Charlotte / First Impressions

OP Sequence

OP: 「Bravely You」 by Lia

「絶望の旋律」 (Zetsubou no Senritsu)
“Melody of Despair”

Behind every light lies a shadow. Whether you notice it or not is the question, and in the case of Otosaka Yu, it looks like he no longer has a choice in the matter. The fact that he developed powers and was found out by Tomori means he’s been officially roped into something he won’t be able to get out of, and it’s a situation that’s quickly turning into more than just fun and games. The blackmail, blatant abuse of powers, and other antics from the Student Council continue to give the series a light-hearted atmosphere, but there’s more than meets to eye here, and the series seems to be hiding quite a bit behind its comedic cover.

For one, it’s interesting to note the major contrast between the sides we’ve seen of Otosaka and Tomori and the lives that they actually lead. Otosaka’s arrogance, hilarious faces, and cheating antics cover up the fact his parent’s are estranged, as well as the fact that his sister’s forced to cook meals for them to save money. At the same time, Tomori’s outward bluntness and the ease in which she approaches people covers up the fact she doesn’t have any friends at all, and if it weren’t for her own admission, one wouldn’t know she’s someone who has difficulties trusting people either.

Given the background story we get however, it makes perfect sense why things are the way they are, but more answers only lead to more questions. Who is this mysterious individual that rescued her and her brother? How was he able to set up the “system” the way he did? How much do they know about the powers they have? And how big of a potential link is there between their powers and the alignment of the stars? Because darn, they’re really rolling with the stars motif throughout the series, and sneaking in some mentions to zodiac signs like Gemini and Sagittarius while they’re at it.

Either way, the truth is still shrouded in mystery, but for a series two episodes in, Charlotte’s doing a great job setting the foundations. The notion of scientists sitting there as the proverbial boogiemen heralds the potential for sudden shifts in the story’s tone, and there’s always the possibility that Tomori’s “benefactor” turns out to be more sinister than even them. The latter would be a cruel twist, but that’s exactly the kind of narrative we can get here, and I’ll say the excitement from the first episode hasn’t worn off. The opening sequence also turned out greater than I ever expected, and the fact that first press copies will come with an ad poster makes it a likely buy for me in the near future.

Until next week!

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「灼け落ちない翼」 (Yake Ochinai Tsubasa) by 多田葵 (Aoi Tada)

93 Comments

  1. I also feel like this show is hiding it’s true colours, waiting to unleash it’s wrath upon the unsuspecting viewers. Or not. Only time will tell?

    Imo, one of the more promising shows this season. All others so far, while good, all had something that irked me. Not this show.

    Djalaal
    Reply

      2. Other than The Comet Grill in Charlotte, North Carolina (not even kidding) I’m not seeing anything to connect to any comets.

        Maybe it’s another language’s version of Charlotte? Other than that, probably Nao’s savior.

        Aex
        Reply

    1. If he stays “acting” like a jerk it will be weirder, since he looks like genuinely cares about people but act and pretend to be a worse jerk than he actually is. Yes he is somewhat egoistical and put himself as priority but that doesn’t mean he’s one dimensional jerk “he’s a jerk because he is and will always be like that.”

      cryarc
      Reply

      1. Him dropping all his attitude altogether from the first episode and becoming a completely docile without retaining even a slight of his jerkishness in just the second episode, is even weirder.

        Amiluhur
        Reply

      2. @ Amiluhur

        Weird? Didn’t you see that he was about to go to “jerk” mode right on his introduction to his new class only to be foiled when he saw Nao in the same classroom?

        And Nao practically prevented him from pulling his stunts when he was forced to become a member of the Student Council and join Nao in her hunt. No use being a jerk in front of people who knows how you tick.

        His situation now doesn’t warrant him to act as a jerk unlike before.

        Raiu
        Reply

      3. Actually it’s not like he completely dropped it. He did try to get into his swing of things, during his introduction to the class but with the 2 Student Council members there, it’s not like he could really do much in the way of his usual modus operandi.

