The Rolling Girls

I think that the intent was to create something like an Innocent Bystander Series. Sort of like a contrast between "cute girls doing cute things" and wacky superhero action.

It works in the middle episodes, like the Comiket episodes and the rock/geisha episodes. But the beginning is just kinda confusing and the ending tries to do six things at once.

I reiterate that it really feels like this series was planned for 26 episodes.

Given it's low sales, I doubt we'll ever be seeing more of this. (I know sales aren't everything, but still.)

edited 28th Mar '15 5:39:40 PM by universalperson

They certainly had more plot than they had time for (only the Kyouto arc feeling reasonably paced), but I don't think they had twice as much. Felt like a fairly standard case of coming up with a bunch of ideas in the brainstorming stage and getting too attached to cut them out when it turned out they didn't have room

I see what you're saying but at the same time I can't help but think the premise itself is ill-suited to a 12-Episode Anime format, especially when each location is a two-parter.

I had the complete opposite reaction: that the plot, character focus, and motives doesn't have much depth becomes irrelevant to me.

The impressions I got were what I felt the show was really about.

It's zany, and really sugary, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Happy with the finale and hooray for being introduced to the Blue Hearts!

Shima was missing an important piece of the Daimon puzzle. And so, it did not move. Welp, time to handle things old school.

Do you see, Prez? Chiaya's a-okay.

Prof. Otomo and Momiyama duke it out. No logic needed. All they had to do was use their heads.

HM? So, it was sheer passion and willpower always? Those stones really are a part of nature and nothing more? Masami and Shigyo flexing their(truly innate) superpower muscle on each other right away was funny, though.

Do you see, Masami? Nozomi's grown up a little since last you laid eyes on her.

Delivery complete. Now, Daimon, take flight! And Shigyo got to be a hero.

So the gang were all childhood playmates. Guess they forgot that time.

Laterz, Chiaya. And Prof. Otomo decided to stay behind with the Takumis.

Yukina grew her hair out. ...Hm, honestly, short is better for her.

Looks like Ai's getting stronger. Or maybe that was a normal leap.

Momiyama's new boss is one fine squid.

So, yeah, the show had so many stuff it wanted to say, and did so in a...haphazard way? But, I care not for the overall ramifications. Awesome action, cool beats, and colorful locales. Not to mention some character moments. That's what this show means to me. Let's roll on to the horizon!

I was fine with the idea of having the main characters become merely support for the rest of the cast, but man...I just didn't really care for them at all. My favorite character ended up being that former band guy who follows the crew around in a wagon cart, and ironically, he was a supporting character for the supporting characters.

Oh well. I liked the style and the worldbuilding, and the visuals and character designs were very pretty and engaging. I still don't know who those black shirted guys were or what they stood for, but I guess it's not important.

"Takumi" literally means artisan or craftsman. So they were basically an artisan's guild.

Those were the ones you were talking about, right?

edited 29th Mar '15 4:03:15 PM by universalperson

I'm only six episodes in, so... halfway through? and I'm not really sure what it's about, but I'm enjoying it.

Yeah, those guys.

I'm guessing they were the guys who made the octopus pots necessary for the ship to function properly.

Their "sacred artifact" was revealed to have been the freaking escape pod the alien professor got ejected out of, so... It was kind of fitting that he stayed behind with the Takumis when all was said and done.

honestly the series had a solid run until tis final arc where it had a lackluster ending with little payoff and barely answered one of the many mysteries it raised. Spoilers for people who haven't finished:

Remember how Shigyou apparently pulled a Face–Heel Turn and her memories were messed up, and it was somehow connected to something that happened in the Great Tokyo War on the past? How the Evil Takumi's were shady and doing evil things? Or, most importantly, the mystery of what the cores are and where they come from, why the seemingly fall from the sky for certain people and why they give superpowers to people? (yeah I'm not buying the finale's explanation of "nah they had superpowers all along" because there's plenty to contradict that, like Thunderoad losing her powers). Or hell, what caused the spaceship to crash in the first place?

All of these seemed rather important but in the end...we get no explanation about them at all. All we learn about the Cores is that they're apparently part of powering the ship or something, but even that's like really vague, so we don't even know why the President was collecting them in the first place.

Yeah the anime clearly lacked strong, chesive writing and direction and overall I'd say its....rather meh with pretty art and a good first couple eps.

I watched the first episode of this at a con and had no clue what the fuck was going on.

Basically, Japan split into provinces overlooked by super powered teenagers with each province becoming radically represented by some part of their local culture.