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REVIEW: Chu-Bra!! Episodes 1-5 streaming


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kawaiibunny3



Joined: 10 Aug 2008
Posts: 534
Location: Houston, Texas
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:13 am Reply with quote
Totally agree :/

I gave it a shot, and I could tell they were trying to give it some heartfelt meaning or to be actually useful to young "blossoming" girls or whatever.
and its presented in an innocent way in the context of the show

but because we're watching and observing them in sexualized poses and situations, it ruins the rest of the show and destroys that "innocent" side.

and as a girl who buys underwear. It's not that exciting guys. Sorry.
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Daemonblue



Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 701
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:30 am Reply with quote
As a guy I have to agree with the not that exciting part. Wouldn't say it causes me to rage since there have been worse, but the story is a bit lacking. That said, at least they chose not to go with the censored marketing route, since about 90% of the episodes would be censored -_- You pretty much hit the nail on the head with the review, though it doesn't even seem to fit the whole prurient interest angle very well either, it's just kinda there.
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Shichimi



Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Posts: 349
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:13 am Reply with quote
Shocked I do think I can see where they were going with this, but as the reviewer said, you can't have your cake and eat it.

kawaiibunny3 wrote:
...because we're watching and observing them in sexualized poses and situations, it ruins the rest of the show and destroys that "innocent" side...


It essentially puts the viewer in the position of a voyeur; mildly disturbing and fantastically icky. Confused
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Fronzel



Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1906
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:18 am Reply with quote
I liked it...a little. Am I wrong in thinking that 13 year-olds are an under-represented age group in anime? The transition from elementary school to middle school marks a symbolic start of adolescence, and I can't recall many other shows that base stories on that(Naisho no Tsubomi? Alien Nine? Not exactly.). It also makes Yako's loli body actually believable, unlike the various undergrown 16 year-olds that litter anime.

But there really is too much fanservice. After Yako accidentally humiliates herself and pushes her friends away in shame, there's a (cliche) shot of her brooding in front of a passing train...with a close up of her panties as her skirt flies up. How can I take anything seriously when there's so much cheap eye candy about? Some is inevitable, given the premise, but they went so overboard it nearly drowns out the drama, which at least showed some thought.

The manga's not so obnoxious, but I also found it to be less effective in general.
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 4630
Location: Gainesville, FL
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:40 am Reply with quote
Really, I find the biggest problem is that it's boring, not its supposed offensiveness. Until the most recent episode (#8) I never felt that the fan service was really over the top, just trying to be funny (and while some of the service in 8 is more explicit, it also turned out to be more humorous),. Underwear is supposed to be funny, being embarrassed is supposed to be funny, I think we sometimes forget this when we're searching for the inappropriate stuff. I think the simplified character design actually works to its favor. No, a 7th grade girl in sexy underwear isn't actually very sexy... because it's not supposed to be very sexy. these girls do not look like the girls in To Love Ru, they're not supposed to.

Is the show really good? oh lord no, but that's more the fault of it being boring. I appreciate that they want to make a point but they really take the discussion of underwear a bit too seriously.

The show has kept me from dropping it so far, the same could not be said for the other fan service show I started watching on CR this season, Omamori Himari. At least Chu-Bra is trying something different- it's no big success but it's trying.


Last edited by Spastic Minnow on Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:05 am; edited 1 time in total
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tankerboy



Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Posts: 81
Location: Chicago
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:42 am Reply with quote
To paraphrase Tom Leher: filth, like beauty, is in the mind of the beholder.

The series is kinda silly but I don't find it offensive in the least; with three daughters, quite a few of the situations rang home. It sorta goes back an old argument which this time could be phrased as: which is worse pubescent girls in their underwear or pubescent girls blowing people up in spectacular fashion with all sorts of blood and gore?

I love anime but I've never been able to get my mind around the concept that cartoon females of any age are erotic - they're cartoons. It's kinda like checking out a website 'cause you always wanted to see what the Azumanga girls looked like under their blouses. Well, if you remove their blouses they look like blank paper.
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garfield15



Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 1535
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:27 am Reply with quote
Spastic Minnow wrote:
Really, I find the biggest problem is that it's boring, not its supposed offensiveness. Until the most recent episode (#8) I never felt that the fan service was really over the top, just trying to be funny (and while some of the service in 8 is more explicit, it also turned out to be more humorous),. Underwear is supposed to be funny, being embarrassed is supposed to be funny, I think we sometimes forget this when we're searching for the inappropriate stuff. I think the simplified character design actually works to its favor. No, a school girl in sexy underwear isn't actually very sexy... because it's not supposed to be very sexy. these girls do not look like the girls in To Love Ru, they're not supposed to


