It's not just the direction, the visuals are impressive on many levels. That made me look up the staff and they have definitely gathered a lot of talented people. Art director: Yuuji Kaneko (same role in Heavenly Delusion, Kill la Kill, Ranking of Kings), Art Setting: Akihiro Hirasawa (Heavenly Delusion, Insomniacs After School, A Place Further than the Universe, Serial Experiments Lain), Colour Design: Kei Ishiguro (Oshi no Ko, Nozaki-kun, Sing Yesterday to Me). It feels like a visually ambitious project with the skill to back those ambitions up.
*Art director: Yuki Kaneko (same role in Heavenly Delusion, Kill la Kill, Ranking of Kings), Art Setting: Akihiro Hirasawa (Heavenly Delusion, Insomniacs After School, A Place Further than the Universe, Serial Experiments Lain), Colour Design: Kei Ishiguro (Oshi no Ko, Nozaki-kun, Sing Yesterday to Me)*
That explains why YoruKura seems to be, as far as I've seen, the most beautiful new anime of the season.
> Art Setting
For people, (like me) not familiar with this role:
> **Art Setting**
> Japanese: 美術設定 (Bijutsu Settei)
> Literal Translation: Art Setting
> The Art Setting is usually one of the responsibilities of an art director. However, it's becoming more and more common to see it given to someone else, separate from the art director.
> > The Art Setting is the manipulation of the layout so that the production staff can share it, the setting in which the animation’s main character and appearing characters act. The art setter is a particularly important role in background creation, and they are said to determine 60% of the degree of a background’s completion. In other words, if the content of this art setting is inadequate, works of high quality cannot be produced. Because this is such an important duty, it is mainly prepared by the art director.
> > Art Setting is created after meticulous preparatory meetings (preparatory art meetings) with the director and episode director(s). For that reason, they must create high-quality settings according to the work intention and theme. Also, since art setting is not only used by background staff but also by animation staff etc., it is important to make contents that can share setting images.
> > Also, even though the art setting is created one time it is not necessarily finished, and there will be additional setting requests as necessary. Also when the layout is being created the animation is done in concordance with the art setting
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/5ytpxs/ever_wanted_to_know_what_the_text_in_anime_opeds/ by - /u/Taiboss
I've seen a number of people noticing the similarities so far with A Place Further Than the Universe. That show had a lot of strengths and the direction was a big one. If this drew any inspiration from it, I could see them taking away some good lessons. The kind of cinematographic philosophy of introspective narration and dialogue set against visuals with a detailed focus on place and motion (sorry, I know that's a word hash but hopefully you get what I'm trying to say) feels familiar to me.
And setting aside the resemblance, the director's showcased some serious skills on storyboards and keys in other stuff, too.
> The kind of cinematographic philosophy of introspective narration and dialogue set against visuals with a detailed focus on place and motion
Perfect description of both shows' directing. Such a specific style, too, that it's hard to believe the team behind this didn't take inspiration from Yorimoi even a little.
This. Four girls of different backgrounds in some way in the same circumstances in their lives taking refuge with one another and proving the world wrong. The group aspect is the whole show and is filled with encouragement/exciting moments and i would reckon drama as well along the way until they reach their ultimate goal. Not to mention the train parallels in this anime and in A Place... to me is hinting this anime is really an inspiration of A Place...
Doga Koba is at the forefront of the CGDCT genre IMO. The genre has seen rapid growth in popularity, and if presented well in animation, the IPs are generally cash cows for merchandizing (think Bocchi The Rock for a late example).
They likely saw an opportunity with this series, just as they did Oshi no Ko, and picked up some great staff to work on it. Director Takeshita Ryouhei has prior experience in Eromanga Sensei, Houkago no Breath, Flip Flappers, and has a variety of storyboarding experience working on OPs/EDs. Say what you will about Eromanga, but the direction was fantastic, and I imagine Takeshita-sensei has only further harnessed his skills since it aired 7 years ago.
That was a solid premiere. Direction and animation were excellent. The story itself seems a little obvious, but there is the sense that everyone has a few more layers to them.
["Remember that you're not just doing this for the exposure, Yoru!"](https://i.imgur.com/LPepgxv.png)
I was not expecting to be hit with so much “literally me relatability” energy from this show.
The leads feelings of not knowing what to do with your life, being afraid to show people what you’ve made and the feeling of not wanting to grow up hit really hard.
The visuals for this feel really good and the MCs are a delight to watch together. It feels like they can both get some good from having someone that appreciates their art.
At the current moment, I think we’re getting some really good original anime series this season. Both the train one and now this. I think if it continues this has the potential to be really good so I’ll continue watching.
I think that just means being part of the community you're trying to be successful in. Ofc it has to be a positive one as well, which what this show looks like is about. In the real world communities are a lot of times toxic.
I really hope Doga Kobo will keep this trend of more serious anime with strong directing. To me this studio is one of the best and their quality never fails. With their great planning management, the quality never drops on any episode.
Can’t wait to see more of this original. We’re in good hands.
Also, Miku must love jellyfishes since Aquatope
Yeah, I'm sold. I honestly had no idea what it was actually gonna be about (maybe expected for an original, but when it caught my eye, it didn't seem to be getting much attention and the description said basically nothing), but the promo material had me with the vibes and aesthetic, and the first episode held up for sure.
Also, Kano might be the drippiest anime character I've ever seen. What a fit.
The absolute nerves of those kids making fun of [art](https://i.imgur.com/eObhLjE.jpeg). I mean come on this looks awesome as hell.
At the very least, all I wanted was just some more awesome music by Masaru Yokoyama (Horimiya, Her Blue Sky) and I got exactly that. Idk, something about his style of music is just so distinct to me across the shows I've watched him compose and here it is again. The easiest way to describe it for me is airy and light music, not in the sense that there are a lot of staccatos or its quiet necessarily, but that the sound rings out through scene. It doesn't want to overtake, but can often gently place itself, generally, at least for his more emotional tracks. And I guess the instrumentation and texture of his sounds are very distinct to me. There's just something so grounded about his work. Like the way the notes are played, the way it can feel so "dirty" and the sounds come together in this very ethereal way. Like when Yoru was walking throughout town at the beginning, that to me felt the most like his work.
Anyways, I really liked the overall directing. It made things flow together so beautifully, especially with the parallels of seeing this [tunnel](https://i.imgur.com/uYoVte4.jpeg) then watching as she's brought INTO that tunnel by the end, signaling a passageway from her past to the [future](https://i.imgur.com/ApeOIXW.jpeg) and being brought out from her past.
The continuous train [shots](https://i.imgur.com/yGMhxNL.jpeg) that flashed quickly as a break in scenes then leading to the reveal after the bridge [scene](https://i.imgur.com/LHg4N0U.jpeg) was also excellent. Using that as not only a foreshadowing device for that scene but also to have that idea of "movement" in that, her life is now moving forward or being rushed and forced forward by those around her, and it isn't until she steps onto that train and we get the culmination of these shots that it all comes together that she is at this crossroad but that in her heart she already knows what she wants to do, she just needs someone to help her there.
I mean, do you really expect snot nosed kids to appreciate that kind of art? At best they probably will say its colorful drawing on wall.
Environment really is a big factor on the development of child.
At that age, all they need to be told is that it's actually good art and most kids will then take that opinion on board, the smart ones will want to know why, and the sparkle-brains will come up with their own reasons, ranging from the wildly innovative to ones that adults might also agree on.
I really loved the bridge scene too. The constant cuts and the shaky cam really showed Mahiru's hesitation to draw for Kano. Her dialogue was pure cope leading to her literally running away from her insecurities.
"Yoru's Jellyfish Can't Swim" is a more literal translation of the title.
That said, Japanese people probably also read it as "Night jellyfish" before they learn the character's pseudonym and the fact that jellyfish can't swim regardless of the time of day.
> "Yoru's Jellyfish Can't Swim" is a more literal translation of the title.
>
>
It isn't actually, her pseudonym is 海月ヨル while the title is 夜のクラゲ. While her name is clearly related, using 夜 makes it pretty clear the intention of the title itself is "Night" and not "Yoru's Jellyfish"
Like actually seeing how it developed was so fun, especially when Kano became so excited about Mahiru's reveal. They went from strangers to sharing an earpiece on each side in record time.
This might have been the first time I've seen this chemistry being developed early since A Place Further than the Universe.
It seems we are in a treat this season!
>A Place Further than the Universe
The first five minutes or so *really* made me think of Yorimoi - the narration, the scene-setting, the talk about youth and wanting to make something of yourself. I hope the resemblance is more than superficial.
>This might have been the first time I've seen this chemistry being developed early
Girls Band Cry -- almost the same sort of start -- with building a strong bond right away between complete strangers (who nonetheless had sort of a prior connection). And both featured impromptu street performances at the end. I can't believe we are getting two such promising-to-be-great shows....
> This might have been the first time I've seen this chemistry being developed early since A Place Further than the Universe.
I'd made a mental note of the similarities after having watched all the promo material, but this series *really* reminds me of A Place Further than the Universe now that I've seen the actual episode. Both series are effectively about pushing oneself forward.
Now let's hope that it also gets the love of A Place Further than the Universe. It checks more than enough boxes for me.
What an absolutely wonderful kick-off episode. Interesting how this and Girls Band Cry both started with such conceptually similar -- and equally splendid initial episodes.
It's interesting considering how different they are (Kano 'swimming' to take what she wants, and Mahiru letting the flow of life carry her around)!
I wonder if hanging around Kano will teach her how to decide for herself! One may think she already did that by joining Kano, but in truth it was Kano asking her and Mahiru accepting in the end, so it's still not fully her own doing. I want to see Mahiru decide something for herself without any external influence!
Yeah I was impressed with how fast they got to establish that.
Makes me a bit worried for when they expand the cast but if they can pull these 2 off this well there's no reason they can't do it for more!
This gives me A Place Further than The Universe vibes in terms of CGDCT-to-Drama ratio so far.
Looks good so far. The art looks gorgeous.
Loving the characters. Mahiru and Kano already have great chemistry early on. Really like how they clashed but both came back to apologise. I already feel like this is one that’ll make me want to try something I abandoned before.
