Do you have superhero-like abilities and are bored with yourself? If so, join our Little Garden! Or so says a mysterious letter address to particular chosen individuals. Mondaiji combines various characters and elements to create an interesting though, if honestly speaking, most improbable story. Regardless, it's an entertaining ride full of action and plot twists. The show combines the special abilities focus of Code: Breaker (without all the silly verbal stuff), a clan-based approach similar to that seen in K, the ability-gathering aspect of Champione, and the strange ability to materialize contracts and arbitrate battles as seen in Baka To Test. If you want an action-packed show with practically no character focus, give this Little Garden a try.
Animation:
The animation quality is fair for a filler show. The show uses a very varied color palette and focuses on coloring more so than drawing detail. (i.e. the coloring is very vivid but most of the backgrounds are blurred out). The primary characters are all very distinct though certain peculiar character features are never explained (how bunny girl goes super-saiyan pink, how Izayoi's earphones are indestructible, etc.). There is an abundance of supporting characters though most of them don't matter.
There is a significant amount of fighting in this show so expect a decent dosage of action. While nothing is expertly choreographed, the series does fill a medium-sized action craving after having just finished multiple harems. Do expect slight amounts of blood though the camera shies away from the more gruesome attacks and injuries. There is some fan service in the form of bunny girl and her attire, though most of the ecchi comes from the thoughts and implied conversations between Izayoi and Shiroyasha.
Sound:
The series starts with a fake-out OP, which starts as a slow mysterious piece, but quickly reveals its true rock-based roots and barely passable melody. The comical, character-sung ED, is fun mostly due to the ending animation that fits the lyrics. The BGM is pretty standard-fare with the only distinction being a heavy emphasis on saxophone during some of the more interesting sequences.
The VA cast is fairly good and includes some veterans such as Satomi Arai and Iori Nomizu who add greatly to the liveliness of the cast.
Story:
To start, I don't think "problem children" is a fair description of the show, it's more about bored superheros that want to try something new. Supposedly, these superheros have unique problem personalities (I'm thinking of a certain 90's show that searches for "teens with attitude") though I don't buy it completely after finishing the show. Though to be honest, that's just the beginning of a whole laundry list of things that don't make sense or aren't explained by this show. To really enjoy this show you need to just sit back and try not to think too much.
So three teenagers (from different earth-like worlds at different historic times) are mysteriously sent letters that eventually teleport them to an alternate world where various humanoid creatures live in communities that compete against each other for survival and special abilities called gifts. These teenagers apparently innately possess powerful gifts that a particular struggling community would like to leverage. For once, this story does not use an arc based approach. Rather, it is just a series of events that drags our heroes around the Little Garden, giving plenty of excuses for random battles. The show builds in the last few episodes to a fairly grand climax. The resolution, in comparison, is quite vague and leaves the door wide open for a sequel.
If you set aside the fact that the show fails to explain much of what is happening underneath the covers, it's a fairly entertaining watch. If anything, I got annoyed with the sense that the male protagonist would solve any issues that they encounter, as his plot-shield seemed to be indestructible.
Character:
Speaking of characters, there isn't actually that much to be said here. There is very minimal background explications for all of the characters as the story focuses squarely on current events. To be honest, they all feel like very shallow cookie-cutter characters; I will admit that it's nice change to see a male protagonist who can actually do stuff and who actually has a brain. The show does employ character spammage though it feels a bit more reasonable here given the huge size of the Little Garden.
Value:
If there is anything to dull the excitement, it's Izayoi's overpowering strength. There really isn't a valid conclusion to this show so you'll just have to take the existing action at face value. While this isn't going to go down as a very memorable show, it's a decent watch if you have a few hours to kill or if you have a craving for a bit of action.
