“LycoReco” is a café with a traditional Japanese twist located in downtown Tokyo. But the delicious
coffee and sugary sweets are not the only orders this café takes! From delivering packages short
distances, to pick-ups and drop-offs on the lonely streets at night, to zombies and giant monster
extermination…?! Whatever your problem, we're here to help! We will solve any kind of "trouble" you
may have!
Waiting for you are the ever-smiling poster-girl and the cool, serious newcomer. A petite girl who
never wants to work and a young woman approaching thirty who wants to get married. And the manager is
a nice guy who’s obsessed with Japan!
Whatever your order is, leave it all up to us♪
(Source: Official Site)
“You’re gonna become sad just so you can meet someone else’s expectations? That’s boring.” - Chisato Nishikigi Is there such thing as true peace in the world? Even if peace doesn’t exist though, should we be despondent and grow cynical of anything and everything? Lycoris Recoil, while at the surface, is about cute girls with guns, fighting terrorism, its true identity is trying to tell us, the viewers, how to approach living in a world where things aren’t as uplifting as they seem. It’s about a whole lot of things, such as how to live your best life every day, and how to live for yourself, and not for others. The main characters, Chisato and Takina, come from different walks of life, and have polar opposite personalities. Chisato is very positive and never lets anyone keep her from being as happy as possible, while Takina is very steely and keeps to herself. After these two meet each other and work together, you can see their personalities develop, and it makes for such brilliant chemistry that warms my heart. I have to admit, I dismissed this show as a “cute girls doing cute things at a cafe” show and didn’t even watch it at first, but after seeing the response in the anime community to this show, I had to try it out. The striking balance between slice of life and dark elements really works well. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 19.3/25 The plot itself isn’t the strongest, as it can get quite ridiculous and nonsensical at times, but for this show, I think that’s fine. It’s more of the story about Chisato and Takina, rather than the overarching plot throughout the series. However, to give you a little overview, the plot is set in modern (or possibly futuristic) Japan, where a false sense of peace is instilled among the citizens. In fact, crimes and terrorism have never been more prevalent, so, to counteract this issue, a syndicate called Direct Attack (DA), raised orphaned girls called Lycoris, to assassinate these criminals. Following a mistake in action that resulted in danger, Takina Inoue, a Lycoris with great skill in battle, gets her transferred out of DA and into LycoReco, a cafe with a twist. It is here that she meets Chisato Nishikigi, a happy go lucky, but prodigious Lycoris. While Takina wants to do whatever it takes to get back into DA, Chisato teaches her that life is more fruitful than just killing, and that life can be beautiful. It’s the chemistry between characters that shines the brightest, and the plot is alright too, with its share of tense moments, combined with some cute slice of life elements. Some shows fail to execute these tonal shifts effectively, but Lycoris Recoil does these shifts in a very nice way. The slice of life elements get you invested in the characters, the comedy is fun, but the tense moments have you at the edge of your seat, wondering about each character’s fate in apprehension. The best thing is, this is an anime original, so no one knows what’s truly going to happen, and that’s the best part, the speculation, the potential deaths that may or may not happen… ART: 9.1/10 A-1 Pictures have really been on their game recently, with Kaguya-sama last season, and 86 last year. The animation is pretty solid, with vibrant colours and darker colours for different atmospheres. The action sequences are also done well. No complaints here. MUSIC: 8.9/10 The music compliments the show well, with slice of life music when it’s calm, and nice action or sentimental music when it’s serious. The opening from ClarIS is pretty good, and it gives a sense on how the show is going to go, and Sayuri’s ending was one of my favourites this season. CHARACTERS: 19/20 I believe it is the characters that are most worthy of the utmost praise in this show. Chisato’s character is brilliant, plain and simple. In a way, she lives as positively as I aspire to. She doesn’t care about the opinions of others, she doesn’t worry about things she can’t control, and she’s an incredibly positive influence. She has an interesting trait, which is valuing people’s lives. She doesn’t shoot to kill, contrary to any other Lycoris. She sees the value of human beings, because of various reasons in her past. While some people might get frustrated over her “stubbornness” not to kill people, it’s really a good writing decision in my opinion, as it’s a distinct personality that makes for good plot points. Takina, on the other hand, is a realist that desires results. She isn’t the most talkative, isn’t the most happy go lucky, and certainly isn’t as carefree as Chisato. Through working with Chisato though, she undergoes some changes in her lifestyle. She slowly opened up to her, trusted more people, and even developed a love for people. It goes to show what a positive influence Chisato can have on people. Aside from these two, the side characters and villains are alright as well. Kurumi and Mizuki have their comedic moments, and contribute a decent amount to the action. The villains are also quite memorable, because they have interesting intentions, and felt multi-layered. ENJOYMENT: 14.3/15 Most episodes were very enjoyable, even the slice of life moments. Every moment added to the story and I loved the chemistry between the characters. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 17.8/20 This show executes themes quite well, ranging from comedy, action, and emotional moments as well. The comedy works so well in this show, and for that, the voice actors are to be praised, as you can tell they’re passionate about their work here, and probably had quite the fun time recording their lines. The action is nicely done, and has tense moments. The emotional sequences, when they occur, are hard-hitting and feel significant. The one small flaw has to come from some of the more ridiculous bits of “plot-armour”, and no, I’m not talking about Chisato’s ability, it’s more the events that occur, such as the timing of certain events that were questionably executed. Overall, still quite thematically brillant. Great balance between the light moments and the dark moments, with tonal shifts that didn’t feel awkward. OVERALL: 88.4/100 Definitely one of my favourite shows from 2022 so far, and one of the best cast of characters I’ve seen this year. While it isn’t completely flawless, I still enjoyed it through and through. A-1 Pictures continues to deliver, and it’s great to see! Alright, time to see if I can create that LycoReco signature parfait…
~~~img(https://c.tenor.com/7LTMyl01lIAAAAAC/tenor.gif) ~~~ Lycoris Recoil caught my eyes and attention in a single second because of how weird it is : some cute girls fighting terrorism, what? It is that premise that made me invested in the anime and I always looked forward to the next one and potentially in the run of my anime of the season. I have a special love for military anime and even a bigger love for cute anime girls, because they are cute I mean, and all of this was helped by some stunning visuals that really left me speechless at times. If I could find the right words I would define LycoRyco as an anime that brings immortal topics like terrorism and war, not really the war you expect but you get the point, and modern genres like the anime moe, comedy and for some verses even the romance, as well with greatly executed plot twists and an enjoyable pace of the story until some points.
When *Lycoris Recoil* begins, Takina wants nothing more than to get back to the DA and return to the position that she once had there. Her disobedience in the field has led to her expulsion, and she is unceremoniously dumped into a new setting with a partner, all of which she never asked for. As far as Takina is concerned, everything that happens over the next several weeks is meant to serve the purpose of getting her back to the DA, and she makes that stance rather clear. So, imagine her surprise to see that supposedly one of the best Lycoris that the DA ever produced is the happy-go-lucky Chisato, who acts without a care in the world and seems to spend more of her time having fun than taking her role as a Lycoris more seriously. As time moves forward with Chisato and Takina spending more time together, we learn some rather fascinating things about Chisato – she’s not only extremely good at what she does (dodging bullets as though they were barely moving at all), but she also doesn’t adopt the traditional Lycoris method of killing her targets. She subdues them, defeating them non-fatally regardless of the wrongs that they committed. She gives triage to one lackey, asking if he has any plans for later that evening. Takina is indignant at this merciful approach, especially given that the lackey didn’t care whether she or Chisato lived or died. As far as Chisato is concerned, the lackey lost and his job is done. She doesn’t say it aloud or in this exact way, but it’s time for him to move on with his life. ______ The idea of “moving on,” of continuing to march forward anyway regardless of what life has in store for you, is central to what makes *Lycoris Recoil* work as a narrative. Nearly every character in the show is, in some way, shape, or form, dealing with a past or a past event that has colored them personality-wise, professionally, or perhaps at an even-more-fundamental level. It doesn’t matter whether the root of the cause was through disobeying orders, clinging to a fleeting reputation, or a relationship that, for one reason or another, simply did not work out for the best. *Lycoris Recoil* takes the numerous frameworks of past-as-influence and demonstrates how they impact a character or larger social structure’s thinking, and how one’s ability to go with the flow or obstinacy impacts their ability to navigate the present. Depending on who is it, the evidence of this is rather apparent. The notion that a life for Takina exists outside the DA, or that she might never return to the DA building proper (despite still technically working for them as a Lycoris) and has to adapt to this new life against her will, is a gnawing thought. Chisato’s very existence and manner-of-being seems antithetical to the Lycoris calling or lifestyle, and the idea that Takina has to work with her naturally creates a source of tension between the two. Takina was already rather brusque and blunt beforehand, but her circumstances have, interestingly enough, caused her to act even more brusque, which puts her chances at getting back to the DA even further away. It was that very attitude and manner of thinking that caused her to be kicked out, so indulging that attitude and manner under the assumption that it will get her what she wants, rather ironically, doesn’t do her any favors of getting what she wants. Moving on for Takina is not something that she wants to do, but rather is something that she has to do, because the door back to the DA is seemingly closed forever. Chisato clashing with Takina does not merely manifest in terms of everything Takina wants to be, but also in how readily she accepted her life’s position. The DA makes it clear that Chisato is special, if not occasionally aggravating in more ways than one. But she doesn’t pay that thought any mind; if anything, it’s just something she lives with by shrugging her shoulders and readily wanting to scarf down some sweets. Chisato evidently learned a long time ago that you don’t always have control over the things in your life, and that as a result, some things are just not worth stressing about or worrying about. The bleakness that being a Lycoris entails, the demands of the job’s less-glamorous aspects, makes her cheery personality absolutely magnetic. If Takina’s experience getting kicked out of the DA is any indication, Chisato long-since knew that it was not a place for her. Why go back to the DA building when she’s enjoying herself and her work, having fun and playing video games, fraternizing with patrons, and the like? Why go back to an organization that gives carte blanche to kill their targets when Chisato lives her life to the fullest every day? *Lycoris Recoil* uses its two main characters to reflect two possible outcomes of being thrown into a similar situation. Both are out of the DA’s picture for the most part and had to move on, yet each approaches the matter by entirely-differently means. The juxtaposition between Chisato and Takina’s attitudes is what ultimately keeps the show’s focus tethered; at times, they butt heads. At other times, they act like old friends or sisters. Through its two main characters as the main vehicle, the show’s tone allows many of its moments to work in either the dramatic or comedic sense, if not both at the same time. They learn to move on with their lives together. And as they grow together as individuals and as a pair, each of them possesses qualities that makes either doing their jobs easier or running Café LycoReco more reliable and stable. For the DA, the idea of “moving on” is essentially their motto – keep life moving on ordinarily, and don’t let the public know of anything unpleasant going on behind the scenes. As is often the case with science-fiction (action-oriented or otherwise), the future does not promise that there will be no more crime or no more problems. Various agendas, groups, and people will still crop up to cause trouble, either at seemingly-random moments or through calculated planning and execution. The Lycoris as the secret police of their world themselves have an ordinary appearance, dressed like schoolgirls to casually hide in plain sight, making them effective assassins / escorts. After all, who would suspect a cute girl to have a gun in her pocket, keeping the city safe as life moves on? The city itself also embodies this overarching ideology – the ruined tower stands as the final monument to a terrible event from the past, standing out like an eyesore against the far-more clean, pristine cityscape foreground that surrounds it. Its existence acts as a symbol that the supposed tragedies of the past will not be repeated because they, as a city and as a citizenry, have moved on. But for every character or every system in place that tries to just move on, there is someone or something operating in the background that cannot do so, or at least not in the same way as others. The indignation at seeing the world around them, or being stuck in a place or memory that consumes their very thoughts seemingly day-in and day-out, fuels their desires to seize the present for their own purposes. *Lycoris Recoil* uses the collisions between the society and characters that have moved on versus those that have not to set up its overarching mystery. The result is a roster of characters that is equally as colorful as they are varied in motivation and appearance. While the series flirts rather dangerously with oversaturation, it never crosses the boundary since everyone’s personality and actions command attention, even if the “why” doesn’t unveil itself until later in the run. It’s because we understand why these characters are doing what they do, or are intrigued by the mystery that gradually unearths itself, that make many of the action sequences themselves so compelling to see. Director and series composer [Adachi Shingo’s](https://anilist.co/staff/110189/Shingo-Adachi) previous efforts as chief animation director for numerous *Sword Art Online* installments reveals that he has a keen eye for an action scene’s sense of motion and fluidity. This is not a series that oozes sakuga, but the motions metaphorically feel slick—even in its gunshots—because the characters at the center of the conflict are all distinct. While they could have easily gotten by solely on personality alone, each sequence heightens the tension, progresses the plot, and most of all, keeps the theme I’ve been hinting at in focus. But action scenes are enhanced ever-further by strong characters, which is where *Lycoris Recoil* shines. In that sense, perhaps Adachi himself has moved on from the older stories that defined his previous work. It’s worth remarking that this is Adachi’s first time serving as both a director and series composer, responsible for most of the show’s inner substance. I cannot say this with certainty, but I imagine that he paid close attention to the idea that detractors of *Sword Art Online* complained about the lack of interesting characters, or at least that there wasn’t enough adequate emphasis placed on character to make the good action scenes even better. With him now in command of his own team and Asauro’s story and characters, designating jobs and tasks to those who are able to handle the things that he cannot, he has likewise moved on to something newer and, frankly, grander. The fact that production on the series was finished before its first episode aired is a testament to all involved that they wanted to make the best product possible. ________ *Lycoris Recoil* has the notion of “moving on” throughout its entire run and even into its very lifeblood creatively, fueling many of the drives behind its background plot manipulations, character dynamics and interactions, and is woven into the foundation of the world it created. Bolstered by two strong characters who initially contrast like cats and dogs, it manages to honor its theme both in terms of its comedic and dramatic payoffs, occasionally at the same time and always without sacrificing the overarching mystery. Watching this series was a pure delight, and I will well-and-truly miss it. As an aside, I want that Takina parfait!
