“On the other side of the glass, you can see tomorrow.”
Impression
I’m not quite sure what to make of this latest offering from P.A. Works. Glasslip is an ostensible slice-of-life that follows Fukami Touko and her friends as they spend the final summer of their high school lives together; the arrival of Okikura Kakeru, a transfer student, shakes up the group dynamic and causes the relationships between them to change. This pilot episode made it clear that there’ll be quite a bit of focus on relationships amidst what is otherwise a really peaceful setting – if I had to classify Glasslip under a certain genre, romantic drama would best fit the bill at this point. Everyone was introduced fairly abruptly, and ultimately we don’t know much about the characters themselves even after the pilot episode – rather, they’ve chosen to focus on the dynamics within the group and establish a solid love polygon, not unlike what we saw with Nagi no Asukara. And this time, we can’t blame it on Okada Mari’s presence. It’s pretty obvious that Yukinari likes Touko, who will soon evidently form a bond with Kakeru – who seems like a direct descendant of Tsumugu if I ever saw one. But meanwhile, Hayami Saori’s character likes Yukinari, while Taneda Risa’s character fits into all this somehow – she’s being crushed on by Hiro, and yet she’s just as hostile towards Kakeru’s presence as much as Yukinari is.
I rooted for Miuna’s plight wholeheartedly in NagiAsu, so it’s not like I’m adverse to romantic dramas or anything. However, my main worry is that it’ll encroach on the fantasy aspect of the show – a supernatural slant to Glasslip is something I’ve been suspicious of ever since the PVs came out. It tries to make itself seem like a slice-of-life, but what if you take the tagline seriously? What if Touko can, quite literally, see her future? There’s an underlying theme of coming-of-age in this show, and everyone spoke of the future and staying friends evermore during the festival. In fact, Touko has already seen into the future this episode – she pre-empted the fireworks show through that pair of glasses. Through Touko, Kakeru has supposedly found someone with the same power he has, bringing the two together. Glasslip is only one-cour long, and yet there’s only been a small appearance of Touko’s power – which makes me wonder just how important it is in comparison to the drama and tension. There are so many interesting plot lines that could come out of characters being able to see into the future – it’d be heartbreaking if they weren’t explored to their fullest. Of course, the two may tie in together, or I may be worrying over nothing – according to the preview there’ll be a confession next week, Kaname-style!
Ultimately, what I’m trying to say is that, while Glasslip is certainly a charming show, I’m not too sure what it wants to be. Is it a romantic drama? A supernatural show? It’s certainly not a pure slice-of-life. For some reason everyone is now keeping a chicken, and Touko was surprisingly deep in talking about ethics and what chickens really want with their lives. Let me ask you what you want, show! And although Touko’s dream is to be a glass artisan, we don’t know much else about her other than that she’s cheery and a bit of a klutz at times. The same applies to the other characters – what’s up with Sachi? Why is Kakeru such a Tsumugu? I think Glasslip could end up as a great show if it starts embarking on some character development and manages to find itself – the director Nishimura has done True Tears, so hopefully it can succeed with that. And this studio is P.A. Works after all! Gotta have some faith.
Finally, the animation is as beautiful as we’ve come to expect from P.A. Works. We know they’re well-versed with the sea and underwater scenery, but it seems like they’re perfectly comfortable with animating trains and greenery too. And it almost felt like they were showing off with the fireworks during that festival! One thing I did notice was their slight change of style during today’s pilot episode – most notably, they’re happy to play around with chibi designs during certain scenes, which gives it a more light-hearted feel. But because of that, it does feel like they’re putting their all into the animation and yet scrimping on it at the same time – it’s something P.A. Works would get away with given their reputation (one could chalk it down to a type of artistic flair) but it’s a bit at edge with the drama and tension that’s already building up right from the get-go. To be honest, I myself am not sure exactly what I want the show to be, but fantasy-drama would suit me just fine. At any rate, I’m definitely interested enough to stick around and find out – I’ve never actually blogged something like this before, so do bear with me!
But no, really. What’s with the chickens?
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Yup, this is a verrrrryyy different from the P.A. Works that we’re used to. The contrast around the edges are soft and bright that the ‘sketchy pages’ look a bit like a scrapbook, of what could be the blissful moments before the drama ensues. But honestly I felt that because the edges were so soft and bright that I was almost under the impression that we’re looking through glass itself- which sounds cheesy, but that’s what I felt while watching it.
When I think of chickens, the first thing I think about it how they scatter really easily. I’m speculating that they might serve as a metaphor or symbolism of what is to come in the future of the group’s relationship, especially since they were trying to be positive about still being friends after graduation.
And damn right there is tension already simmering at the surface, and this is only the first episode!
I get what you mean! It turns out to be most prominent when Touko and Kakeru properly first meet outside their school, too. Definitely an artistic choice on P.A. Works’ part.
You’re probably right about the chickens – it feels dubious since they look so dopey, but each of them could represent the chicken they took home. Except for Jonathan, the “loner” chicken who ran away from Touko but symbolically stayed close to Kakeru.
To each their own – if you’re after heavy plot, then Glasslip is probably not for you. Even the main semblance of plot (Touko and Kakeru’s ability to see into the future) seems to be a catalyst for relationship drama rather than a plot device of its own. This is all speculation though – who knows how it’ll turn out.
Hope the transfer student ends up with touka!
I think the show itself is supporting that ship, let alone fans like us! Although anything can change, and there’ll be heaps of drama along the way – no-one ever supported Chisaki x Tsumugu when NagiAsu first aired after all.