Conception

When people say an anime isn't very good, it's a dark pleasure to watch it and find it to be hellishly fun. This is a gamble that can go either way. Conception was a winner not because of its depth nor its animation but simply because it must be the niche market they were going for, and they hit the nail on the head. Either that or I need to call a therapist because I found Conception to be incredibly comedic.

Before I dive in, let me say a few things about "Conception.” To begin with, it's an anime based on a series of pre-existing ideas; it's not an original isekai, but how many are? So don't look for anything groundbreaking. The perceived shock value, comedy, harem, and action of this anime were what the creators used to win votes. However, it wins in the parody category.

So, in a nutshell, this is the story of Conception. Conception is an anime fantasy show about a high school student named Itsuki Yuge who is called to the world of "Granvania." It's up to Itsuki to save the world from "impurities," which are demons, by having "Star Children" with the help of twelve maidens called "Maidens of the Star." Sounds easy enough, but before we go any further, I need to either educate or dull your senses. Bear with me.

So here’s the technical side of “Conception: Please Give Birth to My Child!” which I include for nerds like me because it’s all about me. I mean, you.

Conception was first released as a video game, and the anime released in October 2018 was loosely based on it, with the creative staff making a few adjustments. In April 2012, Spike Chunsoft made the game available in Japan for the PlayStation Portable.

In August 2013, Conception II: Shichisei no Michibiki to Mazuru no Akumu, a follow-up game, was released in Japan for the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. In April 2014, Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars, the follow-up game for both consoles, was released in North America by Atlus USA. Spike Chunsoft released the game on Steam in August 2016. Spike Chunsoft's titles include "Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness," "Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp," and "Steins; Gate 0."

Gonzo brought in some big names for this series, which is interesting. Yuuko Kakihara (both seasons of Chihayafuru, Heaven's Lost Property, and the Digimon Adventure trilogy film series), Yousuke Okuda (Is the order a rabbit?, Is the order a dog?, Is the order a cat? ), and Keitaro Motonaga (Jormungand, Malice@Doll, Date A Live) are in charge of the anime. Shinichirou Otsuka's (Re:ZERO: Starting Life in Another World) original character designs are being turned into an animated show. Masato Kda (KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Knight’s & Magic) composed the music. Kōda also composed the music for the original game.

So the story of Conception opens up like an anime Rom-Com with the two main protagonists, Itsuki Yūge and his friend Mahiru Konatsuki, having a discussion about the facts of life. Apparently, Mahiru is pregnant, and apparently, the baby is his. A fun fact can be discovered if you read between the lines, and thanks to the s***y Crunchyroll translation, we learn very quickly that Miharu is his cousin.

If you know anime, there is only one place such a discussion can occur: the top of a school building. The top of a school is the best place to battle enemies, discuss delicate conversations, do paternity reveals, and get transported to another world. Two out of three is the best.

The two are taken to Granvania, which isn't as cool as "Little Garden," but it is what it is. Mahiru says that she is still a virgin and that she got pregnant without doing anything wrong. No, if you were wondering, Mahiru isn't Japanese for Mary. A creature comes out of her body and attacks Itsuki and Mihiru. Symbols appear on Mihiru's face and Itsuki's hand. From his hand comes a sword, and he kills the creature.

After the fight, the two of them meet Mana, a character who will show up often in this series. Mana looks like a teddy bear or raccoon and has a habit of creating mischief. They meet the court scholar Narcisstes after meeting Mana, who takes them to see their ruler, Shangri-La. That's really his name!

The "Impurities" are the primary antagonists of the anime Conception. They are demonic beings who pose a danger to Granvania and its people. They're the series' primary antagonists, and the series' protagonist, Itsuki, needs to band together with the twelve "Maidens of the Star" to take them down and save the world. If Itsuki and Mahiru don’t agree to these terms, they cannot return to Earth. Earth in this series is referred to as Sora going forward.

The “Star Maidens," a total of twelve, represent the twelve signs of the zodiac, and I believe the anime does a good job of portraying them, even if it leans toward certain stereotypes. In other words, expect Scorpio (Leone) to be the most obviously dressed character. The Impurities are portrayed as powerful and dangerous, and their presence is supposed to add some measure of tension to the series, but really they’re a minor footnote.

The main idea behind this series is how Itsuki can get each of the twelve Star Maidens to give him a Star Child so he can save the kingdom and go home. This idea is almost as bad as the "purple haze hentai" trope, in which the hero must use his "special glaze" to save the damsels in distress. The difference is that the haze does the work, while in this case, Mana must work her magic to get the awkward Itsuki to complete the goal. As a side thought, the series Moral Orel (God’s Chef) was the first time I saw this trope!

