Glasslip

Title:Glasslip
グラスリップ
Overall:Watch
Keywords: , , , , ,
Notables: Animation - P.A. Works
Tōko Fukami's family runs a glass-working business in a small seaside town. She hangs out with her four best friends at a cafe called "Kazemichi." During the summer break of their senior year in high school, they meet a transfer student named Kakeru Okikura, who claims that a voice from the future talks to him, and that it's led him to Tōko. His arrival sets off a series of events that will make their final summer together one full of hope and heartache.
(Summary Courtesy of Anime News Network)

[TV series, 2014, 13 episodes, 25 min, premiered on July 3, 2014; animated by PA Works. Original story, written by this series' Animation Director Junji Nishimura.]
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Watch 9 9 8 6 4 4 Ggultra2764 [series:2908#1552]
(Watch-/ Avoid+)

Having been used to PA Works whipping out quality titles like Hana-Saku Iroha and Nagi no Asukara, it was a given that I was going to be tempted to try Glasslip out. At first glance, the premise seemed intriguing on paper as female lead Toko has the ability to see visions of the future through glass and a young man named Kakuru arrives in her home town for the summer that shakes things up with the relationships between Toko and her friends as he claims to be searching for her through hearing her voice, implying he may have some sort of supernatural ability like Toko. I would think that more concerning Kakeru and Toko's connection to each other would be revealed throughout the course of the series, and we may see things shaken up with Toko and her friends with an outsider mingling with them.

Sadly though, none of this really comes to pass as the biggest pitfall to Glasslip as a whole is that nothing really happens. We get little to no development with the characters and their relationships and their depth is rather limited, killing any interest one would have in caring for any bonds they have with one another or the characters on an individual level. Nothing in the plot really advances either as things with Toko and Kakeru's abilities never really lead to anything and nothing is ever delved into over the nature of their abilities nor why they have them, even with the title's occasional dropping of teases something may happen via Toko's visions. The storytelling here feels rather lazy and underwhelming, easily being the worst title I've seen come from PA Works to date.

The only high point to Glasslip comes from its visuals. Like many titles from PA Works, the scenic shots are quite pleasing to see with vast and detailed shots of the countryside, mountains and forests that sport vivid, bright color and depict differing times of day beautifully. Character designs are on the plain side, but sport just as much visual detail as the settings with unique features such as clothing and hair accessories. The animation in the series featured fluid movement regularly throughout the title's run as characters move about and go through with their daily routines like swimming or jogging.

Glasslip is easily one of the year's most disappointing titles considering the reputation PA Works had built among fans for the number of quality titles they've animated. With the plot and characterization to the series leading nowhere throughout its run, the series is a big waste of time that one shouldn't bother watching through unless you seek disappointment out of what you wish to see.

Last updated Thursday, September 25 2014. Created Thursday, September 25 2014.
Unevaluated Stretch [series:2908#628]
(One episode watched):

Cheerful, Bambi-eyed people make small talk; I can't really tell them apart, since there are so many of them and nothing remarkable happens to distinguish anyone. An idyllic summer is underway; people engage in arts like glassblowing and sketching. I found myself feeling impatient and wishing that something noteworthy would happen! The halfway-mark station break came along and I still had no idea what the premise of this show would be--teen romance, maybe? This seems to be the silly hijinx of a group of friends, but with neither serious conflicts nor LOL jokes--I got more laughs out of an episode of Stardust that I watched afterwards than I did from this. The visual jokes in the ED sequence were funnier than the remainder of the show combined. There's a cryptic remark about "I saw the same thing you did that day", but whatever it was that was seen, I had already forgotten it and had reached the point where I didn't feel it was worth rewinding. Right from the start, I was mentally urging this show to have something interesting happen, but it never did. I still don't know what the premise will be and I no longer care. The makers of Glasslip seem to have forgotten that one thing which a first episode has got to do is convince viewers that they ought to watch the rest of the series.

Last updated Monday, July 07 2014. Created Monday, July 07 2014.

Other Sites
NameURL
Official Japanese Series Web Site http://glasslip.jp/

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