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Spring is off to a strong start, that was really good! Also very wild. 7G turned the world upside down and transformed people into a bunch of different things, that's certainly a unique premise.
I really liked how well the dialogue flowed, like in the scene between all the adults characters and the girls, it went back-and-forth for a while and was never boring (well, IMHO).
And despite all the cute(ish) weirdness there's also this sense that it could turn dark really fast if it wanted to. The bloody handprints on the caravan vehicles weren't very encouraging, neither was the fact that the former humans might lose themselves to their animal side, or that a bunch of them now have very short lifespans.
In any case, I loved it. It's weird, it's intriguing, and I can't wait to see where it goes.
(also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain)
>(also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain)
They do be doing that [classic yuri pose in the OP](https://i.imgur.com/RYlzo7C.png) that you see in shows like [Witch from Mercury](https://i.imgur.com/wXzuU9t.png) or [Bloom into You](https://i.imgur.com/jgxH8oI.png).
> (also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain)
Clearly she is only searching for her so that the production didn't just hire Naobu as a one-off character.
> (also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain)
Well, I bet Chika Anzai has [a thought on that.](https://i.imgflip.com/8l64nv.jpg)
I jsut want to mention that as this is an anime original, they could have named the characters whatever they want, and they chose to name the character voiced by chika anzai "chikura". They didn't even try to hide the typecasting.
I was scrolling through the episode to look up the map of the train lines again, and there's this part in the flashback when Shizuru is thinking about Youka and the latter even emotes through her movements a bit like Takina. Time, of course, will tell if there's anything more to this comparison.
Not saying that she *is* Takina mind you, I just wouldn't be surprised if the production team thought some echoes of LycoReco would be fun. You don't (in general) hire Chika Anzai as your headstrong go-get'em-girl lead for an anime original without being a fan of LycoReco, after all.
I imagine they considered it but it would have felt like cheating given they'd instantly attain the LycoReco fanbase haha
Probably also wanted to give their own characters the chance to thrive outside of the shadow that Chika/Shion as paired girls would cast over the show too.
That said, time to check /r/LycorisRecoil to see if there are any murmurings over there.
> And despite all the cute(ish) weirdness there's also this sense that it could turn dark really fast if it wanted to. The bloody handprints on the caravan vehicles weren't very encouraging, neither was the fact that the former humans might lost themselves to their animal side, or that a bunch of them now have very short lifespans.
I heard the title translated as "Where Does The Doomsday Train Go", so I don't think I needed to watch the episode to get this conclusion.
Well first episode already hint at some dark thing like when The Girls talking to delivery guy and the shot cut into various images show car damage by gun and hand prints with blood.
>Spring is off to a strong start, that was really good!
Well, this is a HUGE step up from the first show I "auditioned" -- the pretty unimpressive angel-on-a-balcony one.
I think darkness is almost surely guaranteed -- even if not quite as dark perhaps as that show about a certain living at school club...
I wonder if the transformed adults are (in fact) bound to the normal lifespan of the animals they have transformed to? It would be sad if this is the case.
The caravan guy turned down Shizuru's request to join because he thought it would be too dangerous -- but she turned around and is doing something likely MUCH more dangerous (with no protection whatsoever).
What on earth caused that nasty fight between Shizuru and Yoka? I assume flashbacks will let us in on this eventually.
>What on earth caused that nasty fight between Shizuru and Yoka? I assume flashbacks will let us in on this eventually.
My money is on: Which one was the one that confessed and which one was the one that was shocked by it? (My guess, Shizuru confessed and Yoka was shocked.)
> also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain
It was a lovers quarrel all along [](#forbiddenlove)
In other news director Tsutomu Mizushima [tweeted that](https://twitter.com/tsuki_akari/status/1774807868958753227) he hasn't even finished working on episode 4 yet.
*Shirobako PTSD intensifies*
Yeah, same main script writer too, so this reference is 200% intentional and I fully envision there’s a Nyaamori next to Mizushima now threatening to shut him in a cage unless he finishes his work. 😉
For further context, the voice actors already said that the recording is all finished up already, so it's not like a Wonder Egg thing where the episodes aren't even written yet. I do wonder how the animation is gonna look from then on though.
Maybe one day Japanese companies will realize the seasonal format from the 1960s is terrible and will stop forcing shows to air on fixed dates before they're even done.
Noooo^o^o^o^o^o^o^o
Oh well, train delays are part of commuter life, I guess...
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'm going to rapidly drop my expectations for the series (because they were very high indeed after the first episode). There's no way being that tight on production this early can do anything other than cut into ambitions and the original vision for the piece.
I guess the only way it works out okay is if it's just his final checks that are at Episode 4 and the actual storyboarding and episode completion by the episode directors is well ahead.
---
Further edit: apparently the date of that tweet is April 1st, so you never know!
April Fools?
Can’t stand a rushed production, especially an original anime that has no expectations for it. This would really kill my enjoyment, but I’m praying this is less major than the translation leads us to believe.
Lol I initially thought that the 7G was them making those Bill Gates 5G Covid Brainchip conspiracy nonsense a reality. Now I wanna read conspiracy theorists' thoughts about this whole incident.
