Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circus

nyanlu Jun 22, 2023

6

Mirage Queen Aime Circus is East Fish Studio’s stand-alone movie, based on the novel under the same name. The OVA lasts under an hour (around 56min) and is not, by a long shot, the worst film to watch. In fact, it kept me entertained while not requiring much brain power. That said, it is not the best movie ever made either, I’ll start with the things I disliked.  The characters were quite simplistic and could be summed up in a few words: a flamboyant androgynous MC Queen, a stoic jock Joker, a clumsy journalist, a stereotypical detective in a trenchcoat, and so on. In my opinion, the characters lacked depth and their personalities or even skills weren’t delved into - we get a glimpse into Joker’s unusual “power” and Queen’s special ability to disguise themself (???) but its origins are not touched upon, and there is no backstory to the phantom thieves either - how they met, who are they really. Though, I suppose it was done purposefully, in order to create other parts of the series.  Another thing I didn’t like much was the animation. I wouldn’t call it bad, exactly, but it was nothing special and not to my taste personally. Then again, Mirage Queen Aime Circus comes from a new animation studio, so I’ll cut it some slack. I’ve watched better, I’ve watched worse. What I liked was the story, while the idea was not new nor ground-breaking, it was enjoyable. The story goes as follows: Queen and Joker (as well as an AI system) are phantom thieves, their next target is a jewel called the Rose of Linden or Nefertiti’s Smile - at this point in possession of a rich corrupt man Daizo Hoshibishi, however, someone steals it before they do and challenges them to steal it back. The story was filled with various disguises that kept me wondering who is who, which was actually really fun. I also really enjoyed the ending, it was conclusive and tied nicely with the beginning of the movie. Is Mirage Queen Aime Circus worth your time? Sure, give a new studio and a rising director a try. It’s not an innovative story but a pleasant take on the phantom thieves and a mystery genre in a circus setting.