        Juan
        Reply

    2. I’d say that was the whole point in general. He was never really a jerk in the first place. He only acted like one because he found out he had powers and was essentially using them unchecked. Now that he’s lost the reason to act that way, he’s back to the way he used to be. Not to mention even when he was using his powers, he only stuck to using them for grades (arguably part of this is to earn back some money for his sister) and random acts of peeking, and never really committed anything egregious despite the potential for him to do so. It’s all part of a mask he puts on the outside, and just like Tomori, his actual personality is far from what he seems to be and at least part of it is so people don’t find out the situation he’s actually in. Once they do though, there’s no point to keep up the facade.

      Zephyr
      Reply

      1. You’re forgetting that he nearly killed two people last episode for the sake of impressing a girl. That says more about him than anything else namely that he has no regard for human life at this point and shows how much of an awful person he really is.

        Jason
        Reply

      2. @Jason: for me that scene was more about how his arrogance got the better of him. He looked pretty horrified when he lost control of the situation and what was supposed to him him stepping in to pull the girl to safety ended up in an actual car-crash because he over-estimated himself.

        Was it stupid? Yes. Did he think people would actually get hurt? No.

        Aex
        Reply

    3. You could see that he was going to try it in the classroom (and how he still appeared self-important looking in the mirror), but the presence of Tomori and Takajou made that fall apart. They know him and can easily call him out for his crap. Rather than try what he did before, it looks like the way he acts at home will be bleeding more into how he associates with friends.

      It’s better than making him into some kind of ‘type’ that has to stick to his megalomaniacal guns.

      JekoJeko
      Reply

    2. I’d think at that point, the government would be complicit and no one would be ever the wiser, especially if they were looking for a military usage to his abilities. There’s a lot of shady things that can be covered up if one really tries.

      Zephyr
      Reply

  12. and so, it seems the climax is spoiled on this episode. and no its not yu being the one get experimented upon but his sister… (talking about the weight)

    yu’s sister might get an ability for herself which she doesn’t realize that she has it and is using it, then gets the effing neuroscientist attention and you know it… instant drama and heavy emotion… typical of maeda

    Jeffers
    Reply

  14. The position of our “Professor Xavier”, they try to hold it Secret. But i bet it is a Parent that has a Kid that had the same experiment. Perhaps he is the Father/Mother of this Blue Long hair girl in the OP or the Boy with the scars Crying

    But, you know what? Pictures are powerful, even the PC Visual Novel CGI (when he enter the Student Council Room) was good embedded. I know, most of the Pictures are PC rendered things. But it still not bite me. it is very good threaten

    So, how is our Professor X(avier), they love to beat around the bush, but perhaps it is for the better. We should focus on the student council, and we still lack of the Blonde Hair girl of the OP

    The entire Series has some X-men undertone, not because of their Super skills usage, no it is of the threaten of Mankind around them, and they still believe in them. We are seeing the Professor Xavier faction, not the Magneto

    In the end, our MC (All HAIL Britania!. Sorry) was about to abuse his skill that nearly kill a innocent Girl. You remember the “I save her from a Truck crash!, s she will fall in Love to me”? It was his fault, and nearly went wrong. Like here in this Scene when the Super speed fast Guy, missed the arrow in the first Try.

    I love this series, not about their ESP Skills, no because of their daily life with it. The manga Tokyo ESP so far, is only a collection of Movie things (Robocop Roboter on 2 Legs, that Alex Murphy take out?) and Blackwater CIA ESP Worldwide group.

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

  15. Nao’s backstory just broke my heart in a gazillion different ways. Particularly because of the potential parallels this might end up having with Yuu and Ayumi.

    Aki-Chan
    Reply

  16. The moments that triggered Charlotte to lost her trust in all of humanity except for Show Spoiler ▼

    .
    1.) Their mother gave up on them.(Finacially/Socially)
    https://randomc.net/image/Charlotte/Charlotte%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2024.jpg
    2.) Her brother lost humanity because he was experimented with.
    https://randomc.net/image/Charlotte/Charlotte%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    3.) She was setup by certain unknown people/scientist to have fake friends.
    https://randomc.net/image/Charlotte/Charlotte%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2027.jpg

    Thus making her attitude towards others the way she is right now.
    https://randomc.net/image/Charlotte/Charlotte%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2018.jpg

    Seriously, the pacing went to fast for this one episode. But I can clearly see this is really the work of Jun Maeda and P.A. . But I didn’t mind though.