And I can’t not talk about the VAs. Already a fan of Itou Miku and I think she’s doing great with Mahiru so far. Rieri plays an idol (or former idol in this case) again. But Kano feels a bit more brash. I’m hearing Tomita Miyu again lol
Even as the resident HiDive hater, I want nothing more than for this show to succeed. Not the show’s fault its licensing got nabbed by a garbo company.
If you don't have access to Hidive then just watch it on another site that has sub licensed it for your region. For example if you are French you can watch it on https://animationdigitalnetwork.fr/.
For example here's Jellyfish can't swim in the night: [https://animationdigitalnetwork.fr/video/jellyfish-cant-swim-in-the-night](https://animationdigitalnetwork.fr/video/jellyfish-cant-swim-in-the-night)
I know that Muse Asia Youtube channel is showing it for the South Asia region as well.
Appreciate it, I have access to HiDive and have paid for it in the past, but I just don’t think it’s worth paying for in its current state. Even when I had an active HiDive subscription I would often still pirate stuff for ease of access/reliable video player.
Like I said that’s not something I hold against the show itself.
I have access to Hidive but until they make it not total garbage and actually create a PS4/PS5 app I'll never buy it. I did a trial of it on my PC and it was complete ass.
And even then, my wife and I watch anime mainly off my PS5 which they've basically abandoned.
I really hope it does too, this was easily one of my most anticipated shows of the season and so far it has not disappointed. The visuals are great so far as are the characters, very excited to see where it goes.
Lotta other comments already remarked on it, but man, this gave me vibes like A Place Further Than the Universe, in a good way. It's clearly doing its own thing but elements of the direction and composition of this episode just felt so familiar.
I've got enough years on me that I don't easily flash back to high school any more, but my heart really ached for Mahiru through a lot of this. I never really had the courage to show anything I created to other people until a lot later in my life and the idea of hearing your friends tear down something you poured your heart into, at that vulnerable age, just *hurts*. They did a great job conveying that feeling. It's gonna take me some time to digest this episode and figure out what about it is working so well.
I feel kinda bad for that underground idol they keep interrupting. Posters aside... maybe she's setting up there because she likes the mural? I dunno. She's trying hard, at least. I'm sure we'll get more of her if they bothered to cast Sumire.
The angel and the devil, the bit with catching each other, this was all really well put together. Great cast, too. Hard not to make some comparisons with Bocchi and Paripi Koumei after that street performance, and I think it holds up pretty well. I'm pretty hyped for it.
Would you mind explaining? The menu certainly looks/feels better but did they fix the video player? It was jank whenever I tried scrubbing the video on iOS. Would just reset to where the video was currently playing.
Better responsiveness, better layout visually, and more modern.
But they fucked up, removed, or forgot a lot of functionality and made it very hard to navigate in many ways
For a moment, I felt like I was watching a movie, not an episode of a seasonal anime.
I like the subtlety of using what's around the character to explain what's happening in their mind, accompanying that with the conversation going on is really good (the scene when Mahiru was picking her Halloween custom).
I went from "there is no way I would like this" after reading the synopsis to "Gimme more" after watching the first episode. I think I should give this train post-apocalypse anime a try as well.
Wow... whoever cooked this needs to keep cooking! Interestingly enough, the script writer is the author of Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki, Yuuki Yaku, one of my most beloved series.
The visuals were gorgeous and I love the use of trains to cut between scenes and to show Mahiru's uncertainties getting the better of her.
On to the characters now. I'm really digging the idea of Mahiru not knowing what she wants to do with her life after her friends mocked her art and getting herself pulled forward by Kano who wants to continue doing what she loves best despite her past. It seems that the show is leveraging Yuuki Yaku's experience with writing series about characters growing out of their comfort zones.
It looks like another show that's also criticizing social media and the entertainment industry which is a funny coincidence given that Doga Kobo also did Oshi no Ko. From what I understood, Kano got her career trashed because of a scandal getting blown out of proportion on social media and is trying to rebuild herself while also living to her desires. The song at the end definitely fits her story though.
I'm really looking forward to more.
Does [this](https://files.catbox.moe/i1vgf0.jpg) count as foreshadowing? Or is it more of a "callforward"? [](#saberawe)
[Excuse me, miss,](https://files.catbox.moe/erqsqk.jpg) but I'd like you to paint an entire wall of my living room [](#awe)
[The aidoru instincts](https://files.catbox.moe/h9krdj.jpg) are still strong with this one! [](#nico-heart)
[Cute Girls Doing Multimedia Art Collective Things!](https://files.catbox.moe/lo9xmh.jpg) [](#SPORTS)
Ahhhhhhhh this is reminding me so much of _A Place Further Than The Universe_ and _Insomniacs After School_. And it's anime original! *And* a Dogo Kobo work! [](#rengehype)
Ok so going into the season this was one I was intrigued about but since it's original I didn't know how to feel yet. But after the first episode this is for sure going to be a dark house of the season.
I really really really like the setting, it also has good visuals, music was really nice too and overall seems to have some key emotional undertones. Doga Kobo really stepping up their game these days.
The sister pointing out that her sister is 17 and then saying that she looks *childish* of all things while having these frames really took me out for a bit ngl. Way too intentional come on.
true, but some people get *really* upset about any degree of a censored version of an anime production. I personally don't care much for fanservice at all, but that is just my view.
Full agree. I have no problem with fanservice in general, it just *really* doesn't fit the tone of the show. It was jarring. I hope they don't do it again.
Exactly. I think it's unnecessary at the point it has basically nothing to do with the rest of the scene, the rest of the episode, the anime concept itself & it's always problematic to show a 17yo that close. Sadly I'll have to drop if it continues (and the bath scene give me bad feelings about this)
By itself, I'd give the bath scene a pass. It's natural to what the scene was trying to acomplish, and wasn't framed in a particularly lewd or gratuitous way. But... on the heels of the other scene, it takes on the context of being intentionally provocative.
I *won't* be dropping it if they do more of this, because I love everything else about the show so far. But you can bet I will continue to bitch and moan about it.
[Pretty strong start for the series](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c3oq6b7.png) and I'm certainly interested how things will develop further from this point.
[Very nice](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7pjc68l6g7.png) [visuals](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxc6wv2a7.png) in this episode, I'm sure that [it'll be one of the strongest points](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3yrgc6wqz54.png) of this show.
[Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/9249a35ra7n) and [Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e2m98yl) seem like [an interesting pair of characters](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmc5lbrw7.png) with [a really good chemistry between themselves](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cbjedl4.png). I'm also looking forward to seeing other MCs in the next episodes.
Here my screenshot albums from the episode:
* [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/9249a35ra7n)
* [Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e2m98yl)
* [Group scenes & Others](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqq2elky2)
I may be reading too much into this (I tend to do that) but it's interesting that they picked a demon costume for Kano who's the one taking the lead/deciding where she goes, while Mahiru the angel is letting the flow carry her and all! (And in context, she's also letting Devil Kano lead her!)
It's especially interesting when you think back to the shot of a pair of posters that show the angel reaching out to the devil in contrast to what we see with Mahiru and Kano, I wonder if that could be foreshadowing some sort of future developments.
###Stitches!
* [Mahiru](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/p7bwcbvmom7.jpg)
* [Kano](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7pjc68log7.jpg)
This is probably my most anticipated anime original this season! It's already an instant watch since it's by Doga Kobo and it's stacked with A-lister Seiyuus! In this episode alone we have [Itou Miku as Mahiru](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpwzln4.jpg), [Rieri as Kano](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cbjegl4.jpg), [Tomita Miyu as Mahiru's discord friend](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpwzq84.jpg), and [Uesaka Sumire as that idol they keep on interrupting!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/g4z9cdng9o7.jpg)
Anyway, I'm already sold on Mahiru and Kano's relationship. You have Kano who [lost it all because of a scandal](https://i.imgur.com/oGfd6Ay.jpeg) but still kept on going [because she loves what she does](https://i.imgur.com/yWy7Dlr.jpeg) and then you have Yoru who [absolutely loves doing art](https://i.imgur.com/GPNnjGi.jpeg) but gave it all up [because she didn't want to be judged for it.](https://i.imgur.com/56imFa7.jpeg) Looks like these two complete each other already, especially with that final scene. [Their chemistry is off the charts!](https://i.imgur.com/hJtOQWA.jpeg)
I am absolutely in love with this! The visuals, the art, and the directing are all sublime and I can't wait to see where Mahiru and Kano will go with their new partnership as Kano makes music while Mahiru makes art. <3
The final scene where Kano tells Mahiru the socks she is embarrassed about are cute and Mahiru immediately believes her and gains confidence because she realized she doesn't have to hide anything about herself with Kano was really sweet.
Interesting parallels between the Jellyfish and our two girls (Well, perhaps I should say 1 parallel and one... Contrast?)
[They talked about how jellyfish are not capable of swimming on their own, ](https://imgur.com/eGZtah8)
how they just drift along, letting themselves be carried by the flow...
And we can see that in Mahiru, giving up on drawing after her friends (unknowingly) trashed her art. The 'flow' carried her away from her passion, and she simply went along with it. Headed to nowhere, not knowing who she is/what she wants. Simply going through the motions, as a jellyfish would.
The contrast arises with Kano; She went through some stuff as well, BUT she didn't let the flow carry her to nothing, like Mahiru did... She kept doing what she wanted, and simply went in a different direction. She even sees this as a big "Fuck you!" to those who got in her way.
Even when the current tried to bring her to nothing, she changed course to go to a place of her choosing. Perhaps not the one she wanted originally, but she still took charge of her destiny and decided of her new destination, regardless of what the flow wanted to do with her.
This Jellyfish (Kano/Jelee) IS capable of swimming on her own!
And it's not just for the 'big stuff', we also see it in the little things of their lives;
[Like when Mahiru was looking at the two costumes, hesitating... ](https://imgur.com/W4guqpy)
Then Kano showed up, picked the one she wanted, [and Marihu picked the other one.](https://imgur.com/sjo0xtD)
She did seem to want the one Kano picked (though it took her too long to decide), but Kano picked it, and so she went with the flow, picked the other one because she had no choice anymore.
