As a new season
comes by, we’re greeted with more animes to fill our time with and more antics
to laugh at. Today we’re going to be looking at Dr. STONE, one of the highly
anticipated anime this summer. Ever since Owari No Seraph came out, there was
no other apocalyptic anime that caught my eye yet but with its unique and
intriguing cast, Dr. STONE has managed to hook me in its story. We’ll be doing
a recap of the first episode, which hopefully will convince some of you to give
this anime a try this season.
Premiered: Summer 2019
Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Shounen
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Before we get into the recap, I’ll be linking the
trailer for Dr. STONE for those of you who have not yet watched it or have no
idea of what you’d be going into.
Video Credit: dimsum.asia
If watching the trailer hasn’t got you excited for what’s to
come, then look forward to the next few paragraphs! I guarantee that you’ll at
least want to give this hidden gem a try by the end of this!
Let’s get right into it!
As the episode starts, we’re greeted with an ominous scene where all mankind is
petrified and that not only Japan was affected, but also the rest of the world.
Watching the baleful scene with man statues made me exhilarated about the prospect of an apocalyptic anime, which are a rare gem in the anime industry.
After a transition, we finally get to meet one of our main
protagonists, a Japanese high schooler with a trendy hairstyle along with bushy
eyebrows. He reminded me of Rock Lee from Naruto to a certain extent, even his
voice and personality are similar to that of the latter. He mentions confessing
to his crush Yuzuriha, to his friend. Speaking of which, Rock Lee can be seen
calling someone else called Senku which is our other main protagonist.
Senku, a very
intelligent and astute individual that can be seen working on science
experiments which further emphasised on his Tony Stark personality. Obviously
unfazed by his friend’s sudden exclaim, he unenthusiastically shows his support
for his friend's endeavour. Just when you thought his character was flat, Senku
immediately takes a mad scientist appearance and offers Big Oaf (his nickname
for Rock Lee) an unknown liquid in a flask to help with his endeavour.
Obviously, Big Oaf rejected the flask, mentioning
that he wants to date her through normal means instead of underhanded tactics. Seeing the two polar opposite characters interacting
with each other got me looking forward to their development in the series.
Big Oaf’s just
like one of us, nervous and scared of being rejected when confessing to his
crush. Nevertheless, he makes up his mind to confess but before he can even let
out his words, an unspeakable phenomenon arose that prevented his love
confession.
An unknown
green light can be seen rising from the horizon, petrifying anything that came
into contact with it. Sensing the danger, Big Oaf pushed his love confession to
the back of his mind and tries to protect his crush from the alien light. I was
disappointed at first, thinking that it would be another cliché moment where
the main protagonist sacrifices himself for his loved one. These types of
scenarios bore me since a lot of them already appeared in various animes. But I
was wrong.
Every living being
that came into contact with it was turned into stone, even birds and eventually
all of mankind. This got me thinking. What would happen if this exact scenario
happened in our world? How would we survive? And what caused the green light to
shine upon us?
These types of
questions plagued my mind while watching this scene and try as I might, the
answers were either not there or very vague.
With no one
manning the power stations, the water pipes and planes dropping out of the
skies like flies, the whole world is plunged into chaos, chaos no one can
avert. Big Oaf can be seen struggling to remain conscious, driven by his love
and desire to confess to Yuzuriha. His personality really reminded me of the
classic head-strong characters like Naruto and Ichigo, which can be boring, but
if done right, can help improve the character’s appeal. In this case, Big Oaf
seemed like a likeable character to me and I can’t wait to see what he does in
the series.
As buildings
fall and terrains change, the Earth returns back to its pristine condition to
that of the age of the dinosaurs. The new environment and surrounding have
changed so much that it resembles that of Earth before human began its
civilization. Back over at Big Oaf, he’s been moved into a cave on a bed of
hay? I’m not really sure how he moved while petrified. This suggests that
either he’s been really lucky and avoided every single mishap that can happen
or someone else moved him. This means that someone has actually broken free of
the petrification from the unknown phenomenon. But who?
Having broken
free, Big Oaf recalls what happens as emotions wash over him. If I was him, I’d
probably wouldn’t even have the willpower to remain conscious for countless
millennia. I too would bawl immediately, thinking that I was the only one that
survived. Nevertheless, he quickly gets over it and uses logic to find his way
back home. Big Oaf is really strong and persistent in his mindset, something
that isn’t uncommon but always fun to see in anime.