    All in all I like this KEY/P.A. animation combination.

    I can’t wait for “Yusarin” Show Spoiler ▼

    to appear to twist the story more.
    https://randomc.net/image/Charlotte/Charlotte%20-%20OP%20-%20Large%2005.jpg

    Anyway have a KEY omurice.
    https://randomc.net/image/Charlotte/Charlotte%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2005.jpg

    Food for thought. Be careful what you think for. Because sometimes what you think will be granted as a wish in “KEY” world.
    Thoughts that might have triggered those ability.
    1.) Perhaps that person there is.
    2.) I wish I didn’t exists.
    3.) If only I could move faster. Things would have been better.

    Croos
    Reply

  17. Know I’m going to get slammed for this, but can’t help it, need to get it out.

    First, I know we’re supposed to sympathize with Nao. They made that painfully obvious. I know we’re supposed to say “Oh, you poor thing! No wonder you have trust issues! Let me go kill your mother for you” as we try to pat her head. And for what it’s worth I do get why she has trust issues now, so the episode succeeded there. I’m also glad that it got Yuu thinking about what might happen to Ayumi in the future, so I think he’ll take a turn for the heroic.

    Everything else about her I can’t bring myself to care about because of her blatant two-faced, holier-than-thou attitude. It didn’t help that every time the character seemed to be saying not to pity her, the episode itself was pushing us in the exact opposite direction. So I get it, she needs help, but right now her personality is so bad that I don’t really care. Sorry Zephyr, but to me it came as absolutely no surprise that someone who is this comfortable using force to get her way “for the greater good” had no friends. I actually liked that they went that way instead of the usual “everyone is fooled by her mask” shtick.

    Aex
    Reply

    1. I meant that on first glimpse, the way she can approach you with confidence and her ability to socialize aren’t usually things you associate with not having any friends. Only if you find out about how she does things with her powers do you realize she’s not who she seems, and more importantly, she doesn’t seem to care too much if they do.

      I don’t think she’s so much someone to be pitied at the moment (I agree that the comedy behind some of her antics certainly point the opposite way) as she just is someone the series is trying to get us to understand, ask questions about, and derive the plot from. She is who she is now exactly because of her circumstances, she knows it, and she doesn’t care. But is that all?

      She’s blunt, the way she perceives, shows, and can change her emotions from one moment to the next is far from ordinary, and you just can’t tell whether she’s just having fun or really cares about what she does. For one, if it wasn’t for her brother actually being real, I would’ve had my doubts on whether or not she was lying about the whole thing, and you just can’t be sure. I feel that at this point there’s more to the story than what she’s letting on, and that’ll definitely play a major role later.

      Zephyr
      Reply

    2. The problem this that sometimes the people who need our love and care the most have the most undeserving attitudes and personalities. The way Tomori changes so often depending on the situation (or in complete defiance of it) is another result of her improper social upbringing, so I think it’s unfair not to care about her because of how she acts or treats people.

      I give her a tremendous amount of credit for being where she is now, knowing someone myself who went through a hellish stage of their school life and has come out similarly on top of that nightmare.

      JekoJeko
      Reply

      1. Indeed. That’s certainly true in many cases.

        The interesting part here is that I think she knows exactly how she acts toward people and she doesn’t so much want our care as much as she wants our understanding. It feels like she’s saying “this is how she is, this is how she came to be, and you should accept that first before anything else. If you can or want to stick with me regardless of this, then that’s fine.”

        Basically, she’ll take a little help and sympathy if you’ll stay despite her circumstances and personality, but she’s strong enough individually that she’ll never want or ask for your pity.

        Zephyr
        Reply

      2. @JekoJeko: after you say that I remember a few much more minor cases I’ve come across in my life, so fair enough. I also think she does recognize how she treats others is a bit twisted, though.

        @Zephyr: I’m definitely not so confident about Nao’s self-awareness. She seems much more like a character that would hate sympathy to me, just from how easily she snaps at ignorant people. I know Yuu didn’t choose his words well and anyone would get a bit mad at him for saying stuff like that at that time, but still, the ignorant don’t choose to be ignorant, but she doesn’t think she needs to be understanding(which, okay, she’s probably earned that). She definitely had her defenses up on the bus ride back when she threw his own personality in his face because he made an effort.