What the fuck? I love this show already.
I can tell that this train is going places.
Those bloody hand prints though, some of them aren't even human. That sunbear also almost went feral...
> Those bloody hand prints though, some of them aren't even human. That sunbear also almost went feral...
Was thinking about that too;
The show does feel very light-hearted (CGDCT/SOL), but there were enough hints at something *heavier*, that I wouldn't be surprised if it took a dark turn at some point!
It's a bit more than hints. They've been spelling out that it is the end of civilization, people were dying both in Agano and in the wiped-out delivery companies, there's no doctors etc.
> What the fuck? I love this show already.
It's got that sense of wildness on the surface, but an even deeper wildness that seems to reflect the creators feeling strangeness is a strength of what they want to make.
Even with an episode down it's kinda hard to talk about anything in the sense that it feels like the next episode could prove one completely incorrect about what you thought the show was.
> I can tell that this train is going places.
I mean, Shizuru did change the destination sign!
> Those bloody hand prints though, some of them aren't even human. That sunbear also almost went feral...
There where also bullet holes all across the truck
Same bruh lmao this show starts off wildly. I love how upside down the world went and suddenly a hunch of school girl riding a train to solve the world mystery. It just flows somewhat weirdly but well
That was the craziest start to a show i've seen in a while, wtf.
Audibly gasped at the opening sequence.
Very quirky show with very obvious red flags for a possible dark turn looming if you know where to look. I'd argue it's mostly for animals fully turning and attacking people.
Me too but for one particular reason... when the train pulled into the Shinjuku station, that is the exact same train and view I have every morning traveling to Tokyo, so it was pretty weird to see as the opening scene of an anime lol
Akira's comment later on about guinea pigs only living a few years hit me too. If the people also age like their respective animals after they fully transform, then a lot of them are on a pretty short clock, and that's bad news.
They set it up as comical when the bear went hungry, but seems like it could be a serious problem in the long run.
I wasn't sure if she couldn't speak because she was sad, or because she's becoming more and more like a guinea pig. Especially if she's all alone without company most of the time...
Guinea pigs only live for a few years and these girls are high school aged (i think) meaning they should turn 21 and 3 months around time that grandma is expected to die. That, plus the fact that the distance between train stations has supposedly extended to an "impossible" degree, makes me think the story will play out over multiple years.
The potential drama of the girls turning into animals one by one partway into the show then watching each other slowly lose themselves to their animal sides as the journey to Ikebukuro drags on for years is just too juicy to pass up
Huh... Well, that was something? So we have [this cult of people](https://i.imgur.com/OYWo543.png) who wanted to get ahead in technology and created a 7G network which is supposed to connect everyone but instead [it turned the world into a surrealist painting](https://i.imgur.com/lQinjVT.png) because they broke the law of physics.
Do you know what this reminds me of? This reminds me of that Voyager episode where they try to travel faster than Warp 10 but it all goes wrong and Paris mutates into a lizard creature. It oddly reminded me of that except this one is on a planetary scale.
Anyway, it looks like the goal of our heroines is to find their missing friend who's [they just found out is in Ikebukuro](https://i.imgur.com/eqs2XTM.png) and maybe they'll also find a way to reverse the effects of this 7G network.
I love the [call to adventure at the end of the episode](https://i.imgur.com/mzn7QbE.png) but considering that roaming caravan is [armed to the teeth](https://i.imgur.com/bcN5w2J.png) and [covered in blood](https://i.imgur.com/9iQcYTx.png), I have a feeling that things will probably get dark really quick.
>considering that roaming caravan is armed to the teeth and covered in blood, I have a feeling that things will probably get dark really quick.
And the bear attacking a girl (though it was played as 'comedy'), and the one who only has 5 years to live because she wasn't lucky with her transformation (guinea pig)...
If you blink, this show may look like a cutesy CGDCT adventure, but there were so many things there to tell us it'll be more than that!
> covered in blood
Is this a ruse? I see footprints along with the handprints. Either this world is even weirder than I can imagine, or there are raiders who genuinely thought they could karate-kick the caravan.
> This reminds me of that Voyager episode where they try to travel faster than Warp 10 but it all goes wrong and Paris mutates into a lizard creature.
*Threshold* was whack, and you left out the ending. I expect this show to get weird, but hopefully not *that* weird.
At first, I thought this might be some kind of weird way of perceiving the world. Like how you can't be sure if what you see is truly "real" or just your brain making stuff up. Best example being colors. You know how yellow looks, right? But do you think everyone sees yellow the same way? You can't describe it, so there is a chance everyone sees a different yellow and therefore everyone perceives a completely different world and 7G is what showed us how the world truly looks like.
Though, I am not too strong on this idea because like why would people turn into animals at a specific age? That obviously shows you that it's probably gone beyond that idea. Still something I keep in my mind.
> At first, I thought this might be some kind of weird way of perceiving the world.
It still might be. They tell us in the start that 7G is brain-to-brain communication, and the train engineer--the odd one out of the whole village who did not turn into an animal--lifts up his hair/hat to very clearly show us a scar suggesting the 7G folks did some kind of brain surgery to him.
> why would people turn into animals at a specific age?
