Dago Kobo doing it again. Absolute banger of a premiere episode. I really love that theme of overcoming inner and outer obstacles to reach one's dreams. I get serious Place Further than the Universe vibes from this and with a little bit of luck it will be just as good. But even it it’s only half as good it still be great.
As expected from a slice-of-life,music original anime from Doga Kobo, pretty good fist episode. I've been eyeing on this one since the preview poster dropped. Looks like one MC will join the team as an illustrator unlike other shows all girls will perform in the band.
Fairly standard story, but it has a lot of heart and looks great (except for the 3d panning shots). The trouble I have with it all comes down to Doga Kobo, who cannot stop being creepy. After that first scene where we see down the main character's shirt from her sister's pov (!!) and then get some lip sakuga, I spent the whole episode worrying it was going to be yet another anime where Doga Kobo spends way too much time sexualizing young girls (though this anime is at least high schoolers, so much older than their usual fare). Thankfully the fanservice(?) seemed to be confined to that one scene, but I just don't think I have any remaining goodwill for the studio, which is so sad because I was such a big fan in their Nozaki and Tada era.
Seems fine, but I'd easily choose girls band cry over this. 3/5
Interesting, but I'm not really sure how the lyricist/singer Jelle and visual artist Yoru are going to collaborate yet.
The spinning camera as Yoru tells Jelle the lie she tells herself I found was brilliant though, as if the camera was rolling its eyes, knowing what she continuously blabs on about is b.s.
The busking music by everyone has appropriate accompaniment, i.e. bare acoustic guitar, as opposed to the overproduced music in Girls Band Cry
Yoru drawing in the eyes on her jellyfish to resemble Jelle's logo while Jelle sings is just smack
The title of the show "Yoru No Kurage" is a pun: Yoru == night, but is also the artist's pen name, so "Yoru's Jellyfish Can't Swim" is another reading of the title.
Of course it can't swim, it's a drawing. But as Yoru says at the end, jellyfish can't swim or shine on their own, but they can absorb light from others, and shine that way, and she can too.
"I'm not even sure what I want to be or what my interests are."
Yeah, I can relate to this, I've been like this before (and I still am to an extent). At one point I've felt like I had no personality and I was just matching the person I had in front of me.
Anyway, great episode, it's already one of my favourite shows this season. Look forward to the next episode.