I still maintain the first episode was terrible- Shin is a nothing protag and the humor was forced. And the animation is still awful. But. This episode… almost approaches good? Shonari is much more compelling, with a better storyline and dynamic with Orinoko. The episode almost makes you feel something.
And it’s here that the show finally demonstrates what’s going to differentiate it from the original- it’s short length both literally and in the story. Only three episodes long, focused primarily on one night from the POV of the three leads, with Haruko as the catalyst for change. She doesn’t care about them- to her, at least so far, this is a blip in her life, meaning less than her other three adventures we’ve seen that got her close to Atomsk, or, in Alternative, when she’s either become a relatively better person or is just about to become a worse one (depending on if you view it as a prequel or sequel). This was just another stop on the road to where she really wants to be in the original, and the fact she’s avoided humanization or overt explanation of her motives assuages some of my fears. I hope they keep it up. Knowing this going in, I might’ve been easier on the first episode, but it’s still a misfire.
This one pulls back a bit on the forced humor and really lets Shonari shine. Story wise, there’s a chance this could all be tied with a bow into something surprisingly solid. I doubt great, but solid. But. While some set design and shots alleviate it, they can only do so much with this awful art style and animation. It’s a hurdle they can’t clear, and it’ll keep this show (more movie, at this length) from being great no matter how much they nail the finish.
Review by JCVIP 4BlockedParent2023-09-19T07:55:46Z
I still maintain the first episode was terrible- Shin is a nothing protag and the humor was forced. And the animation is still awful. But. This episode… almost approaches good? Shonari is much more compelling, with a better storyline and dynamic with Orinoko. The episode almost makes you feel something.
And it’s here that the show finally demonstrates what’s going to differentiate it from the original- it’s short length both literally and in the story. Only three episodes long, focused primarily on one night from the POV of the three leads, with Haruko as the catalyst for change. She doesn’t care about them- to her, at least so far, this is a blip in her life, meaning less than her other three adventures we’ve seen that got her close to Atomsk, or, in Alternative, when she’s either become a relatively better person or is just about to become a worse one (depending on if you view it as a prequel or sequel). This was just another stop on the road to where she really wants to be in the original, and the fact she’s avoided humanization or overt explanation of her motives assuages some of my fears. I hope they keep it up. Knowing this going in, I might’ve been easier on the first episode, but it’s still a misfire.
This one pulls back a bit on the forced humor and really lets Shonari shine. Story wise, there’s a chance this could all be tied with a bow into something surprisingly solid. I doubt great, but solid. But. While some set design and shots alleviate it, they can only do so much with this awful art style and animation. It’s a hurdle they can’t clear, and it’ll keep this show (more movie, at this length) from being great no matter how much they nail the finish.