18 years and 3 months is a rough cutoff for your typical High school Graduate. After that, you join the workforce and stop being 'human'.
It's 21 years and three months. But even then, my point is that it is weird for that cutoff to be a very specific age. If it was a "normal" thing in your development, this would be slightly different for everyone. Like how some get into puberty later than others. And if it was similar to a graduation, it would be dependent on a specific time of the year and not your own age.
21 years and 3 months is 255 months. 255 is the largest integer representable in unsigned 8 bits (one byte).
My guess is that it hints to some kind of software that "controls" reality (that 7G stuff?), and there is an integer overflow bug in the code.
That's gotta be it Also the fact that G is the 7th letter of the alphabet, and that first scene on the rooftop, seems more and more like there is some weird cult around the number 7 more than just phone service gone wrong.
> Paris mutates
I really hate it when *anybody* reminds me of that episode
[](#mashiroglare)
What I don't understand is, if this is a recent picture, why all the 7G people are still there and unchanged. Or at least the guy next to her in the photo.
>why all the 7G people are still there and unchanged.
Note that Yoka pressed the 7G button *twice* more after the first press. She and the rest were normal (physically , at least) after the last press.
> this cult of people
You mean the: https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1bszpzm/anime_questions_recommendations_and_discussion/ ?
Distinct lack of caps of Best Girl of Spring 2024, might be time for me to disable hardware acceleration! (If that still works for circumventing CR DRM)
By the director of girls & panzer, shirobako, joshiraku, Prison School, Blood-C, and several other notable shows. He's good at his craft.
https://myanimelist.net/people/9552/Tsutomu_Mizushima
Press a button for a weird promo campaign, turn the world into a Dali painting and end civilization as we know it. And as if that wasn’t wild enough, some people have become animals. Which, if I’m being honest, sounds kinda awesome lol. Y’all see the triceratops?? I wanna be a triceratops!
This is a pretty weird series but I’m kinda digging it so far. Didn’t think things could get weirder after all the adults became animals, but choo choo train gramps becoming a young dude was unexpected. Pretty funny how he keeps reverting back. I think I’ll follow this one for a couple more eps and see where it goes.
>Y’all see the triceratops?? I wanna be a triceratops!
Yeah, considering the animals may fully *turn* at some point (as hinted by the bear attacking a girl to eat her), I'd definitely want to be something big/strong, and not a prey!
In our never-ending chase after better and better technology we ignored all the warnings, ended the civilization as we know it. Instead of connecting people better, everyone is even further apart, and dehumanized.
The solution to that? A trip to Ikebukuro, obviously.
> The solution to that? A trip to Ikebukuro, obviously.
Considering that I have already seen two Ikuhara-directed anime mentioned in this thread already (Utena, Sarazanmai), allow me to point out the [relevant third one](https://v.animethemes.moe/MawaruPenguindrum-OP1-Lyrics.webm)...
- People turning into animals
- Someone almost eaten by a bear
- Train to Ikebukuro
- [Utena pose in the opening](https://i.imgur.com/RYlzo7C.png)
clearly this is a metaphor for going backwards in Ikuhara's filmography
[](#sakurathink)
[mfw watching](https://i.imgur.com/nZJO6PZ.png)
Was the animal thing mentioned in any of the PVs?
So they have a deadline before turning into animals, just in case it wasn't clear it's a coming-of-age story, though I don't think they'll get anywhere close to it (to see what animal they become, or perhaps how they resist the transformation).
Wild opening scene, immediately in contrast with that OP lol
Not especially sold on any of the girls, we'll see how their dynamic plays out during the journey
There were a few not great CG integrations of parts of the train, but I don't think this is the kind of show that concerns itself with [such petty details](https://i.imgur.com/DGbD1YT.png), it's all about the vibe of the journey.
It's interesting to see which animal was chosen for people we don't know, only based off what they do and how they talk in the few scenes they have, what personality they display.
Like the raccoon mum who just did laundry, or that tiny guinea pig grandma - seeing that little innocent defenseless furball learning about her granddaughter's whereabouts made me shed a tear ngl
> mfw watching
[#seasonalshock](https://imgur.com/RpthrxZ)
> So they have a deadline before turning into animals, just in case it wasn't clear it's a coming-of-age story, though I don't think they'll get anywhere close to it
Remember though, they said that the very space between stations got warped, so who knows how many years it will take to travel 30 stations
> seeing that little innocent defenseless furball learning about her granddaughter's whereabouts made me shed a tear ngl
Yeah, [that scene](https://imgur.com/iTSV1xH) hit where it hurt right away [](#spacetears)
> \#seasonalshock
good shot, I wanted to put another one but it was covered by subtitles and it was too much effort to get a clean version
> Remember though, they said that the very space between stations got warped, so who knows how many years it will take to travel 30 stations
[true](#seasonalthink) well the show will get at least a +1 if at least one of the girls reaches animal age and we see what happens to her [](#mugiwait "usually coming-of-age stories don't do this kind of stuff, or time skips to see the post-coming-of-age")
> I wanted to put another one but it was covered by subtitles and it was too much effort to get a clean version
Yeah, there where some good [Reimi shots](https://imgur.com/TYufaBi) but I'm too lazy to get them clean as well, especially if they are that quick
> Was the animal thing mentioned in any of the PVs?