        I’m also in doubt if she realizes how much help she really needs (if she thinks she needs any). She thinks she’s as tough as nails, but she feels a bit too “fake”–or maybe goes back and forth too fast–for me to buy that yet. I get the feeling that Yuu’s role is going to be to show her that compassion can get the job done as well as strong-arms methods, or at least I hope that’s where they’re going with that relationship.

        Aex
        Reply

    3. I don’t know if we are suppose to sympathize with her. What she mentions about her brother is pretty much meant to be the backgroounder or the setting for “all ability users” and not necessarily her in particular. Also while we do know her past, and it’s a pretty bad one, I personally find it a bit hard to sympathize with her since it’s also quite obvious that she is keeping a lot of secrets and putting up facades.

      So for now I’m keeping it in mind but I can’t shake the feeling that there will be a much deeper reveal about her later on.

      Juan
      Reply

  19. Frankly, knowing who the writer of the story and the background of his previous works was, kind of lowered my expectations for the series. And it doesn’t help that early on, we’re already seeing where this “might” be heading. Unlike in Angel Beats when it was on the latter half of the anime when the real feels poured in. And poured hard, striking us when we thought we’ve seen everything.

    It’s kinda similar to someone who accidentally stumbled on TV tropes that after a few hours of browsing that accursed site, you’ll media entertainment in a very different light.

    Raiu
    Reply

  20. Really found it hard to reflect on this episode because Tomori’s backstory was so painful. Reminded me of Yuripee’s in how it cruel it was to her at a young age and how she’s evolved beyond that nightmare now, and also in how neither stories moved me to tears but instead gave me a kind of fury mixed with despair that I’m overjoyed to see the characters overcome. I’m actually already liking Tomori more than her predecessor though.

    More of my thoughts here: https://unnecessaryexclamationmark.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/charlotte-02-2/

    Starting to wonder why our characters always run into pervy pictures when they use their powers – maybe it’s just part of the whole ‘puberty’ thing.

    JekoJeko
    Reply

  22. I wasn’t much of a fan of the sob back story. It wouldn’t have bothered me before but after seeing more of Jun Maeda’s works, such as Tomoya After’s hilarious ending, it came off as a lazy way to induce pathos.

    Also, rounding up all the current and potential power wielding individuals into the same school sounds like a great idea too. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that. Maybe I missed the justification for why they’re putting all the eggs in the same basket (I probably did) or maybe they’ll explain it in the future.

    On the bright side, I liked the starry scenery and the sequence with the blurred effect in the OP and I’m curious what random bombshell plot twist it’ll throw at us.

    VernalEquinox
    Reply

    1. Did I miss the reasoning on why Tomori forced Otosaka to transfer to her school when she found him misusing his power, but when she catches the archer doing the same thing she just tells him to “knock it off”?

      Kling_Klang
      Reply

      1. I found that odd as well, but I think it was because what he was doing could be covered up a lot more easily than Yuu’s ability. Still would’ve liked someone making the distinction of “why isn’t he getting dragged off?”

        Yuu had to leave the school because he was outed as a cheater, so he would’ve been expelled. Still don’t think we’ve gotten a straight answer as to why he was put on the Student Council though, or even why they sweetened the deal with being willing to pay for him and Ayumi. Thought it was just the usual last episode, but now it feels more privileged since she just told this new guy to find a job and lay low.

        Aex
        Reply

      2. Maybe because Nao and whoever is that only person that she trusts finds Otosaka’s power as really handy when doing their hunts which was proven to be really helpful in the episode, twice. And after Otosaka reluctantly used it at first, he caught on and cleverly used it again so that their target’s threat to Nao was easily handled.

        Though yes. I actually thought she’ll invite the guy to transfer but was surprised when she just told him to quit using his power.

        Raiu
        Reply

      3. It can only be a joke.
        The future of Yu was already decided before the meeting with the student council.
        1 – They already had a copy of his medical examination
        2 – They had permission from his uncle to the transfer.
        3 – Ayumi asked about the transfer to Yu when he came home.
        4- She said her uncle had advised about the transfer.

