“Wagnaria!!3” is delightful and fun! For anime fans looking for a slice-of-life anime series with a lot of comedy and characters, will surely enjoy this third season as characters try to take their feelings for other characters to the next level. Recommended!
Image courtesy of © Karino Takatsu/SQUARE ENIX, “WANGARIA!!3” Project. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Wagnaria!!3 Vol. 1
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 2015
DURATION: Episode 1-7 (27-34) (166 Minutes)
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: Aniplex
RATED: Suggested 13 and Up
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Originally created by Karino Takatsu
Directed by Yumi Kamakura
Series Composition by Takao Yoshioka
Music by monaca
Character Design by Shingo Adachi
Animation Director: Shingo Adachi
Anime Production: A-1 Pictures
Featuring the following voice talent:
Jun Fukuyama as SÅta Takanashi
Kana Asumi as Popura Taneshima
Saki Fujita as Mahiru Inami
Ai Orikasa as Shizuka Takanashi
Akiko Kawase as Maya Matsumoto
Daisuke Ono as Jun SatÅ
Eri Kitamura as Yachiyo Todoroki
Haruka Tomatsu as Mitsuki Mashiba
Hiroshi Kamiya as HirÅmi SÅma
Jouji Nakata as HyÅgo Otoo
Koji Yusa as TÅru Minegishi
Kumiko Watanabe as KyÅko Shirafuji
Momoko Saito as Nazuna Takanashi
Ryoko Shiraishi as Kazue Takanashi
Ryou Hirohashi as Aoi Yamada
Satoshi Hino as Kirio Yamada
Shizuka Itou as Kozue Takanashi
YÅko Hikasa as Izumi Takanashi
YÅ«ichi Nakamura as YÅhei Mashiba
Sota Takanashi, who loves all things small, one day got invited to work at the family restaurant WAGNARIA by Popura Taneshima, an upperclassman at school. There, he discovered all kinds of eccentric characters that turned his working experience into something unexpected. What kind of dangerous comedy awaits Sota and his coworkers at WAGNARIA today?
On his day off, Sota receives a call from someone called “Minegishi.” Claiming to be under the order of Sota’s mom, “Minegishi” is snooping around for information. Back at WAGNARIA, Sato finally musters up the courage to ask Yachiyo out on a date, but Yachiyo starts acting weird after that. Meanwhile, Sota and Mahiru’s relationship is at an awkward stage after Sota said something. Seeing this happening, Sota’s sister Izumi decides to do something about it. And finally, Yamada reveals the truth about her running away…
In 2005, mangaka Karino Takatsu wrote and illustrated a Japanese four-panel comic strip manga series known as “Working!!” (a.k.a. “Wagnaria!!”).
Serialized in Square Enix’s Young Gangan magazine from 2005-2014, a total of three anime seasons were created in 2010, 2011 and in 2015.
While the first two seasons were released by NIS America, the third season “Wagnaria!!3” was released on Blu-ray courtesy of Aniplex of America.
“Wagnaria!!3” is a series about a group of people who work in the family restaurant, “Wagnaria”.
The characters are:
- Sota Takanashi – The main character, a 16-year-old high school student who was recruited to work for the restaurant by Popura.   He lives with his four sisters (three older and one younger). And because his older sisters have mistreated him, he has a dislike towards older women.
- Popura Taneshima – A 17-year-old student who is short and can be clumsy at times.
- Mahiru Inami – A 17-year-old who works at Wagnaria and has a fear of men (androphobia). She tends to punch any male that comes near her. She has a crush on Sota.
- Kyoko Shirafuji – The manager of Wagnaria and dependent on her workers, as she is apathetic to it and doesn’t really know how to run it. Nor does she put any work to it.
- Yachiyo Todoroki – The 20-year-old chief of staff of Wagnaria. She is often seen carrying a katana. She works closely with Jun, unaware that he has a crush on her.
- Jun Sato – Jun is a chef at Wagnaria and is deeply in love with Yachiyo but not good at expressing his emotions, as he is rather stoic.
- Hiroomi Soma – Another chef at the restaurant who is easygoing. He often blackmails his fellow co-workers in doing jobs for him.
- Aoi Yamada – A 16-year-old who is training at the restaurant and often gets in trouble.
- Hyogo Otoo – The owner of Wagnaria.
- Maya Matsumoto – An 18-year-old who has a hard time understanding her co-workers.
- Nazuna Takanishi – Sota’s younger sister. She is volunteering at the restaurant.
- Kirio Yamada – Aoi’s older brother who has been looking for her. He has a crush on Mahiru.
VIDEO:
“Wagnaria!!3” is presented in 1080p High Definition. animation is good, slightly soft was one can expect form a TV series but a colorful anime series that compliments the manga series. Cut scenes are well-detailed and emotion is well-captured and scenes are well-acted.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Wagnaria!!3” is presented in Japanese Linear PCM Stereo. Dialogue is crystal clear and the voice acting is well-done. It’s important to emphasize that there is no English dub included.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Wagnaria!!3” comes with no special features.
EXTRAS:
“Wagnaria!!3″ comes with four collectible illustration postcards, a slipcase featuring illustrations by Shingo Adachi and a clear case with 2-sided covers.
For those who like slice of life anime series, will no doubt enjoy “Wagnaria!!3”, a character driven series about a group of people working for a family restaurant.
In season three, characters take the next step to possibly have relationships.
Jun who has been in love with Yachiyo, decides to ask her out and finally confess his feelings to her. But will he do it?
Meanwhile, Sota is starting to have some feelings towards Mahiru and is confused by what he is feeling. Meanwhie, Sota’s older sister Izumi wants Sota to go on a date but who is this girl that wears a bag over her face?
Meanwhile, Kirio finally finds the sister that he has been looking for and it turns out that his sister is Aoi. Aoi explains to her fellow staff members of why she hasn’t been home.
For the most part, the anime series is fun and entertaining. It’s a slice of life anime series that revolve around the employees at the Wagnaria family restaurant. And the fun hijinks continues, but now we start to see more development with various relationships.
As for the Blu-ray release, animation is good, slightly soft was one can expect form a TV series but a colorful anime series that compliments the manga series. Cut scenes are well-detailed and emotion is well-captured and scenes are well-acted. Lossless audio is primarily Japanese Linear PCM Stereo with no English dub included. Unfortunately, there are no special features.
But being an Aniplex release, you get four collectible illustration postcards, a slipcase featuring illustrations by Shingo Adachi and a clear case with 2-sided covers.
As for the first half of the series, “Wagnaria!!3” doesn’t really require knowledge of the series and people can jump into the series without watching the previous two seasons, but you will lose context of various relationships and not have much of the impact, for those who know the history of the characters from the previous two seasons.
Overall, “Wagnaria!!3” is delightful and fun! For anime fans looking for a slice-of-life anime series with a lot of comedy and characters, will surely enjoy this third season as characters try to take their feelings for other characters to the next level. Recommended!
