Based on the fact that MAL’s rating for Amagi Brilliant Park is based on 104 thousand ratings, I’ll won’t pretend this is a hidden gen or anything of the sort, but, if it is sitting in your backlog, I’d encourage you to advance up the list.
Honestly, this is one of the few animes I’ve watched where I don’t immediately skip the opening. Something about it just puts a smile on my face. If it looks familar, I’d point back to the first paragraph, but also mention that this is a KyoAni (Kyoto Animation) production. KyoAni has made many well-recieved animes perhaps the most ubiquitous of which on Tumblr would be Free! So, if you liked the look of Free!, this series is more or less looks the same. I would say Amagi is more traditional where Free! had some more CG-esque water effects, and the color palette is a little more muted (not much, but, I remember Free! being very saturated).
Storywise, I’d summarize it as: imagine Disneyworld was shit, and they hired a cocky high school kid to turn it around. That’s the overarching thrust of the story. Is there more to it? Yeah. The mascots are real and are displaced residents of “Maple Land” - a magical world. Most all of that takes a back seat to Kanie Seiya - aforementioned cocky high school kid - applying his knowledge to bringing more customers in to the park while dealing with the eccentric staff.
I’ll be honest. It has been awhile since I’ve watched the main series, so I’m doing a lot off memory. I came across one of the specials today and watched, and I figured I’d start off with a show that still amuses me when I reflect on my time watching it.
Amagi Brilliant Park is one of the few animes I consider rewatching. It is on Crunchyroll (minus the last episode or specials). So, find your favorite YouTuber (Dan, Phil, Jacksfilms) and use the free trials they offer (they all seem to) or deal with the commercials and give the first episode a try. If you want to watch the whole thing, be prepared to deal with the last episode being missing on Crunchyroll how ever you deal with those things.
