chu-bra

Chu-bra is a very odd show.

In structure it's a bit like one of those cartoon shows for younger or teenage audiences where the characters experience problems and issues and thereby help the audience realise they're not the only ones having those problems. So, for example, they might enter puberty or have their first relationship with the opposite sex or hey, maybe the same sex - you get the idea.

But it's about underwear.

The title - Chu-bra - is one of those Japanese abbreviations like Cos-Play where they've truncated words to get it. So where Cosplay is Costume-Play, Chu-Bra is Choose Brassiere, as in choose your correct underwear.

The central character is a young girl who seems to be obsessed with underwear. In particular, with her friends and helping them pick the right underwear.

Now it should be noted that this does make her odd in the anime. She's not positioned as having normal interests that go un-remarked and occasional mileage is made of her essentially being like a lecherous old man.

Similarly there's a degree of weirdness over the ages of the characters - they're pretty young and the art style does emphasise their youthfulness. It isn't going so far as to be properly peado-bait or loli stuff, but there is some fan-service. Depending on how you generally feel about that sort of thing, it could easily be too much, but I dunno, it's not generally presented in a sexual way (the main character is oddly innocent) unless a point is being made or there's a gag to be had.

And don't let me hood-wink you - the series is about young girls and underwear.

But as I think you can tell I actually kinda liked it, but not for that reason. My liking it came back to the first point I was making about how it's like one of those 'growing up' and 'issue's shows and if you take it in that context, it hangs together rather well.

For example, it also explores things like friendship, first love, loneliness... as well as panties.

I dunno, there's a point to be heard that it's indefensibly pervy, but at the same time it's surprisingly well done.