I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but the opening animation for Nanatsuiro Drops ("Shining stars bless" performed by Kaori Utatsuki) makes me feel all hanyaa~n and quite incapable of using the vast majority of my vocabulary in describing it, other than "cute" and "sparkly". The overall feel is that of a Typical Magical Girl show, with nothing special or surprising, and yet… happy. After all the excitement and all the adventure, when all the Macguffins have been collected and the series heads towards its extremely standard conclusion, Everything Will Be All Right.

It is comfort anime. Being unsurprising should be its entire raison d'etre.

This episode does not have a whole lot of action, but it does have a bit of insight into Sumomo's friendship with Nako. Not a lot, but a bit. I have to say that Yuki doesn't really trigger my "why is the magical girl mascot even there" gut feelings for some reason; possibly this is because he's not perverted, arrogant, or hyperactive, and his voice isn't an odd falsetto. Besides, it's not like he's a Real Magical Girl Mascot in the usual sense.

Read the rest of this entry »

One thing which I've noticed since I started actually being a part of fandom, identifying myself as an anime fan, is that I appear to have a higher than usual tolerance of the more saccharine parts of anime. Reading reviews which slam a series for being "too cutesy" or "too sweet", I have to stare in confusion and bemusement, since I often enjoyed the parts which they do not like.

As for originality, it is a commendable ideal, but when all is said and done, it is not that essential to me. I can happily watch twenty six episodes of regurgitated cliches, assuming these cliches are something which are Relevant To My Tastes. It is as though I am presented with a portion of my favourite food, with the option of getting more of it as I please. I don't really see a downside to this.

Then again, seeing as how I'm used to grinding in games, online or otherwise, I'm perfectly happy with repetition.

Nanatsuiro Drops is, from the first episode (and technically the second, but that's skipping ahead), a rather unoriginal series. Based on an eroge, the show nevertheless feels as though it is aimed towards the same sort of audience Card Captor Sakura was, in all sorts of ways: there is that veneer of Bishoujo Harem Comedy, but thus far the primary focus is on a more pure interpretation of the magical girl genre than we've seen in a while. ("Pure", in this case, meaning Not Ecchi, rather than anything about faithful adaptations.)

In this, I'd say that anything it does (so far), Card Captor Sakura does better, and this might not even be all that biased. CCS has more likeable characters, and overall better story progression and direction. Nanatsuiro Drops just doesn't have anything eye-catching that would make it stand out against the "deeper" shows this season.

But yanno, with all the new "dark" and "edgy" types of magical girls, not even counting the more ecchi variations, it's kind of refreshing to have something that's simple and sweet. Something with bright colours and designs, with laughter rather than tears. Something happy.

Which is why I'm hoping, oh so very much hoping, that this trend will continue. If it turns out to lean more towards the Bishoujo Harem Comedy side of the spectrum, I'd be disappointed, but not too badly. If it turns out to be Dark and Angsty, I will feel very, very betrayed.

Read the rest of this entry »