Visual Prison – Episode 1 [First Impression]

Well, that was most certainly an episode. If you were to ask me what had happened or what the general plot was of this first episode, I would be at a loss for words. And that being said, I don’t even think that I can even put my thoughts on the episode into words because there was just so much to take in.

I don’t think I’ve felt this much whiplash from an episode since I watched Hypmic. There’s just always something happening, and I can never expect what’s coming next. I never expected them to produce swords from their matching tattoos or even for there to be 3 and a half musical numbers in 24 minutes, not even including the ending theme. The episode truly kept me on my toes. That being said, it felt more like a musical showcase or an extended PV rather than a full-on episode. Sure, we get a brief introduction to each of the groups and that there is a singing competition… oh also they are vampires. But other than that? Was there really a plot to this episode? What happened to the Panda Cat? Why did all the fan girls turn into light specs? Honestly, I feel like my thoughts just boil down to ‘what is going on?’. And I haven’t decided if that’s a good or bad thing yet.

But damn, the music? I’m feeling it. “Guilty Cross” is an absolute banger and I’m not even mad that we heard it at the beginning followed by a cover later on. So, if the music is going to be just as good as what we heard this week, that might just be enough to keep me around. I mean, it’s certainly keeping me interested enough to check out the next episode! And hopefully in next week’s episode we actually get to learn more about some of the characters – or at least get some focus on one group. I really feel like we didn’t learn anything about anyone this time around. Except that they are vampires, and that our main character, Yuki Ange, is a dhampir. Otherwise, there’s a character that can’t sing anymore, and the leader of LOS † EDEN has some beef with him. About what? Well, hopefully that will be revealed soon.

I’m going to be honest with everyone, I’m not expecting a masterpiece from this series. I’ve found that sometimes, if I don’t really have any expectations, I tend to enjoy somethings more and that’s how I’m planning to approach this series. I’m here for the music and just the wild premise of it all. And who knows, the story might turn out to be good as everything progresses. It’s only episode 1, there’s still plenty of potential and I’m just looking for a good time.

So, in summary my first impressions can just be boiled down to – ‘I have no clue what to expect, but the music is good!’. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’d like to stick around for another episode or two before I decide if I’m going to stick with it. But hey! If you want a roller coaster of a premier episode, definitely give this one a shot.

Possibility of Watching: A solid moderate!

Possibility of Blogging: I’ll cover a couple more episodes and then make the call!