives 7 "What are classmates?" out of 10.

It was pretty long since I watched the original season so I can’t say for sure, but it feels like I have seen most of the sketches in this OVA already. Regardless, it is what you’d expect from School rumble; great but shallow comedy. Just watching this OVA by itself isn’t really much of an experience though, as the sketches are taken from different parts of the original continuity, making it hard to follow.

Graphics- and soundwise the OVA is identical to the series. That is: it does its job well. Giving a score in “Story” and “Characters” is rather pointless out of the context ... of the TV series, however. On its own merits, the OVA falls flat. But if you’re already into School rumble, it’s good times as usual. Giving the ing cast a bit of extra screen time is always welcome.

The first episode is uninteresting, except for the fanservice. The shorts in this episode are neither connected nor entertaining, as the characters are less fun to watch. Although Yakumo deals with an out-of-body experience, there are only a few interesting moments, and she seems disconnected from everything. The first episode's standout moment is when the class gets new seating, and everyone battles for a spot next to their crush.

The second episode is funnier and features an entertaining tale about Lala and Ichijou working at Was Hamburger. Imadori tries to tease Lala by asking her to smile, prompting her to repeatedly attack him in front of ... the patrons. Also, this episode contains a peculiar storyline that dominates most of the episode. The tale tracks the characters back to prehistoric ages as they tackle an unruly, wooly mammoth. The character connections captivate the audience, particularly Harima's attraction to Tenma. Moreover, this installment features a magnificent segment indicating progress in Harima and Yakumo's relationship. The time they share is one of the most delightful since he's unobservant, and she's contemplating whether she's interpreting too much into it.