I will be honest and say that I came into this series with high expectations so my review might be quite biased. Cute yuri girls, gun action and produced by a studio with an impressive resume, these really got me really excited for this series. The animation was superb as expected of A-1 pictures making the entire series consistently visually appealing. The art and character designs were splendid and I love the vibrant colors used. The gun fighting animations are so cool and badass, it totally feels like John Wick anime gun choreography. As amazing the production of the animation they suffer from some poor directing. It was not a surprise to me that the director for this series has no prior experience as a lead director and this was his first gig. His past experience where all on character design. The pacing and transitions between scenes are really weird and not given proper time to be processed. Even for the simpler scenes that are more _Iyashikei/CGDCT/slice of life_ -esque scenes felt quite forced with the obvious exact same quirky upbeat music that constantly plays which gets really repetitive throughout the series. The more serious scenes such as terrorist attacks, evil plots, etc suffer from a lack of preparation and a weird abrupt transitions towards them. For several minutes there are cute girls having fun and suddenly there are terrorist attacking and it only last for what feels like a short while. It almost feels like the _'OH NO, anyways'_ meme if you get what I mean. I did not feel any tension from the dangers of these terrorist attacks even until the last moments. It always feel like the next minute everything will be fine and they will be serving deserts in their cafe and be happy and all. This nonchalant attitude towards these dangers in the series is greatly increased due to the fact the main badass character also don't seem to mind hanging out with the main villain. I honestly did not mind the main protagonists not being very interesting. They look interesting enough and they do interesting stuff like gun fighting and shopping for underwear. Their personalities and motivations are pretty simple along with simple to non-existing backstories. Again I don't really mind or care because although I am not attached to these characters I still find interest in their cute and badass secret agent lifestyle. A character that I do find pretty stupid tho is the main villain of the series. He is obviously inspired by the Joker. There is so much _'we live in a society'_ vibes from him its almost cringe. His motivations are not only uninspired, it is really unclear. Like what does he actually want? Or is he really a direct inspiration from the joker being an unhinged psychopath so that's the reason why his motivations are unclear? Hell he even have the green hair. Overall it was a a confusing experience for me. I liked the _Iyashikei/CGDCT/slice of life_ aspects of the series where things are chill but felt really indifferent and almost annoyed by the more serious plot line of the terrorist attacking. The major flaw in this series I believe is the poor direction.
I still remembered when the first episode was going to be aired, it was around the time of Shinzo Abe's assasination. People back then were wondering "are they really want to air it at this time? Isnt it way too soon?". Especially when the first episode's PV is showing a domestic terrorism scene, on a broad daylight, right in front of the public. So, I'm intrigued and i decided to pick this series. First impression? Clean and high quality graphics. The background is so clear and vivid. Definitely an eyecandy. Second impression? The gunfight scene. Actually, to be honest, i personally dont really like action genre. But i'm interested with the raw plot direction and i enjoy crafting my own theories along the way. Being an anime original making it way more fun. Nobody knows what's going to be happen next. We're playing a "global game" where everyone is struggling to find clues here and there, then we proceed to craft our own theory on what's going to be happen next episode. Oh, anyway, the gunfight scene is beautifully choreographed. Third impression? The plot. To put it simply, it's about high-school girls "secret police" squad who's eliminating the evil in the silence. Then, there's a really big evil squad that's definitely not like the other. The high school girls squad keeps losing on each and each episode. That's the gist of it. Oh, also.. There's so much conspiracy, between the high-school girls organization as a whole and the big evil squad organization as a whole. The frontline soldiers on both sides are fighting and killing each other. But the generals are still shrouded in mystery. We dont even know who is really the bad guy. Yes, even until the last episode, we dont really know about it. Between the big clash of this two big fiction, Chisato Nishikagi is placed at the very center of it. Somehow she's quite succeeded in keeping her own fair share of independence against both factions who tried so hard to control her life. Fourth impression? The slice of life aspect of cute girls doing cute things is really top notch! As an average SOL enjoyer, i really really like this series. But, i always feel unease and anxiety while watching the SOL scene on this series. One scene, they look so happy go lucky, eating parfaits, aquarium date, going shopping, etc. But at the very next scene, they could be ambushed by a group of domestic terrorist. That's what makes this show is so unique : a delicate balance between intense plot, shocking actions and fluffy CGDCT slice of life. Final note, judging from the last episode, there's high potential of S2/movie sequels. --- Summary Good things : 1. High quality graphics, vivid background. 2. Nice contrast between fluffy slice of life and intense action scene. 3. The plot is deep and complex. But you can also just ignore it all and enjoy the cute slice of life scenes here and there. Maybe not so good things : 1. Yuri and yaoi subtheme is maybe not for everyone. 2. Questionable superhuman things left unexplained. Dodging bullets? Superhearing? Survived against RPG explosion and insane fall damage? Really? 3. Some action scene is really cliché. (The hero always comes at a very unrealistic critical times, saving the victim from the pinch)
I’m gonna be the guy to come out and say, this was not a very good show. Definitely not worth the super high scores and ratings that the show is getting. I just do not see how it deserves those scores at all. The first part comes down to this being an original show, no source material issues or constraints there. The creators know exactly how many episodes they have to make the show, and therefore need to write a complete show that fits into that time frame. So why does the story feel so unfinished and unsatisfactory. In the end of the show we have so many unfinished story and character threads. We don’t know the backstory of multiple main characters who had major roles in the show. The organizations who are the major players in the show are never actually detailed or explained, we don’t know where they came from or who they are. The characters have various abilities and superpowers, and yet we never actually get an explanation for why or how or where this abilities come from. I just want answers, I want to walk away from a single cour original show feeling satisfied that I got all the answers that I want, and not left feeling like it isn’t finished. And this feels unfinished. It also commits a major sin for me, requiring such a massive amount of suspension of disbelief that I just can’t keep it up. Why do some characters have superpowers and other people don’t? How do some of these characters survive multiple death on impact moments, over and over again, with no injuries or repercussions. How is the population of Japan made up of unthinking drones who will believe anything the government tells them, despite watching the contrary themselves. Computers and the abilities of the hackers in the show vary largely in unbelievable moments that exceed believable abilities, and approach the level of AI and quantum computing. I can easily believe something like the main characters get knocked around in fights without issue, that is an age old trope. But when the villain takes dozens of close range shots from a gun that we have seen knock people out in a single hit, when a villain somehow survives a 1000ft fall, that is beyond my ability to believe. But hey, lets move onto the characters why not. And I think they are actually pretty good. I like the characters and the main two characters got some pretty decent development throughout the show. Though in my opinion, some of their motivations are terrible and nonsensical. Chisato not using lethal rounds because she doesn’t want to kill people, but is fine shooting a “non-lethal” round at somebodies head is reminiscent of Batman not directly killing people with a gun but you know they weren’t surviving to the end of the fight from their injuries. Takina originally wants to just rejoin DA, but eventually grows close to Chisato and wants to stay with her, and has some pretty good growth in the show. Majima’s whole plan is he doesn’t like the DA, and wants to reveal it to everyone, though also he just wants to have a good fight. Honestly I don’t have too many major issues with character growth or the characters in general. I will also give the show props for some good animation and fight scenes. The whole show looked good, didn’t have too many moments of obviously cheap or low quality animation or visuals. Just in general the show looks good, don’t think it is a masterpiece and won’t be remembered for the visuals. But good enough for a seasonal show. Wrapping it all up, I just expected more from an A-1 Pictures original anime. They had so much potential to work with. It could have been a really dark anime with terrorists committing major crimes and destruction, and really made its mark as something special. But instead it is a half-finished show that never figured out it’s pacing or story, and spent far too much time on slice-of-life moments between the two main characters. I don’t think it was a very good show. And despite the high reviews and ratings, I highly doubt people will remember it next year outside of being that Yuri bait show with the Joker style villain.
I am going to start my review with a question. Can and should shows be judged by what they are NOT ? On one hand, you shouldn't judge a story someone chose to write by what it is not. The writer chose to write this story, not your fanfiction that you conjured up in your head. On the other hand, there can clearly be deficiencies in a story. Something that you usually can find in other, similar stories. Or maybe you just hoped that the story would just include more. Or you hoped that the story wouldn't just be another one in the bunch. If you think that a story shouldn't be judged by what it is not, then you will almost definitely disagree with my review. I personally hoped for something more and I did not get it. Does that mean I think this show is bad ? Not really. Its decent. I just hoped for more when it came to the story.
~~~__Lycoris Recoil__~~~ ~~~img400(https://c.tenor.com/AouuaS5sofYAAAAC/lycoris-recoil-chisato-nishikigi.gif)~~~ ~~~In a season with several major returns such as Classroom of the Elite season 2, The Devil is a Part-Timer season 2, and other beloved sequels such as Made in Abyss season 2, Danmachi season 4, Overlord season 4, etc never would I have imagined that my favorite show would end up being none of the above. Heck, the idea that an original CGDCT anime could steal 13 weeks of my life is insane. I say that since I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences with promising original anime betraying my expectations (Takt, Wonder Egg, etc). Therefore, this came as a very pleasant surprise. Here’s why Lycoris Recoil is my anime of the season, and even potentially of the year. Lycoris, back when it got announced, was a show that was marketed as cute girls working at a cafe and after watching a bunch of shonen stuff, this was just the kind of show I desired to relax to and enjoy. So naturally, when they revealed the true nature of the show, I was slightly perplexed and just a tiny bit disappointed that it wasn’t the cute girl cafe show I was promised, instead it was a show about a cafe but more action-packed. Regardless of my first impressions of the show, I ended up loving the 13-episode journey way more than I expected. Not to mention, it's an original show so there weren't any annoying source material fans trying to spoil shit and the most we could do was theorize. Pointing out the obvious, the show's central appeal is the two main girls of cafe LycoReco, Chisato and Takina. Even putting the well-written story aside, it was always a pleasure just to watch the relationship between the two of them develop throughout the show. Both initially had opposing ideologies, with Takina being the extreme killer type while Chisato took the more pacifist route, which led to Takina being at odds with Chisato. Throughout the show we got to see Takina opposing Chisato’s methods, coming to accepting them following episode 3 and then eventually breaking the shackles that was DA to live life of her own accord at the cafe. While Chisato was the most beloved character, Takina was the true MVP of the show as she showed the most significant development throughout. If anything, I would legitimately be willing to watch a show with just ChisaTaki shenanigans and nothing else, and I'm sure many others would feel that way. I can’t write this review without mentioning the impeccable voice acting from the case of LycoReco. Chisato is already a beloved character but Chika Anzai did an incredible job of breathing even more life into her and making her an absolute bundle of joy. I literally cannot get enough of how good her voice acting is and I could probably listen to her voice for hours on end without getting bored of it. Of course, I can’t ignore Wakayama Shion who voiced Takina. She too did a very good job and had a lot of moments where her voice shined the most, such as episode 12. Being a fan of Misaki Kuno, it was very interesting to hear a more adult-like voice from her rather than her usual kid voice since she mostly voices children in anime. Regardless of this, she did a very solid job. I could go on about more characters such as Mika, Mizuki, and especially Majima, who is voiced by my goat Matsuoka but you get the point already, so moving onto the more technical aspects of the show. Tackling two different themes can often be very challenging to pull off for not just anime but any media in general, leading to very unnatural transitioning and can feel out of place or distracting even. Lycoris on the other hand was written in such a way that it was able to incorporate the dark aspects of the story and make it work smoothly with the wholesome and more laid-back aspects, thus making it work very well when the show often switched between the two largely contrasting themes. This is something we would definitely have to credit the director Shingo Adachi for as it is known through interviews that he was the one who revamped the originally very dark story that Asaura, the writer, proposed and chose to show more wholesome themes as well in a perfect manner. Such a combination leads to another aspect I really like about this show. When it comes to tension-inducing situations in the show, Lycoris Recoil truly knew how to induce anxiety of the highest degree within us. What makes this show different in that sense is the attachment I had to the characters to the point where whenever they end up in threatening situations such as episode 6, I can’t help but be left on the edge of my seat and when we are left with a cliffhanger like episode 9, I ended up being anxious about it all week. It’s a stressful but at the same time very welcome experience that only certain few shows have been able to offer for me so far. One significant ingredient of this show that I feel is rather underappreciated is the use of “show, don’t tell”. When it comes to shows like Demon Slayer, It annoyed me whenever they explained every tiny detail through monologues and such. Therefore I appreciate the fact that this show left many things to our speculations and each episode often encouraged rewatches to fully grasp what they were trying to tell us. Oftentimes I would have to rewatch an episode more than twice to find out almost everything, and I say almost because even then there would be times when I missed certain details and I would only be filled in by people on social media posting about it. __ ~~~webm(https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/9f45211f9730643549d0808590428aa6.mp4)~~~ Even with its fair share of CGDCT, the show also has just as much intense and heart-stopping action to offer, with very well-executed and choreographed gun fights, showcasing a variety of firearms that are sure to excite gun enthusiasts. If one were to keep up with the