        The case Yuu is different from the other case, simply because they had the permission from his uncle to the transfer.

        The approach and persiguisão were disnecessarias.

        The metods used by Tomori are completely provocative, abusive, harassing, debauchee, reckless and dangerous.

        Taunts, debaucheries may cause irritation and negative reactions in the suspicious e possible retaliation and violence.

        Example the cops are instructed to never provoke or irritate a suspicious.

        You will see one of these negative reaction in episode 3.
        When Nao gets punched in the face after irritate and provoke a suspect.

        Gilles35
        Reply

  24. I don’t know why but I have a feeling that MC’s little sister has already developed her ability–a mind reading ability–and is intentionally giving him tired and over-sweetened/-salted meal selections because she finds his internal reactions of disgust entertaining.

    joestar
    Reply

  25. Despite the great visuals and its nice 1st chapter, this chapter was testing my suspension of disbelief and make me drop the series.

    A shame he caught the arrow, we could have avoided that unbelievable sob story.

    And in the end, the glasses guy power is not teleportation, more like instant super propulsion.

    (Sorry for the whining, but the writer did a terrible job) :3

    Ebisu
    Reply

  26. Wow, Nao’s mother……just wow.

    I can’t phantom what her train of thought was for her to do what she did. She has got to know what was going to happen. She’s basically scum.

    bakakubi
    Reply

    1. We don’t actually know what they did or said to her. In fact, it’s not all to improbably that they threatened her or her kids. So I would reserve judgement on her at least for the moment

      Juan
      Reply

  27. The benefactor must be Otonashi Yuzuru! lolol hey there are a few Angel Beats easter eggs so just throwing that out there.

    I don’t know what to say about that back story though. It was much too sudden and rushed to move me emotionally, but I don’t think that was the intent. My guess is that the purpose is more to serve as world building info to show us why the SC’s mission is so important.

    FlameStrike
    Reply

  28. Does anyone think the black-haired girl standing on the water in the opening could be the mc’s younger sister (maybe in a form where she has her powers)? It would explain why he appears in her shadow in the middle of the opening.

    misaki
    Reply

  29. List of Episodes

    [img]http://i.imgur.com/gf9lpUs.jpg[/img]

    1話　我他人を思う / (Episode 1 – I Think About Others)
    2話　絶望の旋律 / (Episode 2 – Melody of Despair)
    3話　恋と炎 / (Episode 3 – Love and Fire)
    4話　刹那の本気 / (Episode 4 – The Ephemeral Truth)
    5話　いつか聴いた音 / (Episode 5 – The Sound Once Heard)
    6話　気づかなかった幸せ / (Episode 6 – Oblivious Happiness)
    7話　逃避行の果てに / (Episode 7 – At the End of Escape)
    8話　邂逅 / (Episode 8 – Chance Encounter)
    9話　ここにない世界 / (Episode 9 – A World not Here)
    10話　略奪 / (Episode 10 – Pillage)
    11話　シャーロット / (Episode 11 – Charlotte)
    12話　約束 / (Episode 12 – Promise)
    13話　これからの記録 / (Episode 13 – Records From Today Forth)

    ZepellinKid
    Reply

  30. I am very certain that Charlotte is just like Show Spoiler ▼

    – the entire story takes place inside a dream world. Who is to say that Nao’s Brother’s apparent perceived reality, where he made it big as a Rock Star, isn’t every bit as real as the world we the viewers see through Nao and Yu? At least, I think Nao’s Brother is the first hint we get on how Maeda is going work his Dream World theme into Charlotte – because if there’s another cliche associated with Maeda, it’s all those dream worlds, or at least stories that make you question the true nature of reality. I doubt Charlotte would be any different.

    Nao’s backstory has tons of possible plot holes and amazing coincidences. I won’t be surprised if she is still in an experiment unknowingly, only given cause to use her powers. The other rule to watch from Maeda, other than DRAAMA! and pandering, is that things are rarely what they seem in a Maeda story.

    Andmeuths
    Reply

  31. 1. A razão Yuu traindo seu exame.