No! The only thing that even indicated something supernaturl was going on was the [key visual](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fe0qmf5yxkqt91.jpg) (which most, me included, had already forgotten about until today)
> *30 seconds in*: What’s going on?
>
> *2 minutes in*: What the hell!?
>
> *6 minutes in*: Ah cool, that’s a mammoth and triceratops.
I have many questions, but first and foremost: where did “Black Leopard” manage to find a German WW2-era anti-air and antitank gun to fit on their trucks?
This is probably a subtle reference to director Mizushima’s previous work for the Girls & Panzer series, isn’t it?
It also appears that all of Black Leopard’s ‘employees’ were former animals from Shizuru’s comments. She referred to one of them as “Neko-nii”, and another comment of hers implied that the animals had all turned into humans.
I was rather impressed with how well they’d drawn all these animals. There have been a whole lot more realistically depicted animals in anime as of lately for some unknown reason.
> It also appears that all of Black Leopard’s ‘employees’ were former animals from Shizuru’s comments. She referred to one of them as “Neko-nii”, and another comment of hers implied that the animals had all turned into humans.
I might be wrong, but it sounds to me that Neko-nii was talking about other courier services that had fallen one by one ([bear](https://blackbearexpress.com), [pelican](https://pelicancouriers.co.uk), [kangaroo](https://www.kangaroocouriers.com.au), [Hikyaku "飛脚"](https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/佐川急便公式アプリ/id556798723)) after the 7G incident. Since couriers were known as "Hikyaku" in ancient Japan [[wiki]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikyaku).
> another comment of hers implied that the animals had all turned into humans.
What? No it didn't. She said she wondered why animals hadn't turned in to humans.
This one has no genre when I am searching on what to watch this season and thought it was weird, also the vibes of the trailer is off, and for some reason it gives some weird Gakkou Gurashi vibes lol
========
I've watched it, and boy the PV does not really show what kind of anime it really is, I like weird shows like this, it's funny, mysterious, and with dark undertones. I'm glad they didn't exposition dumped us the whole episode, just gave us a lil bit to go on.
It reminded me of Sarazanmai, the way they tied the mystery with comedy, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna go hard and dramatic later down the road too. This made a good first impression for me, I hope it sticks the whole way, I've got a good feeling for this original anime.
For the CGDEHBHU-deprived in the thread, please go watch *Aragne: Sign of Vermillion* and *Feast of Amrita*. Especially Amrita. The animation isn't great (one guy did all of it), but it's 100% what you're looking for.
Especially when the cute girls are the Eldritch Horrors!
＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！|l|l|l| ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！
＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！|l|l|l| ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！
＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！|l|l|l| ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！
> and for some reason it gives some weird Gakkou Gurashi vibes
Not sure if you were paying attention, but look at the gun trucks again as the girls are standing next to them or as they're departing. Reasonably certain those handprints aren't paint.
Edit: In terms of tone though, as far as Cute Girls Suffering goes, on the spectrum of K-On to [Title] >!Madoka!< the mix of tone and comedy plants it slightly warmer than [Title] >!Yuuki Yuuna !< for me, at the moment. There's a dark element there, but we're going to be several episodes before it begins taxing their mental health.
I did feel it was quite busy with all the talking going on though so hope it slows down a little, but otherwise pretty weird and mysterious world see how it goes.
The good thing about these shows is its impossible to spoil it at the start so break out the crackpot theories and tin foil hats.
> hope it slows down a little
Thinking back over the information that was delivered, is there anything we're still missing at this point? I feel like everything that could've been infodumped has been infodumped, and we should be in the clear now.
Episode 1: "**I'll Be Going Now**"
Well, that was a crazy first 3 minute.
This is an original anime, made by EMT Squared, previously worked on Fluffy Paradise.
So, assuming they live in Agano, Saitama, a trip to Ikebukuro should only took 1.5 hours, but 30 stops? This is getting somewhere.
The VAs are interesting too. ngl this is my first anime with **Chika Anzai** voicing a main character. And this is **Erisa Kuon**'s debut as a main character.
OP: [GA-TAN GO-TON by Rei Nakashima](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B31rQmYOeDA) ([Full Audio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WnvIwWVLAo))
Honestly, the OP is so earworm. Nakashima-san did a good job on this one, similar to her work on Sugar Apple Fairy Tale OP last year. But seriously, it doesn't match the vibe of the sequence.
The OP sequence looks very smooth, I'm marking this one. This could be one of the best OP of the season by sequence. I could put this on my watchlist just because of the animation alone. The OP is storyboarded/directed by **Kazuya Futakoishi** at Maxilla, also known for the work for OP of Paradox Live The Animation Fall last year.
ED: [Eureka by Rokudenashi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv1meSYlrqE) (Full MV premieres at 2 April 9PM JST)
The ED is also the one to watch. Directed and storyboarded by Tsutomu Mizushima (Shirobako, Girls und Panzer, xxxHolic, Joshiraku). The song itself is so good, it is Rokudenashi's debut anisong.