Itsuki is no charmer. He doesn't have Kinji Tooyama's (Hidan no Aria) hysteria-savant syndrome, which was so strong that it could make even the coldest woman fall in love with him. Nor is he a natural charmer in the vein of Sebastian Michaelis. What he lacks in charm, he makes up for in open-mindedness, which is a running theme throughout the series.

He is known as "God's Gift," and at first, he liked being paired with different maidens. However, we can now see that he has trouble when paired with different maidens.

Itsuki is one of the few developed characters in this series. He is a bit of a loner because he was orphaned after his parents died. He moves in with relatives, and that is how he came to be in the company of Mahiru. The two share a close bond; however, this story is kicked to the side periodically in the anime and only used when necessary. Mahiru, who is a Virgo and one of the Star Maidens, loses her position after giving birth to the first Star Child.

On the surface, it would seem that Mahiru would be the "best girl" due to their history, but that title is reserved for Alfie, who was in charge of raising and training the Star Children. Sue (Sagittarius), Yuzuha (Pisces), Collete (Aquarius), and Taura (Taurus) are four of the twelve Star Maidens who get the most attention from the plot. The other Star Maidens don't get much attention at all. Some people might say that the twin sign Lillie/Lillith was also well-developed, but this is something that can be debated. Additionally, it may be debated for some other reason that Mana might be the best girl, and f*** it, you might be right.

So a few additional details regarding the characters, and I'll move on. You would think that this whole talk about Star Children would mean we, the viewer, would get to bond with them, but I'm sorry to say that like the Impurities they are training to fight, they are a mere hiccup. In fact, Seiya gets more attention than the kids. He's the other prominent male in this series who has a lot in common with Zarbon from DBZ. Seiya shines in the climatically hilarious and cringe-worthy episode nine, and oddly enough, he's part of what makes this series enjoyable.

This brings us to an issue: after episode 9, the anime sort of tanks; it loses all of the laughter, all of the enjoyment, all of the hours he's gone to bed with the next girl, and it falls flat on its face. In fact, if you're reading this review, I was almost tempted to stop at episode nine.

Even the writers must have realized this was a problem, and they eventually did address it head-on (believe me, they did), but it wasn't enough to save the show, and it was still a drag in the end.

This is not to say that the last three episodes were unwatchable; in fact, they're pretty good episodes. However, this anime had been a parody of other anime, common tropes, and so on for the most part, but when they tried to have a plot (an actual plot with substance) during the last three episodes after the big climactic ninth episode, it made it a very unenjoyable watch.

You spilled the beans on every personal detail—or, more accurately, every sexual detail—you could possibly imagine. As you've already done bdsm and threesomes (and they've done furry, too), there aren't many options left once you've crossed the line. Both Yuri and Yaoi come to mind. Maybe in episode 10, you could have given our female protagonist some yuri that they didn't have in earlier episodes.

I'm on a rant, but don't take it as disdain. I believe Conception was a simple moneymaker and a way to get Gonzo back in the limelight. Gonzo has been overshadowed by so many other studios, and unfortunately, Gonzo hasn't had a breakout hit in years. The animation is par for the course, and the action sequences were average at best.

Regardless of how average the animation is, its opening music, ending music, and voice acting were all A-plus. If you're going to have a comedy, everyone has to get along and interact fluidly. Itsuki's chemistry with the maidens is also convincingly depicted. This is most likely being assisted by a few experienced voice actors.

The orchestral and electronic music on the anime's soundtrack work well together to make the show's dramatic and emotional moments even stronger. The opening and closing themes are also fantastic, serving as memorable introductions and conclusions. There is a lot of depth and emotion added by the music, which works wonderfully with the scenes. "Star light, Star bright" by nano serves as the opening theme, while "Desires" by Manami Numakura serves as the closing theme. They picked well. Surprisingly, the music in a lot of average anime is usually very good.

If you're going to watch Conception: Please Give Birth to My Child!, come for the action and fan service because the anime is, at best, average. Even if you enjoy the comedy but find the animation and whatever story they were going for tedious, you may want to skip this one. Just so you know if you decide to watch it, it is a s*** show, but it is a funny s*** show, and that is why I found it hilarious. It didn't try to be anything other than what it was, and that is why I found it so entertaining.