While each of the first two episodes of Kikaijikake no Marie have had moments of charm, on the whole the show isn’t doing much for me. The direction and overall production seem a little slapdash to be honest, which is surprising with the ultra-experienced Nishimura Junji in charge. But to the extent that anyone is talking about this series it’s because those weird still shots it inserts instead of animation at key moments are apparently AI-generated. That’s something I fear is going to become more and more common in anime as overproduction worsens and budgets continue to tighten. If you thought something looked “off” there, now you know why.
Any time a show is going to cast Yamaguchi Kappei and Takahashi Rieko, I want to like it. They play Arthur’s “Aunt and Uncle Rusty“, the only members of his family on his side. Which is nice, he should have somebody not trying to kill him. And some of the stuff with the cat was cute. But all a bit awkward and stilted, it seems to me. Things picked up a bit with the introduction of Marie 2, who I guess disproves the notion that robot maids are beyond the technological scope of the setting. But if such things were possible why didn’t Roy (that’s the butler’s name) not just get one in the first place?
I don’t dislike any of these characters apart from the annoying half-brother, and the premise itself has some tread on the tires. Marie 2 had a couple of funny moments, like that incredibly awkward lap pillow. I guess the running gag here is going to be Arthur refusing to catch on, or perhaps refusing to admit the truth to himself. I could see this premise working but so far the execution isn’t closing the circuit. I might watch another episode but my hopes for Mechanical Marie are pretty limited at this point.
The post Second Impressions – Kikaijikake no Marie (Mechanical Marie) appeared first on Lost in Anime.
