Watched: Sub
Seeing this anime announced was fantastic news for me. Not because I’ve read the manga, but because I love Nichijou. That is also why it’s very important to mention that this is not Nichijou; if you come into the show expecting more of that you may be disappointed. However, there are obvious similarities, with Kyoto Animation handling the adaptation, the art style being the same, and even the surreal comedy elements.
That being said, Nichijou primarily dealt with a smaller cast and focused mostly on a school setting. true to its name, CITY really focuses on a whole city, although Nagumo, Niikura, and Wako are generally treated as the main characters. Nichijou’s structure was closer to a compilation of sketches, with some callbacks that might require a bit more viewing. CITY on the other hand has a bit more overarching plot and development going on, though don’t expect it to be too story heavy either. Put another way, CITY simply requires a bit more background knowledge from previous events to really work usually, while Nichijou can be viewed as individual clips with no context.
It is a shame that coming from the same author, with the same art style, and the same studio handling adaptation that it’s hard not to compare this to Nichijou. That being said, I think the show really does stand on its own. The animation quality is fantastic, both the OP and ED are a lot of fun, and there are plenty of laughs. The only thing perhaps harming this show is that it was an Amazon Prime Video release in the US, a platform I generally associate even less with anime than Hulu. However, I recommend for both fans of Nichijou and those who have never seen it to give this one a chance. It really is just a show about having fun, and even managed to work in some heartfelt moments.
Verdict
Watch