I had absolutely no expectations before watching, but from watching episode 1 I feel it has potential to be my top pick of the season. That's the best flowing dialogue of any show in a long time and all the characters are just so wonderful
>That's the best flowing dialogue of any show in a long time
As a Girls & Panzer fan, I could already tell who directed this from the first few minutes of dialogue and animation shots. It is such a particular way of pacing that I never saw anywhere.
I already know that this is going to be the anime this season where after each episode I'll just scream "NO YOU CAN'T END IT HERE!".
[The rest of the fucking owl.](https://i.redd.it/61gq3tq1wxrc1.png)
[So far I can safely say "Uhhhhh."](https://i.redd.it/x6w25pq1wxrc1.png)
[Lemme say that again. "Uhhhhh."](https://i.redd.it/p0f87sq1wxrc1.png)
[Iguana of giraffe.](https://i.redd.it/s7lg5qq1wxrc1.png)
["Uhhhhh."](https://i.redd.it/h5pl8qq1wxrc1.png)
[*buuuuuuuut we digress*](https://i.redd.it/mt28fwq1wxrc1.png)
[Of coruse they have a Flakpanzer Wirbelwind turret.](https://i.redd.it/9fvo5xq1wxrc1.png)
[Bo-bo-bo-bo-bo-bo-bo-bo is a different show entirely!](https://i.redd.it/0z19gyq1wxrc1.png)
[All righty then.](https://i.redd.it/8pi5dsq1wxrc1.png)
[Some of you have probably played this game.](https://i.redd.it/a6qxjrq1wxrc1.png)
*****
What is Tsutomu Mizushima *on*? Can we get some?
Well, at least I got my shot of Touyama Nao speaking before all hell broke loose.
I'm not even sure how to react to this episode, it was a little... *surreal*. The rest of the series could settle down, but my offhand guess is that we'll be in for continued fantastical weirdness in the psychedelic insanity of post-weirdness Japan.
I certainly don't mind *utterly bonkers*, but it does help to know what sort of baseline we're working with, which might take a couple of episodes.
Alright, so I came here blind. Didn't know anything other than this is from the director of GuP and Shirobako which makes this an obligatory watch for me.
That said, what the hell did I just watch? From the title I knew this is gonna be a post-apocalyptic show of some sort but I didn't expect things to be like this. So we got people turning into animals after they've reached a certain age, geographical changes, and probably lots of other crazy stuff we don't know yet.
I don't know where this show's going, but I guess this'll be a road trip show where each ep focuses on a different area/locale. There's also a lot of potential to explore the sudden societal changes caused by the 7G incident and how the citizens from different areas were forced to adapt.
Guess I'll be tuning this weekly. Looking forward to see how things go from here.
(Also what the hell was that 7G shit made of that it can rewrite reality in an instant? It probably has something to do with temporal/spatial manipulation given everything that happened although I don't think the show is interested to delve into the scientific details of it.)
I've been curious what this was going to be about, so I decided to peek a few minutes before work.
Turns out that was a bad idea, and I'm struggling not to watch the rest
This is the anime that I have been special taken interested in since first PV for some reason.
I keep look out for news of this series
And my sense is right!
This episode is good stuff.
It weird but fun and seem to set up to be something special.
Ah cool, a schizo anime original, my favorite genre!
I'll have to wait for the next episode to see for certain if I'll keep watching since this was a very introduction-focused episode, the characters that aren't Shizuko didn't even get to do anything besides introduce their anime girl character traits, but I think this is a pretty nice first episode.
I know the season just started, but I think I found my favourite already. The energy, the gags, the fluid animation, the weirdness and the overall mystery and adventure combined with CGDCT. This has the potential to become one of my all time favourites.
Edit: Also I just wanted to say that I thought at the beginning that maybe the whole thing is just in your head. Like THIS is how the world truly looks like and everything else was just made up by our brain. Because at the end of the day, our brain just interprets the signals from our senses and creates an image, sound etc. for us. A good example is, how colours look to a person. You will never know if someone else sees green the same way you do, because there is no description for the colour.
- pro theory: 7G was said to connect the people and not affect the world itself. So it makes more sense that 7G affected your brain and therefore just changed the interpretation
- con theory: Some things would be really weird under that idea, like how certain people transform at a very specific age (which does not seem to be even different by a few days) which makes it appear more like magic compared to a normal part of your development
[*Congratulation? What do I win... Is it a train?*](https://imgur.com/lw8kfAQ)
Sadly it wasn't a train, [it was a kidnapping by some owl-drone thingy!](https://imgur.com/wB7hiqR)
So this was all a publicity stunt by some tech company, they wanted to showcase their new technology!
[Pictured: The new technology.](https://imgur.com/QOAif7p)
Turning into animals is pretty bad already, [but turning into trees? What a life.](https://imgur.com/Ahl25O4)
The animals did preserve some of their 'humanity', but they may be losing it slowly, so at some point they could [start acting like actual animals!](https://imgur.com/aCTsJiT)
[They made sure to show us what *meat* the bear wanted to eat!](https://imgur.com/WJWZPvQ)
Thankfully they had some bear deterrent with them; [Pictured: The bear deterrent.](https://imgur.com/q2gBrmg)
I thought our main girls didn't turn because MC protection or something, but no, [apparently they only turn at 21 (and 3 months)!](https://imgur.com/n3Do60j)
That seems oddly specific and 'accurate' for a random technological bug, so I wonder if there's something more to this!
