A comedy shonen anime about a chicken probably sounds absurd at first thought. But for Rooster Fighter, it takes the premise and makes it work so well and commits to the bit fully.
Rooster Fighter follows Keiji, a pretty stoic and intense rooster who travels from town to town in Japan to defeat demons. His ultimate goal is to avenge his sister Sara by finding and killing “The White Demon” responsible for killing his sister. The more you watch it, the more it seems like Demon Slayer with a chicken-filled character lineup.
The series plays this plot completely straight, which makes for some pretty silly comedy. There is no breaking the fourth wall or acknowledgment that any of this is weird. With that in mind, the show was easy to keep watching even if you’re apprehensive about the premise. For this review, I watched Episodes 1 through 3 of the show’s English dub to get a feel for what it’s all about.
Initial Thoughts
I was familiar with Rooster Fighter before watching it, since I wrote about the announcement when the show was first announced to the public. I’ve kept up with it, so there were obviously some expectations that I had.
I was most excited to hear Patrick Seitz as Keiji. It’s kind of jarring to hear the voice of Endeavor from My Hero Academia in the body of a chicken, but the contrast helps to add to the humor.
Anyone who’s ever been terrorized by the Cuccos in The Legend of Zelda should already know that chickens in anime or video games don’t play around. Keiji feels cut from the same cloth as a character, and he’s easy to root for throughout the series.
The designs for the demons here are worth mentioning as well. Mangaka Shu Shiratani clearly has a true understanding of human anatomy and no interest in sticking to conventional designs. Who else manages to make an anime where a giant monster with three heads and three boobs fits in perfectly?
Dry Humor with a Straight Face
After watching the first few episodes, you see that this show leans heavily into dry, deadpan humor. There are plenty of chicken-related jokes, like a kid casually offering Keiji yakitori. The jokes are done sparingly enough that they stay funny.
There is plenty of comedy in the contrast between what viewers hear Keiji say and how the rest of the characters hear him. His voice makes him seem like a stoic warrior on a mission, while everyone else just hears him clucking like a normal chicken. What’s even more interesting is that the world still treats him with respect despite being an animal.
There are a lot of moments that come completely out of left field. Early on in the show, I witnessed some chicken-on-chicken action that was not ideal viewing for my family’s living room, but it fits perfectly with the show’s vibe. The humor is quite silly, but the show’s commitment to playing everything seriously is what makes it land.
Voice Acting Carries, but the Animation Varies
One of the strongest parts of this anime is the voice acting, especially in the English dub. As mentioned before, Patrick Seitz does a wonderful job as Keiji. His deep, brooding voice was just the right choice to make me believe in Keiji’s mission.
We have some additional talented folks on the cast, including one of my personal favorites. Luci Christian brings to life Keiji’s companion Elizabeth. Robbie Daymond (my favorite!) comes in as as Keiji’s younger brother Keisuke.
I’ve raved enough about my enjoyment of the anime so far, but one downside to Rooster Fighter for me was the actual animation. It’s not necessarily bad, but some aspects felt a tad inconsistent.
Some of the proportions are slightly off, and some characters come across a little awkward, almost like bobbleheads or overly elongated faces. It didn’t ruin the viewing experience at all, but it was noticeable enough to stand out at times.
That said, it is refreshing to see designs that are clearly hand-drawn in a world that continues to be saturated with AI-generated art. The joy of art is that it’s human, and has its imperfections after all.
Final Thoughts: Entertaining Premise, but How Far Can It Go?
Just a few episodes in, I feel that Rooster Fighter takes a premise that I thought would be a one-joke throwaway and turned it into a show that I looked forward to watching after a long day of work. The straight-faced execution along with the dry humor and strong voice acting really makes it a fun watch whethet you’re a comedy buff or shonen fan.
Regardless of the entertainment value, there’s the question of longevity. A silly concept like this can only stretch so far before the joke runs out of steam. Based on my viewing experience, I don’t have an answer just yet. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how far the Rooster Fighter anime series continues on and builds the world up to expand the narrative.
For now, though, it’s something that I would recommend to anyone that’s wanting an easy-to-understand and fun show. Go in with an open mind to watch the show, and you may end up with an experience that exceed your egg-spectations!