    Ele é pobre. Deve se sustentar ea sua irmã. Então, provavelmente através de trapaça e obter um grau superior, ele poderia obter bolsa de estudos para si mesmo. Isso também provavelmente a razão pela qual ele responder fortemente sobre a sua expulsão.

    2. O “salvar a menina do caminhão” incidente

    Se nós vê-lo sem cortar qualquer cena, Ele improvisou esse plano no local. Parece que o plano apenas lhe ocorreu quando ele vê o motorista do caminhão e acho que é uma oportunidade perfeita. Daí ele feliz que ele faça isso. Poderia ser pior, é claro. Mas essa ação foi no calor do momento. Embora ainda devemos culpá-lo por sua ação imprudente.

    Ices
    Reply

  32. After rewatching Episode 1 with better fansub (subjectively speaking of course, since I hate how CR translate a few things and the fansub is much better), I have this notes about the episode:

    1. The reason Yuu cheating his exam.

    He’s poor. Must support himself and his sister. So, probably via cheating and get a top grade, he could get scholarship for himself. This also probably the reason he respond strongly about his expulsion.

    2. The “save the girl from the truck” incident

    If we see it without cutting any scene, He improvised that plan on the spot. It seems the plan just occurred to him when he sees the truck driver and think that’s a perfect chance. Hence he glad that he make it. It could be worse, of course. But that action was in the spur of the moment. Though we should still blame him for his reckless action.

    3. Nao seems to fond of Yuu’s little sister

    Especially when Nao patting the little sister’s head. This occured to me after watching episode 2. Probably she sees Yuu’s little sister’s situation resemble herself.

    Ices
    Reply

  33. All of you here are wonderful and saintly people, which is why I find this laughable. As misanthropic and grim as it is, most people would very easily abuse special powers without a second thought, even more so under the underdeveloped rationale of a high schooler. After all, who actually gives a thought to stepping all over other people, strangers at that, if it will help them reach the prize at the top? And more than that, the nature of said powers makes it difficult, if at all possible, to come up with solid evidence that indicates each individual, throwing out any and all accountability.

    Which is why I can say that I cannot bring myself to like Tomori. Aside from the bad juju that I got from first seeing her, the second episode confirmed that she is one of those characters: “I must help others so that they don’t end up the way that I/somebody significant ended up.” This self-righteousness aggravates me because in the end, it is simply a means of self-gratification for her regrets by tampering with the lives of others. And if her actual goals are not the aforementioned but something more sinister, then that is and entirely different issue.

    Besides, if these two episodes weren’t indicative at all, then allow me to clarify: this girl is broken. Not like her brother, who has literal mental problems, but there is very clearly something about her that has snapped, and it is characters like these who are the ones that typically end up being the most dangerous to everyone around them. Who knows. I, like everybody else here, have seen only up to 2 episodes at this point.

    Don’t take me wrong. I am not particularly fond of any of the characters in the series thus far. However, these arguments talking about how the characters are reckless and evil makes them unlikable or scum turns me off completely.

    Of course, I don’t expect any of the arguments made in this thread, including mine, to be at all valid by the time that the story progresses to the end, if not some earlier point.

    archonidas
    Reply

      1. Because I can see exactly where they’re going with her character. We’re supposed to excuse her behavior because of her dark sordid evil science past. She’s going to act like a complete bastard for the entire show using her sob story as a shield. Its boring and irritating.

        suikaMUSIC
        Reply

    2. I think you’ve pointed out a good flaw in Tomori’s character which is something that makes me connect to her even more, given how realistic it is – the potential for saving other people just to feel that you’ve saved a part of yourself which you value more. It’s a trap many charitable people can fall into – giving to the charity just because the ad made you feel bad and you want to feel like a better person – so I’m not surprised that we can point the same finger at our Student Council President.

      Yet, it would be more irritating if she was some kind of infallible saint who managed to make everything she did appear in humble servitude to those she wishes to protect. The way she’s presented, she strikes me as the perfectly unbalanced balance of do-gooder and teenage girl. She’s young and still maturing after a nightmarish period of her life, so we should give her time to see what she grows into if we’re find faults in her character that we want to disappear.

