Have you ever heard of the legendary Ramen Noodle truck? The only way to get a taste is to catch up with it. Enter Next A-Class, a surprisingly flashy and fun little time considering it is literally a six-minute Japanese car advertisement made in 2012. Despite how short it is, however, the adrenaline rush you'll get watching this anime short is nothing short of thrilling.
By and large the best part of this short is the animation. You'd think it wouldn't have much effort put into it, but by lord Frith himself, is this a damn good looking Original Net Animation. The amount of detail and effort crammed into the unbelievably short runtime is simply astounding, and it's more than likely the first thing you'll notice when watching it. It's realistic, colorful, at times even breathtaking, and ends up memorable as a result.
The story, while as orthodox and basic as one can possibly be, serves the purpose of the narrative well enough, so I can hardly complain. This isn't Shinsekai Yori, nor is it meant to be.
The sound design is also quite competent, with blood-pumping rock playing in the background and sound effects that fit the mood more than anything, with wheels screeching and the characters temporarily losing their minds as they attempt to catch up with this legendary Ramen Noodle truck.
Speaking of the characters, of which there are mainly three of, while their development is obviously near nonexistent, they have a rather distinct amount of qualities going for them. For one, their designs are incredibly unique and memorable, most likely as a result of the fantastic art direction. Their dialogue is also just punchy enough to make them feel like actual human beings, with some fundamental personality built earlier on so you care about the adventure they experience. It can be difficult to relate to them, as I certainly don't think any normal person would risk their lives over some ramen stand no matter how damn good those noodles are. But since it's Next A-Class, it can do whatever it wants because being realistic is the least of its worries, animation aside.
Overall, this was an entertaining time, no alcohol required. For how blisteringly fast it goes by, Next A-Class has phenomenal rewatch value and some seriously unparalleled artwork. If you have six minutes of your life to spare and feel like watching a Mercedes-Benz high-tailing the legendary Ramen Noodle truck, then I'd suggest you go for broke and give it a shot. It can be easily found on the official Mercedes-Benz Japan YouTube channel with subtitles, so I'd suggest one to start there.
"Life is like a bowl of ramen. The noodles are the events that come and go while the broth is your friends. Don't slurp too quickly!" -Board of Wisdom
By and large the best part of this short is the animation. You'd think it wouldn't have much effort put into it, but by lord Frith himself, is this a damn good looking Original Net Animation. The amount of detail and effort crammed into the unbelievably short runtime is simply astounding, and it's more than likely the first thing you'll notice when watching it. It's realistic, colorful, at times even breathtaking, and ends up memorable as a result.
The story, while as orthodox and basic as one can possibly be, serves the purpose of the narrative well enough, so I can hardly complain. This isn't Shinsekai Yori, nor is it meant to be.
The sound design is also quite competent, with blood-pumping rock playing in the background and sound effects that fit the mood more than anything, with wheels screeching and the characters temporarily losing their minds as they attempt to catch up with this legendary Ramen Noodle truck.
Speaking of the characters, of which there are mainly three of, while their development is obviously near nonexistent, they have a rather distinct amount of qualities going for them. For one, their designs are incredibly unique and memorable, most likely as a result of the fantastic art direction. Their dialogue is also just punchy enough to make them feel like actual human beings, with some fundamental personality built earlier on so you care about the adventure they experience. It can be difficult to relate to them, as I certainly don't think any normal person would risk their lives over some ramen stand no matter how damn good those noodles are. But since it's Next A-Class, it can do whatever it wants because being realistic is the least of its worries, animation aside.
Overall, this was an entertaining time, no alcohol required. For how blisteringly fast it goes by, Next A-Class has phenomenal rewatch value and some seriously unparalleled artwork. If you have six minutes of your life to spare and feel like watching a Mercedes-Benz high-tailing the legendary Ramen Noodle truck, then I'd suggest you go for broke and give it a shot. It can be easily found on the official Mercedes-Benz Japan YouTube channel with subtitles, so I'd suggest one to start there.
"Life is like a bowl of ramen. The noodles are the events that come and go while the broth is your friends. Don't slurp too quickly!" -Board of Wisdom