Nerawareta gakuen

It is difficult to review a TV series from the 80s with all the technological development that has happened (just the phone the protagonist uses is a thing of wonder; let aside her room with a TV that... well, is from another era). With the CGI that is used nowadays all the time, the poor FX of "Nerawareta gakuen" sides on the risible.

However, maybe because of that, the show has a charm that helps overcome its shortcomings. If you add an interesting (even if too simple, plot), good humor and interesting characters, you have a nice and short series.

At Kazumi's high school a new student has arrived. And her purpose seems to take over all the school, using her psychic powers to control everything, and make the students study, study, study... No time for fun, sport or relationships. Behind this new student is a shady figure. Kazumi, who also has psychic powers, and her friends will try to stop this mysterious couple.

The show follows the mis-adventures of Kazumi and friends trying to stop these unknown couple with strange powers. In short episodes (around 20 minutes) that all have little plot developments, the characters keep clashing against each other. Little by little we get to know the real purpose of the new students, while we wonder why some of the characters overact so much. It is all a little bit silly, but at the same time the pace, the agreeable characters and the atmosphere of the 80s make for a good time, with some very funny moments to add to the mix.

"Nerawareta gakuen" will be enjoyed more as a curio than anything else, because it is really outdated. But it ticks all the boxes in the nostalgia's list...