social media of Asaura, writer of LycoReco, one would know that he’s a huge gun enthusiast himself and therefore it’s safe to say that he had some sort of involvement when it comes to this. A-1 pictures once again delivered when it comes to animations youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjkOIR7agLo&feature=youtu.be) The show features some pretty solid soundtracks as well. This is one of my favorites and the one they use during the action scenes. __ Earlier in the review, I mentioned how I've had bad experiences with original shows such as Takt and Wonder Egg. A common phrase I heard throughout the broadcast of the show was “hope it doesn’t pull off a Wonder Egg” or something along the lines of that, and I can definitely see where they’re coming from when they say that. Despite that, I always had a feeling that Lycoris would not end up that way regardless of how it ended. The reason I felt so was because one of Wonder Egg's main appeals was the initially very intriguing storyline which eventually fell apart and mostly the action, and when I look back on the show I realize that nothing else really appealed to me. I never felt any attachment with any of the characters nor did I ever see any memorable dynamics between the four girls that could redeem the show in any way. Lycoris on the other hand had a very well-crafted story as well as solid character dynamics, in addition to well-choreographed action scenes. Even if by some chance had Lycoris’ story fallen off, in the future I would’ve remembered the show for the developing relationship between Chisato and Takina, and their days in the cafe together. A complain I often heard about this show was its unrealism, but I never got why people started criticizing the show just based on this alone. I still remember when Mothers Basement first brought up the entire "armor piercing rubber bullets" thing, though he said that that while it was illogical, it didn't bother him because of the other aspects of the show that make up for it. Despite that, many others including the likes of Gigguk started using that term as a means of criticizing, and while Gigguk didn't entirely hold that against the show, it still led to a lot of people being influenced by that. If people were to try and push realistic expectations onto anime, then there's no point in it. Of course, i'm not tryna say that shows can entirely get away with doing ridiculous shit, but when it's done by a show like Lycoris in such a manner that it doesn't ruin the story, I feel like it's better to let that slide since the show has a lot of other amazing things to offer. The writers have no obligations to be held back by realism. But if there was one point of criticism I personally had, it’s that they just didn’t have enough episodes for the show to reach its fullest potential. Several things were left unanswered such as Mika, Mizuki, Kurumi and Majima’s past, the third division besides Lycoris and LilyBells (HollyHocks I believe?), more in Chisato and Takina’s pasts, the feud between Lycoris and LilyBells, etc. I do wish they gave us some explanation for those unless we end up getting a second season. Overall that didn’t really ruin my experience in any way though and in the end I still loved the show. Adachi once said that he wished to create something with his team that they can all be proud of after 1-2 years of hard work. If the audience and staff say they had fun, then he'll know he did a good job and at the end of the day, I think that’s what matters more than anything and the key to a successful show. I hope to see this show return in some form and continue Chisato and Takina’s everyday life. Would highly recommend this show as it has something to offer for everyone. Heck, even Hideo Kojima recommends it, so why not give it a try? img400(https://c.tenor.com/b_tN89kpn70AAAAC/anime-kick.gif) __ ~~~
Of all the anime of the Summer 2022 anime season, I feel that Lycoris Recoil and Call of the Night rival in terms of top anime of the season. In fact, these two shows are so good I'd say they'd make the brackets for Anime of the Year. This review will be about one of them. And since you clicked on this review, you know which one it is. __As per a good chunk of my reviews, spoilers will apply__ so I hope you've had a chance to watch this show. Nay, I demand you to watch this show before coming here and seeing what this procrastinating weeb has to say about it. __Plot__ Lycoris Recoil takes us to a world imagined on the basis that a utopia can only be created if people are sacrificed to keep it going. In this iteration of Tokyo, Japan has the pleasure of experiencing a little to zero percent crime rate, because every single crime is stopped by covert ops teams formed of high school boys and girls dubbed the Lilybell (Flower of the Valley) and the Lycoris (Red Spider Lily). Although this idea of utilizing anime teenagers as hitmen and hitwomen isn't original, the way they executed it is. The general plotline of the anime is also pretty well seen. We get an "operation of the week" type situation with occasional interjections up until about halfway through the show, until we pivot to the grand villain's plans as well as a few other unexpected interjections. However, the few episodes of the climax are some of the best-orchestrated events I've seen in animes all year. Huge leadup, intense yet unexpected cliffhangers, and a huge revelation of backgrounds that just leaves you saying "holy shit" over and over again. __Characters__ The single most recognizable part of LycoReco and the duo carries of this show's popularity are the two main characters. Our story begins with Takina, sentenced to probation after risking the life of another Lycoris and disobeying orders by _spraying down a group of criminals with a minigun like a badass_. She is sent to live with and work at Cafe LycoReco alongside her new partner the spunky Chisato. This sets the dynamic for these two characters. Chisato is bursting with life and absolutely jam-packed with energy. She is constantly hyper and her voice actor is not afraid to show it. Meanwhile, Takina is initially this aloof, cold "war robot" whose only concern is rejoining the covert ops force and revoke her probation. However, throughout the entirety of the show, we see Chisato's personality rub more and more onto Takina as she teaches her in everything from as extreme as the value of not taking a person's life to something as everyday as picking out casual clothing. It feels strange at first, but once you get used to it it feels enjoyable to watch these two banter as they go about their daily lives either rescuing famed hacker Walnut or just delivering coffee grounds as part of their errands. We also get plenty of heartfelt moments, from Takina's temporary return to the Agency to Walnut's rescue mission almost failing. It is just at that moment when they strike with the backstories. We know very little about these girls' backstories, especially Chisato's. However, as the world is built their backstories start formulating too. We get our first clues introduced by Mr. Yoshimatsu, and even more as we delve into his connections to Chisato and her teacher Mika even more. As the final plot unfolds, it also unfolds around Chisato's past, and even the most critical moments that the entire latter half of the series built up to surround Chisato and the artificial heart embedded in her chest. As these critical events unfold, we see that the bond these two girls built shine as Takina comes time and time again without fail to Chisato's side, a trait that she was rather quick to dismiss in Ep. 1 as she almost risked hitting a friendly Lycoris with her minigun spray. As the desperation for her partner's life manifests in bloodcurdling scream after another, we see just how deep this quirky little hyperactive blondie affected Takina's life, the things she taught her, the time they spent, and most importantly the care she showed for her even when all those back at the agency ostracized her for willing to take sacrifices. On the other side of the scene, we see Chisato battle the images of her past as well as define her true purpose in a tense situation. A life for another life? The past or the future? Even as Chisato's faith and honor are rooted in the past, she did not have to confront it alone. img225(https://staticc.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/08/fdf56-16598072990559-1920.jpg) Those two aside, we also get some phenomenal development of the side characters. Particularly Mika the teacher, Yoshimatsu the Alan Guy, and Majima the Terrorist. Not only did all of these three have fleshed-out pasts, particularly Mika and Yoshimatsu, but all of their motivations stand clear when revealed in the context of the unraveling story. Their motivations are each so simple to understand, but for some of them so misguided and some others so blatantly inhumane. It made these characters feel real, compelling, and for the antagonists, less antagonistic and more anti-hero like. Even if there were people clearly labelled as villains in this anime, their motivations made them feel more like personalized anti-heroes. While I'm on the topic of side characters, a lot of people say that this show is a huge yuri bait. But the thing is, this show is surprisingly open to LGBT relationships. We see many people being hinted at having relationships. The biggest of which is obviously Chisato and Takina, but what people don't mention is the massive implications of Mika and Yoshimatsu's pasts, which adds even more layers to why the two have such differing views concerning Chisato, whose life they both had a hand to play in. img220(https://cdn.realsport101.com/images/ncavvykf/epicstream/eb435e776ef20ab099be204f6cafd1726fb4e99b-1241x688.png?rect=0,1,1241,685&w=328&h=181&auto=format) __Art, Animation, and Music__ The entire show has a nice artstyle. It isn't overly cartoony, nor is it very simplistic. It's detailed in the places that count, with very nice lighting, especially for some of the more intense fights. Some of the still backgrounds are also masterfully done. The animations are also pretty beautiful. The fight choreography was absolutely badass, especially with Chisato's ability to dodge bullets Matrix-style. It made her feel absolutely badass while having some seriously fluent fights. Even if Takina is participating you can actively see the coordination these two have. Personally, the music is fine. It doesn't stand out much but isn't totally boring either. I will have to note that I personally much prefer the ED to the OP. I should also mention that the EP will always play at the end of the episode _without fail_. Even if Chisato's getting cornered at the end of EP11, you will suddenly hear the music coming in. Be it badass, nerve-wrenching, or comedic. If you hear the opening sequence, the episode's over. img220(https://www.lyrical-nonsense.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sayuri-Hana-no-Tou.jpg) Overall, I love this series. It was a blast to watch and I hereby declare it as my favorite anime this season, rivalling only Call of the Night. I feel that this anime hits a lot of things traditional seasonal anime don't and it gives it that much more life. Rock on you two lovable yuri baits.
It's disappointing that Lycoris Recoil became a series with not much to talk about, or going for it. Of course, it had to tease with elements that are similar to what The Aquatope on White Sand teased with, concerning the lead girls. This annoyed me for many reasons. Unfortunately, this slowly declined for me after the first episode for the reasons that follow: Majima, if the green hair, and somewhat sadistic personality didn't already give it away, performed for me as a ridiculous "antagonist" who is trying to restore the balance of the city. His brilliant idea is to turn people homicidal. His powers include surviving a rocket blast to the face, and being able to somehow overcome situations that he should not be able to. You would think he would figure it out, that Chisato is too strong to be dealt with with guns. His plan of action came off as terribly thought out and executed, and his politics laughable. Chisato, to be frank, learns nothing, as her depthless character won the hearts and minds of people over, simply because she is cute and annoyingly positive all the time. If that is all someone looks for in an anime and character, that's fine. I personally look for something more meaningful, considering my favorites. Anyone's favorites list can give them a ruler of what to look for in an anime, which results in endless opinions and interpretations, or tastes. I'm not saying I'm better, but that I am not the type to enjoy something like this for these reasons. They tried to develop her character, then suddenly just gave up and stopped. Her pacifist stance as a Lycoris girl annoyed me to no end. You have an overpowered character, that then gets overwhelmed in a frustratingly ridiculous way. The series appeared to show that she was beginning to realize and wake up to reality, but decided to keep her character sugar coated and hollow. Takina is the worst of these three. She had some quick development in the beginning, only to be reduced to Chisato's guard dog, that becomes ready to bark whenever she is needed to. She reminds me that not a single character, besides 2 I haven't even gotten to yet, get any meaningful character development. Their dynamic didn't have any kind of interesting appeal to me, such as the superiorly written duo in Dirty Pair have. As for most of the story itself, nothing gets resolved. It leaves itself ready for a season 2, in a way that feels arrogant. What I find amusing, is that I found Mika and Yoshi's story and characters much more interesting than Chisato and Takina. Mika, having to deal with his past, how it affects him and catches up to him, and his internal conflict with Yoshi towards Chisato, felt like the more enjoyable content of the entire series, that left me theorizing every week. In the beginning, this looked like an entertaining action series. Then, it abandons it for a while, and hardly makes effort in animating it for several episodes. It almost feels like this is a slice of life disguised as this so called political, gun action series. As a result, the political aspect of the series suffers, as the politics in this series is elementary. Also, you would think there would be some stakes considering what is happening. And yet, this series is too cowardly to do anything bold for the most part.