While walking,
he suddenly remembers why he was alive in the first place, Yuzuriha. With
haste, he makes his way to the camphor tree, the one where he last saw her. I
would assume that his heart would be beating very fast, hoping that somehow,
Yuzuriha survived and was safe. Instead of worrying for himself, he instead
focuses his attention on her. You can really see how much he cherishes her to
the extent of trying to protect her and even disregarding his own self to find
out what happened to her. I’m looking forward to the interactions as well as
the development between the pair. If she survives, of course. We don’t know yet
at this stage.
After meeting
her on the fated camphor tree, he unexpectedly finds a message on the tree
trunk beside her. Someone must have left it there. But who? Who else other than
Big Oaf survived? Of course, it’s none other than the mad scientist himself,
Senku. Draped in loose cloth, Senku stands majestically on a tree branch of Big
Oaf. And he looks to be doing well too!
Of course, the first thing you would do if you were
in Big Oaf’s situation would be to rush into the arms of another human, though
stark naked except for a leaf skirt. I’d imagine anyone would do the same. In
an apocalypse, you’d go insane if you were alone all the time. Or at least I
would. Besides that, the two seem to be surprisingly close. I assumed at first
that they were mere acquaintances, nothing more. However, they're like best of
friends judging by their first interaction after the petrification incident.
Also, it seems like this anime will have its comedic scenes sometimes, which adds
a bit of flavour to it.
With only the
two of them in this age, they set out to find out the mysteries regarding
petrification and how to reverse it. Though, both seem to have different agendas
leading to the same goal. To save mankind.
Senku’s goal:
To advance from the sticks and stone era to the technological era before the
apocalypse and save mankind through science.
Taiju’s goal: To
save Yuzuriha. Yeah, that’s it.
To wrap up this
review, I’ll be giving my personal thoughts. First of all, the genre already
got me interested in the anime since there are rarely any good apocalyptic
anime and this looks like it could be one. The overall concept of recreating
mankind and its creation is really fascinating and they even explored some of
the early creations of mankind like pottery and wine throughout the episode. So
rather than only action scenes and storytelling, they add in a few History lessons
in there.
What I’m interested most is the development between characters and
their interactions. Especially the Senku-Taiju pair. Their complete polar
opposites make the interactions between them riveting and their brawn and brain
combination is always fun to watch. They remind me of Yuno and Asta from Black
Clover, which has been a blast to watch. To end It, they also have comedy to
which I would never say no to. I’m looking forward to more episodes and this
might just be the anime I’ve been looking for.
It's time to mark your calendar as we reveal more star-studded guest appearances at the upcoming Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2019, happening from 7-8 December this year. Joining the stellar line-up are comic artists, Livio Ramondelli and Creees Hyunsung Lee.
Known for his work on Transformers for IDW Publishing, Livio’s other key credits include Battlestar Galactica, Pacific Rim as well as DC Universe Online for Sony/DC Comics. Joining him is the up & coming talented comic artist, Creees who is currently working on Lab Raider for Black Mask Studios. Some of his previous works include projects for Image, Dynamite and Chapterhouse Comics. Additionally, Joey Spiotto, the author & illustrator of the upcoming book "Grumpy Unicorn" from Scholastic and Prema-Ja, a freelance artist hailing from Thailand and Grand Prix recipient at the Silent Manga Audition in 2013 will be part of the exciting line-up.
Get ready and prepare for the event of the year as you get a chance to be up close & personal and tap into their minds of what it takes to be an artist/illustrator and what it takes to bring their characters to life.
Some additional details for the respective guests:
Livio Ramondelli
Livio Ramondelli is an artist on Transformers for IDW Publishing. His other credits include Battlestar Galactica for Dynamite, Pacific Rim for Legendary Comics and Star Trek and Firefly for Insight Editions. He previously worked as a concept artist on DC Universe Online for Sony/DC Comics.
Creees
Creees Hyunsung Lee is currently working on Lab Raider for Black Mask Studios. His previous works include projects for Image, Dynamite, and Chapterhouse Comics.
Joey Spiotto
Joey Spiotto is the author & illustrator of the upcoming book "Grumpy Unicorn" from Scholastic, releasing in September 2019. He’s also the creator of the hit books "Alien Next Door" and "Firefly: Back From the Black" from 20th Century Fox and Titan Books. He has created artwork for numerous clients including Lucasfilm, Marvel, Microsoft, Loot Crate, among many others. Joey is a regularly featured artist at the world famous Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles where he’s had several solo exhibitions featuring his hit print series “Storytime” Where he turns some of our favorite movies, musicians, TV shows and video games into covers of children’s books from our youth. Before becoming an independent artist, Joey worked as a concept artist in the film and video game industry on such titles as “The Polar Express” for Warner Bros. and “Dead Space” and “The Sims” franchises at Electronic Arts.
