Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu
Based on the award winning light novel by Inoue Kenji, this anime adaptation made its debut with the 2010 Winter line-up and runs for 13 episodes.
Yoshii Akihisa attends Fumizuki Academy, a school that rewards those that do well on tests and spits on those that do not. The favoritism is evident by the luxuries given to “A” class students in the form of air conditioners and plasma TVs, while the “F” class students are forced to attend classes with broken down tables and filthy straw tatami mats. Basically, they must live like paupers. (Now, we all know that testing can’t always determine the intelligence of an individual. Heck, some people just choke on tests.)
Yoshii and his friend, class President, Yuuji, doesn’t think this is fair so they set out to do something about it. They embark on a series of battles where the winners get to switch equipment with the losers. These aren’t ordinary battles. Apparently, the students are talented enough that they can summon chibi versions of themselves. There are various rules involved, but the true plan is to see if tests really do make the man!
This series is hilarious, therefore appealing to the anime fan that enjoys a good laugh. It was recently licensed by Funimation, and their website will allow you to “download to own” an episode for $1.99. I’m hoping for an English dub on DVD release, but that remains to be seen.
