Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash

This looks pretty interesting, I am always up for an RPG Anime. I will definitely be watching this.
 
Episode 1:

Someone I know once recommended me the LN last year and linked me to the English translator's site. I do have a fondness for these MMORPG-types of stories since .Hack so I decided to check the link, but I never got around reading it because the translator's description of the novel made it sound like a melodrama fest.

Here's what they said about the LN:

Grimgar is a book about kids stuck in an unforgiving story — which the author pumps as full of JRPG conventions as he can. Gold pieces? Yes. Instant learning of skills? Yes. Steady level growth, painless day-to-day life, grand epic plot?

From all the games we’ve played, you might think yes, but the answer to that one is no. These kids fight tooth and nail, agonize week after week, in a world where the only goal is earning money — or at least enough money to not sleep hungry that night. It’s a struggle without flair or sparkle, in spite of the fantastic (and blatantly game-esque) magic and weapons they wield. In this story, life plods on everyday, and between the deaths and drama, gradually they find out where they’ve been headed this whole time. They find out where it is that they want to go.
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After watching the first episode, they may seem to be case. Well it is only the first episode so I might be a little unfair. I'll give it the usual three episodes. If this show turned out alright then I might give the LN a shot too.
 
1:
So an entire party of new players can't take down a single goblin? The difficulty scaling is....skewed to say the least. I will say red-haired dudes seiyuu (forgot his name) is pretty great with brash imbeciles and trolls. He was the voice behind Favaroooooo from Shingeki no Bahamut, Ozu from The Tatami Galaxy and best worst boy Tarou from Shirobako. As for the rest of the episode, it's nothing special so it's a pass.
 
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1
It's almost unbelievable that 6 people can't take down a goblin.
Otherwise, it was an alright first episode. We got a decent view of the characters personalities, and I am interested to see where this will all go.
 
EP 1

I actually liked the slow paced movement of this show.
And the fact that they couldn't take down a goblin is a new tactic that I haven't seen before.
It keeps the struggle real and I like that. I have some hopes for this one.
 
Episode 1

I haven't seen a show that peaks and troughs like this in a while
I got lured in by the art style which I really like, watercolour backgrounds, that almost ghibli-ish character design, and actually the start of the show was pretty good, seeing them all fail pretty spectacularly and gas out really quickly. Maybe they should put some effort into training though, because right now they're just fucking around looking for a lone goblin to try and kill.

The expo dump was expected as it happens in most fantasy shows now, and it was pretty dull but far from the worst I've ever seen, but then that fucking design for Barbara was utterly stupid, a hoodie with a window for both boobs to be full out, and just a piece of cloth to cover them, literally no reason for it other than fanservice, especially as she's wearing not much else other than spats. Eyes were rolling pretty hard.

But not as hard as that 4 minute conversation about one of the girls boobs at the end. I get that they're teens, but fucking hell the whole thing was just embarrassing to sit through.
Really, this could be a genuinely good fantasy show if they take away some of the fanservice and give us more of the first 5-10 minutes, because this was a rollercoaster of being good, to being utterly shit.
 
Episode 2

Great first half, meh second half
This show is so schizophrenic, the first half was great entertainment (aside from weird male-gazey shots) culminating in that brutal kill on the Goblin. They did a really good job of making it hard to watch, with the kids not knowing what they're doing or realising the consequences of killing something for profit. They were also sloppy in the fight and the choreography showed that, even after they had it surrounded, they were still pretty badly organised at actually doing anything.

The second half though, first we get a 5 minute song and montage of the characters just milling around the town not doing much, and then we get that fucking awful bath scene. It's like watching two very different shows, one that's a serious fantasy that seems to be trying to subvert tropes, and the other could be any generic high school fanservice show. It's really fucking annoying.

That montage could have worked a bit later on in the show when we've actually got to know some of the characters a bit better, but as it stands, it just comes across as a series of images set to a sentimental jpop song. Really not very good.
 
2
First half was pretty good, but, overall, still kind of hard to watch six people struggling to beat one Goblin. I guess in the end they got it, but I hope they shape up a bit in the process of this show.

Otherwise, have to agree with Tae on this. That fucking song montage, I have no idea what it was doing and why it was there. And then it kind of just suddenly ended with a failed peeping attempt.

Not sure what this show is doing. But, even though not a whole lot happened, the episode didn't feel super long.
 
EP 2

Another nice and enjoyable episode.

It's great to see the emotional struggles a young group has to go through in understanding/learning what it means to actually kills something. Especially if that something can also think like you and has the willingness to also do what it takes to stay alive.

Watching that fear and confusion build up into frustration, eventually rendering them numb and crying, was amazing to see.

As for the song montage, don't you think it's a bit to early in the show to drop one of those unless something amazing/dramatic happens or it contains important scenes for the viewer to watch? Out of the entire montage, I was able to see that the red haired girl liked the leader, but it seems he's got his eye on the magic girl. You see this by the way she walks away.

Also, red haired guy is the one person I don't like. I can see he will be getting on my nerves a lot.

Lastly, am I the only one that is reminded of Escaflowne when I hear the music playing or the way that montage went?
 
Teophan said:
EP 2
Also, red haired guy is the one person I don't like. I can see he will be getting on my nerves a lot.
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You didn't like his surprise attack? :troll:
He had to of dealt the most damage to the air, just saying.
 
Episode 2:

I knew it. This show's gonna be suffering. Still, it managed to entertain me somehow.

That poor goblin though. Little dude was just minding his own beeswax and these kids all gang up on him. But why is he alone? Don't goblins roam in packs? That's what my loli pawn mage keeps saying every time we encounter one. Every. Fucking. Time.

Err...anyway...

I was eating when watching this and I nearly choke when Ranta went all Leeroy Jenkins. I dunno why that made me laugh.

Also, that montage took way too long. Nice song though.

Well if anything else, this show has some nice aesthetics. I'm digging the watercolor-like artstyle.
 
Episode 3

Really not sure what to say about this without rehashing what i said about the first 2 episodes. When they focus on the world building and the adventuring, it's a genuinely good show, but when they try to focus on the characters, it turns to creepy ass bullshit about the girls going commando and stuff.

Whoever wrote this story really needs to grow the fuck up.
 
Episode 3:

Well I guess it's safe to say that I'm now warming up to this show. Yeah it's a slow burn, but the snail pacing doesn't bother me at all.

Also, this show has some really great scenery porn. I am so digging that water-color art style.

I guess I should be giving the LN a second chance then.
 
3
I agree with Tae. I find myself liking the adventuring and world building more than the character focus. It seems like they are stuck in this pattern now of first half of the episode is adventure and second half is weird overture of music with character relations.

I still like the show, but I was hoping for some more RPG-esque stuff.

Also, lol at the inexperienced wall. Poor wall.
 
EP 3

Yet another amazing episode. If anything, the slow pace makes each episode more intimate. But I could use less of the bromace/bonding and just a tiny bit more action or individual character develop....who the hell am I kidding. I want ships to sail. Make them all sail dammit. LOL

Also, other forums are bitching about how the preview for the next episode and what was mentioned in this one was a death flag. I'm not seeing it. If anything, it's a warning.

The annoying red head dude that I want to kill will fuck up royaly and get the priest injured to the point of death. This would be the episode where his actions and attitude catch up to him and the consequence paid in full. Putting him back into "reality" and dropping that smug attitude.

Second, what the priest said was very important. He feels as those people would not like the other him. I think that was a foreshadowing of what is to come. I think he may end up remembering who/what he really is and the rest will have to "do something about it". I have a feeling he may end up turning on them near the end.
 
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