Gabriel DropOut

Episodes 1-2

As a high school comedy with an interesting twist, Gabriel DropOut is fantasy-flavored slice-of-life done right. Despite featuring a smattering of character archetypes we've seen in countless other comedies (the easygoing slacker, the long-suffering sidekick, the egotistical frenemy, etc.), the show's first two episodes are consistently entertaining enough to account for this relative lack of originality—though I'm not sure this will be the case throughout the entire cour. Even if you were to take away the “angels and demons” conceit, you'd still be left with a pretty decent “quirky teen girls hang out” series.

Gabriel DropOut wastes no time in laying out its core premise. Within the first few minutes of the premiere, viewers are shown the titular character's literal fall from grace. Shortly after being sent to the human world to observe and assist mankind, overachieving angel Gabriel White Tenma becomes hooked on MMORPGs and various other first world indulgences, causing her to quickly transform into a reclusive, hedonistic layabout. Like any good slacker, Gabriel is kept in line by a straight-and-narrow best friend: Vignette April Tsukinose (Vigne), a good-natured demon who's also Gabriel's neighbor and classmate. At school, the duo frequently clash with the short-tempered, slightly tsundere Satanichia McDowell Kurumizawa (Satania), who touts herself as the future queen of Hell, perhaps indicating that she's the daughter of Satan. Being such an easy mark, Satania consistently finds herself on the receiving end of mischievous and sadistic angel Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha's shenanigans, the salutatorian in Gabriel's graduating class from angel school.

As is often the case with shows of this type, each episode showcases a collection of shorts instead of telling a single story. Fortunately, this format works well here, with each skit going on just long enough to avoid wearing out its welcome. Once every possible gag has been mined from a particular setup, the show moves on to its next story without leaving any missed joke opportunities in its wake. So far, the characters function primarily as joke-delivery systems instead of distinctively fleshed-out personalities, but since Gabriel DropOut's modus operandi is generating laughs, this isn't really a problem. Even though none of the situations Gabriel and company have been plunked into feel particularly original, the show is able to get by purely on the strength of its gags.

While I realize this isn't a story-driven series, and I think the fast pace generally works to its advantage, the setup needs to be expanded on. Gabriel making the transition from perfect independent do-gooder to slovenly game addict over the course of a single screen wipe is an effective gag, but it left certain aspects of the plot unclear. For example, during the time skip, Gabriel met Satania and Vigne—the two most important supporting characters—and these meaningful encounters should have been shown to the audience, even if they were later conveyed through flashbacks.

Although Satania's tsundere personality suits her—a wannabe demon queen whose bark is far worse than her bite—it can get grating at times, even if she's far less annoying than most characters of this personality type. Similarly, Vignette's nurturing nature being at odds with her demon heritage would be funnier if it were remarked upon more often or gave way to more frequent internal conflict. However, since it's suggested that these two knew each other before coming to Earth, there's potential for a flashback episode of their school days in the demon world.

Aesthetically, Gabriel DropOut is nothing special, but it's pleasant enough to look at. The character designs are more moe, with most of the girls possessing rounded faces, large eyes and shiny cheeks. In keeping with Doga Kobo's usual standards, the show features an abundance of bright colors and smooth character animation. The bright and cheerful color palette is at odds with Gabriel's pessimistic, misanthropic behavior, but that makes the whole presentation even funnier.

Despite rushing some of the secondary players' introductions, Gabriel DropOut provides viewers with a likable if cliché cast of characters and a generous helping of effective gags. None of the situations or character dynamics are particularly original (even wicked angels and kindhearted demons have been done in the likes of shows like Angel Sanctuary), but the charming jokes and interactions between the core cast help make Gabriel DropOut one of this season's better slice-of-life offerings.

Rating: A-

Gabriel DropOut is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.