BanG Dream! Pastel Life

DGFischer Mar 22, 2020

8.6

Normally, I would give a minor project like this a pass.  But there are two reasons I would grace Pastel Life with a brief review. 1) This was my first clue that BanG Dream! was not the "Happy, Happy Adventures of Poppin' Party."  I'm up to at least four girl bands in season two, and Pastel Palettes are one of the more intriguing, controversial groups.  2) This is my first experience with chibi.  Any technique which can out-cute your typical anime cute ...  Now, the body dimensions reminds one of the Smurfs, but Aya et. al. have been dealt with in a very flattering way. The four-minute episodes deal with the trivial amusing points of a group on tour.  Trying to hit the malls on a shopping tour without being recognized.  Resorting to singing a capella when the sound system cancels the instruments.  Eve losing total control of her facial features.  The conflicts of acting-career vs. modeling-career.  Silly stuff which become deadly serious for overly zealous fans. Chibi allows one to take a lighter look at characters in a series which normally have tougher conflicts.  I mean, recovering from a lip sync scandal.  Retribution of a would-be producer who is out to destroy your group.  Putting on a self-sponsored show when you haven't a clue how.  Chibi makes me smile.  It's a signal that we have a happy realm of silliness in what could be a dark place of competitive madness.