Prema-Ja
Prema-Ja is a Thai freelance artist. Her short comic, Sky Sky, received the Grand Prix at the Silent Manga Audition in 2013. Her Bachelor's thesis, Bokbig comic, was published and won the Gold Award at the International Manga Award in 2014. She also made 3 graphic novels published by Fullstop publishing house. Moreover, she worked as a character designer on an animated feature film, The Legend of Muaythai: 9 Satra (2018). Apart from these projects, she also self-published her works relating to the human-animal bond. The tones in the stories are mostly funny and heartwarming.
Be sure to catch them at the Singapore Comic Con on 7-8 December 2019 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
It has been a few weeks ever since the devastating news about the arson attack at Kyoto Animation. Kyoto Animation is one of my favourite anime studios, and all I can do now along with other fans is to give as much love and support to the studio as they bounce back from the emotional turmoil in lieu of the reparations. As we continue to provide our support for KyoAni, this has also allowed me to further appreciate the hard works and efforts from people in other animation studios. Always appreciate before it's too late. With that,I will talk and share about some of my favourite anime from my most favourite animation studio, P.A Works.
P.A Works, short for Progressive Animation, is an animation studio based in Nanto, Toyama, Japan. It was founded in November 2000, but have only begun to produce their first anime series (True Tears) in 2008. If I were to describe P.A Works myself, I would say that they are the masters of the slice-of-life genre, masters of original work, as well as masters of 26-episodes-animes. These can be shown in some of my favourite animes that I will talk about in a bit. I will be dividing them into 4 parts: Their early works, the visuals, thetheme of friendship and finally, horror. Note: This post might contain minor spoilers. Early Works
True Tears
True Tears is the first full length anime series produced by P.A Works. For their first production, it has been wildly successful, starting out safe by appealing to the masses with the high school drama and romance genre. My favourite memory is humming the opening theme of True Tears, which gives me a nostalgic feeling of watching it for the first time. From the poster alone, we see three girls, and first-time viewers might just think: ah, it's a love triangle among them with our main protagonist. That, is in fact true. If I'm being honest, the love triangle does get melodramatic at times, but that's what makes this debut anime special in a mainstream genre: its realism. There's so much longing, so many stabs of jealousy, moments where they're not being fully honest with themselves, and a sometimes a little selfishness. In spite of that, the characters are presented in a way where they aren't the kinds who immediately belong in a 'trope'. There are no overly-the-top characters, and they are more 'human' in a way where we relate to their emotions and struggles.
This allows us to understand each of the girls (Noe, Hiromi, Aiko) better, and in a way we find separate reasons why the respective girls should be with the male protagonist. After all, this anime was based loosely on a visual novel of the same name--though the anime remains particularly original on its own. Overall, True Tears is a pretty solid debut anime for P.A Works, allowing viewers to kind of settle into the other works that they produce.
Canaan
Canaan is the succeeding title after True Tears. Released a year later (2009), Canaan is a huge drift from the normal high school setting. We are now introduced to our main female protagonist, Canaan, who is a badass weapon-wielding mercenary operating in Shanghai.
As such, this makes her a cool and tough character but we are then introduced to Oosawa Maria, a cheerful photographer who is actually an old friend of Canaan's, after she was saved by her in an operation in the Middle East. It's always nice to see the contrasting personalities whenever they interact, and moments where Canaan actually smiles and lets loose a little in front of her dear friend is something extraordinary to witness.
Canaan is sort of an underrated gem among other works, but I can vouch for its balance between entertainment as well as the exciting fast-paced fight sequences in between.
Angel Beats
Angel Beats is probably one of the most popular series that P.A Works has produced. We come back to a high-school setting, as seen in the poster. However, here is the twist: it's a high-school in the afterlife. Actually, to be more precise, it is set in a place where people are still not ready to move on to the next life yet after having passed away. The premise here is pretty much original and interesting enough, and that appeals to me as well as I begun to watch the anime series. Boy, what I didn't expect though was the tight clutching of my chest as I held in tears from watching some episodes. I won't spoil much, but keep this in mind:
In this case, being obliterated means to move on, and when you've made such close friends in this place, moving on can be very bittersweet, and this is how the anime creates characters that tugs at your heartstrings. The anime also introduces us to a band (Girls Dead Monster) formed within the school, and Iwasawa, the vocalist and guitarist's arc in the anime is one of my favourites--albeit, the tears.
