Posted by OP Sequence
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OP: 「カザキリ」 (Kazakiri) by やなぎなぎ (Yanagi Nagi)
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「空を征く船」 (Sora wo Seikufune)
“The Ship That Sails in the Sky”
You know what? This show is actually pretty fun!
General Impressions
A Good Start
With a distinct lack of explanation about the important things and magical unique abilities running rampant, Norn9 creates a pretty interesting scenario for our large cast of characters. With Koharu being our de facto protagonist with little to no knowledge of what’s going on, I thought the strongest point of this first episode was just how fun it was to learn alongside her. Discovering why a giant ship was floating toward some unknown destination could have been immensely boring, but every step of the way there was a sense of tension and excitement grabbing my attention. A sense of tension that could have only been coming from how secretive all the other passengers of Norn were behaving. Or rather, how friendly Kakeru was and how it clashed with the wary attitude of nearly everyone else. In any case, I’m surprised just how much I managed to retain. Sure, we didn’t learn all all that much except for Koharu’s name and that it’s not all peace and love on Norn, but I think it was just enough to satisfy my curiosity.
A Mysterious Protagonist
I find it hit or miss when a protagonist has some sort of hidden “insert plot point here” and has a story that constantly hints at it without really giving us anything in return until they suddenly reveal whatever “insert plot point here” is. In Koharu’s case, I appreciate that we got a pretty clear look into the devastation that’s probably clouding her memories. Taking care of two birds with one stone by also giving us a peek into what her magical unique ability might be, I don’t mind coming along for the ride when we get enough background information to keep us informed and entertained.
Everything Else
From a production stand point, everything is pretty on-point with Norn9. With beautifully drawn backdrops and fairly detailed props all around, it surprised me that the characters look as good as they do. If I were being a little nitpicky you could say that some of the wide-angle shots are a bit odd, but if we’re being honest there aren’t all that many. Also, that opening song was absolutely fantastic. Reminding me of Eufonis and Lia, I think I listened to the thing at least five or six times! Besides being fantastic in every way, I love how well it fits the series. Something that doesn’t happen all that often, but makes watching each and every episode just a little better when it does!
All in all, as confused as I was when I previewed the series in our Winter Preview, I must say that Norn9 did a great job at capitalizing on my curiosity. With a story that can literally go in any direction and the pieces to make whatever it wants, I’ll for sure be here for another few episodes! Or at least until we get to see Koharu’s powers in full force.
P.S. While a small touch, I noticed the random animals getting knocked around and making funny noises. Don’t think you can sneak stuff passed me! Also, seeing how it’s based on an otome game, my current favorite is probably Tooya.
Preview
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Just in this for Nagi. Her songs for the games have been very, very good.
Wasn’t going to bother with this but I guess I’ll have to give it a try. You guys just can’t stand me having any free time!
Is it just me, or did the opening possibly spoil the pairings?
Show Spoiler ▼
If it did, that would seem…rather wasteful. Of course, as I said before, it could just be me.
It’s honestly not that big a spoiler if those all end up happening tbh. In the game, they weren’t exactly subtle about the implied main ships in their opening either. I’m more curious about how they’d incorporate all of them since they all have different routes in the game.
For me, I’ve played the game but I’m still not sure I’ll commit to this one, especially given quality of otome adaptations like Amnesia. If they could somehow pull off something closer to Hakuoki which adapts routes into a much stronger cohesive story, though, I’d be all over it.
Now, the one element that makes me curious as a game player Show Spoiler ▼
.
Oh yes, make it more like Hakuouki please…Maybe the opening is an indication to that..?
That the anime picked three routes and combined them?
I also wish for….Show Spoiler ▼
Show Spoiler ▼
I’m actually fine with it, with that large cast of characters, I’ll get confused about who’s who if they didn’t give any hint.
I have the game, but I haven’t started playing it, so I just know that there is Show Spoiler ▼
Though by episode 2, I already know Show Spoiler ▼
Anyway, I really hope the girls will end up with someone and not have an open ending like Amnesia.
Definitely a wait and see one here, going to need at least three episodes to form an opinion. The visual exposition and art has my interest, but the characters are going to require some more time to get a proper handle on. Reminds me a lot of Galileo Galilei funnily enough.
Also if Koharu’s power isn’t mass conflagration I shall be disappointed, greatly. That
Yunopink hair must live up to expectations 😛The PSVita port of Norn9, Var Commons, has already been released in English for both retail markets and digital download.
To be honest I wasn’t sure I would be watching a show with an unattractive name which gave me a similar vibe I got from ‘Amnesia’, though I never liked the one girl many guys shows (yes I know they have a name but let’s just call it that) and you already mentioned otome game lol , but I am glad I watched it, looks fun and the story looks worth following through. Though some scenes seemed forced, but maybe because I was watching it with a low volume at 12pm lol or because they do seem game like, their greeting poses -.-”
Ty for your review, M.
what made me watch this anime is that the girl being amnesiac and probably is probably SPECIAL. but how special, episode 2 might be the answer.
Sounds like a certain anime where the Heroine has no soul…literally…
https://randomc.net/2013/01/08/amnesia-01/
This anime had the “slow, breathy” quality to it, much like Amnesia. The slowness of it actually took some of the quality away for me. All the characters are pretty! The boys have hair almost as long as the girls, and most of the girls have that short-cut look. A “who will pair with who?” show. So much so I’d call this the “show-for-girlfriends-to-watch-with romantic” type. Not your usual magical girls-and-guys action-packed anime.
I absolutely love the music in this show!
I didn’t like it. To me it felt like the characters were completely empty. The two MCs had this weird competition going on who would be the nicest, most polite character. And everything they said and did could be predicted. The music was good, though I didn’t like the opening.
Wow…that world building was beyond my imagination. It was awesome and I love the atmosphere too…I didn’t really mind the changes made from the game but…..
Some parts of the dialogues and character interactions were cheesy and made me cringed.
Koharu X Kakeru…..Why were they so bland? I expected Kakeru to retain his trollish attitude….(and be nicer later in the story)….
Last but not least…where the hell was Sorata? I saw him in the preview…can I expect him to appear next episode…?