YMMV / Mekakucity Actors

• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: In the fifth episode, Ene and Kano play a Yu-Gi-Oh! type game in a competition to embarrass their fellow teammates. It doesn't do much more than serve as humor or filler.
• Broken Base:
  • Does Shaft's signature Bakemonogatari style really fit the franchise or not?
  • Yet another: Is the anime's way of telling the story mysterious and intriguing, or is it just confusing viewers and not giving enough information?
  • The ending, in which Ayano, Haruka, and Hiyori come Back from the Dead. Fans are either happy that several beloved characters are back, or view it as a Broken Aesop of the series' message to let go of the past.
• Complete Monster: Kuro Konoha is at his absolute worst here. His actions can be described in detail here.
• Fanon Discontinuity: A large portion of the fandom has chosen to disregard the anime all together due to the poor quality animation, odd and rushed pacing, plot points that don't exist in the other media, a number of vague or unexplained happenings, and an ending that seemed to go back on the whole series's theme of letting go, accepting the past and moving on.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • The penultimate scene of the final episode, where Shion appears and comforts Marry, assuring her that she has made the correct choice, then reaffirming that she is happy before leaving her for the future that lies ahead.
  • Which is immediately followed by The Reveal that Ayano, Haruka, and Hiyori are Back from the Dead, and everyone meets up to have some fun.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • Kuro Konoha's laughter◊ from the Outer Science episode. The signature Shaft headtilt he did in that scene only adds to it.
  • The ninth episode features a random CGI segment at the start of the television version. It was likely due to being rushed and the video release features the normal art-style. Still, the sequence has become memetic due to how creepy it looks.
• Moe: Marry is even more adorable in the series due to being voiced by Kana Hanazawa, who adopts a cutesy and innocent approach. At one point, Kano even refers to her as a fluffball.
  Marry: I'm not a fluffball!
• Moment of Awesome:
  • During Episode 10, in response to several attackers with guns (and being shot several times), Azami employs the powers of her snakes to heal her wounds instantaneously, make her daughter invisible to the men, steal their attention, turn them to stone, and then frightens the last one off with a few stern words.
  • Before that, Momo's plan in Episode 2. Especially with the music.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • Full Medusa Marry's expression in Episode 8's ending, for sure◊.
  • The Heat Haze World, if you really think about it. Imagine being trapped in a time-loop of the day you died, forced to wander around a self-tailored hell based on where and how you died... forever. That is, unless you're trapped with a second person or Azami has the grace to send you back, as she seemed to do to Haruka and Takane.
  • The OP of episode 9 is supposed to be cute, but the poorly done CG on the faces makes it creepy. The redone version for the BD sets, by comparison, is in 2D and does a much better job of trying to be cute.
  • Episode 10 gives us our first look into the Heat Haze Daze when it's not putting someone through a time-loop. It's a hellish red, and filled with pillars of writhing snakes, 3 of which trap Azami, Shion, and Marry behind a shrine gate.
  • At the start of Episode 11, we are treated to a close-up of Kuro Konoha's facial expression, done entirely in black and red and lifted straight out of the Outer Science PV. Yes, it was already horrifying enough in the original PV; redrawing it was unnecessary.
  • During Episode 12, the Wide-Eyes Snake possesses Konoha's body to transform him into Kuro Konoha. Konoha's screams as he is engulfed in a writhing black mass of snakes sounds less than pleasant.
  • Similarly, Marry's screams as she becomes the Queen.
• One-Scene Wonder:
  • While he does appear in the OP and a brief moment at the start of Episode 11, Kuro Konoha only properly emerges during the second half of the last episode, and is dead within 5 minutes.
• Ship Tease: Not so much so far in the actual anime itself, But Kido and Kano have been getting awfully◊ cozy in◊ Official art.◊
  • In the anime itself there's Seto and Marry, the former running away in embarrassment after trying to explain something to the latter and failing; she also mentions how grateful she is to Seto for rescuing her; finally in Episode 10 once Imagination Forest starts playing, you can see Seto blushing upon seeing Marry for the first time and the lyrics also seem to indicate that Marry has feelings for him. Also, when Possessed!Kenjirou narrates Marry's story, he always refers to Seto ("The Boy") separate from the rest of the Dan, implying he is of greater emotional importance to Marry. It is also when Kuro Konoha attacks Seto that she snaps and goes to reset time.
• Special Effect Failure:
  • The CG graphics in the OP of episode 9 are widely considered to be the worst ever seen in an anime. Thankfully, the Blu-Ray fixed it by having a much better animation, though it wasn't in CG.
  • In the last episode Kuro Konoha looks rather cartoonish◊ and goofy◊, rather than menacing. There are also some rather ridiculous looking bits of animation for the Dan◊ once he starts throwing them around.
• Tear Jerker:
  • The Solemn Ending Theme, and the visuals accompanying it, which seem to be symbolic of the characters trapped in the Daze. And Hiyori is the only one left at the end. With a knowing smile.
  • Halfway through Episode 10, when Azami prepares herself to enter the Daze. Alone. Between how profusely she apologizes to Shion, Shion's screaming at her to stop, and Tsukihiko's howl of anguish when he arrives too late to stop her, it's a very painful scene to watch. Add to this the fact that Azami was first described on terms of an Emotionless Girl, and suddenly her pained facial expression as she says her final goodbye is a lot more heartbreaking.
  • This is followed up by the deaths of Shion and Marry. Shion manages to turn the first attacker to stone and reach her daughter, and as she died from using her powers, turned the second one to stone too... it was just too late to prevent him hitting Marry with his club. The fact that Azami could only save Marry makes it worse. Add to that the fact that this was the first time Marry ever ventured outside, and it's heartbreaking. No wonder she stayed a Hikikomori for 100 years.

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