Rock wa Lady no Tashinami deshite
Short Synopsis: A former rock guitarist discovers that the most popular student at her elite girls’ academy is secretly a top class drummer.
Mario: Just like the disorientation of its first scene, Rock wa Lady is a clash of two extremes – a splash into a perfect lady society if you will. Appropriately, the style is that mix of shoujo drama you would normally associate with this setting, and crazy, wild expressions from our duo that don’t stray so far from insanity / yandere tropes. But that alone doesn’t make this a promising premiere, so it helps that we have two other factors that also work quite well. First, Lilisa’s pent-up anger about this strict society is easy to root for. The way she feels she has to put on a mask to become a perfect lady, plus her lost rock passion (which she learned from her father) create the perfect fuel to just blaze out. And second, the rock performance at the end is a feast for the eyes and a roar for the ears. So far, its formula works, adding another solid recommendation to the girls’ rock band genre.
Potential: 50% – just for the hair alone.
Wooper: Rock is a Lady’s Modesty certainly makes a big first impression, both in its opening scene and its opening episode as a whole. That first scene’s abrupt cuts between the polite, piano-backed introduction to Oushin Girls’ Academy and the pounding drumbeat played by its star student quickly lay out the show’s main theme: conflict between societal expectations (respectable ladies shouldn’t play rock music) and personal desires (hell yes they should). Our main character isn’t this reclusive drummer, but rather a peer with impossibly styled twintails who discovers her secret and picks up a guitar to reveal one of her own – and thus a musical partnership is born. Aside from their restrictive setting, there are a handful of wrinkles that lend some interest to the story, the biggest one being the drummer’s curse-laden critique of Miss Twintails’ six-string skills. Glimpses of the guitarist’s backstory also reveal that she once quit playing music in dramatic fashion, likely when her mother got remarried to her rich-ass husband. She still loves to shred, however, as evidenced by the premiere’s closing musical duel, which combines hard rock instrumentation with both 2D and 3D animation to strong effect. All we have so far is Rock wa Lady’s debut single, but I’d say it shows more than a little promise.
Potential: 60%
Anne Shirley
Short Synopsis: An excitable orphan girl experiences the highs and lows of the adoption process in late 19th century Prince Edward Island.
Wooper: Classic revivalism has been a consistent force in recent years, from Rumiko Takahashi adaptations to reimaginings of manga like Devilman and Trigun, but I’d argue that Anne Shirley has more to live up to than any of those series. Not only was the original show (Anne of Green Gables) a landmark work, but the novel from which its story is derived is beloved the world over. With that in mind, I was prepared for disappointment upon double clicking this first episode – but even though I have one major nitpick, I came away from it feeling quite pleased. The animation is modest, but it works in harmony with the character designs to make Anne’s mood swings intimidating and her intelligence charming. The character most charmed by her is Matthew, who’s a lot more upfront about his affection for her in this version, which is a change I liked. Marilla comes across as suitably stern, and the way she softens ever so slightly during that pivotal carriage ride she shares with Anne had me smiling. Full marks for the characters, then, but my big criticism is the art direction, especially the textures applied to the sky, which try and fail to mimic the look of canvas. The splendor of nature is one of Anne’s biggest fixations (both the character and the series itself), so I wish the team had taken another path there. Still, I’m happy with all the initial positive signs for this series, and I hope it will be enjoyed by plenty of children across the Pacific.
Potential: 75%
Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers
Short Synopsis: The muscleheaded son of a human hero and a magical android sets out to confront his parents’ would-be assassin.
Wooper: Dual Rulers opens with a stained glass “the legend so far” lore dump before transitioning into a metal opening theme with blast beats for days. I know nothing whatsoever about Guilty Gear, but this shit still made me feel like I was back in high school. Uncanny nostalgia aside, this episode was a little weak, but its exaggerated weirdness made up for some of that. We’ve got guys named Leo Whitefang and Sol Badguy starring in the same show as the president of the United States – oh, and there’s a smug U.S. senator who shows up to a party looking like this. The narrator introduces new characters in the most pompous tone imaginable, and sometimes interrupts the story to explain what they’re thinking, since some of them are so dumb it’d be hard to tell otherwise. The dumbest of them all has to be protagonist Sin Kiske, who’s introduced during a fight with a bear and whose catchphrase is, of course, “I’m hungry!” The battles here are a mixed bag; they’re full of sick poses and bold effects work, but the triple take camera moves and occasional split screen shots wore on me after a while. I don’t know if I’ll watch another episode, but the show certainly has style.
Potential: 25%
The post Spring 2025 Impressions: Rock wa Lady no Tashinami deshite, Anne Shirley, Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