On a side note, they sang a song titled "Alchemy" in one of the episodes, and the same song has been covered by Poppin'Party in the Bang! Dream franchise.
Sadness aside, the light-hearted and comedic moments are truly one of the most memorable takeaways from Angel Beats.
I weep everytime Shiina speaks a little, because she herself, is a lovable dork.
Oh, and before Shokugeki no Soma made Mapo Tofu popular, Angel Beats actually gave an emphasis to that food dish as well.
To add it on, Kanade (pictured above) is probably one of the earliest kuudere anime characters as well.
Overall, Angel Beats was a feels trip from start to end, and there's so much I love about this anime--the setting itself, the various backstories we are exposed to, as well as the music in between. There are lessons learnt, and characters to empathise with, making it a rather enjoyable anime from P.A Works.
Visuals
While P.A Works' visuals have been pretty wonderful and consistent so far, there are three animes where their art really 'POP' and it makes me feel like I'm immersed in that setting as well.
Nagi no Asu Kara: A Lull in the Sea
From the title, you could somewhat get a sense of the setting where this anime will take place in--that's right, it takes place underneath the sea, where humans can survive with Ena, a special skin that allows them to live and breathe underwater. No The Little Mermaid jokes, please. That aside,it's a rather unique choice of setting and the visuals depicting that certainly doesn't disappoint.
Truly makes me feel like I'm underwater as well...
Visuals aside, Nagi-Asu's storyline reminds me of True Tears, with the idea of romance, drama and childhood friends among high school students. At times, it does get a little bit too melodramatic--the same thing that I felt with True Tears, but what makes up for it is the constant magic in its visuals and setting that moves the anime forward, as well as add semblance to the plot development.
Irodoku: The World in Colours
Irodoku: The World in Colours is one of the newer works from P.A Works. Released in Fall 2018, it is an anime revolving around a colourblind girl named Hitomi, who is from a family of witches. Instantly, we can tell there's going to be slice-of-life, mixed with some magic in this anime. However, the most important thing is that the aspect of Hitomi's colourblindness will probably allow us to root for her to be able to see colours again and when we do, the visuals surely are a sight to behold.
I'm sure Hitomi isn't disappointed by all the sights she has seen too after her grandmother has granted her with a type of magic that transports her back to 60 years in the past. Besides that, I love how having her sense of colours back is also parallel to her progression in opening herself up to people and making friends.
Another extra detail I noticed in the art style here is their further emphasis to lighting and depth, as compared to other animes within P.A Works where their visuals were slightly flatter. The soft shadows really remind me of the lighting used in KyoAni's works.
Uchouten Kazoku (The Eccentric Family)
Now Uchoten Kazoku is an interesting pick. Unlike the other 2 animes mentioned, the visuals are presented in a way where they are rather unique, and true to that anime and only that anime itself. I guess that's where the "eccentric" in the title comes from. The visuals are eccentric and while it may take a bit of time getting used to, I really appreciate how unique it is.
The attention to every small detail... The weird textures on the ground... The rugged wallpaper. Somehow it all fits in together in an eccentric way.
There's something about the clean lines shaping the buildings in this shot which makes it charming.
In a way, Uchouten Kazoku's visuals are also reminiscent of the visuals in the anime Tatami Galaxy, which isn't from P.A Works.
They both have similar eccentric storylines that sometimes need a while to process, and I guess the art style is important in delivering what the plot has to present. Uchouten Kazoku has 2 seasons, so if you're up for interesting visuals and bizarre scenarios, this is the watch for you.
Friendship With slice-of-life being the majority of the genre in P.A Works' titles, it's not uncommon to see the theme of friendships being shown. Some of my favourites include the animes I will be talking about below.
Tari Tari
Tari Tari follows the typical "let's form a music club" route, but what appealed to me about that show was how they really focused on each character, giving them rather human backstories that make you feel for them.
Each character has their own weaknesses too, such as Wien's off-pitch singing in a music club, but everyone is supportive nevertheless rather than making fun of him.
Besides the student themselves, I also liked that the supporting characters like the choir club teacher is more than she lets on. At first, we see her as a strict and harsh teacher, especially towards our main character Konatsu but eventually we get to learn that music is something she cherishes a lot because of a former friend--and that former friend was actually the parent of someone who is currently in the new music club that Konatsu aims to form.
