I don't really watch anime nowadays. I sort of grew out of it.
But this one is different. I remember seeing a full episode preview a long time ago and it captured my interest. The first episode, while diving into SCIFI elements in the end, had great drama. Rarely does something captivate you with its characters and sympathetic moments without looking really dumb and cheesy. Let alone halfway into the first episode! Yet this one pulls it off.
Tsubasa is a socially awkward girl who lost her mother at a very young age. Emotionally fragile, she blames herself and as a result loses all self confidence. Her dad, a lifelong aspiring baker, decides to move to another town to pursuit that dream. Tsubasa then leaves her familiar hometown to a very unfamiliar place, things will get worse she assumes.
She's only half right. At least at first. While things go bad at school, she wanders around the local forest at night and...pretty much lands in the middle of an alien battle near the end of the episode. What happens is that a copy, called a Figure which is made out of metallic goo, encases her body and she becomes one of those "Pretty Solider" characters in alien form. Typically, a Figure goes back to its original form once its done fighting...however this one does not. Enter Hikaru. Hikaru is her polar opposite in personality. She is out going, friendly, very hungry, and has a confidence meter off the roof! That is the only thing that's different about them (well, besides the pony tail on Hikaru). On the outside, they look like identical twins.
This is where the episode ends and the series really begins. It's really 70% human "day to day life" drama and 30% SCIFI action/alien plot. To be honest, I would give this a perfect 10 if the alien part of the anime was as well developed as the human drama. The SCIFI stuff is cliché anime fare, complete with laser blasts and dramatic punching and kicking. Most other anime i've seen with drama are pretty good, but never did any of those make me almost want to weep for any of the characters. The only other one I can think of is the brilliant "Grave of the Fireflies", which has about the same effect but with more powerful imagery (plus its based on historic fact). You'll yearn for less SCIFI when it comes on in favor for more character growth, which is the series' strongest point.
I won't spoil it any further but there are gonna be moments where you'll feel real bad for the main character. Her character is simple yet very likable. You want her to snap out of her introvert nature and be more outgoing, with Hikaru cheering her on and acting as her personal cheerleader (and real time body guard). If you let it get to you, it will. And you'll too will be glad you got yourself into something as fantastic as this.
But this one is different. I remember seeing a full episode preview a long time ago and it captured my interest. The first episode, while diving into SCIFI elements in the end, had great drama. Rarely does something captivate you with its characters and sympathetic moments without looking really dumb and cheesy. Let alone halfway into the first episode! Yet this one pulls it off.
Tsubasa is a socially awkward girl who lost her mother at a very young age. Emotionally fragile, she blames herself and as a result loses all self confidence. Her dad, a lifelong aspiring baker, decides to move to another town to pursuit that dream. Tsubasa then leaves her familiar hometown to a very unfamiliar place, things will get worse she assumes.
She's only half right. At least at first. While things go bad at school, she wanders around the local forest at night and...pretty much lands in the middle of an alien battle near the end of the episode. What happens is that a copy, called a Figure which is made out of metallic goo, encases her body and she becomes one of those "Pretty Solider" characters in alien form. Typically, a Figure goes back to its original form once its done fighting...however this one does not. Enter Hikaru. Hikaru is her polar opposite in personality. She is out going, friendly, very hungry, and has a confidence meter off the roof! That is the only thing that's different about them (well, besides the pony tail on Hikaru). On the outside, they look like identical twins.
This is where the episode ends and the series really begins. It's really 70% human "day to day life" drama and 30% SCIFI action/alien plot. To be honest, I would give this a perfect 10 if the alien part of the anime was as well developed as the human drama. The SCIFI stuff is cliché anime fare, complete with laser blasts and dramatic punching and kicking. Most other anime i've seen with drama are pretty good, but never did any of those make me almost want to weep for any of the characters. The only other one I can think of is the brilliant "Grave of the Fireflies", which has about the same effect but with more powerful imagery (plus its based on historic fact). You'll yearn for less SCIFI when it comes on in favor for more character growth, which is the series' strongest point.
I won't spoil it any further but there are gonna be moments where you'll feel real bad for the main character. Her character is simple yet very likable. You want her to snap out of her introvert nature and be more outgoing, with Hikaru cheering her on and acting as her personal cheerleader (and real time body guard). If you let it get to you, it will. And you'll too will be glad you got yourself into something as fantastic as this.