DGFischer

When entering the world of Morfonication, you seem to have stumbled across BanG Dream!'s version of Fantasia.  Actually, you have had an encounter with Morfonica's lead singer Mashiro Kurata.  She is uniquely imaginative, and her jottings and doodlings are the things that inspire her lyrics ... much like the stars fuel Kasumi Toyama's drive to be the creative force for Poppin' Party.

Morfonication is the new entry of girls' band drama in the BD! Universe featuring Morfonica, a band which had been kicking about since 2020, and this 2022 two-episode project introduces the group, and sells the concept of morfo, the changes one should expect as s/he matures and approaches the next stage in life.  I've mentioned Mashiro (vocals), who has formed a band with Nanami Hiromachi (bass), Rui Yashio (violin), Toko Kirigaya (lead guitar), and Tsukushi Futaba (drums).  They all attend the prestigious Tsukinomori Girls Academy, and by a quick comparison of the five, they represent all three years of the high school.  Expect some girls to be (and act) more mature than others.

It is the comparisons that make one wonder how Morfonica holds together.  Toko and Rui are the oldest, but Rui's dour seriousness contrast sharply with Toko's upbeat optimism.  While we learn that the band was Mashiro's idea, Nanami, Toko, and Tsukushi seem to conspire together to advance Morfonica's goals.  Rui is just there to veto their plans, unless it's a good idea.  Then Rui makes it work.

But back to the idea of morfo and how it plays into the life of Mashiro, who is obviously the youngest member of the band.  Mashiro is struggling with writer's block simply because she struggles with her self-image.  Friends note how she has matured in her time with the band, but old classmates from middle school remark how Mashiro is the same old person she was back then.  This confusion prompts a depression which makes her practices strained, and it is up to Morfonica to run a summer band camp (not far, just at Tsukinomori Girls Academy, one of the most gothic settings for a rock band) to break Mashiro out of her slump.

The animation ... well, I mentioned Fantasia a few paragraphs back.  Sanzigen really stepped up the quality to depict Mashiro's runs of imagination.  Also, the diversity of animation in the night scenes were awe-inspiring, needing fireworks to cut through the gloom that Mashiro was desperately trying to free herself. But the animation effects were not so much different from the actual performances at Livehouse CiRCLE.  Too much the same shtick. The two songs sung before the crazed light-waving fans looked more contrived than file footage (like, make something work ... the fans will know).

And the music ... Morfonica is presented as symphonic rock due to the violin Rui plays.  It is a fuller sound, but it matches poorly with the typical musical verve associated with BanG Dream! offerings.  In short, it may take some time to grow on you.

With the newest band on the BanG Dream! horizon, their universe grows, morphs, and just might have gotten a bit better.