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“DIY” Means Do it Yourself

Do It Yourself!! could be described as what happens when a bunch of King of the Hill fans are allowed to make their own anime. I say this as both a compliment and understanding the popularity of the latter among the anime community. While it’s easy to describe it as such – given its themes and overall concept. That is just what you see at a first glance.

It’s after watching a few episodes that you will notice that Do It Yourself!! stands out on its own merit. Most of the themes are on par, but it’s the world and collection of characters that make it stand out. This is more of a feel good series about a group of friends coming together to learn a craft. At the same time, the story follows each group members own unique challenges. 

What Is DIY?

Do It Yourself!! follows the members of the titular club at Gatagata Girls’ High School. It begins when Serufu Yua (a down-to-earth freshman) has an encounter with Rei Yasaku (the only member of the DIY Club). At first, she wants to use the lessons of the club to build a gift for her childhood friend Miku Suride (aka Purin), who has been cold and distant recently. While the plan doesn’t work, Serufu wants to get more involved in the club.

During the course of the series, new members join the club. Takumi Hikage, Juliet Queen Elizabeth VIII ( who prefers to go by Jobko), and Kokoro Kōki join the fun for their own reasons. They become close friends while also tackling a variety of projects (grand or small) and the challenges of school. Together they decide to build a proper clubhouse using the skills, materials, and tools they have. Along the way, they get into some friendly shenanigans while learning new skills and how to maintain their projects.

Doing Stuff With Somebody

From the start, Do It Yourself!! will get your attention with its warm-hearted comedy about classmates and artisan culture. Each episode will focus on the club and their projects or the challenges they face in life. They overcome them through hard work and the support of their community. Of course, there is plenty of comedy (especially when Serufu goes to the nurse’s office).

No slice-of-life series can be worth watching without having a collection of either lovable or relatable characters. Season 1 of Do It Yourself!! introduces us to a rich collection of lovable characters. Each one brings their own experience or personal struggle to the story. At the same time, they all work as a group to help each other while working to better themselves in the club. 

One also can’t overlook the warmhearted OP and ending theme song. The opening sets the mood for each episode and the overall series. While the ending theme lets you know it’s over but in a more heart-filled manner. Which I feel is important as this is a warmhearted series that will cheer you up with each episode.

In a treat for King of the Hill fans, the series does have a fair amount of nods to the iconic series. And yes – Rei Yasaku dad absolutely looks like Hank Hill. 

Finding a Place to Belong

Do It Yourself!! has interesting characters and a story to tell, but it also has its fair share of issues. The most obvious is the mixed feelings about the animation style and its reliance on genre tropes. 

From a visual perspective; the artistic style is one that requires you to get accustomed to or actually enjoy. If you enjoyed Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! then you have a good idea of the artistic style. I will admit that the style might not be everyone’s but I encourage you to give it a chance. For me; I have mixed opinions about it as I do see such a style being ideal for such a story while other times its faults can be obvious. 

As a slice of life, it relies too heavily on all the genre tropes. If this is your first slice-of-life anime, then this is not a problem. For genre regulars, it relies too much on the tropes and uses them too quickly. There is nothing wrong with falling back on the tropes but it needs to be done right. Do It Yourself!! does it right half the time and the other is executed in a cliche manner. 

“DIY” Means You Can Do It

The premier of Do It Yourself!! can easily be summed up as what happens when a bunch of King of the Hill fans are allowed to make their own anime (in all the right ways). It has all the charm of a warmhearted comedy will the perfect characters and environment. Its visual style may not be for everyone but you should still give it a watch through.

Disclaimer: I watched the entire season on Crunchyroll, which I pay for myself.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides an insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Do It Yourself!! (Season 1)

8

Excellent

8.0/10

Pros

• A warm-hearted comedy about classmates and artisan culture.
• A rich collection of lovable characters.
• Fantastic OP and ending theme song.

Cons

• Artistic style may not be to everyone's taste.
• Relies too heavily on all the genre tropes.