Fastest Finger First

TzKal-Zuk★ 9

Quick review: Do you guys like competitive "sports?" Do you get excited about seeing people compete with different ideologies and aspirations? Well look no further, you may or may not find that in Nana Maru San Batsu (which I will now call FFF)! It depends on what kind of taste you have. I personally would compare it to Chihayafuru because the concept of being the fastest in both respective sports is reflexes and finger speed. FFF surprised me with how well executed the journey is and how interesting a quiz bowl could be. I personally wouldn't do this at all, but I can see it beinga really competitive thing and that's what matters. What FFF does right is constantly developing the main character Koushiyama. Since he is the main character we are following, it is important that he doesn't get overshadowed by other characters, who are admittedly plot devices with no real development on their own. It's challenging to fit engaging characters throughout the whole run time due to the 12 episode constraint as well as obligatory rule explanations. However, FFF does it to a pretty good degree, putting characters in the limelight here and there and really showing their personalities. Koushiyama is undoubtedly the most developed of the cast, albeit perhaps a little too one dimensional. He has tremendous upside in the quiz bowl because he is a nerd to begin with. So naturally, he is rather decent at Quiz Bowl, but watching him develop into an above average player felt satisfying because the competitors all had more intense motivations and clashing ideologies about the sport. It made for an engaging narrative since there are implications like: do what you love and screw what other people say, move forward, relentlessly etc. It was really impressive for something that doesn't have a synopsis that'd pull much viewers. The animation is okay, it sometimes used it to its advantage and visually show us the inner working of people's minds with decent symbolism. Other then that, nothing really stood out to me and the OST is likewise forgettable. Heck, I can't remember any track playing. All in all, I came in with no expectations (as i usually do) and finished wanting more. It truly has potential and a longer run time would exponentially improve the development of characters. I really appreciate the passion displayed by these athletes, since I know the feeling of doing something nobody respected. Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life folks.

Pipe★ 6

Quizzes and more quizzes. They could be fun if the watchers feel the same interest in both the questions and the participants. If you don't like quizzes shows, then you immediately will consider Nana Maru San Batsu (Fastest Finger First) as a total waste of time, and the only fastest finger that you will end seeing is yours when you "change" for other show. I had been thinking how to rate this anime. Should I evaluate the questions, should I rate the quizzes modules, should I rate the characters? After a lot of thinking, I considered there is nothing to measure here. The story is the typical"nerd" with his glasses and every detail (Koshiyama). The destiny gave him the possibility to talk with a group of persons and ended joining the quizzes club from the school because Mari Fukami asked him. Then the story focuses on the game meetings against other schools, where Koshiyama finds a rival (Mikuriya). The climax appears when Koshiyama can't press the button faster, the inability to answer a certain group of questions, and when he challenges Mikuriya. So they spend a couple of minutes when Koshiyama starts analyzing the problems and figures a possible answer. That's all the story, nothing more. There are some unconcluded parts, for example, Mari's brother. The characters are the typical members of a school club with nothing special on them. They are in that club because they like it and will participate in the events because why not? The background of most of the characters they like quizzes, they study them, they need faster fingers, and ¡hey I found a rival!. The art and the music are what I consider standard nothing impressive here and nothing to complain about it. Finally, the characters do a little monologue when they try to figure an answer. It is the same repetition from question to question so you could end tired even if you like quizzes. Will I recommend this show to you? Maybe but you will consider it tedious.