[APRIL FOOLS] Cory in the House Review (Episodes 1-3)

When it comes to anime in 2007, you might think of mainstream titles like Hidamari Sketch, Lucky Star, or Clannad. However fans who lived through that period of anime history typically agree that Cory in the House was the breakout hit of that year.

At the time it was the latest series from Disney, known for their traditionally animated feature films such as Oliver New York Koneko Monogatari (released in the US as Oliver & Company) and Llama ni Natta Osama (released in the US as The Emperor’s New Groove). Cory in the House was a spin-off of the 2003 anime Reibun Miechattecho Taihen! (That’s so Raven!) and featured Cory Baxter, the younger brother of Raven Baxter who moved into the White House when his father gets a job as a chef.

Cory in the House
Studios: Walt Disney Studios
Publishers: Disney Channel
Directors: Rich Correll, David Kendall, Eric Dean Seaton, Rondell Sheridan, Roger Christiansen, Carl Lauten, Marc Warren, Mark Cendrowski

Cory in the House is the perfect series for fans nostalgic for the comedic slice of life which pervaded most of the 2000s and may have missed this obscure gem. Walt Disney Studios managed to sidestep the pitfalls of 3D animation (which even today isn’t that good in anime) by instead doing the entire anime in live action, a bold move which ultimately paid off.

Each episode is largely self-contained, giving it the feel of a skit-based anthology series. But this isn’t uncommon for the slice of life genre.

The show is largely carried by Cory as the main focus of the series, and many of the side characters are given chances to shine through subplots. However despite being an anime aimed at teens, the adults in the show seem largely infantile and poorly written.

Ultimately, Cory in the House is an ambitious project from Disney which overshadows its competition in that year. With its clever use of live-action instead of traditional animation, Cory in the House has a leg up over its competition like the highly stylized Lucky Star.

Fans of slice of life shouldn’t miss out on this classic anime.