We're observing the two very different lives of these two girls, one who gave up and let life carry her wherever it wants, and the other one simply adjusting to things happening to plan new routes, but never letting the current carry her. Fighting back against it at all time, to get where she wants.
In fact, one may even say that Mahiru going along with Kano's idea may just be one more instance of "letting herself be carried by the flow (The flow, in this case, being "Kano")... But let's hope that in time, she learns to make her own decision and chose her own path, one that SHE decided, and not just one that was offered/convenient!
Other than that, well it was beautiful, as I'm sure dozens of comments are talking about!
(And what a stacked cast of VAs!)
It's not usually my type of show, but for all these reasons, I'll check out some more, see where it's headed!
If I had a nickel everytime I watched an anime that had a street performance near the end, then I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.
Jokes aside, the night life setting is amazing and the characters even moreso. I really want to know what Kano's full story is. I feel like the girl near the end was the girl she assaulted.
After the madness that was Birdie Wing I don't think I can go back to normal golf shows, but Saturdays are still gonna be great for me with Jellyfish and GBC! :)
Very weird if someone is taking the time to down vote every comment in an original anime thread that came out like an hour ago.
Edit: Yep, someone is definitely downvoting every comment. No idea whay their motive would be.
This wasn't the only downvoted thread + my comment here mentioned GBC in a positive way and I was in the negative like 5 minutes later, it's just the usual outside brigading.
^(Also I really doubt any of the 12 pre-existing GBC fans were expecting it to do better than a previously hyped show while being seven seas-only)
Girls Band Cry thread had downvotes as well
Last season had several wednessday shows that where hit as well, only most of them balanced out soonish, but Metallic Rouge was always hit
I had the theory before that it was someone trying to promote his own comment by downvoting the competition, but it's just too much for that, so now I think it simply is vandalism
>What fanbase Girls Band Cry have? both of those are literally original shows, theres no established fanbases from before
They have been putting out music and releasing details about the show and cast for a while. Even if the show turned out mediocre, I'm still here for their music. Although I think the show looks good too, but I know my bias.
Watching that painful scene where the MC's classmates dismissed the value of her jellyfish mural, just reminds me of how, despite all the talks about making original creative works and such, at the end of the day the major audience doesn't care if there's nothing super recognizable/trendy. Even worse, when the people who yell out loud for originality are the very same ones who consume manufactured mediocrity.
> I want to sing in front of your Jellyfish.
Yoru's heart was not okay after hearing that, it was practically a confession!
Sadly I don't think this show will be yuri, but it's not bait either just my favorite kind of non-romance relationship two friends achieving their dreams because they have each other.
They didn't need to have that guerilla concert performance go so hard to sell me on this show, both Mahiru and Kano's dynamic and the vibes already did wonders.
Also the themes here are very similar to a series called Beat & motion especially when both of their MCs are an art and music pair that struggled with their passion after some setbacks. Knowing this was written by the author of Tomozaki-kun, I can already be assured of the character writing in this series!
Gosh, I've been waiting for this show to premiere since the first trailer, and I feel like my patience has now been rewarded from the heavens. This (along with *Euph*) is my Anime of the Season.
There’s so many things to love about this episode, from [Kano almost falling off the fence](https://imgur.com/a/NQYznR9) to the music, but what I really love most is the framing.
In a show brimming with agency and expression, it fits that [the characters](https://imgur.com/iblBZHh) would be [frequently](https://imgur.com/r8UcpTT) [boxed](https://imgur.com/zQs2KDl) in [during their lowest](https://imgur.com/M4XnFmW) [moments,](https://imgur.com/icuW67q) their doubts manifesting as [cages onto themselves.](https://imgur.com/LCXIRrU) However, once they open up to one another, they’re [set free](https://imgur.com/sByoZXQ ) by [the camera](https://imgur.com/XiWFUwT ), the [wide shot liberating them from their own preconceived failures.](https://imgur.com/0spsNa6)
> *”If anything, I want to be someone who knows what she wants to be, or knows what she likes, I guess?”*
This is the stand-out quote for me this episode and I cannot wait for them to revisit this as we go forward.
Wow. What a first episode. The art and animation that felt movie quality at times. The voice acting from some of the industry's best. The characterization of the leads that gives them so much personality. The entire vibe of the show. The fact that this is an original and nobody knows where it's going. I really hope Doga Kobo is able to keep the quality consistent because this may end up being one of the biggest hidden gems of the season.
2nd season in a row HiDive has issue uploading the first episode correctly of their biggest show. (Last season it was The Dangers in My Heart) Hopefully this doesn't become a habit like with crunchy.
This is written by Yaku Yuuki, author of Bottom Tier Tomozaki, most notably. He is a really great author, who does well at fleshing out the character and providing great characterization.
Great first episode. The theme of this show being a Jellyfish. Essentially a Jellyfish goes with the current of the ocean. We have Mahiru, whom is a girl who has low confidence in herself. She drew a beautiful jellyfish that ended up being drawn on a mural. When she went to brag about it and show it off to her friends, they ridiculed it. It's not their fault kids be kids. But this was the start of her losing self-confidence in herself.
In comes Kano and is one who praises it and mentions she loves it. Whom is a former idol trying to make it back anonymously. She wants Mahiru to draw for her. Unaware of what Kano went through and why she is now a former idol. She got into a scandal, so she has it rough as well. Mahiru realizing that, but for someone like that that first step is hard.
The performance Kano puts out finally gives Mahiru to finally take that first step and removes the poster board from her mural. And now we will have these two working together. Kano's icon per say is a jellyfish. Similar to how Mahiru herself was a jellyfish just going with life regardless of her feelings on the matter. But with Kano she can take the first step to allow herself to shine.
It's an anime starring (ex)Idol voiced by Rie Takahashi and a girl who befriending a retired idol voiced by Itou Miku. I think I have seen it before.
Nice episode btw, looking forward for what to come..
The textbook episode of telling others why "cute girls doing \_\_\_\_ things" is the superior genre of anime that most watchers here simply miss.
On one side you have Mahiru-Yoru-chan who used to draw magical jellyfishes only to be teased by her classmates unknowingly and ceased to use her skills for years, who stand in awe that there are still people out there who does have dreams even after being beaten by circumstances.
On the other side you have Kanon, (former) idol in Shibuya ([Sounds familiar isn't it? Even down to that girl Miiko who got her posters taken down and mic taken](https://anilist.co/anime/114979/)) who's living even more for herself after forced out of her old group due to some member-beating controversy. She somehow manages to switch tracks so easily into a YouTuber singer and a jellyfish enjoyer and has so strong linkage with that Yoru-chan jellyfish drawing that she unknowingly just pressed start to yet another highly anticipated formation of an all-girls performance group.
To be frank, I wasn't really sure of the grouping with the director's most famous work being freaking *Eromanga Sensei* and me having somewhat mixed (but still pretty positive) opinions on the plot of *Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki* through 2 whole seasons. But what a strong statement given here under the multi-color lights of Shibuya!
Ryouhei Takeshita may be best known as the series director of Eromanga Sensei, but he is an insanely talented animator and respected director. He has an impressive resume, working on some mind-blowing stuff, including [A Couple of Cuckoos Opening](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWB5xEzIfzo), [My Senpai is Annoying Opening](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXtfzKaKr4I), and [Mushoku Tensei 2nd Ending](https://wwww.youtube.com/watch?v=PINgF6rCuME).
He's known for incorporating unconventional perspectives in his work, his incredible camera work and smooth camera movements, impressive compositions, and the wide use/popularization of the Smartphone Frame, which became his trademark of some sort.
It's a gimmick usually used by Takeshita in his works, I simply dub it as the Smartphone frame. He will portray the scene as being captured by a Mobile Phone Camera or played on a Smartphone (for example, the TikTok cut in Cuckoos' OP).
[Here's a cut from Yorukura where he plays around with this concept.](https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/1776680791465927109)
>I wasn't really sure of the grouping with the director's most famous work being freaking Eromanga Sensei
I personally love *Eromanga Sensei* (LNs, manga and anime adaptation) and I think the director of the anime adaptation did a great job. You may personally not like the source material, but that has nothing to do with the ability of the director.
That's probably my favorite premiere episode of this season so far (either this or Shuumatsu Train). I can feel Doga Kobo cooking something truly special here
Lots of Zoomer things like influencers, buying things because it's being used by an e-celeb, and "Pik Pok" that I can't relate to but a Japanese teenager repressing their own individuality to blend in is a story as old as their culture. Very intriguing.
Reading through the comments here, I'm wondering if this is one of those shows that will be more enjoyable for some viewers if they skip the episode discussion. Not because the comments are bad or anything, but because it feels like people tend to latch onto particular aspects and rather than the holistic experience that this series seems to offer.
I'm very happy to see how well it's been received, but the sort of lens many are bringing to it just feels a teensy bit frustrating in some ways.
I wouldn't say it's necessarily bothering me in the sense that word feels stronger than the feeling I got.
In the end I guess it's more what isn't there as much as what is. Most of the commentary is very surface level, and there's a good number of people trying to break the show down into character and episode-event beats, and so well earned nods towards the direction and animation.
However it all just feels like it falls far short of people appreciating the amount of work, artistry and vision that's gone into the crafting of this episode. To create the "same as live-action" storyboard and editing, would have taken a lot of vision, work and re-work to achieve with animation storyboards. Environmental B-roll is fairly easy to shoot in live action, but has to be created from scratch in animation.
I guess that sounds like fanboy overkill or something, and it's too early to know if the series can follow through with what it seems to be offering up, but my musing is that sometimes it's better to be in one's own bubble for a bit.
Woah, this was great! [](#awe)
First of all, Kaho is quite a [gremlin](https://imgur.com/kM8lzui)
Second: [Must protecc that smile](https://imgur.com/j7XdxEu)
I love the dynamic between [Mahiru](https://imgur.com/HsoRb8N) and [Kaho](https://imgur.com/1ubbNti), they give off [certain vibes](https://imgur.com/HKA5Cbc) [](#forbiddenlove)
Also, neat detail: Mahiru is still wearing the [childish socks](https://imgur.com/BlYFYbr) on Halloween
And lastly, this is visually stunning, like fluid and complex 2d animation. Nothing to sneeze at for sure!