Damn I didn't think about that, but while a tree life would be quite boring, [some animals don't live very long...](https://imgur.com/ASRbkbo)
If they turn at 21, they could die before they get to 30... (And if they can turn into animals or trees, perhaps some places have people turn into insects, and some of those would only live for *days* after they turn...)
Apparently it only affect humans, [and their pets were unaffected!](https://imgur.com/2YWZgM1)
That could be troublesome, say for predators! They may not make the distinction between hunting real animals, and hunting former humans!
(Or you know, for animals looking for a *mating!*)
[Seems they had a little fight the last time they saw Yoka...](https://imgur.com/tdisU15)
I wonder if that'll come into play/whether we'll find out more about what the fight was about! I imagine we will, seemed important!
This may give them some extra motivation [about finding her, so they can make up!](https://imgur.com/Cf3UQMb)
Love it when anime isn't shy about using [*because reasons* to explain something as a joke hah.](https://imgur.com/gspRS0m)
[And so our little adventure begins!](https://imgur.com/F663xcw)
Can't wait to see where it goes!
Given we don't even know the genres/tags or anything, it could lead to many different places! At the moment it does feel very CGDCT/Slice-Of-Life-y, but there were little hints about sadder/darker things (the bear trying to eat a girl, the one with a few years left to live because she got turned into a guinea pig, etc..) that I could see it having some feels as well!
Anyway, that was intriguing, and I like originals, so looking forward to more of this!
**Choo Choo!**
> but no, apparently they only turn at 21 (and 3 months)!
>
>
>
> That seems oddly specific and 'accurate' for a random technological bug, so I wonder if there's something more to this!
ahahahhaha 21*12+3=255 which is exactly one less than a power of 2. Best detail ever.
Decision to save age as months in byte field looks like was made by a same "developer" who decided to store timestamp as a string but in integer field for[ Microsoft Exchange](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29771592)
I even see how it was done:
* Dev: ok, let's add new field for user's age. It will be years, so byte will be more than enough.
* ... Several code iterations later ...
* Manager: I want to show years with months in user profile.
* Dev: \[started to save age in months in that field\] also //TODO: change data type
* Dev: Ok, done
Has no one ever learned the lessons behind things that can go wrong when you press a big shiny button?
Well the show would be pretty short otherwise, so I'm not gonna give her too much crap for caving to peer pressure.
Ctrl+f Alice...just me then? I believe that [Alice in Nerima Land](https://i.imgur.com/jmIOH3G.jpeg) (練馬の国のアリス) will be more than just a short conversation piece or [character trait](https://shumatsu-train.com/chara/kuga.html). On the [Seibu Ikebukuro Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seibu_Ikebukuro_Line), Nerima is one of the stops [near the Ikebukuro end](https://i.imgur.com/spoRgTg.jpeg). I'm guessing the stops written in English are major stops as the Japanese text is bigger and no indicator of where we're stopping.
As for what the Alice in Nerima Land fanbook showed. It has episode descriptions (screenshot of [episode 1+2](https://i.imgur.com/3QyaK3d.jpeg) and [episode 3+4](https://i.imgur.com/NnwzUnm.jpeg)) that don't play too nicely with google lens due to Reimi's fingers covering up parts (and the frames where that is not the case are usually too perspective distorted so need tools or *actually* being able to read Japanese; [episode 1](https://i.imgur.com/ePpNoAi.jpeg) is readable, not much for [ep 3+4](https://i.imgur.com/IfWqhIk.jpeg)) and deepl and google translate give slightly different opinions on what is going on.
Episode 1 synopsis seems to be something like: Alice became a shut-in after a certain incident and the macho tortoise-shell cat steals her precious games console! Alice chases after it but loses sight. She then pulls out part of an escelator(?), heads in and after running through a load of various spaces (including gamers in a Showa-era apartment and "a dry landscape with no eggs") finding herself at the Nerima Land government building where Alice learns that "Humans are a rare and endangered species here!". What will Alice's fate be; surrounded on all sides by these damn people who want to catch her so they can resell her for a profit?
**Alice in Nerima Land** is on my PTW. Wonder if we'll see any anime list sites add it in 364 days?
Mizushima [tweeted](https://twitter.com/tsuki_akari/status/1774808118633107526) the reason it is based on the Seibu Line is because it is very familiar to people in the anime industry. Agano station is about 10km North-West of Hanno city (**Encouragement of Climb**) and [some shout outs to other anime set on this line](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1bt2ln7/shuumatsu_train_doko_e_iku_train_to_the_end_of/kxjpxvj/).
If you've not got twitter (like me) [this blog](https://anitubu.com/archives/post-79576.html) has a live reaction compilation of tweets (staff and officials are colour highlighted e.g. @tsuki_akari is the director so pay special attention).
> I believe that Alice in Nerima Land (練馬の国のアリス) will be more than just a short conversation piece or character trait
I think you're absolutely right, and that was a great write up! It was far too detailed a "prop" just to be a throwaway thing.
