First Impressions / Series Introduction / Snapshots

OP Sequence

OP: 「Stargazer」 by Larval Stage Planning

 

「円盤の街 」 (Enban no Machi)
“Saucer City”

Sora no Method is another anime that starts off with the same old introduction we’ve seen many times before. The main character, Komiya Nonoka (Natsukawa Shiina) comes back to a small town that she left seven years ago. The kicker is that this town is known to have a “flying saucer” over it. After driving back into town less than 24 hours later, Nonoka finds a young girl in her home by the name of Noel (Minase Inori) – who has been waiting for Nonoka to return for the past 7 years! The first episode is quite emotional as it reunites these two old friends and starts to introduce the other four individuals that were once childhood friends of Nonoka’s. It also alludes to the secrets behind the flying saucer in the sky and who Noel is.

I don’t like giving away too much in the opening synopsis, but seeing as this is pretty much an original series (with the manga only preceding it by a month), it’s not like there are any spoilers available anyway. The real heart of this series will come much later on when we see how the five friends interact with one another and how Noel ties into their history. The story doesn’t seem like a romantic one, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some drama and angst between the five friends. After all, Nonoka just got up and left without a goodbye so if there are any grudges there, we’ll be seeing them. There are also flashbacks of Nonoka’s mom which seems be a heavy topic between Nonoka and her father. I don’t know if this is going to be explored later on, but family issues are not foreign to me and I think some anime portray that burden well. Either way, if you’re looking for similar anime vibes, Sora no Method reminds me of Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai, Nagi no Asukara and even Glasslip with its general premise so far. It’s a story about friendships, hardships and a coming-of-age story.

Now I don’t claim to know the plot for Sora no Method so in case it turns out to be a total train wreck like… some other nameless series, there are other reasons to stick around. First of all, I find the character designs absolutely adorable. I love watching anime that’s drawn with a softer touch, the huge eyes and the delicate backgrounds. Honestly, it depends on the genre and atmosphere of the anime, but I think Studio 3Hz has nailed this one for me. Speaking of which, they’re a new studio and for a first production, I think they’ve done a fabulous job. The seiyuu are not all A-listers, but the staff working on this production have several well-known pieces under their belt (sola’s creator, Hisaya Naoki and Strawberry Panic!’s director, Sakoi Masayuki). Generally, this is not something that I’d concern myself over, but for an anime original piece, you have to create a basis for your expectations somewhere. The soundtrack for the series is so far so good. It’s not terrific or a standout masterpiece, but the use of inserts always get to me and when paired with tearful reunions – I always get emotional.

Overall, I think this anime has captured my attention for the upcoming season. It was initially on my radar, but it’s definitely going to be given a spot my regular schedule to watch. I will not be blogging it on a weekly basis but keep an eye out on the Monthly Impressions for it. My expectations for the series hasn’t skyrocketed, but the plot is intriguing enough and the characters are not overly annoying or bland. I’m also a huge fan of the character designs because hey, I love my anime characters with massive glossy eyes. I always have my eye out for an anime original series because everyone is in the same boat, experiencing the anime as it airs without spoilers. Let’s hope that this one ends up being another gem.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: #SoranoMethod has better animation than I expected =D the plot reminds me a lot of Ano Hana, Glasslip or any stories about old friendships.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「星屑のインターリュード 」 (Hoshikuzu no Intaaruudo) by fhána

Preview

26 Comments

  1. Well I indulged myself in comedy last season so maybe I’ll give this one a try for a change. Even if the story may go sour at least the characters as you put it are absolutely adorable.

    gawrshness
    Reply

    1. OMG Strawberry Panic. That was an awesome series. XD Such a blazing train wreck, but nobody cared, because Chizuru was full of awesome, and the drawma and yuri were OVER 9000. Good Times.

      This show is about as far from Strawberry Panic as I can imagine, tho. I figure my tear ducts will be viciously and violently attacked by the end. *sigh*

      I immediately got the AnoHana vibe for some reason.

      But now… now I must marathon StrawPani. @_@

      s_w
      Reply

  8. Damn, this show is right up my alley. Interesting mystery? Check. Likeable protagonists who are more than just cute girls? Check. A beautiful world with a cozy atmosphere? Check. Written by a guy who worked on Kanon and Sola? Che-I’m going to watch the hell out of this!

    Hopefully it won’t end up dissapointing, because I’d like to have another show I like in the same…subgenre, I suppose? They’re off to a good start, anyway.

    Sad it won’t get blogged, though (well, by Cherrie, at least). Any chance of someone else picking this up?

    Dvalinn
    Reply

    1. I’ll definitely be watching, but blogging is another story =( I already have a show on Sunday and blogging two shows in a day is a nono for me haha! Unfortunately I can’t speak for the other writers, but you’ll for sure get an update on the Monthly Impressions at the least from me ^^

      Cherrie
      Reply

  9. I’m absolutely certain I know the song Nonoka is humming while she cooks for her dad (and in two other scenes as well). It’s a song I have already heard in another anime show! Aaaaaand… it took me some time, but I think I have remembered. I think it’s the song “Oshare Fantasy” — the first ending song for FutagoHime, that old lovely shoujo anime. Anyone else remembers it?

    mj12
    Reply

  12. That’s a good first episode, I don’t know anything about this show before I saw this post, but I was immediately captivated by the screenshots and watched it, probably the hidden gem of the season?

    Ghostalker
    Reply

    1. That’s the goal of these intro posts =) To get people to watch more anime! I’m hoping it’ll be the hidden gem this season. The first episode was interesting enough and I can imagine it being very bittersweet at the end.

      Cherrie
      Reply

  16. Well, I was thinking of skipping this one, but I guess I’ll try it out if you’re getting an Anohana vibe from it. I liked that anime quite a bit; maybe Lantis can redeem themselves after that series-which-will-not-be-named.

    TripleSRank
    Reply

  20. May the Light of Zvezda Shine Throughout This World!!
    https://randomc.net/image/Sora%20no%20Method/Sora%20no%20Method%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
    Another loli that will conquer the world 😀

    On a more serious note, for a new studio i was very pleased with the visual quality of the episode. The character designs are adorable and the music is also good. Looks like a safe keeper for now.
    While watching I had a very strong flashback to Tamayura, amongst others, with its theme of a late parent and the heroines feelings of loss (frankly, I was bawling every time there was an episode centered around that theme). I don’t think it will be that major of a theme here but it should at least add more depth to Nonoka.

    Patsuan
    Reply

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