A little late to the party now that Christmas’s gone and passed, but it seems fitting to conclude this year’s 12 Days of Anime with a post on Amagi Brilliant Park. People celebrate the holidays in a number of different ways, but many of them do so with family and friends. And what’s more quintessential family time than at the amusement park?
One thought I’d like to leave about Amagi Brilliant Park is just how much it emphasizes what goes on behind the scenes of an amusement park. We think of amusement parks as places of laughter, good times, and fun. Some amusement parks, like Disneyland, tout themselves as “the happiest places on Earth”. Whether you’re a starstruck kid or a seasoned adult, you can’t help but at least appreciate how much work goes into creating a safe place for kids to dream, imagine and create.
Having fun is easy. Making things fun for everyone is hard work. Rewarding to be sure, but grueling nonetheless. Watching the antics of Kanie and the AmaBuri crew as they scramble to get their act together and meet their visitor quota for the year is occasionally thought-provoking, mostly absurd, and always entertaining.
Behind every successful attraction, performance, or ride, is hours and hours of calculated work and determination. For those of you who are acquainted with the task of special events planning or performances, you know how much preparation work goes on behind the scenes, all those long hours where you and your woefully understaffed band of coworkers slave away to make magic for everyone else.
And then after all that, you wonder how you’re to muster the strength (and idiotic insanity!) to do it all again the next day.
What message are we supposed to take away from Amagi Brilliant Park? Their dubious business strategies that rake in visitors at the cost of financial efficiency? Their slapstick comedic acts eliciting both eye-rolls and peals of laughter?
“When it really came down to it,..I couldn’t have done this alone. We only reached the goal because of everyone here. You…have my thanks!” -Kanie Seiya
Cooperative spirit goes a long way and Amagi Brilliant Park has come a long ways from the rundown, apathetic attraction it was in the first episode. The park’s revitalization was not merely a physical or structural one, it was an emotional one too. While some emotional trials were more compelling than others, Kanie falling in love with his job at Amagi is one that we can all relate to. Blessed are those who find their jobs both rewarding and fun.
On a more personal note, I’d like to thank each and every one of my readers. Like those at AmaBuri, it’s always a good feeling to have reached a milestone. This month, Anime Monographia celebrates its first birthday, and hopefully, many more. Blogging hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been fun.
Look forward to the obligatory post on this year’s top anime and have a happy new year!
Anime Monographia 
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