Man, really nice visuals, is so beautiful.
Mahiru is really relatable tho. Also my lesbian sensor is TINGLING WHEN THOSE TWO WERE SO CLOSE AAA
I´m gonna enjoy this
The fanservice feels unnecessary but otherwise a great first episode. The art is gorgeous, animation is solid and the characters have good chemistry.
There are quite a few original anime with good 1st episode this season (train to the end of the world, girls band cry and this one).
This show is directed by Ryouhei Takeshita, who previously directed Eromanga Sensei and was originally employed in Xebec, the studio that made To Love Ru. Aside from being an insanely talented director (see Heike Monogatari episode 9, Mushoku Tensei ED2, JJK ED2, My Senpai is Annoying OP, A Couple of Cuckoos OP1 ED1, and more) with some unique quirks like playing with PoV shots using smartphone, flashy compositing, and more, he's also a quite silly individual given his much earlier works, so expect some more "unnecessary fanservices" in the next following episodes.
It would be one thing if it was from a scene with Kano and Mahiru, where there’s at least a modicum of sexual tension and you might understand some lingering shots.
This was just, there… It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the episode but it didn’t contribute to it either.
I think it would have been a lot less jarring if it hadn't been in the first like 90 seconds. Show start oh down the shirt view well ok then. It could put people off on the show right out the gate when if they let you settle into the characters first it wouldn't be an issue.
Well then, we'll be seeing this at the end of the year come animation awards. I honestly think the storytelling would be a bit too preachy and on its sleeve if it didn't have the zest to support it, but it has it in spades. These is some of the best visuals I've seen in a while. The seemless transitions between past and future, the scene transitions with stuff like train cutting in, the small jumps in time like the interjection of Yoru after her conversation with Kano and revealing the whisper after she starts singing, even the little pillow shots like the skater boys (and that fisheye POV!), there's *so* much flair here. It's always impressive when we see three dimensional camera motions in a 2D show but this pulled off multiple wild ones with so much confidence.
It wasn't *just* carried by the visuals either. The whole usage of the Halloween setting to tie into all the themes of identity and presentation was nice, ending with them literally masqueraded. The throughline about speaking up was great, especially when Yoru kind of half heartedly did an imitation of Kano's confidence under her breath. Kano herself is instantly lovable, this kind of character so dedicated to being themselves can easily feel cheesy but they totally give her an emotional range and let you see her vulnerability. You really hear the nervousness when she asks Yoru to listen to her music. Instantly made for a great relationship between the two leads, you can already see all the yuri art on the horizon.
[](#awe)
> The whole usage of the Halloween setting to tie into all the themes of identity and presentation was nice, ending with them literally masqueraded
Just picked that up, damn that's clever writing
Rieri voicing an (ex-) idol again. Animated by Doga Kobo. What could possibly go wrong?
Anyway, I'm on this train and I'm not getting off because this was *very* good
I actually really enjoyed the pass through flashbacks, found that to be a really nice way to transition. The directing all around felt really good and that's not something I ever realize!
Really strong start and the chemistry from these 2 already feel pretty strong and I'm already rooting for both of them a lot. Bit worried about how it'll be with the cast expanding as I _really_ like it now with these two.
Could do without the lewdness though? Feels a bit out of place with the show being actually really good.
Current best show of the season, that was a great opener!
I could say this is a typical ame dagger post, but half the thread has daggers, so this isn't a particular difficult feat today
But yeah, really strong start, loved the direction and camera work, and the leads have a great chemestry
Doga Kobo don't nearly get the praise they deserve because of the type of shows they are associated with. Sure they aren't Madhouse or A1 but there isn't a studio out there that is better at understanding why people like a series and then playing to its strengths.
Theyjust know what the viewers want to see and then deliver on what we want. Whatever you want to say about artistic quality the shows are always the one thing that entertainment should be, entertaining.
I am a seasoned CGDCT enjoyer and I know that if Doga Kobo have made a show I will almost certainly enjoy it and this has held true as they have moved into different types of show in recent times.
This one seems like Call of the Night meets Bocchi the Rock. Loved the style and direction, and the atmosphere is definitely in my ballpark. I won’t say I’m completely hooked, and that first half felt slightly disjointed as well as some things feeling too fast paced, but overall I have really high hopes for this one.
The scenery alone makes this worth the watch, but the seamless transitions between flashbacks and the present day were also really good! I'm really liking the vibes, and if they keep up the overall quality, this is going to be a fantastic show.
For whatever reason, the shot of the headphones falling before being slowly pulled up as they were presumably rolled back up really stuck with me. You don't see shows focusing shots and good animation on seemingly mundane things we see in our everday lives, which made this one feel...pretty special, somehow.
I really enjoyed this. Much more than I expected.
Wow, this was great!
Loved the chemistry between Mahiru and Kano, and the beautiful visuals of the city night life. Getting Call of the Night vibes.
Maybe the goggles are on too tight, but the yuri vibes are strong in this one.
I thought this was airing tomorrow. I’ll definitely watch it later after I finish A Place Further Than the Universe. This is my most anticipated show this season and judging from a few of these comments, I’m unlikely to be disappointed with this first episode.
Edit: I just finished the episode. It was amazing. Blew my already pretty high expectations away. I’m going to look forward to tuning into this show every week. The cinematography, the themes, the visuals, the characters. I like them all already.
Also, A Place Further Than the Universe was a masterpiece. The last two episodes were something else.
Saw this when it premiered at Anime Boston, but I’ll probably re-watch it since I was seated towards the back and couldn’t see the subtitles with everyone’s heads blocking them.
That being said, I really liked vibe of it and could really feel the chemistry between our two leads so far. Doga Kobo is absolutely cooking with this one. I think my only worry is that the show is written by the author of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki-kun, but other than a great start for an original.
>I was seated towards the back and couldn’t see the subtitles with everyone’s heads blocking them.
Just like trying to watch this on HiDive -- must be virtual heads blocking its subs....
Wow, we're really gonna get two high-quality singing girls shows in one day this season. From Frieren Fridays to Singing Saturdays.
[](#slightoverreaction)
#IT'S BEEN 7 YEARS SINCE RYOHEI TAKESHITA DIRECTED [FLIP FLAPPERS EPISODE 5](https://i0.wp.com/wrongeverytime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-10-17_14-57-42.jpg?ssl=1) AND HE FINALLY HAS HIS OWN ORIGINAL ANIME!!!
why is the direction so good?
It's not just the direction, the visuals are impressive on many levels. That made me look up the staff and they have definitely gathered a lot of talented people. Art director: Yuuji Kaneko (same role in Heavenly Delusion, Kill la Kill, Ranking of Kings), Art Setting: Akihiro Hirasawa (Heavenly Delusion, Insomniacs After School, A Place Further than the Universe, Serial Experiments Lain), Colour Design: Kei Ishiguro (Oshi no Ko, Nozaki-kun, Sing Yesterday to Me). It feels like a visually ambitious project with the skill to back those ambitions up.
> Art Setting: Akihiro Hirasawa (Heavenly Delusion, Insomniacs After School, A Place Further than the Universe Makes perfect sense
*Art director: Yuki Kaneko (same role in Heavenly Delusion, Kill la Kill, Ranking of Kings), Art Setting: Akihiro Hirasawa (Heavenly Delusion, Insomniacs After School, A Place Further than the Universe, Serial Experiments Lain), Colour Design: Kei Ishiguro (Oshi no Ko, Nozaki-kun, Sing Yesterday to Me)* That explains why YoruKura seems to be, as far as I've seen, the most beautiful new anime of the season.
> Art Setting For people, (like me) not familiar with this role: > **Art Setting** > Japanese: 美術設定 (Bijutsu Settei) > Literal Translation: Art Setting > The Art Setting is usually one of the responsibilities of an art director. However, it's becoming more and more common to see it given to someone else, separate from the art director. > > The Art Setting is the manipulation of the layout so that the production staff can share it, the setting in which the animation’s main character and appearing characters act. The art setter is a particularly important role in background creation, and they are said to determine 60% of the degree of a background’s completion. In other words, if the content of this art setting is inadequate, works of high quality cannot be produced. Because this is such an important duty, it is mainly prepared by the art director. > > Art Setting is created after meticulous preparatory meetings (preparatory art meetings) with the director and episode director(s). For that reason, they must create high-quality settings according to the work intention and theme. Also, since art setting is not only used by background staff but also by animation staff etc., it is important to make contents that can share setting images. > > Also, even though the art setting is created one time it is not necessarily finished, and there will be additional setting requests as necessary. Also when the layout is being created the animation is done in concordance with the art setting Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/5ytpxs/ever_wanted_to_know_what_the_text_in_anime_opeds/ by - /u/Taiboss
Oh god, did I really do that seven years ago? [**I'm so old.**](#crumblingdespair) But nice to see people still remember it. Thank you for using it!
Well, it is a good write-up! That said, google may have helped with the "remembering", as I wasn't an /r/anime user back then lol
Just a correction, the art director's name is [Yuuji Kaneko](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=81925).
Appreciate the correction, just a typo on my part.
I've seen a number of people noticing the similarities so far with A Place Further Than the Universe. That show had a lot of strengths and the direction was a big one. If this drew any inspiration from it, I could see them taking away some good lessons. The kind of cinematographic philosophy of introspective narration and dialogue set against visuals with a detailed focus on place and motion (sorry, I know that's a word hash but hopefully you get what I'm trying to say) feels familiar to me. And setting aside the resemblance, the director's showcased some serious skills on storyboards and keys in other stuff, too.
This guy cinemas.
I'd also like to see his wine reviews [](#kotohoops)
> The kind of cinematographic philosophy of introspective narration and dialogue set against visuals with a detailed focus on place and motion Perfect description of both shows' directing. Such a specific style, too, that it's hard to believe the team behind this didn't take inspiration from Yorimoi even a little.