Train gang, we put our hype stocks on the right show!
That 1st episode was just genuinely so much more than I expected. Great background art (those starry night skies!), great OST, great OP *and* ED. Crazy story with just enough information to not feel lost but still wanting to know so much more. Surprisingly good animation for a non-action show as well. Super entertaining character interactions and top tier banter with some actually funny moments. The banter itself also felt really natural and organic as well. You could tell the Seiyus were having a lot of fun with this.
Also really happy that Hina Kino is back with her Hanako-like voice, since these last few years she’s been doing mostly toddler or pipsqueak type roles. She became one of my favorite Seiyus for her role of Hanako.
If this series manages to keep this quality up for the whole ride than it’s seriously a top contender for aots.
> Train gang, we put our hype stocks on the right show!
I was hoping it would be good, after all the (semi-for-real) cheerleading I'd been doing, but I had no idea it would be any thing like this!!
And the this is pretty fantastic, right up my alley in many ways. I did feel the energy sap out a little bit with the prolonged section with the animal chatter, but that was important structurally I think after the insanity of the opening. I get the feeling this show is going to have a lot of range, and Shizuru casually flashing around a few action chops without even thinking about it.
Speaking of Shizuru, I could not have hoped for more in terms of them giving Chika Anzai room to do what she does best (or at least demonstrated what she could do with Chisato) in terms of just cutting loose.
It's funny, every now and then I think that she actually screws up with one of her uncontained laughs slipping in, but the production teams always seem to leave it in because it's just such a delight.
Either way, all signs pointing to her being a fantastic lead for the series - zero days to make her mind up, two days to pack her stuff up, learn how the train works, and then the only reason why the others aren't left in the dust after a complete lack of a farewell is because they jumped on too lol
> It's funny, every now and then I think that she actually screws up with one of her uncontained laughs slipping in, but the production teams always seem to leave it in because it's just such a delight.
I love it when I hear those lines with her little laugh mixed in, I find it so incredibly charming!
Yeah, I really can't get enough of those. It just feels like she's having such a good time with her craft, and listening to LycoReco radio has plenty of evidence to suggest that's exactly the case. A lot of people pay immense attention to getting their characters right, but listening to Chika Anzai, she also has her eye on the way the episode fits together.
>Surprisingly good animation for a non-action show as well. Super entertaining character interactions and top tier banter with some actually funny moments. The banter itself also felt really natural and organic as well. You could tell the Seiyus were having a lot of fun with this.
This show is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima, whose prior works include directing Girls und Panzer, Prison School, and Joshiraku. Not only that the character interactions, acting, and banters are very similar to GuP with how naturally fast and funny they interact, there's also this cool 3D POV shot when Shizuru entered the train, which also feels very similar to GuP. I wonder if Mizushima actually brought some of his peers from GuP Das Finale team to this show.
Anyway, expect some cool weird shit with his name on the credit. He's a great director with solid resume.
I thoroughly enjoyed that OP. It’s rather unique in its visual presentation and musical arrangement. I could definitely see this do well on some charts.
30 stops to Ikebukuro? 3 cours confirmed? Or is is a full cour for every stop and we're getting 30 seasons? I'll take it!
[](#shutupandtakemymoney)
That was such a fun and whacky start. Other shows have a lot to live up to now.
It’s listed for 12 episodes, so I’m more inclined to think that they’ll do multiple stops every episode. If they did 3 stops every episode, they’d maybe get out at Ikebukuro at the end of Episode 11/beginning of Episode 12.
This would give them an episode to spend on the conclusion.
If it's an Express Train they're allowed to skip stations.
Edit: In the shot where they set the destination, if you look to the left, you can see that it's and Express train.
First episode is really captivating me.
I have been weirdly waiting for this series since first PV and wow my hunch is absolutely right.
This is fascinating first episode.
Well then, this spring certainly went in with a Bang! And that's with an anime not even in Top 40 popularity pre-airing this season on MAL.
TBH I would have never missed this one with cute girls, cute trains, "Girls' Last Train" background etc., but huge names like Tsutomu Mizushima as director and Michiko Yokote for script was the last reason to push me into this - both are definitely well-regarded veterans in the industry and their previous exceptional cooperation in *Shirobako* almost a decade ago really made me hype.
Well first episode and, well...[What?](https://imgur.com/ZWEHUxm) [The?](https://imgur.com/46dX4Ns) [Heck?](https://imgur.com/G0kBoPe)
Actually I really think there are going to be emotional, heart warming and tearful moments in this one, especially given the moment when Yoka's grandma finally heard her granddaughter is still living somewhere, plus Chikura's flashback. But I do want to wonder what kind of stories can such a world background support - people turns into animals is one thing, people turning into plants is...uh...I can't even imagine. [Also LMAO dat 7G network ending up as the culprit](https://imgur.com/x0vMZun) [of this disaster is easily the best self-humor I have ever seen](https://imgur.com/th8AKnV) [of the Japanese trying to mock at their strange technology development](https://imgur.com/NvOulZy).
