Fairy Ranmaru – Anime Review

Once upon a time, there was a prosperous fairy kingdom. However, this formerly idyllic paradise has faced tough times recently. As a solution, the Queen assembles a team of five fairies, each from different clans. These fairies must go into the human world and help various women with their everyday problems. Every successful mission will earn them a magical "Attachment", which can be used to rebuild their fallen kingdom.

The fairies get settled into the human world, posing as high school students. There's Ranmaru, a mild-mannered fairy from the Lux clan. Despite his unassuming appearance, he is the most powerful of the group. His team members include Homura and Uruu, from the fire-based Ignis clan and the water-based Aqua clan. The fiery Homura and the poised Uruu constantly butt heads over a personality clash. They are joined by Jyuka, the bubbly fairy from the Arbor clan, and Takara, the flirtatious fairy from the Metallum clan.

The fairies encounter ordinary women troubled by various issues in their personal lives. Some are getting cyberbullied, facing workplace harassment, or suffering from relationship issues. Others struggle with an unreasonable boss, an unfaithful lover, or an unkind loan shark. The fairies come to these women's rescue by identifying the culprits of their unhappiness. Then, they transform into their fairy form and go into battle with the evil manifestations.

As the fairies complete their missions, they collect pieces of "Attachments", a resource used to rebuild their kingdom. However, they are met with resistance from Sirius, a rogue angel working vehemently against the protagonists. Sirius doesn't believe in restoring the fairy world. Instead, he wants to cause chaos, dissent, and misery around him. Ranmaru and Sirius also share a complicated history. However, Ranmaru's memory loss means he can't remember what had transpired between him and his enemy.

I was introduced to Fairy Ranmaru after stumbling upon pictures of the male characters kissing. I also saw many titillating images of muscular physiques, skimpy outfits, and crotch shots. Feeling curious, I skimmed over the reviews, which contained buzzwords like "camp", "very gay" & "overt homosexuality". This fantasy anime seemed to be bursting with rainbow pride based on the descriptions. I had read enough to feel hyped and intrigued by Fairy Ranmaru. Say no more, I was in!

After finishing the series, I'm sorry to report the BL content is pretty minimal. Some of the reviewers used the term "gay" interchangeably with flamboyance, giving me the wrong expectations. No, I wouldn't classify Fairy Ranmaru as a BL anime. The quantity of male-on-male content adds up to a few moments in a five-hour series. While the characters kiss, their relationship subplots feel sidelined. If anything, I wish there was more ~overt homosexuality~ beyond the two underdeveloped romances.

With that said, Fairy Ranmaru is delightfully campy and packs exuberant flair. It's loud, it's colourful, and it's a little naughty. The anime often displays provocative visuals with the scantily clad leads and their ripped physiques. You see group baths with partially obscured nudity, prominent bulges in tiny thongs, and the men thrusting their bodies at compromising positions. The sexuality is so in-your-face that you can't overlook it. Fairy Ranmaru pushes the boundaries without crossing into 18+ explicitness, but it comes close with the indecent imagery.

This anime looks stylish and spectacular. Fairy Ranmaru is skillfully drawn with vibrant colours, attractive designs, and flashy visual effects. Every episode features an extended combat scene, where the creativity shines brightly. The fairy transformation sequences are also animated with dazzling glamour, amplified by an upbeat soundtrack. The only aspect I don't like is the aesthetic of the fairies in their transformed states. They appear tacky and skanky, like low-rent RuPaul's Drag Race contestants who would typically get eliminated first.

Fairy Ranmaru suffers from a rigid, formulaic structure. Each repetitive storyline begins with the protagonists meeting a generic character of the week. A villain emerges, a battle ensues, and then the good guys win in the end. The anime is overeager to wrap up everything neatly before the episode finishes. Instead, it could afford to be more adventurous, introducing suspense, plot twists, and moral ambiguity. Fairy Ranmaru improves towards the end when it finally deviates from the tedious norm. Even so, the anime still lacks complexity and subtlety.

Ultimately, Fairy Ranmaru doesn't have enough substance. The narrative is too superficial with oversimplified plots, shallow developments, and predictable resolutions. However, I still appreciate the anime as a guilty pleasure, entertaining me with its extravagant silliness. I giggle whenever the protagonists exclaim their over-the-top catchphrase, "Go to heaven!" I also enjoy the flamboyant visuals, the cheesy songs, and yes, the gratuitous nudity. Even though I can't take Fairy Ranmaru seriously, it's a fun, endearing cult series with a fabulous charm.