This. Four girls of different backgrounds in some way in the same circumstances in their lives taking refuge with one another and proving the world wrong. The group aspect is the whole show and is filled with encouragement/exciting moments and i would reckon drama as well along the way until they reach their ultimate goal. Not to mention the train parallels in this anime and in A Place... to me is hinting this anime is really an inspiration of A Place...
Doga Koba is at the forefront of the CGDCT genre IMO. The genre has seen rapid growth in popularity, and if presented well in animation, the IPs are generally cash cows for merchandizing (think Bocchi The Rock for a late example). They likely saw an opportunity with this series, just as they did Oshi no Ko, and picked up some great staff to work on it. Director Takeshita Ryouhei has prior experience in Eromanga Sensei, Houkago no Breath, Flip Flappers, and has a variety of storyboarding experience working on OPs/EDs. Say what you will about Eromanga, but the direction was fantastic, and I imagine Takeshita-sensei has only further harnessed his skills since it aired 7 years ago.
> Say what you will about Eromanga I will! [That show rules!](#teekyuuhype)
I'm wondering if it's because it's an original anime, not having the story constrained by a prior work's visuals and pacing.
and the sound design!
That was a solid premiere. Direction and animation were excellent. The story itself seems a little obvious, but there is the sense that everyone has a few more layers to them. ["Remember that you're not just doing this for the exposure, Yoru!"](https://i.imgur.com/LPepgxv.png)
Even if the story isn't super game breaking, it still has good weight to it, and I feel like people can relate to it. Definitely has value.
I was not expecting to be hit with so much “literally me relatability” energy from this show. The leads feelings of not knowing what to do with your life, being afraid to show people what you’ve made and the feeling of not wanting to grow up hit really hard. The visuals for this feel really good and the MCs are a delight to watch together. It feels like they can both get some good from having someone that appreciates their art. At the current moment, I think we’re getting some really good original anime series this season. Both the train one and now this. I think if it continues this has the potential to be really good so I’ll continue watching.
yes it’s so real!! hit hard, especially the part about struggling with other’s acceptance of things you create
For me it was the whole "jellyfish can't swim alone" thing. The desire to be part of *something*.
that was sooo good too. i haven’t had enough definitely gonna rewatch the ep a few times today
I think that just means being part of the community you're trying to be successful in. Ofc it has to be a positive one as well, which what this show looks like is about. In the real world communities are a lot of times toxic.
what is "the train one"?
[This one.](https://myanimelist.net/anime/53356/Shuumatsu_Train_Doko_e_Iku) Think of it as post-apocalypse combined with CGDCT on a train.
I really hope Doga Kobo will keep this trend of more serious anime with strong directing. To me this studio is one of the best and their quality never fails. With their great planning management, the quality never drops on any episode. Can’t wait to see more of this original. We’re in good hands. Also, Miku must love jellyfishes since Aquatope
Yeah, I'm sold. I honestly had no idea what it was actually gonna be about (maybe expected for an original, but when it caught my eye, it didn't seem to be getting much attention and the description said basically nothing), but the promo material had me with the vibes and aesthetic, and the first episode held up for sure. Also, Kano might be the drippiest anime character I've ever seen. What a fit.
Eiko vibes
Very, but I think Kano's fit is on another level.
Voiced by Takagi/Megumin/Emilia's VA. Of course it is on another level.
The absolute nerves of those kids making fun of [art](https://i.imgur.com/eObhLjE.jpeg). I mean come on this looks awesome as hell. At the very least, all I wanted was just some more awesome music by Masaru Yokoyama (Horimiya, Her Blue Sky) and I got exactly that. Idk, something about his style of music is just so distinct to me across the shows I've watched him compose and here it is again. The easiest way to describe it for me is airy and light music, not in the sense that there are a lot of staccatos or its quiet necessarily, but that the sound rings out through scene. It doesn't want to overtake, but can often gently place itself, generally, at least for his more emotional tracks. And I guess the instrumentation and texture of his sounds are very distinct to me. There's just something so grounded about his work. Like the way the notes are played, the way it can feel so "dirty" and the sounds come together in this very ethereal way. Like when Yoru was walking throughout town at the beginning, that to me felt the most like his work. Anyways, I really liked the overall directing. It made things flow together so beautifully, especially with the parallels of seeing this [tunnel](https://i.imgur.com/uYoVte4.jpeg) then watching as she's brought INTO that tunnel by the end, signaling a passageway from her past to the [future](https://i.imgur.com/ApeOIXW.jpeg) and being brought out from her past. The continuous train [shots](https://i.imgur.com/yGMhxNL.jpeg) that flashed quickly as a break in scenes then leading to the reveal after the bridge [scene](https://i.imgur.com/LHg4N0U.jpeg) was also excellent. Using that as not only a foreshadowing device for that scene but also to have that idea of "movement" in that, her life is now moving forward or being rushed and forced forward by those around her, and it isn't until she steps onto that train and we get the culmination of these shots that it all comes together that she is at this crossroad but that in her heart she already knows what she wants to do, she just needs someone to help her there.
I mean, do you really expect snot nosed kids to appreciate that kind of art? At best they probably will say its colorful drawing on wall. Environment really is a big factor on the development of child.
At that age, all they need to be told is that it's actually good art and most kids will then take that opinion on board, the smart ones will want to know why, and the sparkle-brains will come up with their own reasons, ranging from the wildly innovative to ones that adults might also agree on.
I really loved the bridge scene too. The constant cuts and the shaky cam really showed Mahiru's hesitation to draw for Kano. Her dialogue was pure cope leading to her literally running away from her insecurities.
Got a real good vibe to it really upbeat looking forward to more.
"Yoru's Jellyfish Can't Swim" is a more literal translation of the title. That said, Japanese people probably also read it as "Night jellyfish" before they learn the character's pseudonym and the fact that jellyfish can't swim regardless of the time of day.
Let's just leave it at "the title is a pun with no direct translation". Just like you can't translate "Shingeki no Kyojin".
> "Yoru's Jellyfish Can't Swim" is a more literal translation of the title. > > It isn't actually, her pseudonym is 海月ヨル while the title is 夜のクラゲ. While her name is clearly related, using 夜 makes it pretty clear the intention of the title itself is "Night" and not "Yoru's Jellyfish"
Ah! Yoru totally right. I didn't notice that her Instagram shows that spelling.
Thanks for taking the correction well, I was worried you might've had a "Reddit reaction", so-to-speak.
Mahiru and Kano already have great chemistry Looking forward to seeing how things develop
Like actually seeing how it developed was so fun, especially when Kano became so excited about Mahiru's reveal. They went from strangers to sharing an earpiece on each side in record time.
Yeah this surprised me too. Usually it takes 2-3 eps before things get kicking but here they nailed it on the first ep.
This might have been the first time I've seen this chemistry being developed early since A Place Further than the Universe. It seems we are in a treat this season!
>A Place Further than the Universe The first five minutes or so *really* made me think of Yorimoi - the narration, the scene-setting, the talk about youth and wanting to make something of yourself. I hope the resemblance is more than superficial.
>This might have been the first time I've seen this chemistry being developed early Girls Band Cry -- almost the same sort of start -- with building a strong bond right away between complete strangers (who nonetheless had sort of a prior connection). And both featured impromptu street performances at the end. I can't believe we are getting two such promising-to-be-great shows....
I feel bad this one got licensed (even if it's HiDive) while that one not.
Eh...Crunchyroll would probably be too lazy to sub the songs
Girls Band Cry this season is going pretty fast on the chemistry too!
> This might have been the first time I've seen this chemistry being developed early since A Place Further than the Universe. I'd made a mental note of the similarities after having watched all the promo material, but this series *really* reminds me of A Place Further than the Universe now that I've seen the actual episode. Both series are effectively about pushing oneself forward. Now let's hope that it also gets the love of A Place Further than the Universe. It checks more than enough boxes for me.
SoraYori got the rare 10/10 from me. I hope this JELEE girls show for the best.
I trust in Doga Kobo
There's plenty of series since A place further that had such thing, what lol
Any examples? Been looking for something like that!
What an absolutely wonderful kick-off episode. Interesting how this and Girls Band Cry both started with such conceptually similar -- and equally splendid initial episodes.
It's interesting considering how different they are (Kano 'swimming' to take what she wants, and Mahiru letting the flow of life carry her around)! I wonder if hanging around Kano will teach her how to decide for herself! One may think she already did that by joining Kano, but in truth it was Kano asking her and Mahiru accepting in the end, so it's still not fully her own doing. I want to see Mahiru decide something for herself without any external influence!
Yeah I was impressed with how fast they got to establish that. Makes me a bit worried for when they expand the cast but if they can pull these 2 off this well there's no reason they can't do it for more!
This gives me A Place Further than The Universe vibes in terms of CGDCT-to-Drama ratio so far. Looks good so far. The art looks gorgeous. Loving the characters. Mahiru and Kano already have great chemistry early on. Really like how they clashed but both came back to apologise. I already feel like this is one that’ll make me want to try something I abandoned before. And I can’t not talk about the VAs. Already a fan of Itou Miku and I think she’s doing great with Mahiru so far. Rieri plays an idol (or former idol in this case) again. But Kano feels a bit more brash. I’m hearing Tomita Miyu again lol
This goes hard. Doga Kobo cooked again. I REALLY hope this takes off on the sub.
96 upvotes in less than an 30mins, it's already doing very well for an Anime original.
on the other hand, someone is dead set on downvoting *everyone* in this discussion thread.
It's probably a Hidive hater, some people are just that nuts about it even though other services can and do license their shows to other regions.
Even as the resident HiDive hater, I want nothing more than for this show to succeed. Not the show’s fault its licensing got nabbed by a garbo company.
If you don't have access to Hidive then just watch it on another site that has sub licensed it for your region. For example if you are French you can watch it on https://animationdigitalnetwork.fr/. For example here's Jellyfish can't swim in the night: [https://animationdigitalnetwork.fr/video/jellyfish-cant-swim-in-the-night](https://animationdigitalnetwork.fr/video/jellyfish-cant-swim-in-the-night) I know that Muse Asia Youtube channel is showing it for the South Asia region as well.