~~~__Lycoris Recoil__~~~ ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/r4X414u.png)~~~ É um anime original da A-1 Pictures com 13 episódios, dirigido por Shingo Adachi (este trabalhou como Chief Animator no SAO e SAO Alicization, além de participar como Key Animator em algumas obras, Durarara, Fractale estão entre elas, sendo assim, Lycoris é a sua primeira obra com tal grau de importância e investimento), também responsável pelo Script, SC, storyboard e direção dos episódios, **tornando-se responsável por funções excessivas e em diversas áreas não conectadas**. Lycoris Recoil se passa no Japão, perante uma sociedade contemporânea, onde é vivido pelos cidadãos uma vida pacífica, graças a uma organização secreta chamada de Direct Attack que contrata garotas órfãs para lidar com os poucos casos de crimes que acontecem, estas são chamadas de Lycoris. O índice de crime no país é bem baixo devido a ilegalidade de um cidadão comum portar armas, sendo assim sua comercialização é ilegal. Para tentar manter a paz, os crimes são abafados, explosões de fábricas, acidentes de trabalho são algumas notícias falsas inventadas por cima, como pode ser visto logo no primeiro episódio. A estrutura da análise consistirá em: __- História__ __- Questões técnicas__ __- Crítica__ __- Conclusão__ ~~~__História__~~~ O caminho que a história de Lycoris quer traçar é bem simples. Somos introduzidos a personagem Takina... ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/OYLqAOi.png)~~~ ...que é uma Lycoris, a qual está fazendo parte de uma missão cujo objetivo é intervir numa grande troca de armas, diante de uma situação de risco ela decide passar por cima das ordens de sua superior e realizar o que acredita ser o correto, atrapalhando nos objetivos da missão. Por infringir as regras da organização, acaba sendo expulsa periodicamente e transferida para o Café LycoReco (como forma de adquirir disciplina? Não.), e assim conhecemos Chisato... ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/bkBxEIq.png)~~~ ...(uma Lycoris prodígio), Mika (que exerce um papel semelhante a de um pai para Chisato) e Mizuki. Takina e Chisato são o foco do anime, tanto durante o slice of life quanto na ação, numa combinação excêntrica de personalidades, a primeira que foca nos resultados e a segunda com destaque nos sentimentos. Ambas desenvolvem laços com sua nova amiga. E como prossegue a história? O que descobrimos é que temos dois grandes hackers brigando entre si, Wallnut e Robota. O primeiro está sendo perseguido para ser assassinado mas é protegido pela LycoReco, tornando-se mais um membro desse grupo. Posteriormente é apresentado Majima, que junto de Robota tem o objetivo de quebrar "falsa paz" que foi instaurada no Japão pela DA. E perante esse conflito das Lycoris acompanhadas da LycoReco contra Robota, Majima e sua gangue é introduzido mais profundamente a máquina Alan, uma IA que foi desenvolvida para ajudar pessoas prodígios a realizarem suas metas. Abaixo segue um spoiler superficial, mas não deixa de ser um. ~!Chisato e Majima se utilizam da tecnologia da máquina Alan, a primeira por problemas no coração e o segundo não foi revelado. Mas pela Chisato não respeitar as regras para utilização dessa tecnologia, acaba sofrendo consequências. !~ ~~~__Questões técnicas (animação, direção etc)__~~~ Inquestionavelmente bem animado, fluído a todo momento e consistente, não necessitando recorrer a cenas estáticas durante a ação ou mesmo no slice of life, possui alguns destaques em relação a coreografia batalhas armadas. ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLZ-h69lDm8)~~~ Diversas vezes teve um mal uso da trilha sonora, sendo o final do ep 11 e 12 evidentes em relação a isso, com um dos piores feelings de seriedade que já vi, até a opening acaba refletindo um pouco desse sentimento no refrão. ~~~youtube(https://youtu.be/h-4Uqetyq3E.)~~~ Felizmente isso não ocorre na ending, que é uma das marcas de criatividade que o anime possui. ~~~youtube(https://youtu.be/_3OI5eNw_CI)~~~ ~~~__Crítica__~~~ Lycoris não possui quisquer qualidades além de sua animação. Mesmo dispondo de uma premissa bem simples, a história é um completo caos em questão de narrativa. Diversas vezes recorrendo a situações convenientes como: __- O abuso da habilidade dos hackers__ Walnut e Robota, os quais podem realizar qualquer coisa, em qualquer momento. "Não dá...Mesmo que eu recupere o controle, Robota vai tomar de volta" __- As habilidades prodígio de personagens, como a Chisato, podendo a mesma errar só quando importar.__ Outros problemas graves de roteiro que ocorrem são, o maniqueísmo unidimensional de diversos personagens, a própria Chisato (sendo a pessoa mais perfeita que já pisou na Terra), Fuki e Sakura (sendo exclusivamente odiáveis) entre diversas outras personagens, um motivo confuso de Majima ser contra a DA, tornando-se ainda mais caótico quando esse sentimento é transmitindo a população e a mesma entende (recapitulando, temos garotas que protegem a população e sumiram com 3000 pessoas, devido a diversos crimes que foram censurados a fim de "manter a paz" porque se revoltar contra essa força militar? Faria sentido se fosse contra o governo, mas contra as Lycoris é simplesmente infundado esse medo). Retornando ao fim da obra para ver o motivo da Takina ser colocada na LycoReco torna tudo ilógica com o rumo que a história, ela não desenvolveu como personagem, somente fez uma ótima amizade. E por fim um dos maiores problemas é a própria Chisato, o destaque da obra, a qual se mostra como uma pessoa ideal, mas tão ideal que no fim acaba se tornando artificial, uma verdadeira carisma falsa. Todos esses problemas, muito provavelmente, foram desencadeados devido ao overworking de Adachi, como foi citado todas as suas funções no início do texto, somado ao objetivo principal da obra, vender a imagem da Chisato. ~!Infelizmente Lycoris perdeu a oportunidade de explorar esse maniqueísmo da Chisato no ep 12 ao atirar no Sr.Yoshi, facilitando a realização de um monólogo da Chisato sobre sua própria ética e revivendo traumas passados, destruindo assim os rumos da missão ou pelo menos dificultando bastante.!~ ~~~__Conclusão:__~~~ Lycoris é um grande shounen que não se importa com nada além de uma boa animação, que aparenta ter tentado realizar um romance mas desistou. Sua maior estratégia de vendas pende quase exclusivamente a imagem da Chisato e ao shonen, tornando essa decisão uma faca de dois gumes, pois caso não simpatize com um dos dois temas, perde grande parte do interesse da obra. Por fim, esse anime é uma estratégia de marketing para vender figures, roupas da Chisato e da Takina, não é a toa pela quantidade de vezes que ambas trocam de roupa ao longo dos episódios. Deploravelmente, essa obra deu certo, sendo um dos destaques da temporada e só irá incentivar outras a seguirem o mesmo caminho. __"Felicidade, Chisato__ __Sua nova vida começou__ __com a minha morte__ __Desejo de coração que seja feliz!"__ __- Shinji Yoshimatsu, 2022__
~~~Lycoris Recoil caught my eye because of it's interesting trope, cute girls who fight terrorism. The stark contrast between cuteness and warfare is something that has been done before and will surely be done again. Lycoris Recoil stands out in that aspect, whenever Chisato Nishikigi is around the mood always lightens whereas Takina Inoue does the opposite. Like the contrast between cuteness and warfare, the differences between Chisato and Takina give the feeling that whenever they are together something funny will undoubtedly happen. Cafe Lycoreco helps immensely in that aspect, it acts as a base of operations for Takina and Chisato while also creating the perfect atmosphere for sassy interactions between the two of them and the other members of the cafe. Then there's DA, an organisation that fights crime undercover, and the antagonist of the story, Majima. We aren't given much information on either of these which I believe to be a mistake. I would have loved to have an episode explaining Majima's past and why he does what he does instead of the classic I'm bad because I'm bad. In a similar fashion to this we aren't given much information on Mika or Shinji Yoshimatsu to have a broader idea of their implication to the story. The plot and character development is unfortunately lacking even when it comes down to the 2 main characters, Takina and Chisato. Atmosphere though, is something that Lycoris Recoil does not lack. Through perfectly timed transitions, beautiful art and animations ( seriously, the commercial bumpers are stunning ), songs that make you want to add them to your spotify list and the amazing voice acting. Put together, these make the anime feel alive. Through the whole 13 episodes, we experience people pushing forward no matter what their past may hold. Takina no longer yearns to go back to DA, Mika must kill and sever his relationship with Shinji to protect the ones he holds dear. Everyone moves on or has moved on except for Chisato, she sticks to her ideals no matter what and that's truly admirable. She acts as a backbone for those around her who are trying to move on and deal with their past, going as far as hearing out Majima and having a drink with him before their next fight. Overall, in my opinion A-1 pictures did an outstanding job to create such a good anime that isn't backed by a manga or light novel. Lycoris Recoil might fall a bit behind when it comes to story and world development but the cute interactions, wonderful fight scenes and stylistically beautiful commercial bumpers, intro and outro make up for it. It's definitely one of my favourites for 2022 if not all time.~~~
LYCORIS RECOIL was the most generally prevalent anime of this summer season, an incredibly popular work brought courtesy of SAO alum Shingo Adachi with a much well-received directorial debut. A girl meets girl slice of life action extravaganza with infectious charm. Written by Ben-To creator Asaura it's a stark contrast from what they're used to. The strengths however are in the characters. The dynamics, whether they be parental or chummy, buddy-buddy interactions, the genuine pathos succinctly endears to the viewer an engaging family unit. Inspired by similar shows in the same vein of Gunslinger Girl, with the basic premise of strong female leads armed with guns. Assassins trained to contend against unknown forces. The difference lies in tone, as even with some serious and dark themes it still remains lighthearted. Going into this series it's hard not to notice the crystal clear yuri subtext laid throughout the entire run. Chisato and Takina have an immediate connection in which their sole presence easily influences their state of mind in a gradual state of enticing character progression. The series has a perfect balance of goofy and quick-witted exchanges with the cast grounded in expanded growth. You see different sides to them, each morally inclined and outwardly charged with intense drawbacks, imparting a finer feeling that it feels earned as a result. Chisato's "condition" midway into the story is given precedent beforehand with subtle hints thrown with intimate foresight. Her philosophic musings of taking things in stride: whatever happens happens. You only have so much time left to spend on this beautiful Earth. Foregoing other's expectations in favor of living for oneself. It's a beautiful yet tragic initiation into the proceedings. It keeps you invested, as you're left tense and wary of any theoretical sledgehammer trouncing the sweet and cute day to day interactions to the wayside. Animation is stellar, with impressive action sequences, such as hand to hand combat paired with crisp and clean gun battles. Energetic character movements range from smooth fluctuations to facial expressions being on point for much anticipated emotional moments. Aesthetic is magnificent to behold, with eye-gazing visuals and consistent drawings maintaining a steady flow of production quality. Smart usage of compositing, lighting, and shading with dramatic scenes making for an appealing form of entertainment value. Main antagonist Majima, voiced surreptitiously with imbibed passion by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. He has a lot of range, handling conflicting aspects in a complex whirlwind of calculating, carefree abandon. Outbursts thrown against the iron wall known as society restricting free will. He's become one of the most interesting villains as of late. His conceptual ties to justice has a captivating charm to it. He views himself as a savior. Executing his character archetype so well, he inhibits a lot of depth, making it sympathetic to root for him at times. They see the actions they commit as a necessary balance, regardless of his impact on the world being a scale of ramifications. The elaborate uncertainty he embellishes with an outside perspective serves as a great foil to Chisato, his other half with understandable empathy. The parent-child dialogue present between Chisato and Mika contained a lot of depth for the pair. It's a poignant feature of the show. Detailed background info conveys the cathartic transformation they've went through as a result of living with limited time. Certain writing decisions in the latter half had an underwhelming reactionary response due to favoring over what the series excelled at. There could have been a better balancing of the action and SOL portions but overall it exceeded in what it set out to do. It was a delightful experience filled with sadness, heartbreak and happy times. A journey with many a discussion to be had about the closeness of Chisato and Takina that endeared to viewers an uplifting relationship.
~~~ Well The Intent was never to make a review as I only wanted to address a few points but here we are These are peaceful days, thanks to a secret crime-fighting organization of all-girl agents: Lycoris. The elite free-spirited Chisato is their all-time strongest agent, alongside the coolheaded talented-but-mysterious Takina. Working together at a café, they serve coffee and sweets as well as childcare, shopping, and teaching Japanese. The chaotic everyday lives of this mismatched duo begin. Ok let's talk about __Nishikigi Chisato__ So I stumbled upon this comment "__Chisato, to be frank, learns nothing, as her depthless character won the hearts and minds of people over, simply because she is cute and annoyingly positive all the time.__ I'm not sure what he means by "no depth and learns nothing." Her past may appear straightforward at first glance, but that is not the case. Chisto saves people not only because Yoshimatsu saved her, but also because the term "saviour" is significant in this context. Chisato would be a killing machine right now if she had chosen her words wisely (as Chisato herself indirectly agrees in episode 10) so the narrative here beautifully displays the relationship between purpose of life and life choices so that you do not confuse your life choice for the purpose of life. Mika and Chisato's conversation was excellently staged. So moving onto __learns nothing further, people liking her simply because she is cute and annoyingly positive all the time.__ So he's basically calling chisato a cute __Goody Two-Shoes.__(I personally don't like those kind of characters at all but hey Chisato was special and there's something different about her which I'll explain further). Which I wouldn't really disagree but not completely agree with it as well, I agree that I myself at the start liked chisato just because how cute she was and the VA did an amazing job, but wooooo chisato is not your typical __Goody Two-Shoes__ if you observe carefully chisato didn't seem to care/ nor did try to help the lycoris from getting killed by Majima, whereas a goody two shoes character would have created a lot of drama for that and even tried to help the lycoris. Not only that but on ep4 she also stopped takina from getting involved in the train incident (which shows how deeply she cared about takina) which reminds me of what she says in ep 13 that __"There are many things that I like exactly as they are. What's going on in the world, I don't care"__ as demonstrated in Ep 4 (as stated above), Ep 12 and Ep 13 where Chisato is willing to kill Yoshimatsu and Majima in order to save Takina (which shows that she understands that being positive does not help all the time and this is something which she learns). She also learns to move forward (the theme of Lycoreco is "moving forward"), as throwing the locket into the seas demonstrated. She already knows the dark aspects of the world and what it has to offer, so there isn't much to learn! Being positive, goofy, and cute aren't the only reasons I like Chisato. If you've noticed, she doesn't appear depressed in the anime despite everything going on around her in order to maintain her cheerful image and not worry others. She is not only a strong character (both psychically and mentally), but she is also calm and does not snap as often as most characters do, and she is willing to kill when necessary to save those she cares about, despite how much she despises killing. I understand that she did act up a bit when she shot yoshimatsu but that was only because it was yoshimatsu, However, this was not the case with Majima ~!webm(https://i.imgur.com/09I9sYF.mp4)!~ The above clip is a pure masterpiece Chisato who had given upon everything lying down there hears takina's voice( you can clearly hear chisato's heartbeat for a moment there which signifies the grave situation and yk it seemed that she came back to life just to save takina which I personally loved) and drags majima down( here if you pay attention to takina's voice that was literally definition of despair and shows how scared/worried she was desipte that she ran to save her without hesitation both the Mc's VA's did an amazing job overall in the anime) along with her with the intent to kill him and die along in the process but damnn the way she keeps shooting majima was brutal/merciless and cold. Also If you watch carefully you can see majima being sacred of chisato when he getting shot as the young chisato's flashback was shown which represents that and if you remember correctly Majima told that he was scared of young chisato. Finally takina running off a falling glass to save chisato gave me goosebumps. Chisato truly is a gem/cute/lovable character and who can be brutal at times(maybe she has a switch that flips her over) and now that yoshimatsu who restrained her abilities is gone she's more fierce than ever. Also I stumbled upon this comment "__She had some quick development in the beginning, only to be reduced to Chisato's guard dog.__ Regarding takina I'm not gonna bother saying something about quick development because everyone to their own and I personally like the quick development because in most of the animes they take a pretty long time to develop charcters like takina which feels pretty dragged. __The chisato's guard dog is completely a ridiculous statement.__ Like why would you not want to guard the person if his/her life is in danger. :skull: Takina has to be the most developed character in this entire anime because of how she evolved with each episode, but I believe episode 3 was a watershed moment where she decides to do what she wants rather than what is expected of her. I like Takina because of how she was portrayed and how genuine her smile was whenever she saw Chisato happy.In Ep 11, despite the tension in the air, her killing intent, she did not shoot Yoshimatsu and his assistant who were fleeing with Chisato's heart and Personally, I don't believe she missed it on purpose, but rather unconsciously, demonstrating how much she cared for Chisato and didn't want to hurt her by going against what Chisato desired. That was completely insane. ~!img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fc3W0KTXgAc-KVp?format=jpg&name=900x900) img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fc3W0KNXEAAZa2I?format=jpg&name=small) !