Sakai Wakana's mother, who was the friend of the teacher.
A flashback scene in the opening theme showing the teacher and Wakana's mother being close together. Tari Tari is a wholesome and relaxing slice-of-life show about friendship and overcoming all odds together, and it is one of my favourite animes from P.A Works till this day.
Oh, and they have cute cut screens too. (The characters start to pile up when they join the club.)
Now, this part of friendships revolve around a working environment, and I think that's probably the best way to show the bond--through work!
Hanasaku Iroha
"The Bathhouse anime", that's what I always say whenever I recommend my friends to watch Hanasaku Iroha. You wouldn't expect a normal teenager like our main protagonist (Ohana Matsumae) to be working in a bathhouse, but here she is, after her mother has sent her away to an inn in the countryside, which her seemingly cold grandmother runs. At the same time, she has to attend school as well, so it might seem that Ohana might need to take a while to settle in to this new life.
It doesn't seem that she might be starting out on the right terms with someone as well...
I'm not going to lie, I actually chuckled when I saw that scene but that's the importance of it: the eventual developing of friendships between these two. And besides the the two of them, Ohana finds her ohana (get it, ohana means family...) within the other members of the bathhouse and from here, she really starts to grow as an independent individual.
Hanasaku Iroha also has their token ojou-sama, the granddaughter of the rival bathhouse. However, what I like about her character is that despite the fact that she's a rather carefree individual, she values friendships a lot, and this is displayed in her genuine interactions with Ohana and the rest of the gang.
While friendship is the main theme explored in the anime, there is also a minor hint of romance between Ohana and a childhood friend back in the city and if I'm being honest, I actually really root for the both of them, and I wished they would just confess already. Too pure... Very pure.
But most of all, what I also loved to see was the relationship between Ohana and her grandmother. There's nothing more fulfilling than having your once-stern grandmother warm up to you, and in return, you find yourself being more at ease around her. That is how Ohana and her grandmother managed to strengthen their bond over the course of the show.
All in all, Hanasaku Iroha was a really great watch, with 26 episodes and a movie to tide us through the entire series. A lot of lessons were learnt as well in terms of growing up as an individual, as well as cherishing the familial and platonic bonds with people in your life.
Shirobako
Ah yes, another popular anime series from P.A Works. The most common way to describe Shirobako is the "anime about making anime" and it is certainly true. As someone who comes from the film industry, I can vouch for the excruciating process that goes behind the scenes of creating something, whether or not is it 2D or 3D. However, work aside, I do enjoy the idea of how a strong friendship can bring everyone together in the same place, even after high school.
The anime starts out with 5 best friends, completing a production they worked together in high school, and they have a rather adorable catchphrase that they use together:
Don don donuts, let's go nuts~
Afterward, we see our main protagonist: now-adult Miyamori running around the production company as a production assistant. This is the one thing that is already realistic about the show: you start out as production assistant, and although it isn't much yet, you are the backbone of the production and I loved the amount of importance there is with Miyamori's presence. We also see her fellow friend Ema in the same company as a key animator. Misa is working in a CG company at the start, while Midori, also known as Diesel is a hopeful writer. That leaves Shizuka, who is hoping to kickstart her career as a seiyuu. There's a lot for these girls to achieve together, and their payoff is definitely worth it at the end of the anime.
And of course, they seal their future plans and goals with the same ole catchphrase:
There's a lot of relatable things in this anime going forward in the industry as well, such as the lack of time to complete an agenda, and I appreciated how they addressed it. It's small details like this that really makes the anime about making an anime highly realistic.
Oh, and most of you would know the Ema dance. Yes, this anime is where the Ema dance comes from.
Sakura Quest
Sakura Quest follows a 5-women cast as well, but this time, the job lies in a rural area called Manoyama. Our main protagonist Yoshino Koharu is a fresh college graduate, and just like another other graduate, she is struggling to find a job to make ends meet. Little does she know, she gets a job offer as a 'Queen' in Manoyama and while it certainly is an intriguing job, it is then revealed that she is actually mistaken for a celebrity. Nevertheless, she serves her purpose as a 'Queen' in a different way: to revitalise and promote the barren town.
Of course, just like any other protagonist who is forced to do something out of their comfort zone, they would get quite defensive and be stubborn about it, but in the later episodes we learn that even with such a misunderstanding, there really is a reason why Koharu should be here as well because it seems that she had a connection with Manoyama years before.