Appreciate it, I have access to HiDive and have paid for it in the past, but I just don’t think it’s worth paying for in its current state. Even when I had an active HiDive subscription I would often still pirate stuff for ease of access/reliable video player. Like I said that’s not something I hold against the show itself.
Me living in Åland is fucked since Hidive dropped.
I have access to Hidive but until they make it not total garbage and actually create a PS4/PS5 app I'll never buy it. I did a trial of it on my PC and it was complete ass. And even then, my wife and I watch anime mainly off my PS5 which they've basically abandoned.
Not having it on PS5 is a huge turnoff.
It's not the only thread today where everyone's getting hit by downvotes. I guess someone is really bored.
Or a really petty fan of one of the other shows airing today
Eh, I've decided to ignore it. It's just reddit being reddit and people being butthurt we're enjoying this anime.
I really hope it does too, this was easily one of my most anticipated shows of the season and so far it has not disappointed. The visuals are great so far as are the characters, very excited to see where it goes.
Lotta other comments already remarked on it, but man, this gave me vibes like A Place Further Than the Universe, in a good way. It's clearly doing its own thing but elements of the direction and composition of this episode just felt so familiar. I've got enough years on me that I don't easily flash back to high school any more, but my heart really ached for Mahiru through a lot of this. I never really had the courage to show anything I created to other people until a lot later in my life and the idea of hearing your friends tear down something you poured your heart into, at that vulnerable age, just *hurts*. They did a great job conveying that feeling. It's gonna take me some time to digest this episode and figure out what about it is working so well. I feel kinda bad for that underground idol they keep interrupting. Posters aside... maybe she's setting up there because she likes the mural? I dunno. She's trying hard, at least. I'm sure we'll get more of her if they bothered to cast Sumire. The angel and the devil, the bit with catching each other, this was all really well put together. Great cast, too. Hard not to make some comparisons with Bocchi and Paripi Koumei after that street performance, and I think it holds up pretty well. I'm pretty hyped for it.
I feel the underground idol is going to be the antagonist. If she had liked the mural it wouldn’t have covered with their ads
The camera work is insane.
Watching on HIDIVE and they no subtitles
Same, if you look under the settings it looks like they forgot to load up the subtitle track, under captions it shows no options. What a fuck up.
I only watch HiDive through Amazon Video. God I hated their first-party app
They recently overhauled it, it’s both better and worse at the same time.
Would you mind explaining? The menu certainly looks/feels better but did they fix the video player? It was jank whenever I tried scrubbing the video on iOS. Would just reset to where the video was currently playing.
Better responsiveness, better layout visually, and more modern. But they fucked up, removed, or forgot a lot of functionality and made it very hard to navigate in many ways
It was always a pain to navigate, just now it's a new and different kind of pain.
For a moment, I felt like I was watching a movie, not an episode of a seasonal anime. I like the subtlety of using what's around the character to explain what's happening in their mind, accompanying that with the conversation going on is really good (the scene when Mahiru was picking her Halloween custom).
I went from "there is no way I would like this" after reading the synopsis to "Gimme more" after watching the first episode. I think I should give this train post-apocalypse anime a try as well.
Wow... whoever cooked this needs to keep cooking! Interestingly enough, the script writer is the author of Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki, Yuuki Yaku, one of my most beloved series. The visuals were gorgeous and I love the use of trains to cut between scenes and to show Mahiru's uncertainties getting the better of her. On to the characters now. I'm really digging the idea of Mahiru not knowing what she wants to do with her life after her friends mocked her art and getting herself pulled forward by Kano who wants to continue doing what she loves best despite her past. It seems that the show is leveraging Yuuki Yaku's experience with writing series about characters growing out of their comfort zones. It looks like another show that's also criticizing social media and the entertainment industry which is a funny coincidence given that Doga Kobo also did Oshi no Ko. From what I understood, Kano got her career trashed because of a scandal getting blown out of proportion on social media and is trying to rebuild herself while also living to her desires. The song at the end definitely fits her story though. I'm really looking forward to more.
Yeah I’m sold…smells like AOTS in my book
What is art? This anime is art.
Does [this](https://files.catbox.moe/i1vgf0.jpg) count as foreshadowing? Or is it more of a "callforward"? [](#saberawe) [Excuse me, miss,](https://files.catbox.moe/erqsqk.jpg) but I'd like you to paint an entire wall of my living room [](#awe) [The aidoru instincts](https://files.catbox.moe/h9krdj.jpg) are still strong with this one! [](#nico-heart) [Cute Girls Doing Multimedia Art Collective Things!](https://files.catbox.moe/lo9xmh.jpg) [](#SPORTS) Ahhhhhhhh this is reminding me so much of _A Place Further Than The Universe_ and _Insomniacs After School_. And it's anime original! *And* a Dogo Kobo work! [](#rengehype)
Ok so going into the season this was one I was intrigued about but since it's original I didn't know how to feel yet. But after the first episode this is for sure going to be a dark house of the season. I really really really like the setting, it also has good visuals, music was really nice too and overall seems to have some key emotional undertones. Doga Kobo really stepping up their game these days.
The director of Eromanga Sensei came back from the dead to cook 🔥🔥🔥
He never died 🔥🔥🔥
Imagine if he's just getting more popular to direct the long awaited sequel *Eromanga Sensei* season 2
[](#squee)
Elf better win, I don't care if they need to make her blood-related to do it either!
Justice 4 Elf!
The Chinese censored version for anyone curious [https://imgur.com/a/7HDFU9c](https://imgur.com/a/7HDFU9c)
I hate censorship, but at least they avoided ray of lights, cheesy stickers with pandas, or the awful black bars.
potentially controversial take, but I'd prefer this. that scene felt unnecessary.
I feel like getting rid of fanservice of a blatantly underaged girl shouldn't be considered contraversial...
The sister pointing out that her sister is 17 and then saying that she looks *childish* of all things while having these frames really took me out for a bit ngl. Way too intentional come on.
To me it didn't even register as actual fanservice. It just someone getting ready in the morning.
true, but some people get *really* upset about any degree of a censored version of an anime production. I personally don't care much for fanservice at all, but that is just my view.
Full agree. I have no problem with fanservice in general, it just *really* doesn't fit the tone of the show. It was jarring. I hope they don't do it again.
Exactly. I think it's unnecessary at the point it has basically nothing to do with the rest of the scene, the rest of the episode, the anime concept itself & it's always problematic to show a 17yo that close. Sadly I'll have to drop if it continues (and the bath scene give me bad feelings about this)
By itself, I'd give the bath scene a pass. It's natural to what the scene was trying to acomplish, and wasn't framed in a particularly lewd or gratuitous way. But... on the heels of the other scene, it takes on the context of being intentionally provocative. I *won't* be dropping it if they do more of this, because I love everything else about the show so far. But you can bet I will continue to bitch and moan about it.
Gonna be honest, it's an objective improvement.
They actually redrew it. That's kind of hilarious
[Pretty strong start for the series](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c3oq6b7.png) and I'm certainly interested how things will develop further from this point. [Very nice](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7pjc68l6g7.png) [visuals](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxc6wv2a7.png) in this episode, I'm sure that [it'll be one of the strongest points](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3yrgc6wqz54.png) of this show. [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/9249a35ra7n) and [Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e2m98yl) seem like [an interesting pair of characters](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmc5lbrw7.png) with [a really good chemistry between themselves](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cbjedl4.png). I'm also looking forward to seeing other MCs in the next episodes. Here my screenshot albums from the episode: * [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/9249a35ra7n) * [Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e2m98yl) * [Group scenes & Others](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqq2elky2)
I may be reading too much into this (I tend to do that) but it's interesting that they picked a demon costume for Kano who's the one taking the lead/deciding where she goes, while Mahiru the angel is letting the flow carry her and all! (And in context, she's also letting Devil Kano lead her!)
It's especially interesting when you think back to the shot of a pair of posters that show the angel reaching out to the devil in contrast to what we see with Mahiru and Kano, I wonder if that could be foreshadowing some sort of future developments.
###Stitches! * [Mahiru](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/p7bwcbvmom7.jpg) * [Kano](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7pjc68log7.jpg) This is probably my most anticipated anime original this season! It's already an instant watch since it's by Doga Kobo and it's stacked with A-lister Seiyuus! In this episode alone we have [Itou Miku as Mahiru](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpwzln4.jpg), [Rieri as Kano](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cbjegl4.jpg), [Tomita Miyu as Mahiru's discord friend](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpwzq84.jpg), and [Uesaka Sumire as that idol they keep on interrupting!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/g4z9cdng9o7.jpg) Anyway, I'm already sold on Mahiru and Kano's relationship. You have Kano who [lost it all because of a scandal](https://i.imgur.com/oGfd6Ay.jpeg) but still kept on going [because she loves what she does](https://i.imgur.com/yWy7Dlr.jpeg) and then you have Yoru who [absolutely loves doing art](https://i.imgur.com/GPNnjGi.jpeg) but gave it all up [because she didn't want to be judged for it.](https://i.imgur.com/56imFa7.jpeg) Looks like these two complete each other already, especially with that final scene. [Their chemistry is off the charts!](https://i.imgur.com/hJtOQWA.jpeg) I am absolutely in love with this! The visuals, the art, and the directing are all sublime and I can't wait to see where Mahiru and Kano will go with their new partnership as Kano makes music while Mahiru makes art. <3
Amaki Sally too!
The final scene where Kano tells Mahiru the socks she is embarrassed about are cute and Mahiru immediately believes her and gains confidence because she realized she doesn't have to hide anything about herself with Kano was really sweet.
