The standout of the anime with its 2D and 3DCGI mix aside, it is still a satisfying show to watch in its entirety.
Yet again, we have another CGDCT ("Cute Girls Doing Cute Things") anime, this time in the reigns of the old 20th Century times when most people are air/sky pirates and doing their own stuff. Everything that we all wanted that encapsulates about being an air pirate, from airship bases to dogfights, it's all here. What more could you ask for this being a sci-fi action-adventure flick of inspirations from real like and even video game adaptations polishing the looks of this anime? Simply ... an underrated gem and it's good.
Going into The Magnificent Kotobuki, this show tells the stories and adventures of the main Kotobuki squadron of girls (Kylie, Reona, Zara, Kate, Chika and Emma) who are bodyguards for hire, for mercenaries that require some extensive help in all forms and sizes. Along with their airship Hagoromo housing their useless captain (Saneatsu) and one hell of a commanding lady (Madame Loulou), they're ready to set off into the uncertain skies.
The first thing I'll require you to turn your senses off to, is the storytelling: it's a very non-linear approach, and that storytelling is based off the endless amount of adventures of the Kotobuki girls in their slick Hayabusa planes that are airworthy of all dogfights in the skies. For one, we get a lot of emphasis on the main girls: Kylie, a pancake-loving girl, once mastering with her mentor Ol' Sab on flying, and she is an excellent pilot with skills keen to the most dedicated. Emma the short, chibi-esque girl, aside from being Kylie's childhood friend, she seems to be the one who holds grudges, but alongside her, another great pilot on the observational side. Reona, the leader/captain of the Kotobuki squadron, the pilot with the most "girl power" with a lot of experiences clocked under her belt. Aside from being the most sensible pilot, she is one that gets to the bottom of the truth and executes her mission without fail. YOU GO GIRLS, girl power!
And, that's basically it for the characters. Oh sorry I almost forgot, the antagonist Isao, once an ace pilot who saved Reona's life. However, in his pragmatic business, whoever views his clown-tricking abilities are those that might look like an insensible joke from a typical person at first, but when he gets serious, he knows how to manipulate people. What an ass.
The VERY startling point is the art and animation. From the same studio who did the disgusting demeanor that is the Berserk sequel (of sorts), GEMBA (with collaborations from WAO World) took an approach that is very unheard of: Mashing both 2D and 3D, and adding in lots of CGI into the mix. What resulted was a very jarring experience to even watch an episode through and not suffer hallucinations. Thank God this isn't another Hand Shakers though.
In my opinion, it was a risk trying to incorporate both 2D support animation (from WAO World) and 3D (main cast of) characters (from GEMBA), but when used and utilized right, it could be something else. One thing I've really liked though is the dogfights, in particular the endless amount of planes' camera motions pertaining to the pilots that the animators wanted to emphasize. It's kinda like the modern A380 with its tail camera perching for passengers to be wowed. Not the greatest of greats, but not bad too.
OST is also decent. In fact, I had a lot of vibes from Crimson Skies (the video game) as the dogfights' music plays throughout the series, it is damn reminiscent of it and largely captures my attention for the good and great amount of dogfights this series has to keep the action pumping between the frenemies. ZAQ's OP is great, an atmospheric throwback to old 1930s style with its aesthetics and music, and the decent ED by the Kotobuki squad to end their missions on a good note.
But then again, my recommendation of this show can only be purged on the minority of fans who like or love the old times of sci-fi sky pirates with its full-on action-adventure modes. Wonky animation aside, this isn't a bad show, it's just that while there's nothing really going for it, at the back of your minds, it will be like: "Just stick till the end of the episode." And that is where the show's magic happens and take hold of you, to go in deep and further.
To me, it is enjoyable, but how about you? Give this one a try, forgo all expectations, and you might like it.
Alternative Titles Synonyms: The Kotobuki Squadron in the Wilderness Japanese: 荒野のコトブキ飛行隊 Information Type: TV Episodes: 12 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Jan 13, 2019 to Mar 31, 2019 Premiered: Winter 2019 Broadcast: Sundays at 22:30 (JST) Licensors: Sentai Filmworks Source: Original Theme: Military Duration: 24 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Statistics Score: 6.891 (scored by 10,975 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #51732 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #3829 Members: 33,947 Favorites: 96 Available AtResources |
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