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[series:3779#628] | ||||||
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(Watch+ or Rent-) (All episodes watched): Here we have another anime based on a high school club. This shooting club uses 'Beam Rifles', that is, rifles that don't actually shoot bullets but instead project a laser beam which is registered on a special target which displays where a bullet would have struck if one had really been fired. It works much like a camera flash, apparently, which was sort of interesting. While the technology of Beam Rifles is curious, this isn't exactly an exciting sport. Shooters fire methodically for 45 minutes then get a mathematical average of their hits and misses. It's hard to see any difference in the techniques of any two contestants, or how any sort of training is making a significant difference. It's largely just a matter of whether she is having a good day or a bad one. Initially, not much about this show struck me as intriguing. The characters are pretty simple--the infectiously enthusiastic Hikari, the level-headed and dependable Izumi, the jealous and competitive Erika, and the highly talented but unemotional Yukio. But they seem to grow on you. The club has lucked out with several expert markswomen--formerly opponents of Hikari--turning up just when needed to flesh out the shooting team. I noticed that three of the four main character VAs were newcomers not yet in our index at Mikomi. The jokes were modest at best, without any LOL grade ones. It seemed to me that there were far too many competitors on numerous opposing teams to keep track of, and I hardly tried. Do I really need to remember the name of the second-best shooter on team X? Anyway, in episode ten we learn the origin of the show's title. There is a recap episode, number 7.5, which is hardly necessary given the simple plot of the show. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to rely too much on how well the girls will do in this competition or that one; it's mainly about their friendship, which is more fun. Despite early doubts, for some reason or another I continued watching to the end. Maybe I sometimes want lightweight anime which has neither a complicated plot nor drama that could possibly be upsetting in any way. Hikari and the other girls are sort of likeable and I wouldn't mind if they managed to achieve something noteworthy, as long as it is believable. I was a little surprised by how the story ended: not the usual 'against all obstacles we triumphed by sheer determination and hard work' stuff, but a much more realistic outcome. The team didn't need to take first place, since this show was more about having fun and making friends than competing. In short, by no means brilliant but a silly, fun show that I didn't mind watching. Last updated Sunday, December 20 2020. Created Wednesday, October 23 2019. | ||||||||