~ People have commented on how poorly it was handled politically, as well as how the cover-up process was not elaborated because it was focused more on chisato and takina, but that's exactly what you wanted. Personally, I believe that was never the main goal of the anime because all of the other elements were designed to develop the relationship between two characters, and if you remember correctly, lycoreco was originally intended to be a dark anime, so expecting a lot more focus on the subject matter was a bit much to ask. I also came across people calling this a yuribait anime which is not exactly the case People still don't understand the meaning of yuri bait You can call an anime being a yuri bait when it hints a romantic/sexual relationship between the two characters but Lycoreco showed no signs of that not even in the trailer, key visuals let alone in the anime. I totally understand why you would want to ship them because I'm a huge yuri fan myself but that's just wrong and I stand by my statement of Lycoreco not being a yuribait anime. If you want to know what true yuribait looks like watch Maria-sama. Finally, let us discuss anime. Let's just put everything else aside and appreciate how well the lighting is used in this anime. Another thing to note is how the ED (which is a banger) kicks in at the end of the anime, which really enhances the experience of watching it. ~!img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FbSX0L5XoAkCm6H?format=jpg&name=small) img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FbSX0L2XEAMrJSv?format=jpg&name=small) img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FbSX0MBX0AIx7Xr?format=jpg&name=small) img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fddn9BrUAAA3KXf?format=jpg&name=small) img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FddnD7nVIAEVUil?format=jpg&name=small) img300(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FddoEc7UcAAL6Iq?format=jpg&name=small)!~ Lycoreco was not on my radar when the season began, but the premise piqued my interest. It's a common one, but this one was well executed. The anime simply did what it needed to do and did it well, without deviating into nonsense or deviating into something unnecessary. Kurumi was a darkhorse who went unnoticed but did a lot of work in the background that is overshadowed, and also, like her personality, she appears to have given up on the outside but hasn't on the inside, especially how she and Mizuki boarded the plain despite having no intention of leaving. Mika's character development was certainly unexpected, but it came at the right time. The dynamic between Mika and Youshimatsu is also appealing to me. Dealing with the past and his relationship with him in terms of chisato was definitely intriguing. Though Majima was given little depth or effective characterization, his actions and dialogue give you a good idea of what he was up to, and I get the impression that he was a Battle Maniac. The characters, on the other hand, are very well developed. The animation was fairly clean, and the art impressed me the most. It could have done better with some plot point explanations, and there are a few gaps that need to be filled, so a s2 is possible. I was mostly pleased because it met my expectations. A well-paced anime that alternates between lighthearted fun and serious action that is wholesome at times and is perfectly balanced, and I don't mind S2 filling in the gaps with a slice of life theme.~~~
This review may contain many spicy peppers. Unless you know the reason why. Bland characters, lazy writing, cheap tricks, nonsense narrative, covered with over-the-top notch animation and production quality of A1 Pictures. This is the new norm for most of the released animes. But can these two save those four things I’ve mentioned? If you can turn your brain off, yes. In these past few months or even before, we had this called, “Style over Substance” thing. Examples were Komi-san, Sono Bisque Doll, Spy x Boring, and I think you know those animes. But some animes are obviously incredibly stupid to watch. If I were to find another anime that has a similarity to Demon Slayer, I think it would be this. Seriously, this has to be one of the dumbest anime in anime history, that I couldn’t take seriously. Under the beautiful and top notched animation, lies an infinite number of ridonkeylous points, that literally damaged my mind. I don’t know what makes this show “unique” and “appealing” for some viewers, but I rewatched it again as many times as I could. In the end, guess what I’ve found… NOTHING. Of course, everyone will like this show. Great production quality, animation, VAs, sound, and most of all, girls. CGDCT is the main norm for most anime viewers, especially men. Oh, wait… This is an active one. Instead of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things, they are holding guns and shooting bad guys, just like John Wick. Crazy, right? You may think that this is a yuri bait show for real, and enjoyable to see. “THIS IS VERY ENJOYABLE AND THE BEST ANIME OF THE SEASON!” Let’s get real and snap back to reality. Okay! Let’s do this shit! The story is really just meh. It’s a mixture of cliché tropes and full of adorable girls holding guns. It’s refreshing as some others said, but in fact, it’s not that interesting. Mostly who are watching this are for yuri bait reactions. Seriously? Little girls with guns? Again? When did it become a norm exactly? And on top of that, there are unexpectedly shitty plot holes and ridonkeylous moments that I’ve lost count of. It’s a simple story that is full of predictable plotlines. A lot of dumb stuff, some being in the category of anime bullshit makes me sigh but I’m somewhat used to it. Some are a testament to bad writing and some that just plot holes, plain and simple. I failed to understand how it is so unconditionally loved, and why people defend it so vehemently. ==== Here comes the spoilers ==== In a very loud busting new Tokyo, where people live very close together. The people in that city couldn’t hear a loud fucking sound of unsuppressed gunfire 10 feet outside their house, by orphan teenagers carrying guns that fire plastic bullets for them to not kill people when they were trained to murder and end the lives of those who are a threat. That just sounds so stupid and contradicting. Those girls are trained to kill but they are using replica bullets, while the bad guys have the intention to kill them. The concept is to have a secret organization of school girls act as a counter-terror organization and prevent terrorist attacks BEFORE they even happen. Well… from the first episode, the agency had many reports that some of the members of the agency got caught by the bad guys. This seems that the SECRET AGENCY isn’t SECRET enough to be stealthy. Not just that, shootings all over the place, evidence, blown up buildings, and trains. These girls are suck at their jobs! And the leader of the organization, suspended one of the main characters because she disobeyed an order, while one of their member’s life was on the line. Wait… Are seriously gonna say that the reputation of the organization is more important than a human’s life? What the fuck, seriously? I didn’t know why their entire organization pitched as a low-key CIA. The whole goal was to allow people to live in peace if they think that there is no such thing as terrorists, simply say that a terror attack was an "accident". Okay, Okay… Can you explain how these 10 middle school teenage girls just fired an absolute amount of ammo and explosives like an army in the middle of millions and millions of people in the city? It’s an ACCIDENT, RIGHT??? I failed to understand how bullet dodging works in this show, but it’s stupid. Chisato is being shot by an AK47, and it can fire 600 rounds per minute in a fully automatic setting. If you apply logic, she could’ve dodged that in seconds. But damn! She can dodge all the bullets that are being fired at her like fucking Neo in The Fucking Matrix. How could she do that?! Not to mention, she can dodge it at close range! Can someone please explain to me how it fucking works?! As for the people living in that city, it seemed that they didn’t hear a loud fucking sound of unsuppressed gunshots. Are you even sure that those people in Tokyo have ears or are just deaf? Episode 12 was the ridonkeylous fucked up of the show. People are being killed by themselves, or by the lycoris, there were other counter-terrorist agencies everywhere, and people were capable of seeing blood right in front of their eyes. But in just a second, the government (not sure) covered up the whole thing by promoting the Lycoris agency as an attraction. And by that, the terror from the people’s minds vanished just like that! WHAT THE FUCK? These people have to be a bunch of mindless ignorant I saw in my whole life. While the military and police expert officials are being replaced by these idiots. How is the government are being accepted of this? Do you think those orphaned teenagers are experts enough to be replaced with the ones who can really do their jobs? Those people who were really trained by the pros in hand-to-hand combat, firing weapons, applying the military codes, and who can protect the country are being side-lined. Seriously? One of the girls from that organization was capable of shooting and hitting mid-air from 10 yards with a bone stock iron sight Glock. Are you seriously fucking kidding me? Remember the part at the end of episode 11, when Majima is shooting at Chisato? Taking uses her bulletproof bag to block the bullets. She did that a lot and blocked a lot of bullets, but 1 bullet just knocks the bag out of her hand and it falls out of reach. The bullet didn't even hit her hand. The funny part is, she had not lost that bag there. She could've just blocked Yoshi's bullets in episode 12 when he was shooting Takina. I guess the writers realized this and decided that the best solution is, "She just loosened her grip on the bag and lost it, genius!". This is just lazy writing at its finest. I failed to see the writers didn’t take these details seriously. I mean, guns and gun ranges are heavily real, and even the guns from shooting games are realistic. Oh, wait… Is that allowed in Japan? If it isn’t, I recommend utilizing the technology we have today. There are many videos on YouTube about guns from experts. It’s not that hard to do that shit, and yet those people couldn’t make a cohesive and believable gun show. As for the characters, they are bland, very one-dimensional, and even predictable. Most of the characters are very annoying that are very painful to watch. Chisato is a terrible character. Remember in episode 6 when Takina told her that 4 members of the lycoris lost their lives? And then she said, "Takina is gonna live with me, yay!", and smiles as if nothing happened. But she always said that she values other people’s lives. She didn’t feel anything when her co-members died in a tragedy in her childhood. It’s like she didn’t give a fuck. In episode 9, she just straight-up shoots at innocent civilians at a highway, making them lose control of their cars. What the fuck? Mizuki didn’t give a fuck about other people’s lives. I couldn’t believe that the reason she shot people was that she was sad. You couldn’t just endanger someone’s life, while the organization she’s being with is PROTECTING THE PEACE, COUNTRY, AND ITS PEOPLE. There are many valid points that she’s a bad character, but I’ll just end it here. At least her development was genuine… a bit. Takina… Takina. She’s one of those characters that have no personality at all. She’s just an edgelord from the beginning, and because of one hug from Chisato, her ice-cold queen attitude was POOF! She’s been cold-blooded for a long time to her co-members, but her attitude couldn’t waver that easily. Her development lacked details and progress. Her character doesn’t feel human after all. I think the least good characters here are the robot boy and Majima. They have chemistry together as partners in being bad guys. Majima is a straight-up twisted and evil protagonist, which made me curious about him. Robot Boy is the opposite of Majima, with a quirky and funny personality. The two of them made the villain side more intriguing. In the end, the production quality doesn’t fix the massive flaws of this show. Underneath this colorful show, lies a satirical action full of obnoxious characters, bullshit situations, and plot holes. However, it could be fixed. Just fix the damn narrative with more sense, girls should be adults with adult mindsets, real gun fights, with real purpose and real-life limitations, and situations. I know the whole review sounds like I’m nitpicking, and many people who are enjoying this show make excuses that “this is anime, not real life”. But if it portrays realism, interactions, and purpose, I will not hesitate to judge. ___Story: 3/10 Animation: 8/10 Characters: 3/10 Sound: 6/10 Entertainment factor: 3/10 Enjoyment: 3/10 Score: 4/10___ PS: I'm being generous with my score LOL
Chisato is best girl. This concludes my review of _Lycoris Recoil_. Thank you. ___ That was the short version. This is the longer version. I found out about _Lycoris Recoil_ while browsing a list of upcoming summer anime, which I rarely do. The premise sounded cool enough, and I decided it would be my one show I’d watch this summer (spoilers: I ended up watching three other shows at the same time). The official premise promised “package delivery” and “zombies and giant monster extermination”… I’m not sure if that was cut out of the show during production, or if they were overhyping it due to the fact that it’s an anime original. Needless to say, we got something vastly different, and that’s a relief. With the vast array of fantasy-in-real-life shows out there, I’m glad we got a more grounded and realistic show. One where teenage anime girls can dodge bullets. Ever since the show started airing, I’ve heard the terms “John Wick, but it’s cute anime girls” and (my personal favourite) “CGDCT: Cute Girls Doing Counter-Terrorism” thrown around a bunch, but that’s only good enough to recruit watchers; it doesn’t really give an accurate picture of what _Lycoris Recoil_ really is… Actually, “Cute Girls Doing Counter-Terrorism” is a pretty apt description of the broad strokes, but it’s missing the beating heart: Chisato Nishikigi, and more specifically, her growing relationship with the straight-laced Takina Inoue. Chisato is a very atypical protagonist for this kind of show. Yes, she’s insanely good at her job, but instead of killing bad guys, her job is waiting tables at a small cafe. Despite the fact that she got kicked out of the taskforce and now works at a suspiciously named cafe, Chisato is happier to serve customers than to serve justice. She’s an extreme optimist who has seen the horrors of death and came out of it recognizing the value of human life. So, even though she can dodge bullets and shoot with precision aim, she refuses to use live ammo, and will always try to keep the body count as close to zero as possible. Takina, on the other hand, is a stone-cold assassin who doesn’t hesitate to kill when necessary. She’s impulsive, to the point that she goes against orders to save a member of her squad. This sets up that even though she may not show it on the outside, she certainly cares for the people around her, even if “caring” means firing above your head to kill the enemy. This aspect of her slowly makes its way to the forefront as the friendship between her and Chisato develops. It’s satisfying to see how people change when they’re around Chisato, or at the very least, how their true natures are revealed. Ex-Lycoris member Takina, her surrogate father and boss Mika, new hire Kurumi, and a swath of regular customers of the cafe LycoReco are all affected by Chisato in a personal way. She doesn’t necessarily undergo a character arc, but characters like her don’t need one to make them compelling. What makes them stand out is how they affect the characters with whom they interact. And this is all without mentioning the story. It’s a combination of the gang looking for an elusive terrorist and Chisato looking for the man who gave her a purpose. It’s not a masterclass in storytelling, but it’s no slouch. Each episode ranges from fun, bizarre girl time between Takina and Chisato, engaging car chases and shootouts, solving mysteries, or any combination of the three. It’s a good time, and each episode will have you scrambling to watch the next one. Every voice actor absolutely nails it, the animation is great, and the characters are phenomenal. _Lycoris Recoil_ is absolutely worth your time, and with the positive reception of the show (especially in Japan), here’s hoping for a second season!
