"Kind-hearted, powerful songs heal the world. These are beautiful miracles sung by humanity."
And thus, the marriage of musicals and humanity exist to help heal people, an absurd idea that just surprisingly works wonders all on its own to create its own masterpiece niche, directed by the same person whom brought you Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I can hear you say: "That almost sounds like an overkill."
This is the core tagline of this show, and truthfully, I have a head-aching dilemma when it comes to shows like these. You see, it's easy to watch seasonal anime with the usual predictable Isekai shticks and some other genre copy-paste ... shenanigans, so much so that it's easy as balls to write reviews for it like a robot from start to finish. But when it comes to unique shows like Healer Girl...I find that I have to reverse-engineer the entire process, stop and think things through to concoct one well and comprehensive article that everyone certainly will agree to (NGL, also a cheap way to be the show's definitive top review). Not just because this is my personal AOTS that's already a masterpiece right from the start, but just like Extreme's song: "More than words to show you feel, that your love for me is real", Healer Girl has taken the special place in my heart for a multitude of reasons.
It's a well-known fact that Mondays are unanimously the worst day of the week, giving rise to the infamous term "Monday Blues". And in this packed Spring season, Studio 3Hz is back with yet another original anime, and Healer Girl is the one that has consistently surprised me the most and above all, even more so that's done by people whom had few hits and many misses. Plus, it's only made more perfect as the only lone show airing on a Monday (in Japan) to literally "heal" the Monday Blues away. So for that, this show gets a plus for standing out in the most unlikely of circumstances.
Music has actually been proven to provide a multitude of health benefits in the form of music therapy, and what better to marry music through the one word that resonates with what has been meta-trending in the anime scene recently: Healer, healing. And there're many moments of soothing voices and musicals in Healer Girl that truly makes the show stand apart and embody what makes this so special with immaculate, palpable love for music. And what a joyful little series Healer Girl was, I even have to think that this easily puts Disney's High School Musical to shme. And of all the "Spy × Family" and "Ya Boy! Kongming" roaming around being the general AOTS and dark horse of the season, there're bound to be hidden gems if you look hard enough. Nevertheless, I'm still very floored and baffled at how this show is under-appreciated for cultivating a niche audience so much that it's a literate hidden gem all on its own, and I certainly don't mind if it was intentionally made that way, because it is just that.
So then, what is Healer Girl all about, for the few of you that actually cares about this hoopla of a show that peaks of surprises galore from start to finish? Well, as the title proclaims, literally girls training at the Karasuma Vocal Medical Insitute to be healers through music, where the healing of illness and injuries via songs is a special technique that improves the mental health of both patients and doctors. And it's in this premise that such "Healers" strive to sing when called upon to respond to the health and anxiety of patients and doctors alike. It's everything else that are just "more than words can say" to even explain what's going on in this show. The best way that I can put this is through the words of PhenomSage: "a pretty silly, absurd and childish premise, but...BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT, that's where you'll be led astray because the premise is indeed all of this, but this is EXACTLY what gives Healer Girl it's whimsical and fun charm." And if you're the type who's a fanatic of Disney IPs like High School Musical, I can certainly promise you that Healer Girl delivers the shenanigan-filled musical feels that embraces all of that silliness through love and music in a way that's infectiously joyful and worth sing-a-long sessions for days on end.
And what makes Healer Girl so wonderfully made in the musical expressivo way are through its characters, done by Princess Principal's character designer Yukie Akiya:
The literate Healer Girls:
- Kana Fujii (VA Karin Isobe, Just Because!'s Mio Natsume);
- Reimi Itsushiro (VA Marina "HoriMari" Horiuchi, relatively new Seiyuu);
- Hibiki Morishima (VA Akane Kumada, TenSura's Eren);
- Sonia Yanagi (VA Chihaya Yoshitake, relatively new Seiyuu);
- Shinobu Honosaka (VA Miyu Takagi, Wake Up! Girls's Miyu Okamoto);
Their Healer teacher and friends:
- Ria Karasuma (VA Ayahi Takagaki, Symphogear's Chris Yukine)
- Shoko Nagisa (VA Hisako Tojo, Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki's Toshika Jin)
And just because there's been a resurgence of new Seiyuus lately, doesn't mean that quality can't be compromised, because it can feel rough for some whom aren't used to a main or supporting role. However in Healer Girl's case, I would like to beckon this as more of an experimentation for especially the 5 main girls whom vary in experience that pales in comparison to the only well-known Seiyuu here that is Ayahi Takagaki. Despite that, their VA performances here are truly nothing short of stellar, that really compliments well with the show's themes being a full-blown musical series that sounds just as nice and heartwarming.
To say that I'm very blown away by a Studio 3Hz original series yet again since the days of 2017's Princess Principal, and the marketing for Healer Girl being "a bold, new form of musical healing animation", it certainly has eclipsed every embodiment of showcasing limited animation, but letting its visuals do the work, which I'd tell you, Healer Girl has ACTUAL SAKUGA of unlimited potential that goes beyond the quote of "a picture paints a thousand words". And director Yasuhiro Irie definitely understood that assignment, because his directing is just outstanding, for real. Even with the widely-hated scriptwriter-cum-series composer Noboru Kimura's script on this (which does feel cheap at times), thankfully this show is saved within the cusps of the FMA: Brotherhood director whom knows how to make something good out of the bad.
Easily the most impressive aspect of Healer Girl has gotta be the music itself, since this is what drives the show's thematics, supported by Ryo Takahashi of Void_Chords fame. Every episode has its own insert song, which can range from the usual impromptu healing when people are in danger, or something like mere dialogue, which I have definitely NOT seen music mixed in with dialogue that hearkens the High School Musical feel done in anime before. It can sound serious, but in certain episodes like the sports festival where the main healer girls conduct their participation in running and song, that is where I feel the potential really hits its stride by being fun and interconnected that it almost feels funny, yet surprising how this could've worked so brilliantly well.
The high point for me, is gotta be the OP and ED. The ED first out of the way, it sounds good and as what you would typically expect of an ending song. But the OP, HOLY GOD THE OP...HOLY WOWSERS it is the most MAJESTICIALLY-sounding opening song ever, that I instantly fell in love with it the first one I've listened to it, and subsequently on repeat like I was on 7th Heaven! Because it does not just look beautiful with musical tapestry all around, but the vocals are just outstanding that just strikes a chord to my heart, not to mention that the "Healer Girls" group is just basically the character VAs altogether. If only Ya Boy! Kongming's OP didn't exist this season, then this would've been my No. 1 OP of the season (2nd place is already better than never) bar none, but maybe that's just me since it instantaneously healed me from the get-go.
Mark it when I say that Healer Girl is SERIOUSLY, criminally underrated for a show that's not for everyone, but for those whom can appreciate this anime, musically-inclined or not, may it bless your heart being a personal great-to-near-masterpiece of a work that you'll never forget. As for myself, I know I'll never, EVER, forget this spectacular show that came out of nowhere to make my Mondays better alleviating the Blues, and I pray that it does the same to you too.
Alternative Titles Japanese: ヒーラー・ガール Information Type: TV Episodes: 12 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Apr 4, 2022 to Jun 20, 2022 Premiered: Spring 2022 Broadcast: Mondays at 23:00 (JST) Licensors: None found, add some Studios: Studio 3Hz Source: Original Duration: 23 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Statistics Score: 7.331 (scored by 11,045 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #26162 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #3913 Members: 32,431 Favorites: 165 Available AtResources |
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