      Just like how Yuripee eventually came to understand (as we did) her real reasons for fighting and what really mattered to her in Angel Beats!, I’m sure Tomori’s approach will develop before our eyes as the series progresses. The fact she seems to undoubting of herself only makes me anticipate those challenges more.

      I don’t think I ‘like’ her either, but I enjoy her character and all the possibilities for development it brings, of herself and all those around her.

      JekoJeko
      Reply

      1. As mentioned above, I assume that what people don’t like is Tomori’s personality, or rather, the way she goes about things. Intentions do not always translate the way one would imagine, seeing as it took two episodes instead of the first meeting for Tomori to convey the reasons for her actions. She could easily approach and explain, albeit with some difficulty, which is more likely to invoke a more friendly response, but as pointed out earlier, she corners people after she has everything she needs, by using her own power no less. It is easier for her to do and requires much less interacting and understanding to solve the problem, but that ultimately goes against her “desire to protect people from the fate her brother suffered”, showing that her mission is not so much a passion as it is a dependence or something of the like. Further evidencing her personality is by her using her power to clobber the MC when he tries to take her camera, an action which was absolutely NOT necessary; even if he was actually trying to attack her, she was already invisible, so he couldn’t have done anything to her anyway. It is similar to a dentist intentionally scaring a child with a drill, completely uncalled for and unrelated to solving the problem.

        suikaMUSIC
        Reply

  36. Ok Something doesn’t add up.
    >Her brother is experimented on until he loses his mind.
    >She escapes the school/science lab
    >She finds the “one person” who can help her (no Yu)
    >The scientists put her brother into an asylum.
    >She comes to visit him regularly

    HOW THE FUCK IS IT SHE HASN’T BEEN RECAPTURED BY THE SCIENTISTS YET!? I mean If one of your tests subjects runs away and you’ve put her brother into an asylum, why not monitor him and wait for her to come visit him? I mean she can only make herself invisible to one person so a couple of guards would be enough to get her. It seems like a pretty strait forward way to get her.

    Either
    1. The Scientists are dumber than they appear
    2. The person helping her is VERY powerful politically/militarily/corporately and is thus keeping the scientists at bay.
    3. Or the scientists are very smart and are actually using her to identify more people with abilities and the person helping her is actually in league/controlled by them in the first place.
    4. The writers of the anime put in a giant gaping plot hole by mistake.

    User96
    Reply

    1. That isn’t a plot-hole; it’s a question. This is only episode two, and who her benefactor is is probably going to be one of the biggest reveals in the show.

      She’s mentioned that students in the school are protected (aside from outright kidnapping), so for now the most likely scenario is #2, though I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some #3 mixed in.

      Aex
      Reply

      1. implying all this isn’t just a ruse.

        even if she’s doing a this to ” save ” him which by the way Is not really she’s not doing this to save him but she’s doing this to feed her own ego.
        She wasn’t able to save her brother so she put it on herself to save others so she could be even for a little bit happier knowing that she did something good. And she’s doing a pretty bad job with it IMO. Just look at the damages their little club made and how she handles things is downright terrible.

        She’s doing this not to save him or others but because she feels responsible on what happened to her brother thus she feels like it’s her job to prevent all those stuff from happening again. And plus the fact that this ” benefactor ” of hers is probably the one telling her to do all those stuff to begin with.

        User96
        Reply

    2. Some Law was enforced, to protect this Kind of peoples. Unlucky it was to late for her brother. So they do not want to Lose face. Perhaps they still doing it in ultra Secret, how knows

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

  37. Wow… I don’t know where to start because I am not really fond of this episode.

    *Breathes out

    1. I don’t like Nao as a character so far. There’s something about her that did not manage to win me over. How on Earth did she become a Student Council president if no one liked her? Was not that supposed to be an election? On the other hand, Yuu was tamed and was relegated to the task of being her side kick.

    2. The drama feels forced. How can I be able to even feel her sad story (or empathize with her) if I just saw her last episode? The way PA Works presented those scenes was as if it was in the middle of a one-cour show. That’s just emotional manipulation which fell flat.

    3. I guess Charlotte could do some short montage on what the students in that school is like for immersion purposes. In a more serious question, who manages that school? My guess is it must be some persons from the government who will harvest them all later given Key’s tendency to lean so much in the dark. It is like they are lulling them in a trap.