>**Name: Lycoris Recoil** **Aired: 2022.07.02 ~ 2022.09.24** **Watched: 2022.09.27 ~ 2022.09.29** **Origin: Original TV Anime** **Studio: A-1 Pictures** ***Maybe there’s new meaning for it because it’s broken. – Chisato Nishikigi*** img600(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d5XOhZHbCAQ/maxresdefault.jpg) **Animation 9.5/10** To sum up the animation of Lycoris Recoil in one word would be "beautfiul". As expected from collaboration from A-1 Pictures Studio and Shingo Adachi, the animation was vivid, clean and the lightings were impeccable. The animation and the arts stayed consistent throughout the anime and the action sequences were creative. I would personally deduct -0.5 for because of the quality of the characters other than the main protagonists. Members of Lycoris looked very bland (maybe this was intentional) however, even the side characters with some sort of personality looked extremely 1 dimensional compared to the effort the studio put in towards animating Chisato and Takina. **Music 9/10** The music went very well with the anime and tracks such as: youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R57m9kRXA4E) leaves lingering excitement even after finishing the series. The music director, Shuuhei Mutsuki, was relatively unknown until he took on the lead music director role for Spy X Family. After finishing Spy X Family, and seeing his name as music director for Lycoris Recoil, I have to say, I was excited to hear more of his works. Other OST such as Lycoris Recoil Theme and Reconnaissance were also pleasure in my ears. **Plot 9.5/10** Plot has to be THE trap that most Original TV Anime falls under. However, Lycoris Recoil and the Staff did an amazing job at sending a message, getting the viewers excited for the next episode, giving it a good closure to the season and on top of that leaving something for Season 2! The clash of ideology between Chisato and Majima were just and and handled extremely well. My only concern would be I still don't understand the character of Shinji Yoshimatsu on some of the decisions he made. Maybe some background story of the character would have helped the viewers understand some of the decision he made. In addtion, if Lycoris Recoil gave the anime a complete closure on Episode 13 without answering some of the mysteries and questions left, it would have been awful for the viewers; however, with hint at a season 2, I personally loved the ending and the little epilogue scene at the end. **Character 10/10** Character is probably what completed Lycoris Recoil and what really hooked me in to the anime. Chisato and Takima are both wonderful characters and when they are together, the synergy is even greater. Although we get little pieces of Chisato's past, it felt like she was a complete character from the start. Her level of combat, her personality and how she deals with all the problems thrown at her, she stays true to her character from EP1 to EP13. ~!One could argue she broke out of her Character when she shot Shinji however, this is debatable due to the situation she was put in!~ Takima is the character that goes through an entire transformation and character development after she met Chisato. The development of the character was well written and the pacing of the development was also justified throughout each events. I've also enjoyed the more intense and deep story between Shinji and Mika and hoped we got a little more of that so we could understand Shinji's character a little more because of how important of a role he played in the story despite his short appearances in the anime. **Personal Enjoyment 10/10** I watched LycoReco as soon as EP1 dropped and instantly knew I'd love this series. I decided to save this until the last episode dropped so I could binge the entire thing! Hopefully we get Season 2. *fingers crossed* For a Original TV Anime, this anime definitely did an outstanding job :) img600(https://i0.wp.com/www.animegeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Lycoris-Recoil-Season-2-release-date-Anime.jpg?resize=780%2C439&ssl=1) >#**Overall: 96/100**
img(https://lycoris-recoil.com/story/SYS/CONTENTS/story_2343_photo_1656689172177141805) Sono presenti spoiler, tanti spoiler. Non coprirò nulla. L'anime inizia bene con, una delle protagoniste, Takina che se ne sbatte di aspettare gli ordini perché un'interferenza aveva reso impossibile la comunicazione e uccide tutti con una mitragliatrice più grande e pesante di lei per salvare la sua amica e partner da una morte certa anche se ha rischiato di ucciderla lei, ma sempre meglio rischiare il 50 e 50 quando ormai non ci sono più possibilità. Però una volta tornata alla base, dato che ha trasgredito il regolamento, il quale prevede di non agire di testa propria, viene espulsa e mandata in un'altra sede che però, apparentemente, è un semplice bar, qui inizia un pò di slife of life. In questo Bar fa conoscenza della sua nuova partner, Chisato. Chisato è una ragazzina esile (come tutte le Lycoris), riesce a schivare proiettili grazie al suo cuore meccanico pure da distanza ravvicinata (nella vita reale pur sapendo che il nemico sta per sparare a km di distanza e ti sposti, il proiettile ti prende e ci resti secco, quindi qua forse ci sono leggi della fisica diverse). Chisato, diversamente da tutte le Lycoris, usa una pistola con proiettili non letali che rilasciano una polvere rossa così almeno fa un pò di scena e la visione diventa meno disgustosa e stressante per lo spettatore. Takina all'inzio pensa che Chisato sia idiota, poi però sposa la sua causa di non uccidere nessuno e inizia a sparare polvere rossa anche lei. Però Takina, dopo una lunga e accurata analisi, si rende conto che lei non ha l'abilità di schivare i proiettili come Chisato quindi Takina sentendosi scema usa pure proiettili veri però evitando di colpire punti vitali così in caso di estremo pericolo può decidere anche di uccidere. L'anime va avanti e accadono molte altre situazioni come quando Chisato resta illesa quando la mettono sotto con la macchina a velocità elevata (quella botta l'hanno sentita in tutto il Giappone) e sempre Chisato resta incolume anche quando viene caricata di pugni in faccia da Majima. Mentre Takina con il pugno ricevuto da una ragazzina gli si era gonfiata la faccia per giorni. Altre sciocchezze che si annidano in questa serie possono essere quando il malvagio Majima sopravvive a una bomba, vari missili e infine pure da una caduta di non so quanti metri (leggi della fisica diverse o ha qualche potere nascosto oltre al super udito?). Le Lycoris "importanti" (i personaggi secondari) riescono a sopravvivere anche quando gli esplodono bombe sotto i piedi rimanendo illese o con qualche graffio superficiale, come cliché comanda, mentre le altre muoiono per regalare un pò di morte allo spettatore che sennò vede solo ragazzine cyborg kawaii. La scena più bella, che mi viene in mente in questo momento, penso sia quando Majima ha messo sotto con la macchina una Lycoris poi sono scesi i suoi scagnozzi dalle altre vetture e mentre la ragazzina era agonizzante a terra gli hanno sparato tutto il caricatore. Dopotutto è uno slife of life d'azione rilassante con la sua morale, quella di sorridere alla vita anche se sai che stai per morire e che uccidere sia un'azione sempre sbagliata per qualsiasi motivo. Può vederlo chiuque grazie alla sua ottima qualità sia nell'animazione che nei disegni e la sua storia pur non essendo fantastica a causa di alcune scelte di produzione è accettabile ma poteva essere davvero grandiosa, peccato. Per adesso priorità 8/10 in futuro forse anche 9/10 un giorno mi deciderò :/ img(https://lycoris-recoil.com/story/SYS/CONTENTS/story_2344_photo_1657185994915316655) There are spoilers in this review. Lots of spoilers. I don't cover anything. The anime begins well with, one of the protagonists, Takina who doesn't give a damn about waiting for orders because an interference had made communication impossible and kills everyone with a machine gun bigger and heavier than her to save her friend and partner from a certain death even if he risked killing her, but it is always better to risk 50 and 50 when there are no more possibilities. But once she returns to the base, since she has broken the regulation, which provides not to act on her own, she is expelled and sent to another base which, however, is apparently a simple bar, here begins a bit of slife of life. In this bar he meets his new partner, Chisato. Chisato is a slender girl (like all Lycoris), she manages to dodge bullets thanks to her mechanical heart even from close range (in real life even knowing that she is about to shoot miles away and you move, the bullet catches you and you stays there dry, so here maybe there are different laws of physics). Chisato, unlike all Lycoris, uses a gun with non-lethal bullets that release a red powder so she at least makes a bit of scene and the vision becomes less disgusting and stressful for the viewer. Takina initially thinks that Chisato is an idiot, but then she marries her cause of not killing anyone and she starts shooting red powder too. But Takina, after a long analysis, realizes that she can't dodge the bullets like Chisato so Takina feeling stupid she also uses real bullets but avoiding hitting vital points, so if she in danger she can also decide to kill. The anime goes on and many other situations happen such as when Chisato remains unharmed when they put her under the car at high speed (that blow have heard all over Japan) and Chisato always remains unharmed even when she is loaded with punches in the face from Majima. While Takina with the punch received by a slender girl had swollen his face for days. Other nonsense that lurks can be when the evil Majima survives a bomb, various missiles and finally even a fall of I don't know how many meters (different laws of physics or does he have some hidden power besides super hearing?). The "important" Lycoris (the secondary characters) manage to survive even when bombs explode under their feet, remaining unharmed or with some superficial scratches as cliche commands while the others die to give a little death to the spectator who otherwise sees only kawaii cyborg girls . The most beautiful scene that comes to mind right now, I think is when Majima put a Lycoris under the car, then his henchmen got out of the other cars and while the girl was agonizing on the ground they shot him all the magazine. After all, it's a relaxing action SOL with its moral, to smile at life even if you know you're going to die and that killing is always the wrong action for whatever reason. Anyone can see it thanks to its excellent quality in both animation and drawings and its story while not fantastic due to some production choices is acceptable but it could have been really fantastic, too bad. For now priority 8/10 in the future maybe even 9/10 one day I will decide :/
Let me preface this by saying I'm, what is generally described as, "a hopeless yuri (or Shoujo-Ai) fanboy." I mean, just look at my profile banner lmao. I was bitten by a mosquito when I was watching Sailor Moon and thought that there might be, you know, more to these gals just being pals. Then, I was again bitten, this time by a tick when I was beholding K-On cause... I mean... It's IIRC what started the whole CGDCT genre. And finally, I got infected by a radioactive spider which filled me with a hefty dose of "you'll see girls/women loving girls/women whenever the opportunity arises" - and that spider was Madoka Magica AND Touhou which came into my life in the same year. _Hang on a minute_, you may think, _almost all of them are just yuri-bait!_, and sad to say, it turns out, Lycoris Recoil also falls under that category. But I have high hopes that we get an official relationship upgrade in the inevitably appearing side material (some of which is already in production) or a second season. And until now, there's still fanart, Doujinshi, head-cannons and fanfics. ~~Still, please, please make it happen officially.~~ Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk. Anyway, what drew me to this show, aside from the Yuri tag here on Anilist was, that I repeatedly read Lycoris Recoil being kinda like John Wick. If John Wick met K-On, classic action movies and a good dose of cyberthrillers. I was immediately sold. I would have watched this much, much earlier than I did but I only now had the time to do it, so yeah. There's always something good to be on sick leave, I guess. And... well. My summary for once sums it up, short and concisely. This show is awesome. __ Plot 7.5/10:__ Tokyo, twenty minutes in the future. It probably is the safest city in the world with exceedingly low crime rates. However, this is not due to the good nature of the Japanese people but rather an organisation called DA (Direct Attack) that identifies and eliminates threats to public security before they can become outright problems. These eliminations are carried out by orphaned kids who are taken in by DA and raised as assassins. However, troubles arise for Takina when she disobeys a direct order that would result in sacrificing the life of a squadmate during a raid on a weapons dealer's layout that's gone wrong. She is then moved from DA HQ to the LycoReco offshoot that pretends to be just a normal Café. And this is where she meets Chisato and a web of terrorism, hacking and dirty dealings are uncovered. But there are also tons of fun, and affection between the members of the café alongside just so many wholesome and sweet moments that I think I might be a diabetic now. The premise of the show is kinda like a crackpot mix of Gunslinger Girl and your run-of-the-mill CGDCT show. It shouldn't work, but it does. The show fuses those very contradictory sides together into a sufficient enough story and manages to pretty fluidly shift between the two aspects. It's nothing groundbreaking but gives a solid frame and ample space for our main characters to interact with each other, for us to get to know them and for them to make our days sweeter with their cute antics. The aforementioned framework also shows us just how badass Chisato and Takina are which is the other selling point, especially in the darker and grittier parts of the series. That being said, the show could have done with more episodes (let's pray again for a second season) as, at times the plot felt a bit rushed. Especially the end with the restoration of the status quo after Majima’s plan took effort which filled most of the story with a continuous thread and left quite a bitter taste, to be honest. __Characters 8.5/10:__ Let’s start this with Takina. It’s ye olde classice tale of the kinda emotionless and cold (military) kuudere thawing after meeting with (a) bright, high-spirited person/people who push/es them out of their shell with care, attention and love until they become attached to said person/people and find their place in midst of all the weird shit happening around them in the world. Jesus Christ, what a sentence. With Takina it’s pretty much the same, right? Well, not quite. What makes her (in my opinion) different from, say, Yuki from Haruhi is that she pretty soon, by episode 6 at the latest, drops most of the coldness and, in presence of those she loves, becomes an absolute cinnamon bun (that dance at the end of said episode gave me cavities). She also pretty quickly goes along with the vibe at the café and her initial desire to return to the cold, unflinching world of the DA is gradually diminishing. And, well, at the climax of the stories she comes across as nothing but an unstoppable killing machine that wants to protect Chisato. Takina had by far the biggest character development and it surprisingly didn’t feel hasty even though time constraints in the 13 episodes could have easily led to that. Chisato meanwhile stays pretty much the same throughout the course of the series, but that’s not to say she didn’t have ANY character development before the plot of our show begins. We see her as a cold, emotionless kid in DA’s service that then becomes this incredibly cute, wholesome and loving young woman under the care of Mika. Chisato still remains that friendly disposition even when she’s kicking major ass with her absolute refusal to use lethal ammunition, even going so far as to triage the very enemies that she hurt while they tried to kill her. Her staunch resolution to go against her role as the best assassin of the DA becomes a major plot point later, but it shows how strong-willed a person Chisato really is. It also is telling how at peace she is with herself when she gets Job’s message in episode 9 and when she explains why she’s so chipper and happy even during that dire situation. However, there is a calculating and tactical side to her that comes through a few times during the latter half of the show. What Takina and Chisato, as well as, to a certain degree all characters share, is a theme of moving onward and coming to terms with a new situation. Takina’s been fired from DA HQ and makes the best out of it at LycoReco while finding her footing in life. Kurumi is on the run and adapts to the situation. Chisato has her special situation to deal with and does so in stride. Mika has to accept his actions from back when, live with them and overcome their impact on his current life even if they fill him with grief, sadness and guilt. And so on. The characters are solid, and though they don’t reinvent the wheel, their relevance to the story as well as their relationships – primarily of course Chisato and Takina – make them very endearing over the course of the series. This endearment is yet another reason I hope for S2, or at least an official English release of the upcoming anthology manga and the light novel. __Visuals 9.5/10:__ A-1 brought their a-game like _holy_ crap. Just look at this clip from episode 8: webm(https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/9f45211f9730643549d0808590428aa6.mp4) Hell, even the opening flexed hard at times:webm(https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/e8d80e45825df42217b71d4471aa8c8a.mp4) The colour designs are bright and vibrant, the lighting is perfect and the colours kind of give a vibe similar to early 2010's KyoAni. The KyoAni comparison also stands regarding the love and attention given to many of the surroundings, such as the interior of the café or when they take the old guy around Tokyo in episode 5. As was shown above, the animation is incredibly fluid during certain moments, including pretty much all fighting scenes. Without wanting to sound like I know what I'm talking about - cause I don't -, the visual composition is also very nice. I especially like the way the characters are put into the scenery, how many of the shots are framed and how the show almost always looks dynamic. Exceptions are, of course, shots when people sit or talk. The character designs themselves are also thoroughly good, even if they follow a pretty basic „cute girls are cute“ formula for our main girls that harkens back to the mid-late 2000s; however, that adds a weirdly nostalgic charm to a show that came out just a few months ago. Chisato’s striking red school uniform as well as her eyes with the brown bag and other dark-ish accessories pair really well with her bright, short blond hair and pale skin. Her entire design just screams energetic and genki but with a dangerous edge to it. Takina’s blue uniform combined with her long, black hair and purple eyes give her a certain aura of mysticism, as is a hallmark of the cool and reserved type (or a nervous wreck, right, Mio?). It was interesting to see how the adult characters differed quite a bit from the teenagers. Shinji, Mika and Kusonoki all feature much more grown-up, realistic-ish designs, even though the latter looks like she crawled out from a different show altogether. I have to give props to Mika’s design, it’s refreshing to see a black man in an anime, let alone one who convincingly looks similar to a PoC irl. Overall, very well done, design department! __Audio 9.5/10:__ Let's start with the obvious, the music. The opening's done by ClariS, and it's a certified banger. In fact, most of the songs in the show are really cool, and I got the well-known fizzes when the OP came on during the final episode. It's not as big of an evergreen as Connect IMHO, but Alive is a great song regardless. Tower of Flower, the end is a really peppy, fun song that is great to bop your feet to. HOWEVER, here comes the half-point I have to retract; for some reason, the directors decided it'd be a good idea to slap this upbeat song at the end of episodes with really nasty, dark cliffhangers. Can't fault the song for that, though. What also was really satisfying about the sound design was the sounds of gunfire. They had the necessary boom and power behind them to drive home that they're, well, deadly weapons. Now, let's talk about the voices. Chisato's Seiyuu Anzai Chika is the VA of the year. Period. Her acting is absolutely fantastic! Her voice perfectly hits the spot of a genki girl with a sharp and savvy edge that knows when she needs to be serious and stop messing around. And not gonna lie, a serious Chisato is almost freighting as a stone-cold badass. She also has a very nice tone to her voice that makes Chisato's voice _not_... annoying. What I mean is, much as I love quirky, energetic girls in anime, many of those that I've seen so far do have a super high-pitched, squeaky and just... loud voice. I get it, it fits the character but it's still more often than not irritating to me. Anzai-san managed to give Chisato a perfect balance between cheerfulness, effortless badassery, anger and hurt if need be. Bra-vo. Speaking of perfectly fitting her character, Wakayama Shion hasn't even starred in a dozen anime roles yet but absolutely NAILS it. Much like with Anzai-san, her emotive range is great and always gives Takina the right touch depending on the situation. Her voice can easily, and convincingly, shift between stoic and calm to laughing and amused to downright _feral_ as was heard in the latter episodes. Takina's increasing width of emotions expressed is also a great complement to the aforementioned character development. I also really enjoyed Matsuoka Yoshitsugu as Majima - yes, Kirito plays a terrorist / well-intended extremist (I guess you could also call him that) - and he does so with just the right touch of unhingedness and scenery-chewing that he doesn't come across as just mega smart and overall boring. The performance is often just as effortlessly cool as Majima's character design (IMHO, his design is pretty neato). Other noteworthy performances are done by Sakaki Kosuke, who voices Mika (and doesn't even have an entry on AL yet). His deep, smooth voice fits the role of retired-badass-becomes-dad very well, and he packs in enough controlled depth to not cross over into Narm-territory whenever he cries or is confronted with hard decisions or similar. __Enjoyment 10/10:__ This was honestly the most fun I've had in a while. Sure, just a few days ago I raved about Ya Boy Kongming, but Lycoris Recoil just had... more layers of fun to it. First of all, there was the action, and my god was the action GREAT. As I alluded to above, the choreography and sound design were amazing, and it's been a while since I last went "holy shit this is AWESOME!" at almost every fight I was watching. I thoroughly appreciated the entire vibe of the story, too. The things that were supposed to be light-hearted were as fluffy as a well-made sponge cake. Most of that wholesomeness came from the "found family" dynamic the guys at LycoReco had going on and they just behaved... naturally. There were also some heartwrenching (no pun intended) moments surrounding Chisato and the effects that her condition has on those around her that love her, most of all Takina and Mika. While those moments made me sad, they also highlighted yet again how much these characters care about each other, which puts a clear contrast against the cold, calculating stance DA takes towards human life and loss. And finally, there were the wholesome moments between Chisato and Takina that just melted my heart ~~(and launched my new favourite GxG ship, sorry Madokami x Homura)~~, and good golly there were so many of those moments. Sure, it can be seen as merely pure GlG fanservice but even so, I don't care. So, in that sense, Lycoris Recoil... ~~~~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/1kc3wVl.png) (And that's from episode 3.)
