LogFAQs > #967747443

175. The Ryuos Work is Never Done
https://myanimelist.net/anime/35905/Ryuuou_no_Oshigoto
Winter 2018 (12 episodes)
My Score: 4/10, MAL Score: 6.86/10
Best Character: Hinatsuru Ai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsyL_R1GDpc

Premise: Kuzuryuu Yaichi has just become the youngest shogi champion in history. He also takes on a disciple, a young girl named Hinatsuru Ai who shows real talent for the game.

The Good: Ive seen shogi in several anime, yet I do not understand the rules. Thats okay, though, because things like skill, training, competition, and doubts, can all come across even if I know nothing about whatever the focus is. Anyway, The Ryuos Work is Never Done is a shogi anime with equal parts comedy and drama. It also has several little girls who are relatively new at the game bringing the cute girl factor. Ai was easily my favorite, but the others were fun too. The best part of this was still the way both main characters learned to believe in themselves and improve. Ai has talent but shes still a beginner. And Yaichi, despite already attaining the highest rank, needed to prove to everyone, including himself, that it wasnt a fluke.

The Bad: Unfortunately, there was a bit of forced drama in Ryuos Work. I didn't like Ginko, the skilled female player with an icy personality. Still, my main problem was that this didnt do anything special. I praised its themes about believing in oneself and improving, but thats basic stuff in any sports anime (or competitive game you know what I mean). Ryuos Work didnt do anything new, so mostly it just felt generic.

Overall: The Ryuos Work is Never Done is held back by some crappy drama and by never rising above typical sports anime ideas. However, the little girls were cute and fun to watch. The shogi stuff, while ultimately generic, was also nice with some uplifting themes. It at least wasn't bad.