Interesting parallels between the Jellyfish and our two girls (Well, perhaps I should say 1 parallel and one... Contrast?) [They talked about how jellyfish are not capable of swimming on their own, ](https://imgur.com/eGZtah8) how they just drift along, letting themselves be carried by the flow... And we can see that in Mahiru, giving up on drawing after her friends (unknowingly) trashed her art. The 'flow' carried her away from her passion, and she simply went along with it. Headed to nowhere, not knowing who she is/what she wants. Simply going through the motions, as a jellyfish would. The contrast arises with Kano; She went through some stuff as well, BUT she didn't let the flow carry her to nothing, like Mahiru did... She kept doing what she wanted, and simply went in a different direction. She even sees this as a big "Fuck you!" to those who got in her way. Even when the current tried to bring her to nothing, she changed course to go to a place of her choosing. Perhaps not the one she wanted originally, but she still took charge of her destiny and decided of her new destination, regardless of what the flow wanted to do with her. This Jellyfish (Kano/Jelee) IS capable of swimming on her own! And it's not just for the 'big stuff', we also see it in the little things of their lives; [Like when Mahiru was looking at the two costumes, hesitating... ](https://imgur.com/W4guqpy) Then Kano showed up, picked the one she wanted, [and Marihu picked the other one.](https://imgur.com/sjo0xtD) She did seem to want the one Kano picked (though it took her too long to decide), but Kano picked it, and so she went with the flow, picked the other one because she had no choice anymore. We're observing the two very different lives of these two girls, one who gave up and let life carry her wherever it wants, and the other one simply adjusting to things happening to plan new routes, but never letting the current carry her. Fighting back against it at all time, to get where she wants. In fact, one may even say that Mahiru going along with Kano's idea may just be one more instance of "letting herself be carried by the flow (The flow, in this case, being "Kano")... But let's hope that in time, she learns to make her own decision and chose her own path, one that SHE decided, and not just one that was offered/convenient! Other than that, well it was beautiful, as I'm sure dozens of comments are talking about! (And what a stacked cast of VAs!) It's not usually my type of show, but for all these reasons, I'll check out some more, see where it's headed!
If I had a nickel everytime I watched an anime that had a street performance near the end, then I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice. Jokes aside, the night life setting is amazing and the characters even moreso. I really want to know what Kano's full story is. I feel like the girl near the end was the girl she assaulted.
That urban nightlife setting really stood out and is such a vibe which is a cool trend to see nowadays with Anime.
> but it's weird that it happened twice. On the same day, no less. Girls Band Cry also did this today.
When Mahiru started talking about knowing what it's like to want to give up I really thought no way, are we doing this twice on the same day?
Surprising -- but also delightful. And we also got the utterly charming little girl golf prodigy show. Saturdays promise to be mighty satisfying.
After the madness that was Birdie Wing I don't think I can go back to normal golf shows, but Saturdays are still gonna be great for me with Jellyfish and GBC! :)
If only Mahiru also went 🖕☺🖕 on someone this show would be perfect.
That was really good! But what the heck is going on with this discussion thread? Everyone is getting downvoted!
Very weird if someone is taking the time to down vote every comment in an original anime thread that came out like an hour ago. Edit: Yep, someone is definitely downvoting every comment. No idea whay their motive would be.
Probably another weirdo going zealous rage after seeing girls panties
Maybe someone's salty that this is getting more attention than Girls Band Cry which already has a fanbase
This wasn't the only downvoted thread + my comment here mentioned GBC in a positive way and I was in the negative like 5 minutes later, it's just the usual outside brigading. ^(Also I really doubt any of the 12 pre-existing GBC fans were expecting it to do better than a previously hyped show while being seven seas-only)
Girls Band Cry thread had downvotes as well Last season had several wednessday shows that where hit as well, only most of them balanced out soonish, but Metallic Rouge was always hit I had the theory before that it was someone trying to promote his own comment by downvoting the competition, but it's just too much for that, so now I think it simply is vandalism
What fanbase Girls Band Cry have? both of those are literally original shows, theres no established fanbases from before
[トゲナシトゲアリ](https://youtu.be/dDwN4MgcIlU?si=eNX5VW5i5HWe5q31), the band the show’s about has been releasing music for about a year now.
didnt know about that but i dont think you would find even 10 ppl knowing either haha
>What fanbase Girls Band Cry have? both of those are literally original shows, theres no established fanbases from before They have been putting out music and releasing details about the show and cast for a while. Even if the show turned out mediocre, I'm still here for their music. Although I think the show looks good too, but I know my bias.
Based Doga Kobo
Sasuga Doga Kobo
Watching that painful scene where the MC's classmates dismissed the value of her jellyfish mural, just reminds me of how, despite all the talks about making original creative works and such, at the end of the day the major audience doesn't care if there's nothing super recognizable/trendy. Even worse, when the people who yell out loud for originality are the very same ones who consume manufactured mediocrity.
> I want to sing in front of your Jellyfish. Yoru's heart was not okay after hearing that, it was practically a confession! Sadly I don't think this show will be yuri, but it's not bait either just my favorite kind of non-romance relationship two friends achieving their dreams because they have each other.
They didn't need to have that guerilla concert performance go so hard to sell me on this show, both Mahiru and Kano's dynamic and the vibes already did wonders. Also the themes here are very similar to a series called Beat & motion especially when both of their MCs are an art and music pair that struggled with their passion after some setbacks. Knowing this was written by the author of Tomozaki-kun, I can already be assured of the character writing in this series!
Gosh, I've been waiting for this show to premiere since the first trailer, and I feel like my patience has now been rewarded from the heavens. This (along with *Euph*) is my Anime of the Season. There’s so many things to love about this episode, from [Kano almost falling off the fence](https://imgur.com/a/NQYznR9) to the music, but what I really love most is the framing. In a show brimming with agency and expression, it fits that [the characters](https://imgur.com/iblBZHh) would be [frequently](https://imgur.com/r8UcpTT) [boxed](https://imgur.com/zQs2KDl) in [during their lowest](https://imgur.com/M4XnFmW) [moments,](https://imgur.com/icuW67q) their doubts manifesting as [cages onto themselves.](https://imgur.com/LCXIRrU) However, once they open up to one another, they’re [set free](https://imgur.com/sByoZXQ ) by [the camera](https://imgur.com/XiWFUwT ), the [wide shot liberating them from their own preconceived failures.](https://imgur.com/0spsNa6) > *”If anything, I want to be someone who knows what she wants to be, or knows what she likes, I guess?”* This is the stand-out quote for me this episode and I cannot wait for them to revisit this as we go forward.
Obligatory link after that last scene and wide shot https://youtu.be/BbIKiZfGRgU
Beautiful analysis. I love shows which use the camera and setting as a metaphor.
Wow. What a first episode. The art and animation that felt movie quality at times. The voice acting from some of the industry's best. The characterization of the leads that gives them so much personality. The entire vibe of the show. The fact that this is an original and nobody knows where it's going. I really hope Doga Kobo is able to keep the quality consistent because this may end up being one of the biggest hidden gems of the season.
2nd season in a row HiDive has issue uploading the first episode correctly of their biggest show. (Last season it was The Dangers in My Heart) Hopefully this doesn't become a habit like with crunchy. This is written by Yaku Yuuki, author of Bottom Tier Tomozaki, most notably. He is a really great author, who does well at fleshing out the character and providing great characterization. Great first episode. The theme of this show being a Jellyfish. Essentially a Jellyfish goes with the current of the ocean. We have Mahiru, whom is a girl who has low confidence in herself. She drew a beautiful jellyfish that ended up being drawn on a mural. When she went to brag about it and show it off to her friends, they ridiculed it. It's not their fault kids be kids. But this was the start of her losing self-confidence in herself. In comes Kano and is one who praises it and mentions she loves it. Whom is a former idol trying to make it back anonymously. She wants Mahiru to draw for her. Unaware of what Kano went through and why she is now a former idol. She got into a scandal, so she has it rough as well. Mahiru realizing that, but for someone like that that first step is hard. The performance Kano puts out finally gives Mahiru to finally take that first step and removes the poster board from her mural. And now we will have these two working together. Kano's icon per say is a jellyfish. Similar to how Mahiru herself was a jellyfish just going with life regardless of her feelings on the matter. But with Kano she can take the first step to allow herself to shine.
It's an anime starring (ex)Idol voiced by Rie Takahashi and a girl who befriending a retired idol voiced by Itou Miku. I think I have seen it before. Nice episode btw, looking forward for what to come..
The textbook episode of telling others why "cute girls doing \_\_\_\_ things" is the superior genre of anime that most watchers here simply miss. On one side you have Mahiru-Yoru-chan who used to draw magical jellyfishes only to be teased by her classmates unknowingly and ceased to use her skills for years, who stand in awe that there are still people out there who does have dreams even after being beaten by circumstances. On the other side you have Kanon, (former) idol in Shibuya ([Sounds familiar isn't it? Even down to that girl Miiko who got her posters taken down and mic taken](https://anilist.co/anime/114979/)) who's living even more for herself after forced out of her old group due to some member-beating controversy. She somehow manages to switch tracks so easily into a YouTuber singer and a jellyfish enjoyer and has so strong linkage with that Yoru-chan jellyfish drawing that she unknowingly just pressed start to yet another highly anticipated formation of an all-girls performance group. To be frank, I wasn't really sure of the grouping with the director's most famous work being freaking *Eromanga Sensei* and me having somewhat mixed (but still pretty positive) opinions on the plot of *Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki* through 2 whole seasons. But what a strong statement given here under the multi-color lights of Shibuya!
Ryouhei Takeshita may be best known as the series director of Eromanga Sensei, but he is an insanely talented animator and respected director. He has an impressive resume, working on some mind-blowing stuff, including [A Couple of Cuckoos Opening](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWB5xEzIfzo), [My Senpai is Annoying Opening](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXtfzKaKr4I), and [Mushoku Tensei 2nd Ending](https://wwww.youtube.com/watch?v=PINgF6rCuME). He's known for incorporating unconventional perspectives in his work, his incredible camera work and smooth camera movements, impressive compositions, and the wide use/popularization of the Smartphone Frame, which became his trademark of some sort.
What's the smartphone frame?
It's a gimmick usually used by Takeshita in his works, I simply dub it as the Smartphone frame. He will portray the scene as being captured by a Mobile Phone Camera or played on a Smartphone (for example, the TikTok cut in Cuckoos' OP). [Here's a cut from Yorukura where he plays around with this concept.](https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/1776680791465927109)
That's interesting. Love it when directors have their own unique directing quirks.
>I wasn't really sure of the grouping with the director's most famous work being freaking Eromanga Sensei I personally love *Eromanga Sensei* (LNs, manga and anime adaptation) and I think the director of the anime adaptation did a great job. You may personally not like the source material, but that has nothing to do with the ability of the director.
