haize78

I'm writing this review for both seasons, Selector Infected and Selector Spread as one is the continuation of the other and they both tell one story. Actually, the second series is much better than the first, but this is because the first introduced the story and characters while the second takes everything to its conclusion - so it's bound to feel more satisfactory. I read some reviews lamenting plot holes and pointing out many incongruous and implausible things in the first series; but really most of the inconsistencies are addressed and given an explanation in the second series, so don't allow that to discourage you.

The story is about a card game, Wixoss. The peculiarity is that only some girls, called selectors, are assigned a special card through which they gain access to another dimension where they can battle other selectors. So the card game becomes, in a certain sense, real. The selectors are all girls who have a pressing desire they want to see come true and if they win at least three battles, their wish does comes true. The LRIG is the special card which only selectors can hear and interact with, and it is the LRIG that grants the selectors wish. In the first series we are introduced to these basic facts and to the protagonists: Ruu, Yuzuki and Hitoe, all three are girls who find LRIGs in their set of Wixoss cards and start battling at first each other and then other selectors. Ruu seems the odd one out as she appears to be the only selector without a specific desire of her own. I can understand that at this point it seems a bit inconsistent as there don't seem to be any rules behind the game and no explanation given as to how it's even possible. But, as I already mentioned, it's only in the second series that you really start to understand the how and the why. And I cannot go into more detail here because it would be a major spoiler. So just have faith that it isn't as random as it initially appears to be and that everything will eventually make sense. In my opinion, the story is well-conceived and intelligent. And I really liked the fact that it is quite unexpected, I mean I couldn't piece it together until I was well into the second series. The idea that a teenage girl's wish isn't anything exceptional or unattainable, but that the girl herself cannot make it come true because of self-imposed limits that vanish if someone else is put in her place - that had a truthful ring to it. And maybe I just gave away something, so I apologise. Just to say that a deal more thought than is usual has been given to the story and the message behind it. I found the story entertaining, well-paced and well-narrated.

As for the characters, they are pretty well-described: I haven't got major complaints. They develop a nice bond of friendship. And I do think it's more about the story than the characters, so I wasn't expecting any large-scale psychological development. They are all likeable and they have their back-story which gives depth and helps the veiwer understand their feelings. I think Yuzuki is a good character. And I loved Tama. Probably Mayu deserved a better portrayal, given her importance to the story. She didn't move me as much as Tama; which is kind of weird given that Tama had basically no story of her own. We lack information also on Ruu, even though she is the protagonist. 

Animation, music and voice-acting are good. All in all, it's a good watch. When I started watching the first series I was expecting something more superficial and much worse. So it was a pleasant surprise. The characters, especially Ruu and Mayu, could have been developed more, and the ending felt a bit rushed and half-baked; but as I said, all things considered, it's not bad at all.