Gabriel Dropout
There is just something so appealing about Comedy in a School setting. Sometimes it is a rush of nostalgia from our school days, feelings of being able to relate, and just pure, wholesome fun. Whichever the case, most of those out of school wish to go back while those still inside wish to graduate out already. There’s no denying how valuable those days were, with both the bitter and sweet experiences, all ultimately making us who we are today. Anime tends to feature your not-so-typical schools in the most entertaining ways, and we cannot get enough of them.
Gabriel DropOut is a 12 episode TV series that aired from the 9th of January until the 27th of March, in Winter 2017. It was produced by Media Factory, AT-X, Sony Music Communications, Kadokawa Media House, and NTT Plala and brought to life by Studio Doga Kobo.
Its central staff included Oota Masahiko as Director and on Storyboard, Haraguchi Hiroshi as Episode Director and on Storyboard, Ebina Yasunori as Sound Director, and Aoshima Takashi on Script and Series Composition. The Anime features the genres of Comedy and Supernatural alongside the themes Demons and School, aimed at the Shounen demographic. It received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older.
The Gabriel DropOut Anime series is adapted from the Manga series of the same title. After initiating publication on the 27th of December 2013, this series is still published to this day. It features similar genres and themes, targeted at the Shounen demographic and serialized in Comic Dengeki Daioh "g.”
The series is brought to life by Author and Artist Ukami. It has also been published in English by Yen Press since the 31st of October 2017. The Gabriel DropOut Specials included two Special OVA episodes, each with 15 minutes runtime, which ran from the 24th of March 24 until the 24th of May 2017. These were Specials included with the Blu-ray/DVD release of the main Anime series.
The story is set around a very peculiar set of Angels. For many centuries, Heaven has needed its young angels to live amongst and study the ways of humans, all to become full-fledged angels someday. This should be no exception for the Angel protagonist, Gabriel White Tenma. Gabriel is at the top of her class and firmly believes it is her life’s mission to become a great angel who will herald happiness for all of humanity. Things don’t go exactly as planned, though, far from it as she ends up growing heavily addicted to video games on Earth, eventually turning into a hikikomori.
She starts proclaiming herself a "Fallen Angel.” She remains apathetic to literally everything else, much to the annoyance of a demon named Vignette April Tsukinose, who Gabriel befriended in her proper angelic early days upon Earth. Vignette is adamant and makes numerous attempts to revert Gabriel to her previous divine self, but all of that is in vain, as Gabriel shoots down all attempts to change her precious new lifestyle.
As the duo spend their days on Earth in this manner, they encounter two more eccentric personalities to add to the mayhem; the angel Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha, who is one of Gabriel's classmates with a peculiar penchant for sadism, and the demon Satanichia McDowell Kurumizawa, who is a clumsy but self-proclaimed future ruler of the Underworld. The series follows these four friends’ comedic and dynamic lives, as they all fail to comprehend what it truly means to be an Angel or a Demon.
After graduating from school in Heaven, these Angels are sent to Earth with the sole duties of learning about and guiding humans to the righteous path. Gabriel dreams of doing just that, but video games take over her life upon arrival, turning her into a complete slob in the process.
This lively crew of Angels and Demons attend high school on earth and their days are far from dull. Thus the plot is pretty non-linear and straightforward, with each episode presenting a different story that hardly relates to another but still manages to keep the overall story fluid. The twist lies in the fact that the actual Demons behave like Angels while the absolute Angels behave like Demons. Gabriel claims to not care about humans and jokes about destroying humanity to cover up her “pantie sighting.”
On the other hand, Vignette cares for Gabriel, worries about Angelkind, and even plays with young children in parks. The “What you are must not define how you behave” dynamic is likable. The comedy is on-point and hilarious, and the primary source is the character chemistry and interactions. The interrelationships are incredibly well done and often lead to hilarious situations that will likely crack any audience up. On the other hand, the whole “Angels and Humans are born, live and behave similarly” premise sounds ridiculous, but this is a comedy, and it works for the series.
The Characters of Gabriel DropOut are small in number, effective, work well together and perfectly deliver the humor. Like mentioned earlier, the Angels act like Demons and vice versa, but this is a clever and charming touch to the show. The characters are mostly generic Anime archetypes who work so well together and are so incredibly likable that viewers would not care about how generic they are.
Gabriel is lazy, unmotivated, and bossy, similar to many teenagers that age. She is an Angel who got corrupted by the human way of life, which is hilarious, and because they are portrayed as very similar to humans, it seems only natural she would react this way. Vignette is Gabriel's polar opposite, often portrayed cooking and worrying about others, like an “angelic demon,” whose character is genuinely intriguing.
Satanichia is an egotistical demon who loves to cause mischief but fails. She has no sense of taste, is regularly pestered by Raphiel, and is often victimized by stray dogs. A failed villain of sorts, as all her “devious” plots end up as utter failures owing to her stupidity; she can be irritating at times but certainly not bothersome. Raphiel was ranked second in Gabriel's class and has become a sadistic stalker who revels in teasing Satanichia, making for a highly hilarious addition.
The Art and Animation are nothing short of lively and colorful. Character facial expressions are done well and fit right into the show. The only fanservice in the series comes from the sole Beach episode, and this is an excellent thing. While this department is not spectacular, it is fantastic and gets the job done perfectly.
The Sounds and Music don’t fall behind either. The Opening theme is "Gabriel Drop Kick" by Gabriel (Miyu Tomita), Vignette (Saori Oonishi), Satanichia (Naomi Oozora), and Raphiel (Kana Hanazawa). The Ending themes are "Hallelujah☆Essaim" by Gabriel (Miyu Tomita), Vignette (Saori Oonishi), Satanichia (Naomi Oozora), and Raphiel (Kana Hanazawa), and "Gabriel no kazoeuta" by Vignette(Saori Oonishi). Both these themes are excellent and fitting. The OSTs are great as well, nothing to complain about there. The Voice Actors do a spectacular job portraying their characters, genuinely praiseworthy.
Overall, Gabriel DropOut is an incredibly hilarious show that will keep you laughing for its entire duration. Even the overused jokes remain funny until the very end, and if you're in the mood for a good comedy, you will not be disappointed. It is delightful, and there will be nothing to regret after watching it. It stands out amidst others not due to great production quality but by its immensely entertaining quality. This is a really lighthearted show that will make you laugh; thus, it is highly recommended!
