Alma-Chan Wants to Be a Family! – Episode 1

Content Warning: Flashing lights

What’s it about? Alma is small. Alma is sweet. Alma is…kind of a weapon of unparalleled destruction?! But don’t let that stop you from thinking this self-educating AI is all problem and no solution; in truth, all Alma wants to do is have a family!

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Episode 1 starts off immediately demonstrating AI android Alma’s immense capacity as a militarized weapon capable of snap decisions and utter destruction. Created by scientific genius Enji and Suzume, Alma is an advanced wonder that will demonstrate just how wrong the world was to shun two scientist.

But there’s just one problem: Alma doesn’t see Enji and Suzume as her creators. She sees them as her parents, and just wants to have a family with them.

This, of course, kickstarts a Spy x Family style sci-fi comedy where one android just kind of wants to be a young girl despite being able to destroy a tank. With a little tweaking to the local government’s records, Alma sets in motion making her family true on pen and paper. 

I compared this to Spy x Family because it is very similar in foundational concept: a man and a woman of unique skills come together and have a false family with a child that has unusual–or in this case, scientifically crafted–abilities. We saw this with Buddy Daddies, too: it’s a kind of comfortable sandbox to set a series in because often, it works and when executed well, well…it produces a franchise like Spy x Family. 

Where Alma-Chan Wants to Be a Family differs is that this is an oddball comedy about two scientists who are definitely in love with each other, but are clearly socially on the fringe of things. Also, there’s a daughter neither of them expected to love from the start, and who also wants to be a human girl, at least in behavior. This is outright a romantic comedy with Alma as a twist, and for that, I enjoy it.

It’s not dynamically different than those two series I’ve named, but honestly, I don’t care because I think Alma-chan is right up my alley in terms of a low-stakes series. The most dangerous problem in this premiere? Enji and Suzume trying to fall asleep in bed with Alma because they so obviously like each other but are so anxious to do so because they can hear each other’s sleep sounds. Actually, it might be Alma’s first errand to get her new parents a limited edition sweet treat.

It’s those elements that, while not unique, combine to make one of my favorite premieres this season, if I’m being honest. I was just so immediately charmed by Alma and the half hour I spent with her that I couldn’t help but ponder how much it would be to import the entire series, especially since it’s only three volumes long, plus one additional volume for the sequel. I think that’s a good mark of how much this premiere hit just right.

Let’s be honest: Alma-chan Wants to Be a Family isn’t breaking the mold completely. It’s not rewriting the tried and true found family anime formula, nor is it going to set the new standard. And that’s okay because I still found myself wanting to watch the next episode because it’s so darn cozy and cute that I don’t care if it ever becomes more than the sum of its premiere. I’ll still park myself on the couch and enjoy this the same as all of the anime I’ve been anticipating because it makes me happy, and that’s enough to declare it good.

More and more, as seasons balloon in size to larger premieres, I’ve found that series like Alma-chan Wants to Be a Family! are welcome, not because of their potential to spawn a second season or anything larger than what we see, but because they provide a pivotal place to just simply enjoy a show for what it is. I’ll always be a critic and reviewer, but sometimes, I like to just enjoy a cute show that’s totally in my wheelhouse. As a fan of sweet family pieces and slice of life where nothing truly bad happens, Alma-chan provides a healthy solution while also keeping me engaged.

My verdict? Give Alma-chan a try if you like cute anime that give your mind a thirty minute break to just smile and feel at ease. I think in hard times like we globally face, a little sweetness like this can go a long way.