#__Scattered Thoughts__: Lycoris Recoil (Some spoilers ahead, though I’ll warn when they come up) #__Should you watch?__ If you want to catch up with the Summer 2022 season, I suppose it is one of the most popular. It could’ve been a must-watch, but now it’s probably not worth your time otherwise.
img(https://divedigital.id/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/anime-lycoris-recoil-review.jpg)
___
DISCLAIMER:
~!"The recency effect is a cognitive bias in which those items, ideas, or arguments that came
last are remembered more clearly than those that came first. The more recently it heard, the clearer
something that may exist in a juror's memory. This is common when information is given in lists –
the last thing heard is recalled, while those at the beginning and in the middle may be forgotten.
As a result, the party delivering the final closing argument has an advantage."!~
It may come off to be a little unexpected of seeing this passage in an anime review but I would have
to present this at first since it has been known that people do keep mentioning about this show as if
there were none other than Lycoris Recoil that started a sole revolution and innovation when it comes
to taking advantages over the plot convenient by realizing an intriguing narrative throughout
episodes. Lycoris Recoil definitely wasn't the first show that changed the perception of anime
industry as a whole but might as well be the latest one of information that recently has come into
memory.
Speaking of which, I will eventually try to convince others who seem to have a skeptical opinion, like
I usually do, about the recent anime series that often lack quality and engagement in story-telling
and narrative, no matter what plot device or world-building these shows use to eventually explain the
details of story.
Because, story-wise, Lycoris Recoil did really come up with a novel perspective that solely intrigued
the other anime enjoyers to really 'feel' their on-hand experience in watching a fresh and insightful
anime show. Those people could really say anything that they wanted to deplore or applaud this show -
from "depthless slice of life", "Cute girls doing counter-terrorism", to "John Wick with anime girls",
all of these seemed to show a completely new nuance from undertaking of something that no one has ever
thought it would happen. But personally, I would rather refer to this show as "Zankyou no Terror but
as cute counter terrorists with the mix of John Wick and Yakusoku no Neverland" because why not? I
didn't see any problem to this definition, since I also have been waiting for this kind of show.
Before I continue, be make sure to not view the spoilers if you don't want to get spoiled.
~!The story started from Takina, who was the DA's Lycoris, as she got caught up in a trouble after
RADIATA (DA communication system) got interrupted by a hacker - who later turned out to be Walnut -
during the process of on-going negotiation to retain one of her teammates who became the terrorists
hostage. In the headquarters of DA, Beta, Charlie, and Delta are done with their job. Meanwhile, Mika
is targeting Alpha 1. Takina found a machine gun and used it to kill the criminals. Fuki thought
Takina wanted to kill Erika, but she doubts it. Fuki feeling unsatisfied with it and continued to
punch Takina in the face. While then, in another perspective, there was an energetically slacking girl
who had happened to wake up late, so she did eating the bread scene, jumping over the scene to only
get told that she was late and had to leave the scene
Takina was instructed to transfer from DA Headquarter to Café LycoReco, as she was ignoring the order
and made the operation fail. When she arrives at Café LycoReco, Mika introduced Mizuki and himself,
and later on Chisato came. She straight up introduced herself and excited about her new partner.
Kusunoki says Chisato is a top-tier Lycoris. Mika contacted Kusunoki, said according to intel, over
1000 guns were disappeared. She's looking at a profile and it was a hacker called Walnut, a famous
Wizard on the Dark Web. She tells them to kill him no matter what. Meanwhile, Chisato and Takina are
going to school. In school, Chisato told the teacher that Takina can speak any language that she can
speak, since they're both going to the same school. Next up, they both head up to Kodagumi, where they
both got blocked by a worker. The boss later says that they're guests. Chisato gives what the boss
orders. Takina tried to use her gun, thinking it's an illegal item but turned out to be coffee powder.
Chisato says they're regular customers at the café. Later, they leave Kodagumi and Chisato said to
change their gear, since they're heading to police station next, but it's too early. So, they rest at
the playground nearby, Chisato drinks her tomato juice while talking. They Both discussed about
dangerous criminals and the DA. Later on, Chisato told Takina to lend her a hand and they both stood
up. The first eyecatch is Takina pointing her gun at Chisato's head. While the second eyecatch is
Chisato giving a flower to Takina.
- Takina is kicked out from DA, due to disobeying orders during a mission.
- Takina goes to LycoReco for the first time.
- Chisato goes to LycoReco in the morning.
- Chisato becomes partners with Takina.
- Chisato and Takina go to a preschool, university, and Oshiage Police Station.
- Chisato and Takina go to another café, meeting Saori.
- At night, Chisato and Takina complete a mission against assassins.
- Yoshimatsu visits LycoReco for the first time.!~
___
img800(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lycoris-recoil/images/c/c8/Easy_does_it.png)
_Takina and Chisato were shown talking to each other on Episode 1._
Alright, the spoilers will NOT continue so time to analyze every single aspect of this show.
And apparently, it would also evaluate its pros and cons.
___
img(https://media.tenor.com/H08UlfgTGOQAAAAC/lycoris-recoil-takina.gif)
_Yep, let's start the analysis I guess._
"Overall, the story narrative did successfully in calibrating the chaotic environment in terms of
terror with the ideal perspective of modern society, which implied to be utopianism as the core
ideology, and not to mention that the action genre of the story did really cover the in-depth lacking
to compensating the failure in representing a slice of life show as it is, or rather, the show didn't
really focus on revolving around such theme rather than the clash between its own utopia ethnography,
whereas everything has to be perfect without any form of defects and or evils, with the anti-thesis of
it, or dystopian ideology which brings a caution whether such ideology is perfect or not, to
annihilate its opposed ideal and dared others to not rely fully on authority as to the
decision-making."
img800(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUlq0ILCdJ8M9C6Q25WKxB_5uQHtzq1bur5mPl2rNQt9P9xiA5KU0oHBFE4cUvXJWAGHUN-V7X3kbO4ScfOMRjolIPCsidA1XSuzsX19KS77TEPvtulhLmNF59rlfdHMjta4727BMvzqbNJCNe_PhANQ9wxArrF8WM5KF6wvEw5QjcSfRMuQ/s1600/Lycoris%20Recoil%20-%20Episode%206%20-%20Takina%20Can%27t%20Believe%20It.gif)
_And here comes the worst part... get ready._
"However, it could also have observed that the show did not really follow a realistic political
premise and therefore ended up being somewhat abruptly farcical, or in other words, an absolute joke
for those whom have learned the way politic works in the modern society. And there appears to be a
little political involvement or it lacks thereof, especially throughout the latter stage of these
penultimate episodes. And it did really demonstrate how abysmal this political aspect had been
throughout the series, especially when those 'political figures' did really come up with hilarious
statements about the movie that was being released to attract others as if really did happen and
people were idiots instead of being more transparent about the existence of both Lycoris and LilyBell
with somewhat a missing opportunity to make them being really accepted by the society as a whole for
who they are, and not like this."
img(https://i2.wp.com/www.animefeminist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Lycoris-2.jpg?resize=810%2C453&ssl=1)
"The characters appeared to be the fond of this show, whose contributions to the plot were really
significant to somehow cover the aforementioned pinnacle of whole circus around the politics
portrayal. Chisato and Nishikigi were the best characters and developed the most throughout the show,
while there also were notable characters, such as Mika, Yoshi, Kurumi, Mizuki, Kusunoki, etc who did
wonders to the plot development and instead of using these absolute duo to carry on the whole show,
every single character made, despite unnoticed, a great contribution to the plot so it would at least
become discernable... no, that would be an understatement since these characters created a massive
role to the plot development overall, supported by high quality of art style, CG visual, sound effect,
and talented voice characters despite some of these VAs were new to anime studio."
Verdict:
- Do watch if you want actions that orchestrated by adorable girls and a badass villain.
- Don't watch if you want a slice of life with a deep and insightful meaning about the world.
- While this show also has a compelling ideological view about society and its ideal perspective,
don't expect any amusing political background - you won't get any of these.
Okay, that is all and thank you for reading this review.
img(https://media.tenor.com/6amuFPmzdmIAAAAd/lycoris-recoil-takina.gif)
# __Comparisons__ Don't get me wrong, Lycoris Recoil is an enjoyable show, and in fact I kind of enjoyed it. But the main problem of LR is still there, it remembers me too much of other animes (with their strong points and flaws) and it irremediably falls short to what both of them did (imo) right. The first one it came to my mind (unsurprisingly) was PSYCHO-PASS. If you've watched it you may see why I establish this comparison: Majima is clearly Makishima, the anarchist thrieving for the liberation of people that will kill without hesitation and with a sarchastic humour, the Lycoris are the "hunt dogs" (though they are a fucking lot, contrary to the limited staff in PSYCHO-PASS) and our two main protagonists Takina and Chisato are the counterpart of Akane and Kougami. Akane, the idealist, would be Chisato with her "not killing anyone" ideals and Takina would be Kogami, willing to kill but deep into their thoughts they think what Akane (Chisato) does is the right thing. A clearly similar set in terms of characters. But contrary to what PSYCHO-PASS' approach was, Lycoris Recoil is, instead, infinitely more light-hearted and "anti-gore". And that's not by itself a bad thing, but that will irremediably conduct you to not having the same power in terms of social complaint. Where PSYCHO-PASS shined, the philosophical exploration of good and evil, liberty... Lycoris Recoil does not, and then I expect it to be compensed with the other items of the story. And there is where Railgun enters the chat. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun is an action-based story of a group of girls, just as Lycoris Recoil is. But while at Railgun that was it (apart from the forced romance they included in there), here it tries to mix that nature with the core part of PSYCHO-PASS and, if it wasn't enough, the light-hearted part of a slice of life. All of this in just 12 episodes. And that's my main problem with this series. They coul've gone more PSYCHO-PASS in terms of phiolosphy or social complaint, or maybe resign to some of it to include a more pacey story without long dialogues about french philosophers, or maybe include a little bit of slice of life in that premise. But doing all of it in just 12 episodes was, to me, a big mistake. # __Lycoris Recoil by itself__ And let me now talk about Lycoris Recoil in its own. As I said, I feel it falls short in most of its premises. The philosophical exploration of good, evil and liberty is at a very surface level, the action (esper-like) part doesn't really engage me and the slice of life part just seems a little bit forced. I will repeat myself once again saying that, the mix of the 3 things could have been an amazing show... if done with the right amount of episodes. The ending left me pretty cold; anyone (who us spectators cared about) died, all seemed to be the same after all the incidents and the story could, nearly scene by scene, be repeated after all of that. I mean, the Lycoris are safe again, Majima is still alive and ploting how to make people "awake" and, in general, the plot is the exact same as episode 1. So disappointing, if you ask me. But it's not all bad. The characters have its charisma and their relations engage you quite enough to continue watching it. Is just the mix between "ligh-hearted" and "serious-themed" that is not well done and weighs done the whole show. In fact, I've enjoyed the watch while I've been concerned all the time about the issues I commented. But, maybe, if you haven't watched neither PSYCHO-PASS nor Railgun you may enjoy it as I did enjoy these shows. Or, maybe, if you enjoyed Lycoris Recoil you could watch these shows and compare them as I did with LR. I, in fact, recommend you both if you enjoyed it, and depending on what part of LR you did enjoy the most go for PSYCHO-PASS or go for Railgun. I wanted to leave for the last the part that I enjoyed the most, the visuals. Pretty clean drawings, with good animation that did not fall short at any time, even when Chisato "matrixed" the bullets. Not a single complaint about them, they were not superb but still pretty decent and a solid 8.5/10 if you ask me. That's it! Maybe a little bit saltier than my usual reviews (but well, I only made reviews of my all-time favorites before...), but if you difer from my opinion we can discuss it if you want, always being respectful of course. I'd love to discuss with you about Lycoris Recoil, PSYCHO-PASS, Railgun or anything related to them. Hope you enjoyed my review, sorry for my english, and 'til another one!