Koharu was actually the 100,000th guest of Manoyama back when she was child.
Of course, Koharu would need a team and this is where her friends start coming in. It's a 26 episode anime, so there's plenty of room for character development and backstories for each of the characters. Some viewers might argue that the show might get a little too slow-paced, but that's the beauty of it because it shows the slow, but progressing state of the popularity of Manoyama.
The ending themes for both the first and second part of the anime are really relaxing as well, and occasionally I find myself listening to them.
ED 1:
ED 2:
Horror
Another P.A Work title that is largely popular is Another. It is one of the few animes that P.A Work has with the horror genre in it, and it certainly excels for such a niche genre.
Another
There's a lot of thrill and mystery surrounding the dark atmosphere of the high school, and that's when we know that there is a terrible history behind it. Rather than actual jumpscares that the horror genre typically associates itself with, it is the ambiguity that leaves viewers like me anticipating for more, and that's how P.A Works excel with Another. This is further highlighted by the character designs and gruesome moments in the show.
And not forgetting the umbrella scene. Everyone knows the umbrella scene.
While P.A Works are commonly known for their more light-hearted series, Another is a great anime series that shows their potential with the horror genre without sticking to conventional means.
Sirius the Jaeger
Sirius the Jaeger is a fairly new series from P.A Works, and it's another series that lies more towards the mystery and gore genre with the use of vampires this time. While I have only given it a 3-episode watch so far for this series, it has been pretty interesting so far and I really love the olden setting as it adds more personality to the theme they are focusing on. There has already been a few bloodshed here and there, but I can tell this series is going to be pretty impressive.
Honourable Mentions
Kuromukuro
Kurumukuro is an anime series from P.A Works that I have just completed recently, even though it was aired sometime back in 2016. The reason is because I'm not that into the mecha genre, but eventually I gave it a try because mecha is probably a new thing that P.A Works have incorporated too, so it's sort of like an exchange--They try out a new genre, I try to give it a chance as well. In the end, I actually love it a lot, and it's probably one of my top few favourites from P.A Works.
The premise follows a samurai (Oma) from a few centuries ago, who enters the current modern time period. It's actually a rather serious backstory, but I loved how they played it off lightly with comedic moments where Oma is learning to adapt in the modern world. The touch of P.A Works' slice-of-life is obvious there, and that's when I knew I would start warming up to this show.
Oma using Yukina's favourite towel as a loincloth.
Crocs...?
Oma's reaction to eating curry for the first time.
Muetta, another fellow person from the past also gets lost in the age of modern times.
Another running gag in the show is how the main character (Yukina) and Muetta look closely alike, which is why Oma would even mistake Yukina for Muette (who he assumed was his princess he was trying to protect before entering the modern world).
Moving back to the mecha, I actually found myself impressed by how 'alive' the mechas were, rather than stoic machines. The details were also rather refined, making the battle sequences engaging.
Kuromukuro is a 26-episode anime series, and the length is just right for all the action and plot to keep going, while also including many other elements like slice-of-life events, comedy as well as drama.
Uma Musume Pretty Derby
Lastly, I would love to highlight Uma Musume Pretty Derby. It is based on a mobile game about horse girls' racing. Normally, mobile game adaptations of anime are either a hit or a miss, but in this case, they lie more towards the successful side. The whole idea of horse girls already intrigues viewers, drawing them in. With that, they make it even more compelling with the goal that our main protagonist, Special Week, has to achieve.
You have seen girls in shojou anime running with bread in their mouth, now see horse girls with carrots in their mouth.
Besides that, Special Week is joined by a team, one of whom consists of Silence Suzuka, a beautiful and shy horse girl, but an extremely fast runner.
Their overwhelming love towards each other in their friendship is heartwarming to see, and they both help each other grow as individuals, which makes me want to root for the both of them all the time.
The supporting characters aren't neglected as well, as they have pretty hilarious banter with each other.
Goldship's series of unfortunate EYE-vents...
Another interesting thing about Uma Musume Pretty Derby is how all the horse girls' in the anime are named after actual horses in horse racing competitions in real life, and that has fascinated me a lot. Some of what the real-life horses went through are reflected upon some of the horse girls' in the anime, and this extra detail is very interesting.
--
There are of course, other anime by P.A Works, but those that I have mentioned here in categories are some of my favourites, and I hope that you'll like them (of if you have already watched it, I hope you've liked it as much as I did). What is your favourite animation studio?