Yeah, that's my real problem with this show too. It's not that it's offensive, it's just boring. They're playing forming an underwear club incredibly straight....which is just boring. This show should be either insanely stupid ecchi or at least try to have a semblance of a better plot but it's not even either of those....it's boring.
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Stretch24



Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 107
Location: Ohio
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:38 am Reply with quote
My first impression of Chu-Bra was of a sleazy and dull show, but somehow when episode two became available I wanted to watch it. I certainly won't argue that this is a great show but I do think that it has a little charm. Episode one was a little startling but afterwards the fanservice and suggestive content in Chu-Bra is nothing compared to, say, Ladies versus Butlers or Qwaser. The girls themselves are paragons of virtue (even if they are a little odd at times), and are making absolutely no effort to seduce us. One is even hurt to learn that she has been voted the 'biggest breasted girl' in the school by the boys. So, I don't feel at all dirty after watching this. I wouldn't pay to buy or rent Chu-Bra, but I'm getting a few laughs out of it, and am curious to see where this strange premise will go.
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asimpson2006



Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 3151
Location: USA
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:54 am Reply with quote
This show looks like it has Guilty Pleasure written all over it. I will have to check it out either tomorrow if it snows (I will work from home) or watch it over the weekend.
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Otakuboy T



Joined: 12 Mar 2004
Posts: 59
Location: Morris, IL
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:28 pm Reply with quote
Look like another Girl's High

ughhhh.....
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24166
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:43 pm Reply with quote
Uh, no. Girl's High had a genuinely raunchy sense of humour. Chu-Bra!! has a different sensibility.
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mckg1



Joined: 24 Dec 2009
Posts: 287
Location: From Puerto Rico living in Japan
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:49 pm Reply with quote
No interest.... I want an anime that has a good story and character development and dynamics.
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ryukage



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:00 pm Reply with quote
This subject is already covered in episodes from a number of other anime series with better humor (Kannagi is the most recent series with this that I've seen). Teenage girls buying underwear is easy episode plot fodder, but just for that episode. There isn't enough potential dialogue to fill a series, and viewers are only interested in seeing familiar characters deal with the situation.

Japan has a habit of creating television series about many mundane things: Selecting mixed drinks/liquors for the right mood, baking bread, broadcast radio (with an robotic girl), etc. Selecting panties is an obvious choice for its fanservice potential, but their are a lot of ways to make this work that Chu-bra isn't implementing. Try having the girl(s) run a business, have interschool design contests, or incorporate a yuri fangirl (and maybe a male crossdresser if you enjoyed the Mariaholic approach).

I'll just stick to the traditionally incorporated fanservice, a la My-HiME, Code Geass, or Queen's Blade, before bothering to keep up with this series.
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Speedy Boris



Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 13
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:37 pm Reply with quote
garfield15 wrote:
Spastic Minnow wrote:
Really, I find the biggest problem is that it's boring, not its supposed offensiveness. Until the most recent episode (#8) I never felt that the fan service was really over the top, just trying to be funny (and while some of the service in 8 is more explicit, it also turned out to be more humorous),. Underwear is supposed to be funny, being embarrassed is supposed to be funny, I think we sometimes forget this when we're searching for the inappropriate stuff. I think the simplified character design actually works to its favor. No, a school girl in sexy underwear isn't actually very sexy... because it's not supposed to be very sexy. these girls do not look like the girls in To Love Ru, they're not supposed to


Yeah, that's my real problem with this show too. It's not that it's offensive, it's just boring. They're playing forming an underwear club incredibly straight....which is just boring. This show should be either insanely stupid ecchi or at least try to have a semblance of a better plot but it's not even either of those....it's boring.
Heh... somebody has The Nostalgia Critic's "Junior" review on the mind, doesn't he?

"They're treating it like a real pregnancy, which is BORING! Someone going through pregnancy, whether male or female, isn't funny, it's BORING! You need humor, this is BORING! Arnold saying he's fat once in a while doesn't cut it. IT'S BORING!"
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 5:56 pm Reply with quote
kawaiibunny3 wrote:
and as a girl who buys underwear. It's not that exciting guys. Sorry.

As a boy who buys underwear. It's not really that exciting either.
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