I'm happy to admit that the world of Webtoon is a relatively new discovery for me. I only became aware of it a few months back when somebody from my audience began publishing their comic on the platform, it's called Detonator Girls by the way, please go and read it.
I'm a sucker for things breaking tradition and carving their own path, which Webtoons definitely seems to have done. Whether it's the vertical scrolling format, full colour usage AND sometimes even music?! FOR A COMIC?! I LOVE IT!!
(I'm definitely looking for webtoon comic recommendations so @ me on Twitter pls)
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT
To see a comic from this realm get an anime adaptation where the visual signatures of the source material are followed so closely, was really heartwarming. It shows full faith in trying something new and it pays off!
A little nod of approval here too for the use of Chibi versions of the characters here and there to emphasize funny moments but it's not overplayed. There's even times the characters maintain their full form but their line work and colors go more matte giving a hybrid look and that also works a treat.
Yes, the line work is jaggedy, yes there are some oddly worked in 3D elements like glowing petals or floating cubes but all of that doesn't matter when the MOOD of this story is so all consuming.
No part of the show lingers for too long. Currently it feels all killer, no filler and the fact we're just as clueless as Bam in this situation makes it that much easier to go along for the ride.
The sheer amount of world building information we get fed in the first 2 episodes is nuts and somehow, not even remotely overwhelming. Whether it's done by inner monologue, passive conversation or a brief instructions from Headon the Caretaker (who is DOPE by the way, yes he might look like a budget Digimon but shut up!). You never feel like you're being spoken AT, it's all relayed via natural language which can be an incredibly hard thing to pull off.
GOTTA BOP 'EM ALL
It looks like even anime isn't exempt from the Battle Royale hype. Both yesterday and today's anime both feature a clash in the initial episodes buuuuuut, in this instance, I think it's a really slick way of showcasing combat animations and giving us a glimpse at the vast amount of races in the series. Not only that but the races all seem to have different levels of technological advancements and purposes for fighting which gives the author sooooo much flexibility in the directions this narrative can go.
One scene that this was best showcased was the waiting room post-hunger games, it really had a Men In Black 2 airport vibe with 120 warriors packed in to one scene.
A LAUGH A MINUTE
I dipped in to the comments section at the end of episode 2 (I watched it on Crunchyroll) and as expected, the amount of hyperbole and criticism was toxic af. People dragging on the humor in the show and honestly.... I disagree.
I can attribute numerous laugh out loud moments from quick quips and slapstick gags that got me. Maybe I was tired? I don't know, but the repetition from Rak of calling his prey turned allies Turtles got me every time or an over confident entrant faceplanting in to a wall and dedicating to the march for a few seconds really tickled me!
The only comedy that fell flat for me were the exchanges between Lady Yuri and her navigator where she's just constantly negging him and he's playing the typical lacky role where he just screams and repeats sentiments like "BUT PRINCESS YOU CAN'T!!" - that'll get old REAL quick, so I've got my fingers crossed they reign it in.
LEVEL UP OR SHUT UP
I was captivated from the first episode. The glum atmosphere contrasting by otherworldy bright lights, a splash of mystery and a killer accompanying soundtrack to emphasize the right moments had me locked in from Episode 1.
This currently sits at the top of my continued watch list once AniMAY comes to an end. It'll be interesting to see if anything can dethrone it this month!
JA NE!!!
If you'd like to see the full list for AniMAY then click below. Remember, I'm open to changes and suggestions so feel free to tweet me @inthelittlewood with those:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11psuMvQwXiRNl-i68l8pBVjhEXXzksQ0UAHjYpA-h1M/edit?usp=sharing
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