Spring 2021 anime review: surprising hits

Hey there guys, Endblade here once again with other post. 

It's been a while since my last anime review, and this season has brought quite a few sleeper hits, of which I will only be selecting a few in this review. Of course, all links to Myanimelist will be duly provided, and I will give an overall rating to each show on scale of 10.

1. Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song 13 episodes

Spunky AI diva meets end of the world scenario

I have to admit, when I first saw the promotional poster a couple months back, I most definitely wrote off the anime right there and then. I dismissed it largely because I thought it would fall into the genre of cheesy idol-singing . Oh boy, was I completely wrong. The first episode was a frenetic, bloody ordeal that got me immediately hooked. Without too many spoilers, Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song is a futuristic anime where our protagonist, Vivy, an AI songstress, teams up with a cube (Matsumoto) to correct history and prevent a Terminator-like Judgement Day-style apocalypse by altering flashpoints in their timeline.

To fully enjoy this show, you will have to suspend all reservations about time-travel and a structured plot or pacing. To put it bluntly, the story is somewhat a mess, full of plot holes. It's not to say the writing isn't gripping or emotional. The show is just a little too over-the-top at times. But the action sequences, animation quality by Wit Studio, and most of all, the AMAZING soundtrack (repeat: amazing soundtrack), really makes this anime something special. 

The soundtrack is phenomenal - gives me chills

This is one of the shows where I really love every single song, as it fits into the story and amplifies the emotions that the show is trying to convey. While I cannot in good conscience give this show a perfect score due to the plot, I'd say its close to an excellent watch. Highly recommend.

Rating: 8/10 - Close to greatness, but falls short in the plot. Still extremely good.

2. 86 (Eighty-Six) 11 episodes

Gundam rip-off? Maybe. Still good though

A mecha anime that isn't Gundam or full of fanservice like Darling in the Franxx, or the disaster that was Aldnoah Zero, Eighty-Six is a dystopian future where child soldiers are utilized to fight bloody and brutal wars (Remember Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans?). The plot is gripping and it alternates between the calm conversations and feisty battles. The tension between the two main characters Vladilena Milize and frontline commander Shinei Nouzen, who come from different strata of society is clear, and a parallel to our own world. While 86 tries to handle these sensitive topics during the show's run, it is clear that the show is too short to resolve everything cleanly. 

What I felt could have been better executed were the battle scenes. While the first few battles were intense, towards the end the battles got a bit too repetitive and lacked the initial shock and awe factor. Eleven episodes were not enough to flesh out the plot AND satisfy viewers with action sequences. If Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans was a little too draggy at times with its 50 episodes of runtime, Eighty-Six suffers from too little runtime. 

A good story but lacking in actual fight scenes

Overall, while I would recommend this to any mecha lover and anyone who is looking for an emotional story with some mecha elements, I cannot say that this is better than Gundam IBO (which by the way came out in 2015). The fact that even after 6 years, Eighty-Six did not manage to surpass or match IBO, I felt was a wasted chance as such anime do not come often.

Rating: 7/10 - A good watch, especially if you like mecha anime.

3. Tokyo Revengers ongoing

A show with a lot of yellow-haired protagonists

While the premise has been overused in many anime (man full of regrets gets a chance to do-over and fix his mistakes), what I felt drew me to this show was the premise. Gang wars and the light-hearted moments were what made this anime good at times. However, the keyword would be 'at times'. I could not get myself to like the animation or art style, and while the relationship between Ken and Manjirou was interesting and heartwarming, the MC was not.

The constant sobbing and emotional wreck of a character the MC Takemichi Hanagaki was a source of frustration. Yes, I understand his sobbing performances touch the hearts of others, but to constantly use it as a cure-all in most situations made it contrived. 

It is an ok show, but honestly nothing more than that.

Rating 6/10 - I wanted to like it, but somehow I end up feeling indifferent.

4. To Your Eternity (Fumetsu no Anata e) 20 episodes

To your eternity

To your Eternity starts off extremely promising - an otherwordly being is placed into the world and takes on the form of whatever it makes contact with. The first story was full of hope and despair, and I really thought it would use the momentum it started with in the first 1-2 episodes and run with it. But alas, it didn't. 

We are thrown in different situations which this sentient being faces and watch its growth - but we are forced to accept that 'that's how it is' and given little to no explanation how everything ties up together. The fight scenes weren't that entertaining, and it felt like we knew how things would turn out after the first story. The show tries to be everything - action, slice of life, fantasy, adventure, but because it tries to be the jack of all trades, it ends up being the master of none.

But its' not the say the show is horrible, it isn't. The setting of the stories are beautiful, the BGM is amazing (especially the opening song by Hikaru Utada). But potential can only carry you so far. That being said, this review was made only after 12 episodes aired, and while I am not dropping this anime, it will take a lot for it to go up in the rankings for me.

Rating 6/10 - Still has potential, but feels like a wasted opportunity to do something special.

Overall, this Spring 2021 anime season brought a few surprises, and some shows that have the potential to be good if they step-up their game in the closing episodes. While I did not feature every single anime I watched for this season, these were the notable ones. I might come back to update To your Eternity  and Tokyo Revengers once the programming ends, but I have a feeling my mind will not change. Also, I have wanted to watch Odd Taxi, but the visual parallels to Beastars and the disappoint that was Season 2 of Beastars and the Netflix show BNA makes me hesitate. However, If I do give Odd Taxi a watch I might update this post to include it since it seems to have rave reviews.