Kuchu Buranko

Alternate Titles: Trapeze

Original Japanese Release Date: 2009

Episode Length/Run-time: 11 episodes

Summary:

Dr. Ichirō Irabu is a highly recommended psychiatrist in Tokyo.  His office, one of those last doors on the left kind of deal, is an eclectic and eccentric playroom where he stays with his nurse Maiyumi-chan (modeled after a famous gravure model).  He treats 11 patients who come to him with various psychological problems with non-conventional methods.

Review:

This was likely the best anime of it’s season.

The first thing a viewer will notice is the stylized appearance the anime take.  It uses this interesting style at times of merging live action pictures and video with animation.  One of the first examples is how Maiyumi-chan is introduced, who is super hot by the way.

Each person who goes to the doctor has some kind of psychological problem with them that they are seeking to cure.  But instead of traditional therapy he gives them a “vitamin shot” which oddly turns his patients into animals and uses this to really bring out their real problems.

The anime is a refreshing take and something which I’ve never really seen before. It was interesting, touching, engaging, and funny.  The only people I wouldn’t recommend it to is younger people who may not fully understand things like OCD or Kleptomania.

[starrater]