In a decimated, torn up city a young boy finds a girl in the trash who changes his life for ever. I think that’s a pretty good way to sum up the synopsis of this episode. Just throw in a mech and black void creatures and bam! we’ve got an episode. And, you know? It was a pretty solid episode at that. Was it the best first episode? Honestly, I’ve seen better, but it certainly could have been a lot worse. Essentially, I think this episode really served as more of a prologue for the rest of the series to come.
This entire episode could have been a stand alone story, it followed a pretty solid narrative arc and had a solid ending that left the remainder of the series pretty open as to what we could expect. But, at the same time if this was just a TV short, I would have honestly been pretty satisfied with what we were given. I, like many others, had no idea what to expect from this anime and even going into the next episode, I don’t know what they are going to throw at us! We’ve left the starter city with no indication of where we’re going all that we know is that we have some kids with a dream they are trying to chase. Is it a narrative we’ve seen before? Yes! But is that okay? Absolutely!!
As far as the characters we’ve been introduced to, I really like the dynamic between Mu and Echo. That being said, I don’t know if I’m completely sold on their personalities, but given that this was only the first episode, they still have plenty of time to grow on me (and not only that! It seems like there will an abundance of cool characters that we’ll be able to meet along the way!). Echo, seems like a pretty average protagonist, he’s not super confident and has basically resigned himself to his current lifestyle regardless of what his passions and dreams are. That being said, I really liked the scene where he has his awakening. As he finally is able to realize that his “I’m okay with this happening and I don’t need anything more” is wrong. That he isn’t satisfied with his current life and doesn’t want die having lived his life that way. Had I had more time with him as a character, maybe this scene would have been a lot more impactful, but I think the idea came through very clear and I thoroughly appreciate it.
Mu’s personality is a lot different than Echo. She’s loud, unapologetic, and overall a general go with the flow type of girl. Forgot her memories? Oh well, no use in worrying about what I can’t remember. I think it’s going to be nice learning about the Earless and Players from her perspective as they build up this narrative. She’s a powerful character, but they’ve set her up for a lot of growth and a great way to connect with the audience. She’s an enjoyable character that doesn’t seem to far out of reach, she’s not cold and brooding, instead she’s another character we can connect (I mean, she literally has a jack on her hip) with as our characters progress through their story.
Going into this anime, I really had no idea what to expect now that the episode is done? I still don’t know what to expect. At this point I think anything could happen, which is to say that I have more questions than answers. And right now, I think I’m okay with that. I will definitely be watching more of this to see where it goes.
Possibility of watching: Very High
Possibility of blogging: Moderate