# __Sobre:__ Lycoris Recoil é um anime original da A-1 Pictures, estreou em Julho de 2022, tendo os gêneros de Slice of Life, Comédia e ação. O anime ganhou muita popularidade quando lançou, chamando bastante atenção do público com a dupla de protagonistas Chisato e Takina que possuem um ótimo relacionamento de amizade com diversas cenas de interações fofas e bonitas que conforme passam os episódios melhoram cada vez mais. ~~~img570(https://media.tenor.com/xbB4lGuubn0AAAAC/lycoris-recoil-chisato.gif) ~~~ A ideia do anime é que existe uma organização secreta chamada AD (Direct Attack) que pega garotas órfãs e as treinam desde pequenas para combaterem os males da sociedade com o intuito de proteger a paz do Japão, essas garotas são nomeadas por Lycoris e a sociedade não pode saber que elas são e nem o que são as Lycoris. O treinamento dado a elas é armado, então desde cedo as garotas são treinadas para atirar e matar, pra depois começarem a fazer missões assim que se tornam adolescentes e lá realizam tudo que aprenderam. E é aí que algumas incoerências começam, já que o Estado simplesmente deixa uma organização que arrisca dezenas de vidas de jovens garotas adolescentes que enfrentam situações perigosas com risco de morte frequentemente, sendo que o Estado já possui a policia com diversos ramos específicos responsáveis para cuidar desses assuntos. O que é mais estranho nisso tudo, é que são apenas as adolescentes que atuam na linha de frente, não tem um adulto sequer agindo presencialmente nas missões com as Lycoris para dar suporte e servir como um guia para elas. O problema de trabalhar um tema assim que mexe com esses assuntos como armas, bandidos, tráfico, terrorismo, assassinato... é o fato de que as garotas fazem coisas surreais a todo momento e sempre saem sem feridas graves sem nenhuma dificuldade o que não gera tensão na hora das cenas de ação, já que você sabe que elas vão ficar bem. Ao mesmo tempo que é legal ver essa mescla de garotas fofas fazendo coisas muito fodas e perigosas, é um pouco estranho, já que o tema é mal introduzido e mal trabalhado, parece mais que o anime simplesmente faz o que quer, roteirizando de forma mais fácil só pra encaixar elas nessas situações complicadas. ~~~img570(https://media.tenor.com/UakZbXnLU2YAAAAC/lycoris-recoil-%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B3%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB.gif)~~~ Deixando essas incoerências de lados, a obra ainda tem alguns certos problemas na questão de comédia e ação, esses dois aspectos quando feitos de maneira separada são bem legais e com bastante qualidade, o problema é quando eles começam a se misturar. Um exemplo é em um episódio que o anime vai fazendo várias esquetes de piadas prontas e de repente corta para uma cena séria em que a Chisato se encontra cara a cara com o vilão, mas de repente quebra a tensão pra fazer uma piada, aí fica difícil levar as cenas sérias a sério. Não dá pra entender se o anime quer focar bem mais na comédia do que tentar realizar tensão nas partes sérias e caso realmente o foco fosse total na comédia, não faria sentido o anime tentar trabalhar de forma séria a proposta que ele tenta entregar. Já as parte de Slice of Life do anime, que não envolve as situações de risco e coisas do tipo, são muito bem feitas e a comédia encaixa perfeitamente. O forte do anime é as situações de cotidiano e algumas poucas cenas de ações soltas, sem falar que é nas partes de cotidiano que a Takina mais se desenvolve ao lado da Chisato. # __Personagens: __ Basicamente a Chisato e a Takina carregam o anime nas costas, todas as partes legais sempre envolvem elas, as interações e o relacionamento delas são o grande forte do anime, é a parte que mais compensa ver, a obra precisa girar em torno das duas já que a trama principal e os vilões não são tão legais assim. Personagens que também têm um papel importante na obra como a Fuki, Sakura, a loli hacker, Sr. Yoshi, Mizuki e etc.. se ofuscam porque não chegam aos pés das duas protagonistas, único personagem mais ali trabalhado é o Mika que tem seu jeito de agir e tudo mais. Também tem o fato dos vilões da obra não possuírem convicções tão desenvolvidas, é tudo meio mal explicado com fatos jogados na sua cara o que deixa bem confuso pra entender o porquê que eles fazem aquilo, os objetivos deles não são muito bem esclarecidos e então acaba ficando bem vago. ~~~img570(https://media.tenor.com/rVr60X0BAwgAAAAC/lycoris-recoil-takina.gif)~~~ # __Conclusão:__ Lycoris Recoil é um anime meio estranho por conta dessa mistura de coisas, o anime tinha bastante potencial, mas acaba se perdendo na hora de construir a base da história e ir desenvolvendo o tema. No fim, realmente a única coisa que compensa mesmo é ver o anime pela Takina e pela Chisato. Seria mais interessante se fosse um Slice of life com comédia, tendo cenas de ações como clubes de tiros, disputas, brigas e coisas do tipo ao invés de tentar trabalhar esse tema meio complexo sobre armamentismo, tráfico de armas, terrorismo de maneira rasa e que fica jogando esquetes de piadas no meio disso tudo. Ou então simplesmente descontruir esse tema de armas, assassinatos e focar mais na comédia, se tornando mais uma paródia para não ter que se preocupar tanto em tentar construir um roteiro coerente. É aquele tipo de anime que não se pode ficar pensando muito no roteiro, nas incoerências e etc... e sim desligar a mente e aproveitar as coisas legais que ele oferece, se for assistir esperando uma história bem feita, vilões com ideias bem desenvolvidos e o tema em si sendo mais trabalhado, talvez possa acabar se decepcionando... (que foi o meu caso). __Obrigado por ler!!__ ~~~img570(https://media.tenor.com/7RtpZxiJQL0AAAAC/lycoris-recoil-%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B3%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB.gif)~~~
__Lycoris Recoil (2022)__ [SPOILERS] It is difficult to conjure any criticism for _Lycoris Recoil_ because everything it attempts to do, it succeeds at remarkably. The series masterfully develops a satisfying story, characters, and world with distinct precision. Every shot is created with such purpose that furthers the balance of lively fun, heartfelt sincerity, and intense action. These subtle tone shifts transition effortlessly, highlighting character motivations, societal critique, and even greater life themes. What is most impressive is that this is all done within a concise, one-cour series. The world is immediately understandable as exposition is presented excellently through visuals, news broadcasts, and natural dialogue. Conversations primarily emphasize characters’ personalities, yet still allow for additional insight into the history. There is a respect for the viewer that values your time, intellect, and rewards repeat viewings. Hints of past and future events are peppered throughout, but no time is wasted with over-explanations. The steady pacing of new information develops a trust that any mystery to arise will ultimately pay off by the conclusion. Beautiful illustrations breathe believable life into vast, urban environments, as well as the quaint _LycoReco_ café. Even the world itself emphasizes a recurring theme of duality. The two radio towers looming over the city serve as physical manifestations of the past and the future, war and peace, truth and lies. To the ignorant citizens of this near-future Tokyo, life is almost utopian as terror and violence are virtually non-existent. However, we are presented with the more dystopian cost to achieve this – a surveillance police state and violent child soldiers. There is a lot of room for grey area with the humanizing of antagonists and critiquing of the perceived “heroes.” An extra-governmental agency referred to as the DA trains orphan children into these soldiers, dubbed Lycoris. Lycoris engage in extreme violence behind the scenes to maintain the image of Japanese exceptionalism to its citizens and the rest of the world. Armed with the knowledge of this (and a lot of guns), a terrorist named Majima wants to expose the DA for its crimes. His unwavering principle of siding with the weak builds sympathy to where you almost want him to succeed by the end. This results in a truly unique final clash that is equally tense as it is playful. Two evenly matched rivals fight a battle of ideals that can ultimately be seen as a draw. Although the Lycoris stop him, Majima still survives and manages to sow the seeds of doubt to the public that the government utilizes Lycoris to preserve its peace. The brutality is sold through incredibly fluid animations. Unique action shots feature a combination of very well coordinated hand-to-hand combat and fast paced shootouts. There is a rare sense of creativity when it comes to the action that had me both exhilarated and surprised that I have not seen anything quite like it. This attention to detail extends to even the most mundane moments with full body movement during conversations and an extra effort to the secondary action of each scene. Still, the true heart of the show lies with its characters. Ironically, the character with the purest, most determined heart of them all is Chisato, a terminally ill Lycoris who is kept alive solely by a mechanical heart. With a short life expectancy, Chisato has the simple, yet admirable ambition of living on through her friends’ memories. She values helping out her community and loving the people she is close to, as opposed to leaving a monumental mark on history. Yet, a shadow organization known as the Alan Institute has much grander expectations for her. Providing her with this artificial heart as a child, the Institute intends for Chisato to utilize the life extension to practice her masterful skill of killing. Despite this, her true sincerity misinterprets the second chance at life as an opportunity to also help save people. Similarly to how she continues to defy death, Chisato defies these rigid expectations to live a virtuous life, wielding non-lethal rounds and by even offering medical attention to the enemies she injures. She recognizes that unfortunate circumstances led the criminals down their dark paths, displaying great empathy to even nameless grunts. We often see stories focusing on altruistic, nonviolent heroes, but this is usually a choice to market towards younger audiences and discredits much of the believability. _Lycoris Recoil_ is not afraid to show brutal acts of killing which is what makes her noble lifestyle so much more impactful. It never feels sanitized at the cost of the story, but instead, the whole point. An instantly likable and charismatic character, Chisato always has a positive spin on life, despite suffering great adversity. She sets an inspiring example of not worrying about the things that are completely out of her control; an example that is most captivating to her newly-assigned partner, Takina. Takina’s reserved and efficient personality embodies a stark contrast to Chisato, creating a charming and memorable dynamic. What’s refreshing is that there is little conflict within their relationship, alternatively focusing on how two fundamentally different people can grow to become best friends. Being raised by the DA, Takina does not maintain the same peaceful values as Chisato, instead favoring mission efficiency at any cost. She doesn’t even know how to enjoy herself outside of being a Lycoris, having no hobbies or interest in self expression. This is where the series eases back from the high-stake pressure to let the wholesome character interactions shine, both balancing out the pace and building a lasting bond between the two partners. Chisato helps Takina discover herself by shopping, playing board games, and watching movies together. Realizing there is so much more to life than fighting for the DA, Takina begins to forget why she wanted to return to them in the first place. This gradual growth feels believable and genuine. While learning to enjoy her life and friendships however, Takina still does not hold the same level of principles as Chisato. Character duality remains the focus, but this time between the two heroes, as opposed to the antagonist. Their dichotomy has been the core of the series and by the end we see it put to the test. When Chisato’s artificial heart is sabotaged we learn that the Alan Institute has only one other model that can still save her. Of course, this involves ending the life of the man currently using it, the same man who performed her original surgery. However, he is also responsible for the sabotage to assure Chisato will conform to their murderous goals. Initially this may seem too on the nose, but it reinforces every aspect of the show. It highlights how dedicated every party is to their beliefs and the established world backs up the believability. In these final moments it is clear how malicious both the DA and the Alan Institute are. Yet, Chistato never wavers from her ideals, even to save her own life. Likewise, Takina still strongly believes in doing whatever necessary to achieve her goals. It’s just that over time her devotion has shifted from serving the DA to protecting her dearest friend. This results in an extremely emotional outburst as she attempts to assassinate the man and obtain the heart. Beginning as an almost robotic servant to the DA, Takina’s uncontrollable passion here shows a dramatically earnest evolution. This naturally begs the crucial question of _Lycoris Recoil_: how much is a human life worth? Is it right to end a life in order to save another? This is explored through several perspectives, all coming to different conclusions. Again, we are left with a grey area. Humans are inherently imperfect and our emotions and personal connections can greatly alter what we perceive as ethical in the moment. Chisato has lived most of her life without a heartbeat, a constant reminder of her own mortality. This grants her a uniquely greater appreciation for life and influences her compassion towards others. Of course to her, living is more than just surviving. It’s doing what makes you happy and not living for someone else. But when she is ultimately pressured to abandon her values by a man begging for her to kill him, Chisato delivers my favorite line, perhaps the most important line of the series: “I hate people who waste their lives!” Coming from a character who has never expressed a single ounce of disdain for anyone, she asserts just how much life and time matter. At this moment, all of the story threads become clear. We understand why Chisato is so adamant about being nonviolent, we understand her ambitions of living on through her friends’ memories, we understand why she finds her happiness through helping others, and we understand what caused all of this in the first place. Through an engaging world, dynamic characters, and a gripping story, _Lycoris Recoil_ presents a fulfilling and balanced journey. The interactions feel genuine, the action feels purposeful, and the themes are compelling without ever becoming overbearing. A variety of perspectives challenge larger sentiments of nationalism and violence, while intimate moments allow for a more personal reflection. Reflections of your own relationships, ambitions, and mortality, not in a grim manner, but a positive one. Overall, the examples explored serve as a welcome reminder to question if you are truly living for yourself or someone else.
~~~https://anilist.co/anime/143270/Lycoris-Recoil/ #####Much like the Anime, this review is not well written. Please bear with me. ##Also, Spoiler Alert.
*Yes. Because talented people have a given purpose from God that many seem to lack in our society. * - Shinji Yoshimatsu
Yeah, yeah. And you believe Chisato can do it by killing terrorists and saves civilians?*Yes...*
And what the fuck did you do?*I supplied guns to terrorists and risked thousands of civilians lives because I believed that Chisato will kill Majima...*
Which never happened.*... which never happened. *
... You deserved your death.*By my best friend/homo bro. *
Of course. You could have had a broma...