    4. The humor is a largely miss. I am a fan of slapstick but this episode’s offering was not able do anything for me. I didn’t find myself laughing, not even once, in this episode. The show needs to devise some new comedic formulas since Yuu’s reaction faces are not that funny anymore. No, the spring guy is not even funny.

    5. That imouto is mostly irritating, partly endearing.

    samui
    Reply

    1. The Student Council is some sort of ESP Police on the Civillian side, to prevent them to Slip into the Dark Side

      For all other things, read the Manga or fund them their Budget. In Short they do not have unlimited Money to create the entire universe for this Show

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

      1. For all other things, read the Manga or fund them their Budget. In Short they do not have unlimited Money to create the entire universe for this Show.

        I am very sorry if this sounds rude but I believe that an anime should be judged more on as to how it was presented since this is a visual format. My gripe with ‘go-read-the-manga’thing is that it means the anime is not enough to at least show the basics to anime only fans. In your defense, it will never be, but heck, there are those who will never bother reading the manga just to get a full grasp of the show. I know an anime, Kyouso Giga, which was able to tell its world despite being 11 episodes. The same can be said with Angel Beats! (although it’s really cluttered towards the end) since I was immersed after two episodes.

        As regards to your second statement, I believe what I posted are constructive criticisms and I am not just a ordinary basher who seemed to exist in the blogosphere just to nitpick.

        samui
        Reply

    2. Samui the Japanese think the same way you.
      It seems that Westerners are pleased with Tomori.
      She it does not fall into the graces of the Japanese.
      They find it very abusive and annoying.

      User96
      Reply

  38. I think that they might be doing a YukiYuna style plot where it turns out Yuu had already been involved in escaping from scientific dissection once before, but the memory of that trauma had been erased by the use of his family member’s ability to manipulate memory, subsequently erasing memories of himself from Yuu and Ayumi.

    This is evident from the official art for Charlotte which shows what seems to be Yuu escaping from secure confinement in the past. And I wouldn’t put it past Key to be using tropes that are popular in modern times like amnesia from the past that comes up later.

    Hell, they’d done amnesia for the main characters in Kanon, Clannad, Angel Beats already, so what’s one more going to matter. If it’s not broken, why fix it after all.

    Giorno Giovanna
    Reply

  40. I am not hating on Charlotte because its boring or slow. I actually think it is paced just fine (I would probably say the first 2 episodes are pretty fast-paced if anything). And you are looking at someone who much preferred the first half of Steins Gate to the second, so I love slower paced stuff, I may probably prefer that to fast paced anime. Reason I don’t like this show is because the writing of this show is just shit.

    None of the characters are interesting. They are actually incredibly generic and maybe it could’ve worked as a self parody, but it is very clear that the writers intend for us to believe these characters as people and be attached to them the whole way.

    The dialogue is some of the worst I have ever heard in an anime. That entire scene where the little girl talks to her brother (in ep 2, the flashback scene) is some of the most forced and unnatural shit I have ever heard. Honestly that was the point I dropped this show, but throughout both episodes, the dialogue was godawful. Exposition overload.

    Also, I wasn’t expecting Glasslip or Charlotte to be anything like Nagi-Asu. Very different settings and stories obviously. But I will say that the things I didn’t like about Nagi-Asu were alot more prevalent in both these shows.

    I have heard the show picks up and I really dont care about that because like I said, my issue is with the characters and dialogue (which is always going to be an issue no matter how interesting the story gets) and the fact there is nothing unique in the style of this anime I haven’t already seen tons of times in other movies/animes/etc.

    VKDOOM
    Reply

  41. I watched Ep 03, and have an question. The little sister Seiyuu of our MC, is she the “Pig” Seiyuu from Etotama?… her “-des” revealed her in my mind, because the “pig” Seiyuu in Etotama loved to end nearly every lines with “-des des”. And both have the same sound

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

  42. Omg loveee this OP/ED <3
    Maeda Jun, thank you for this anime and composing such awesome songs and lyrics.
    And of course, PA works for beautiful art!! Aniplex!!! In the end, every very staff.lol

    berrish17
    Reply

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