Review on Idol Magical Girl Chiru Chiru Michiru.

Having different main character and with different premises like most spin-off, Idol Magical Girl Chiru Chiru Michiru is a spin-off of the famous trilogy Visual Novel, Grisaia series. Chiruchiru as the title say, is a magical girl show with an anime-like presentation with 13 episodes in total completely with both opening and ending song in each of the episode. Chiruchiru is quite nice as an intermezzo between Grisaia series as just Grisaia common route itself take more than 30 hours of your life.

Chiruchiru takes a story of Matsushima Michiru (CV. Mizuhashi Kaori) as a novice idol who strikes to be a Top Idol and sing in the same stage with her idol, Kazami Kazuki (CV. Tomonaga Akane). But, the destiny make her become a magical girl after her meeting with a talking-cat named Nyanmel (CV. Nazuka Kaori). As magical girl, she has to seal all the Seven Chaos and upon completing all of them, she can make a wish come true. But on her magical girl's journey, she knows the fact that Kazuki is magical girl too and has the same purpose to make her own wish come true.

Michiru as magical girl and Nyanmel.

Chiruchiru serves as humorous story, is completely different to depressingly and deep story-telling of its original, Grisaia. It's not a bad thing, rather I already say that it's a good thing as intermezzo. But, as the visual novel alone, Chiruchiru can't be included as VN with deep story. To be loyal to its genre, it made quite a good laugh for me as comedy work. Although, I think Grisaia no Kajitsu common route had made some number of good laugh for me too. The story itself is quite anime-like in some sense. Like how only first and several last episode that is quite relevant to the main story. Though, I have to admit narratively Chiruchiru has a good storytelling. Also some joke are made too silly for me that I have to cringe a little.

Bad joke is bad.

As main character, Michiru serves as comedic character. I think Michiru serves as comedic character in Chiruchiru version is indifferent to the Grisaia version, even more comedical in idiot way. Michiru serves as an idiotic character, even when the climatic event conclude. That's some dedication to genre there. Some of your favorite Grisaia character come back too, though most of their character has quite "improved" in order to fit in humorous story of Chiruchiru. Some of them are still have their good and lovely characters, but for the whole, it completely ruins the character in Grisaia. Oh, and I'm still quite surprised by a cameo they made for this series.

Yep, I was surprised.

Surprisingly, the same art style Grisaia used is back on Chiruchiru. I love it, Fumio and Watanabe Akio have always amazed me with their style, even in this spin-off work. A clean background, new outfit, and sprite for main cast are really refreshing. The animation work like its predecessor, even better in my opinion with several good animation is only used once or twice in the whole work. I appreciate the developer work that they still serious to merely a spin-off series.

Tank out of nowhere.

Despite having work great on art, it seems they don't really work that much towards music. The music mostly use the very same BGM from Grisaia with a little addition of new BGM and four new song (and its instrumental version). Not that BGM from Grisaia is bad, but after spending more than 50 hours of Grisaia make the music is boring. Even worse, they use several same BGM on most scene. It seems only art director work that much here. Even so, I'm taking a like to both its opening and ending song. It's catchy and really fit to the theme of the series.

It's not rare for spin-off to completely overwhelm the original work. But, it is sure not including Chiruchiru here. Again, Chiruchiru is still nice as a side story to Grisaia. With good artwork and even some cameo and reference from original work, I still think this is quite worth your time if you have read Grisaia. Though, I don't really recommend you to read this if you haven't read the original work.

Best girl.