Grow Up Show: Himawari no Circus-dan

The Cutest and arguably funniest child exploitation anime

I never imagined that a series where the protagonist is essentially sold to settle her father's debts could be so heartwarming, cozy, and occasionally even uplifting.

The narrative primarily follows Mizuki, the daughter of a renowned performer from a circus troupe named Lotus. Mizuki despises the stage, and for the majority of the episodes, she continuously curses her father, branding him a parasite. Her resentment is entirely justified. After all, this is a clear case of child exploitation. Her father essentially abandons her without a single penny, forcing her into "grueling", "unpaid" labor.

Yet, despite her profound hatred for performing, ... she possesses an extraordinary talent. Her skills are so exceptional that merely sharing the stage with her and witnessing her movements is enough to send audiences into a state of sheer bliss.

I have never attended a real circus, unless watching The Greatest Showman counts. However, it is abundantly clear that these entertainers possess incredible physical fortitude. The animators ensure viewers recognize this immense strength, highlighting that such power stems from immense sacrifice and relentless dedication. While all the girls in the series are undoubtedly beautiful, endearing, and charming, the show also does not shy away from depicting their injuries, bruises, and inevitable failures.

Furthermore, because this is an original production, the audience remains completely in the dark about upcoming events. You never know where the plot might pivot, which constantly keeps you guessing. The narrative trajectory could easily become grim, hilarious, or utterly absurd.

For all we know, the characters might suddenly time travel to the future or the past, much like in the anime "Turkey!"

One might argue that the current episodes have firmly established the tone and that it will remain consistent.

However, one must remember that an original anime is always a single episode away from executing a massive bait and switch.

Additionally, the story takes place in 1950s Japan, a decade when the country was enduring significant hardships. Who knows what might unfold next? That uncertainty is exactly the best, or perhaps the worst, aspect of consuming an original work. It perpetually keeps you on your toes.

I also want to give a quick shoutout to Kasumi's voice actress. She delivers an amazingly natural and authentic performance.

Regarding the visuals, this is an A-1 Pictures production. Their work is above average at its worst and absolutely breathtaking at its best. I would place the animation quality of this particular series right in the middle of that spectrum.

As for the opening and ending themes, the tracks themselves are nothing particularly special. They are very standard slice of life anime songs. However, the visual sequences for both are remarkably well crafted.

Naturally, given the studio at the helm, viewers should expect a fair amount of fanservice sprinkled throughout the show.

Overall, at least based on the charming tone established so far, I highly recommend this series to fans of the slice of life and cute girls doing cute things genres, keeping in mind that the thrilling unpredictability of an original work means the narrative could easily pivot down the line.

Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus is an anime original story that follows the Sunflower Circus. Interesting that this anime takes place in the 1950s, classifying itself as a historical anime technically. Although with character designs and other aspects of the setting that feel more modern, it does offer a weird contrast. So it may or may not be an issue for some.

The story follows the protagonist Mizuka Tsurumaki as she ends up helping the Sunflower Circus due to a debt owed by her father. The eyecatch is that she is the one that can finally maximize the potential of another member of the Sunflower Circus ... in Ouka Kawasumi.

So far this is a very standard CGDCT anime. The characters are very vibrant and have tones of personality. Not too much storytelling yet, but there is more to come.

Production-wise, this anime is done by Psyde Kick Studio, which is an in-house label for A-1 Pictures. This studio was created for freer creative productions, which challenges young creators. Looking at this anime, the production is rock solid. Granted, it chooses its spots very well. Overall, it does well in that aspect.

For CGDCT fans, this anime is a very solid seasonal to pick up. Admittedly, so far it doesn't make much use of the historical tag because so far it only feels it has that so that it can be a circus anime. With solid production, it has its strengths. But if you aren't a fan of the CGDCT genre, this won't suddenly make you a fan.

A pretty typical “girls doing cute things” anime that aesthetically feels like it should be making me smile, but isn’t. The premise of the girl’s Dad forcing her to do something until she doesn’t like it, then forcing her to do it more by saddling her with debt already rubbed me a little the wrong way. It’s more of a problem for Episode 1 than the series at-large, but it didn’t make a great first impression showing the main character’s life being railroaded by such an unpleasant figure.

That’s not reason I’m dropping this after three episodes. It’s the repetitive soundtrack, the unimaginative ... character designs, and what’s looking so far to be a bog-standard underdog competition plot. I know the anime could very well have some tricks left up its sleeve, and the main character is at least cute and somewhat relatable, but I find it hard to care as the production cheaps out. The overuse of stills really undercuts the wonder these performances are supposed to inspire, and the character animation between the performances also leaves a lot to be desired. The long shots and solid-color backgrounds could have been appropriate cost-cutting measures, but you need to distract the viewer from the lesser aspects of the production, and the direction and writing don’t do that.

For the people whose bar for “girls doing cute things” is to see “girls doing cute things,” this is fine. It’s plotted competently enough, the cheapness isn’t ugly, it’s very inoffensive, but I think you should look for something better crafted.