Children of the Whales-1
Speaking of Gonzo anime, this feels like a lot like something they would have done in the mid 2000s. I'm sort of mixed on this on a few different aspects. Unlike most of the dogshit that comes out nowadays this has a setting that is pretty unique and the main character is different from the usual tropes we get.
In most anime the above character would have ended up being the main character due to his power level, trouble with authority, and desire to see the outside world. Instead we essentially get a librarian. I'm not completely sold on Chakuro as a lead though as he is somewhat flat and uninteresting. In fact I'm not really interested in any of the characters at this point but it's early enough. The main hook though is the world itself and the show does a well enough job setting that up.
My main problem with the episodes comes with the direction of some of these stylized closeup shots (as seen directly above). The one with pages flying around Chakuro is not only heavy-handed but distracting. It really breaks immersion and draws too much attention to itself through the strong colors and haze outline. It's kind of shoujo-esque and stands in stark contrast to the rest of the show.
The background art is neat as there's a texture to the art from the paper used to make it. That style does make it hard to reconcile the character animation with the backgrounds but the photography director and composition team do a well enough job. It reminds me of Yoshihiro Sekiya but not as extreme. The character animation was surprisingly stiff and limited considering the production values surrounding the rest of the show. It looks good enough though.
I'm still wading through the piles of garbage that is this season but this is definitely intriguing.