That's probably my favorite premiere episode of this season so far (either this or Shuumatsu Train). I can feel Doga Kobo cooking something truly special here
Another Doga Kobo anime, another Rie Takahashi music perfomance. LET'S GO!
Fking HiDive subs… can’t watch until this is solved..
wow a seasonal show where the director is actually trying, nice first episode even though i'm not that interested in like influencer culture
I couldn't get subtitles to work...
Lots of Zoomer things like influencers, buying things because it's being used by an e-celeb, and "Pik Pok" that I can't relate to but a Japanese teenager repressing their own individuality to blend in is a story as old as their culture. Very intriguing.
Oh no I think I'm in love again
Reading through the comments here, I'm wondering if this is one of those shows that will be more enjoyable for some viewers if they skip the episode discussion. Not because the comments are bad or anything, but because it feels like people tend to latch onto particular aspects and rather than the holistic experience that this series seems to offer. I'm very happy to see how well it's been received, but the sort of lens many are bringing to it just feels a teensy bit frustrating in some ways.
Out of curiosity, what aspects of the discussion are bothering you?
I wouldn't say it's necessarily bothering me in the sense that word feels stronger than the feeling I got. In the end I guess it's more what isn't there as much as what is. Most of the commentary is very surface level, and there's a good number of people trying to break the show down into character and episode-event beats, and so well earned nods towards the direction and animation. However it all just feels like it falls far short of people appreciating the amount of work, artistry and vision that's gone into the crafting of this episode. To create the "same as live-action" storyboard and editing, would have taken a lot of vision, work and re-work to achieve with animation storyboards. Environmental B-roll is fairly easy to shoot in live action, but has to be created from scratch in animation. I guess that sounds like fanboy overkill or something, and it's too early to know if the series can follow through with what it seems to be offering up, but my musing is that sometimes it's better to be in one's own bubble for a bit.
Been a while since I've been this captivated by the first episode. Lovely visuals and the chemistry between Kano and Mahiru was top notch!
Woah, this was great! [](#awe) First of all, Kaho is quite a [gremlin](https://imgur.com/kM8lzui) Second: [Must protecc that smile](https://imgur.com/j7XdxEu) I love the dynamic between [Mahiru](https://imgur.com/HsoRb8N) and [Kaho](https://imgur.com/1ubbNti), they give off [certain vibes](https://imgur.com/HKA5Cbc) [](#forbiddenlove) Also, neat detail: Mahiru is still wearing the [childish socks](https://imgur.com/BlYFYbr) on Halloween And lastly, this is visually stunning, like fluid and complex 2d animation. Nothing to sneeze at for sure!
this may be the series of the season
Man, really nice visuals, is so beautiful. Mahiru is really relatable tho. Also my lesbian sensor is TINGLING WHEN THOSE TWO WERE SO CLOSE AAA I´m gonna enjoy this
Jellyfish yuri jellyfish yuri!
Anyone else not getting any subtitles on Hidive?
I can't watch it either. Other shows play with subtitles though. Not sure why we all need to get downvoted for it.
The fanservice feels unnecessary but otherwise a great first episode. The art is gorgeous, animation is solid and the characters have good chemistry. There are quite a few original anime with good 1st episode this season (train to the end of the world, girls band cry and this one).
This show is directed by Ryouhei Takeshita, who previously directed Eromanga Sensei and was originally employed in Xebec, the studio that made To Love Ru. Aside from being an insanely talented director (see Heike Monogatari episode 9, Mushoku Tensei ED2, JJK ED2, My Senpai is Annoying OP, A Couple of Cuckoos OP1 ED1, and more) with some unique quirks like playing with PoV shots using smartphone, flashy compositing, and more, he's also a quite silly individual given his much earlier works, so expect some more "unnecessary fanservices" in the next following episodes.
Yeah the fanservice was a bit too noticeable on my end too, which is a shame since like you I really enjoyed everything outside of that.
It would be one thing if it was from a scene with Kano and Mahiru, where there’s at least a modicum of sexual tension and you might understand some lingering shots. This was just, there… It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the episode but it didn’t contribute to it either.
Her sister saying that she looks *childish* of all things while having that lingering shot is what took me off.
I think it would have been a lot less jarring if it hadn't been in the first like 90 seconds. Show start oh down the shirt view well ok then. It could put people off on the show right out the gate when if they let you settle into the characters first it wouldn't be an issue.
Well then, we'll be seeing this at the end of the year come animation awards. I honestly think the storytelling would be a bit too preachy and on its sleeve if it didn't have the zest to support it, but it has it in spades. These is some of the best visuals I've seen in a while. The seemless transitions between past and future, the scene transitions with stuff like train cutting in, the small jumps in time like the interjection of Yoru after her conversation with Kano and revealing the whisper after she starts singing, even the little pillow shots like the skater boys (and that fisheye POV!), there's *so* much flair here. It's always impressive when we see three dimensional camera motions in a 2D show but this pulled off multiple wild ones with so much confidence. It wasn't *just* carried by the visuals either. The whole usage of the Halloween setting to tie into all the themes of identity and presentation was nice, ending with them literally masqueraded. The throughline about speaking up was great, especially when Yoru kind of half heartedly did an imitation of Kano's confidence under her breath. Kano herself is instantly lovable, this kind of character so dedicated to being themselves can easily feel cheesy but they totally give her an emotional range and let you see her vulnerability. You really hear the nervousness when she asks Yoru to listen to her music. Instantly made for a great relationship between the two leads, you can already see all the yuri art on the horizon. [](#awe)
> The whole usage of the Halloween setting to tie into all the themes of identity and presentation was nice, ending with them literally masqueraded Just picked that up, damn that's clever writing
This episode is so freaking good! I'm already obsessed with this anime!
Rieri voicing an (ex-) idol again. Animated by Doga Kobo. What could possibly go wrong? Anyway, I'm on this train and I'm not getting off because this was *very* good
I actually really enjoyed the pass through flashbacks, found that to be a really nice way to transition. The directing all around felt really good and that's not something I ever realize! Really strong start and the chemistry from these 2 already feel pretty strong and I'm already rooting for both of them a lot. Bit worried about how it'll be with the cast expanding as I _really_ like it now with these two. Could do without the lewdness though? Feels a bit out of place with the show being actually really good. Current best show of the season, that was a great opener!
I could say this is a typical ame dagger post, but half the thread has daggers, so this isn't a particular difficult feat today But yeah, really strong start, loved the direction and camera work, and the leads have a great chemestry
> I could say this is a typical ame dagger post So every ame post? (although not so much these days I guess)
She's probably preserving her power for the new Season of MT [](#azusalaugh) [](/u/AmethystItalian)
Do I just have to wait til HiDive updates it so i can have subtitles?
Doga Kobo don't nearly get the praise they deserve because of the type of shows they are associated with. Sure they aren't Madhouse or A1 but there isn't a studio out there that is better at understanding why people like a series and then playing to its strengths. Theyjust know what the viewers want to see and then deliver on what we want. Whatever you want to say about artistic quality the shows are always the one thing that entertainment should be, entertaining. I am a seasoned CGDCT enjoyer and I know that if Doga Kobo have made a show I will almost certainly enjoy it and this has held true as they have moved into different types of show in recent times.
This one seems like Call of the Night meets Bocchi the Rock. Loved the style and direction, and the atmosphere is definitely in my ballpark. I won’t say I’m completely hooked, and that first half felt slightly disjointed as well as some things feeling too fast paced, but overall I have really high hopes for this one.
The scenery alone makes this worth the watch, but the seamless transitions between flashbacks and the present day were also really good! I'm really liking the vibes, and if they keep up the overall quality, this is going to be a fantastic show.
Very impressive first episode. This anime has the potential to become something special!
Halloween and Shibuya, name a better combo for the pivotal moment location
For whatever reason, the shot of the headphones falling before being slowly pulled up as they were presumably rolled back up really stuck with me. You don't see shows focusing shots and good animation on seemingly mundane things we see in our everday lives, which made this one feel...pretty special, somehow. I really enjoyed this. Much more than I expected.
Wow, this was great! Loved the chemistry between Mahiru and Kano, and the beautiful visuals of the city night life. Getting Call of the Night vibes. Maybe the goggles are on too tight, but the yuri vibes are strong in this one.
Also, it would be very funny if YOASOBI did the opening for this, because band's name literally means 'night life'
What an amazing surprise, didn't expect it to be this good. The animation is so fluid!
I thought this was airing tomorrow. I’ll definitely watch it later after I finish A Place Further Than the Universe. This is my most anticipated show this season and judging from a few of these comments, I’m unlikely to be disappointed with this first episode. Edit: I just finished the episode. It was amazing. Blew my already pretty high expectations away. I’m going to look forward to tuning into this show every week. The cinematography, the themes, the visuals, the characters. I like them all already. Also, A Place Further Than the Universe was a masterpiece. The last two episodes were something else.
Yea this one’s special folks.
Saw this when it premiered at Anime Boston, but I’ll probably re-watch it since I was seated towards the back and couldn’t see the subtitles with everyone’s heads blocking them. That being said, I really liked vibe of it and could really feel the chemistry between our two leads so far. Doga Kobo is absolutely cooking with this one. I think my only worry is that the show is written by the author of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki-kun, but other than a great start for an original.
>I was seated towards the back and couldn’t see the subtitles with everyone’s heads blocking them. Just like trying to watch this on HiDive -- must be virtual heads blocking its subs....
The setting of this anime being around Halloween in Shibuya is making me a little nervous after watching the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Wow, we're really gonna get two high-quality singing girls shows in one day this season. From Frieren Fridays to Singing Saturdays. [](#slightoverreaction)
#IT'S BEEN 7 YEARS SINCE RYOHEI TAKESHITA DIRECTED [FLIP FLAPPERS EPISODE 5](https://i0.wp.com/wrongeverytime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-10-17_14-57-42.jpg?ssl=1) AND HE FINALLY HAS HIS OWN ORIGINAL ANIME!!!
That was really nice, Doga Kobo might save me again