Some Quick First Impressions: Violet Evergarden, Märchen Mädchen and Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku

Violet Evergarden

Short Synopsis: An emotionless girl copes with new life after the war ends.

Mario’s review

By far the most anticipated title of this Winter season, I came out of the first episode of Violet Evergarden feeling a little underwhelmed. On the one hand, we have one of the most impressive technical production of TV format in recent years. Just look at the amount of actual movements this episode produced. Everything looks crisp and pretty. Even down to the facial expressions and characters’ small movements, and they blend CG mechanical hands seamlessly with its 2D character model. On the other hand, I’m worried about its characters and its narrative. Our main character, Violet, is a blank state by design in terms of emotions, and the series at its essence is about her learning and developing her own emotions through ghostwriting letters for those in need. I get the intend and I’m sure it will be a rewarding character’s journey, BUT I can’t help but feel the show tackles it a bit heavily. I can feel the show dictates my emotional response for Violet, “elevating” by their melodramatic score and her obsession with Major Gilbert. The latter especially is my biggest issue with the show so far. They repeat her blind love for the dead guy for way too many times and this Gilbert guy isn’t a real character, as he obviously serves as an emotional trigger for Violet. Then again, this episode alone has many wonderful moments that it’s easy to see why it’s hyped over the sky. A character-study at heart, with a god-send production values, this show is a “can’t miss” title of this season.

Potential: 75%

HelghastKillzone’s review

For a show that been hyped up to no end by the anime community, featured on biggest streaming sites like Netflix and having its source material be only winner of the grand prize in the novel category in the history of the Kyoto Animation’s Awards, Violet Evergarden falls flat in its opening debut. No amount of jaw-dropping visuals, soaring orchestral score and attractive character designs can cover up the ham-fisted introduction into Violet’s journey of discovery. I haven’t read the light novel itself (I plan to read it in the near future), but I do know that the anime make liberal changes when compared to its source and takes place in the latter chapters of the book. That in itself is fine but it could have taken a que from shows like Unlimited Blade Works by having an extended introduction to really flesh out the backstory of Violet and the unhealthy bond between her and Major Gilbert. Instead, all we only see are the disjointed aspects of Violet’s emptiness as a single-minded killing machine and repeats of the scene where the Major dies which ends up robbing the severity of  emotional impact it is intended to convey. While KyoAni trademark of small and cute moments continues to be extremely well done, the execution of this overall bold new direction is something left to be desired. Nevertheless, this is only the first episode and it has all the time in the world to dive into all the PTSD flashbacks of Violet and overcome them through the magic of the Auto Memories Dolls and become the show that I hyped up in my mind.

Note: From all the PVs, I thought that Violet was a robot but it turns out that she is just a former child soldier with prosthetic metal arms.

Potential: 70%

 

Märchen Mädchen

Short Synopsis: A girl celebrates getting Isekaied to another world by streaking

Aidan’s review

I am somewhat reminded of Familiar of Zero though it’s significantly less entertaining. I would like to be respectful considering that the author is no longer in this world but this is really not a good show. Some may enjoy it for yuri and what not but in my experience, first episodes with nudity in them don’t result in a good series.There are exceptions of course(Spice and Wolf) but I don’t see this being one of them. Mostly because in this case the main protagonist spends the second half of the episode streaking through another world for some pretty flimsy circumstances.(Why did the principal of the school offer her a bath, steal her clothes and proceed to ignore one of her students trying to commit open murder?) I do see some effort being put into the story as it’s not taken from a template but the writing really isn’t the best.For one our main protagonist decides that while searching for a magic portal that she will recount her history with her mother for no particular reason. And having a flashback to what just happened in the very same episode is generally bad padding. There is a possibly of this turning into a guilty pleasure but quite frankly I don’t see it being anything higher than that.

Potential: 15%

Mario’s review

Well, welcome to a cute girls/ isekai/ fantasy high-school LNs, all these elements that plague the anime industry in the last few years. Despite the narration tries hard to differentiate the main girl with other typical LNs lead; she is a boring bland typical LNs lead. All she does is run, with clothes or otherwise, and her only significant traits are her shyness and her love for books. Her interaction with basically everyone is annoying to watch and at the end of the day, her personally issues of not getting along with anyone and retreating herself to her own world are solved by her literally step in a whole new fantasy world, running naked?? Then despite she has no knowledge of the new world, apparently she’s awesome enough to already has her “Original”, an item of more advanced mage? No, this is a by-the-book fantasy fulfilling crap with a boring lead (and we have to follow her every step of the way) and so far generic cast. NOPE.

Potential: 10%

 

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku

Short Synopsis: A game programmer finds himself within the game he’s debugging

Aidan’s review

Well, I’m bored. I will admit that Death March isn’t the worst Isekai I ever seen but it certainly embodied a lot of the problems that plague the genre. Such as throwing in video game elements because that means you don’t need to write interesting ways of showing the protagonists growing strength when you can flash up a stats screen every now and again. No need to design enemies with motivations or character either nor any kind of story structure at all. Instead you can just write it like a lets play of an RPG. The wish fulfillment is just disgustingly apparent. Get transported to another world with unfair advantages from the get go. Giving your teenage looks back despite being 29 years old. Get bumped from level 1 to level 320 in an instant.(That’s some terrible game design) And for the cherry on top here’s your waifu delivered by episodes end. Harem incoming as well so have fun you overworked programmer you. Look there’s nothing interesting about seeing someone get everything handed to them on a silver platter and already the story doesn’t seem to really have any direction to go. The main character just isn’t interesting enough to carry the series and the world is lazily thought out with poor CGI. Again I say this isn’t offensively bad but it’s just so bland that I can’t feel any strong emotions about it.

Potential: 0%

Mario’s review

You know something is wrong when you enjoyed its prologue section way more than the main storyline. At least in his mundane, busy, shit life he has to work for it. In the new world he’s already overpowered (the show isn’t shy from addressing it), a harem team that sure will appear in next episodes waiting for his approval. This is not much of how he gains the power, but more about how he manages it through gameplay console that feels just weird given he’s already in the fantasy world. Have to remind us he transports into his games, huh? The plot is generic, the main character is generic, the world building isn’t that special. “Generic” is pretty much what Death March is, and to put it frankly it’s just not good enough. Try harder guys.

Potential: 10%