Umm…excuse me?! A-Are you sure we don’t have one more episode after this? Is this really the ending? This is how they want to end the anime? I’m…kind of speechless.
To think we go from Argonavis being crazy successful at DesFes, to Banri lying in the hospital from a blood clot in the brain. Holy shit.
I’m not sure what they were trying to do with this episode. Banri certainly has the worst luck out of all the guys what with his motorcycle accident, his hands getting damaged, and now getting a blood clot. Wataru, this is only slightly better than the worse case scenario (which would be death I suppose). But Banri is basically close to death at this point because a blood clot in the brain is probably the worst place for a blood clot to be in, this is extremely serious. People die from this. So when they said that I basically screamed “WHAT?!” Holy shit poor Banri. T_T
So with Banri stuck in the hospital, the boys are kind of at a standstill regarding the band. Rio brings up what’s going to happen with the band if Banri doesn’t improve, and while it’s a crappy thing to think about it’s still kind of important. Of course no one is really in the mood to discuss that, which makes sense because your friend is literally on the brink of death. I can’t believe no one even mentioned that because like I said, this shit can kill you. Eventually the guys just head home but Wataru sleeps over at Ren’s house and they get to talking, and of course they feel the same way in that without Banri they can’t be Argonavis. They’ve had conversations like this before and it’s settled that none of them will ever continue if all five of them aren’t together, even if Ren has a chance to go solo. Argonavis is Argonavis, nothing is going to change that. It’s interesting that even with this conversation, Ren brings up how he still feels so inferior to Nayuta but Wataru brings up a good point. While Nayuta does pretty much almost everything for Gyroaxia, such as singing, composing, and lyric writing, Argonavis’ strength is that they all pitch in when it comes to the band. They all have their own roles and they come together to create their music. And with that, they want to make a new song specifically for Banri, hoping it’ll reach him.
And I’m not gonna lie, that’s so goddamn sweet it almost made me tear up. Music and Argonavis is what they know how to do best, and it’s the only thing they can do in this situation. Once they get the song together, they perform the song for Banri through a livestream with Kenta’s help. The song is sweet and the lyrics show just how much they care for Banri, and really how much they care for Argonavis as well. And of course it was nice when Banri woke up and cried, realizing he really is the only drummer for Argo. But in exchange he kinda roasted Boss for his drumming and that’s mean, even though it kind of made me laugh.
And that’s where the episode ended. I was shocked, looking at my screen and yelling “THat’s it?!” and looking at the time. This wasn’t even a proper conclusion because we never got an answer to if Banri recovered, and what they were going to do about debuting in Tokyo. It feels like we’re supposed to get one more episode to close it off but this is the last episode. The only reason why I can see them ending the show like this is to push people to play AAside when it comes out. Instead of a “read the manga to find out what happens next!” type of ending, this time it’s a “play the game to find out what happens next!” ending. And I was going to play the game regardless, but doing this type of ending is kinda crummy. Why couldn’t you just give us the proper ending instead of this huge cliffhanger? :/ I get it, but man. It’s just a very strange way to end the anime. The people that aren’t interested in playing the game are going to be really confused, and probably less inclined to check out the game for the ending. So yeah, this wasn’t the best decision to make.
FINAL IMPRESSION
Even with such a strange ending, which was both melancholic and hopeful at the same time, I ended up liking this show. I went into this show hoping that Argonavis would be able to make a name for itself, and while I don’t exactly know the popularity it has in Japan, I feel the anime did a pretty decent job. If I had to compare this season of Argonavis with the first season of Bang Dream, I’d say that Argonavis did a much better job. Both shows have their different flaws, but I feel that Argonavis was more successful.
Argonavis does set itself apart from the girls with its more mature take in story and characters. There was conflict from the start and more and more come up along the show. These conflicts really test the characters and their morals and ideals, as well as their group dynamic. I have my issues with how things moved along, such as the beginning when the band formed in only three episodes. Things felt way too quick and not as natural, so it was hard for me to accept their sudden friendship. But then we got to see them hang out more and learn things about each other, and I eventually warmed up to it. Still, it doesn’t erase the fact that they flew by the band recruitment. There were also certain instances and even an episode that I did not like, where I felt we needed more time to flesh out characters and their emotions. While yes I did like their interactions and how they got through their conflicts together, there were certain times where I felt we needed more time to understand their thoughts and emotions. This was a real problem in the first half but it felt better in the second half, especially when Gyroaxia was around.
Speaking of Gyroaxia, they were pretty cool to have around but obviously the only ones from the band that were significant were Nayuta and Kenta. The other members only showed up here and there and they didn’t really do anything, which is disappointing because I really want to get to know them more and see more of their group dynamic. Nayuta and Kenta had a bigger connection with Argonavis hence more time with them, and they weren’t bad. Nayuta was a huge asshole, but we were able to understand his character a little bit, and he’s not as terrible as he first started out. He pushes Argonavis and Ren to be better than they are so they can improve, and that at least proves that he cares about them enough and considers them as competent rivals. Kenta is fine too, I would have liked to have seen more interactions with Wataru and saw why their relationship was strained.
And even though Argonavis were the main characters, shoutout to Rio for kinda being more of a supportive character. Everyone had their time to shine multiple times, but Rio was just kind of…there. Poor guy. :/
Going into the show, I had already listened to the music that was available and I loved it, and I continued to love the new songs as well from both bands. One thing I have to point out is the animation, and all I can say is that it was okay. I feel like the 3D models for the girls in Bang Dream were a lot cleaner and their movements were too. The boys looked pretty good too, but I felt the animation this time was a little jankier. Not too much jank, but just a bit where I thought the movements were a little rough and the characters’ faces when they spoke was a little flat. However, the performances were really fun to watch! The expressions were better when they sang, and I loved the many dynamic camera angles, the lighting, and the way Ren and Nayuta moved on stage. Something I wish Bang Dream did more, which they sort of did in the third season, so job well done.
I hope Argonavis is able to make a name of itself and have the same popularity that Bang Dream has. It doesn’t help that some fans are already against it simply because they’re boys, which is hilariously sad and stupid. Other reasons against them is that it’s usually fans of Bang Dream that might care, and that internationally it wasn’t even available on any legal streaming service because a Youtube channel had it? I still don’t understand that and it’s ridiculous.
I’m very much looking forward to AAside, the anime didn’t kill that excitement in any way. The anime itself has its problems, and while I don’t exactly love it, I still like it and I had fun with it. There are times where it can be a little cheesy, and honestly the subtitles we had didn’t exactly help with that. Still, if you want a music anime with an actual cohesive story then I suggest that you give it a chance. The characters are nice and the music is really great, and you might end up liking it too. And then watch/play Bang Dream too because it’s wonderful. c:
I’m ready for more Argonavis stuff soon and I hope you all are too! <3
7/10