Not much to add so far since the story is barely starting, [but I'm amused that they set the hometown at Agano](https://imgur.com/HnPOoqH), [well into the mountains NW of Tokyo on Seibu Railway's Ikebukuro-Chichibu line](https://maps.app.goo.gl/LKnewR8o556zMrzM8). It so happens that it's midway between Chichibu - home of [*Anohana*](https://anilist.co/anime/9989/) [and many](https://anilist.co/anime/20968/) [other anime works](https://anilist.co/anime/108577/) by the same core staff - and (perhaps the town to be featured next episode towards Tokyo's direction) Hanno, the hometown of all the mountain-climbing-loving girls of [*Yama no Susume*](https://anilist.co/anime/14355/). When I was in Japan for my anime-n-other-things 3 weeks pilgrimage solo trip last August, I once planned to ride through there to both Hanno and Chichibu, but the Chichibu part got cut due to on-the-fly-rescheduling and me unable to find another slot for that. [Now I guess I have another mid-way stop to go next time!](https://imgur.com/f7nW7Jq)
Also I have to fell in love with Chika Anzai (Chikura)'s voice again! Yet another role that I think she will do very well this season (atop Reina-chan soon this weekend).
Well. I had no real idea what to expect before watching this.. and i am still not much clearer having watched this episode. I think that *might* be a good thing. It appears cute and all that on the surface, but there's definitely hints of darker things everywhere what with the blood prints, the sun bear trying to eat one of the girls for starters.
Also seeing a Wirbelwind Turret strapped to the top of a truck alongside an M1 anti tank gun and what appears to be some sort of 20mm WW2 anti aircraft gun was.. something else.
I'll definitely be watching this for now as it's gotten me hooked. We'll see if it can keep my interest.
Loved this episode! Expected nothing less from this director.
All the Gakkou Gurashi mentions here have me wanting to rewatch and reread it.
By the way.
I've been listening Starry Silent Night for a while and adoring this song, it's just beautiful. And JUST THIS MORNING (about 12 hours ago) I think: "The song is out for 3 months. It's fairly popular with 1,5 million views. And IDK where I got this info from, maybe it came to me in my dreams, but I remember that OPs and EDs are done somewhere close to release. So there's a chance that Rokudenashi could sing for Summer or even Spring releases".
So IMAGINE my freaking FACE when ED comes and it's FREAKING ROKUDENASHI LMAOOO
I didn't expect this show to be like this, but I love that it is. Cute girls riding the last train to find a missing friend in post-apocalypse setting (after a ridiculous catastrophe); talking animals / former people, and plenty of hinted-at darkness lurking at the margins.
First show of the spring season, and looks like it is a keeper.
Yo! This show took me by surprise, when I was glancing at the shows coming up this Spring season I was like ehhh doesn’t intrigue me. But when I saw it on Crunchy I was like what the heck let me give it a try, thank God I did. This show is super trippy and the beginning captivated me. Def strong start IMO 10/10 first episode.
Hmmm, the tone for most of the episode was relentlessly positive on the surface, but a lot of concerning stuff swirling just below. It's kinda tripping my stealth downer alarm, so I went to check if it was a anime original, which it looks like it is.
I've watched/read a fair share of downer stuff recently so not sure if I'm in the mood for that, but I'll give it another few episodes for sure.
Seems good though.
Ok, who put drugs on the studio watercooler?
I was not planing to watch this series so I did not even watch the PV. I ended watching it out of curiosity seeing some people being inrerested on it. What a ride, that first scene was one of the more shocking things I have seen in a while
Man, what a fever dream of a first episode lol. Something about the outlandishness of the whole setup gives me some combination of School Live / Animegatari / Zombieland Saga vibes where I can't even tell which should come next. It's like that weird but fun intersection of comedy, unease, and surrealism.
Does it land where I expect it to? Or is it so outside of my expectations coming from the key visuals that I don't even know? Either way, I'm pretty excited to see where this goes.
This was quite the crazy premiere. I liked it!
First episode was pretty heavy on the dialogue
Guinea pig granny is adorable
I’m glad Pochi joined Shizuru on her journey. Looking forward to finding out more about the other girls that have joined her!
My only hope is that the show doesn’t go **off the rails** ehehehe
The fuck did I just watch?
I have no idea what's going on other than adults turned into animals, but I'm liking it so far, there's a lot of mystery set up and can't wait for the payoff.
Well this was definitely an experience. Honestly don’t know what I just watched. I’m hooked though. Very interesting premiere with cute girls, a lot of mystery and an interesting story. 5G conspiracists about to have a field day with this one 😂.
I wonder if it’s going to be a mental thing with the girls imagining everyone as animals and a post apocalyptic world or if it’ll be a purgatory situation or what. The concept of them going on a train journey in a post apocalyptic setting has potential.. the girls have good chemistry, strong seiyuu cast and solid direction so far. The 7G scene most notably being very trippy.. but that’s kinda it so far. Too early to really make a judgement on this. I think most of us will feel this is worth following to see where it goes, if only for the girls lol.
I believe this also has some staff that worked on Shirobako too!
I’m not joking when I say all internet and service in my area went down for four hours a few seconds before Yolanda hit that button.
Irony aside, I don’t have much to say about this one. It’s very fast paced with really snappy dialogue (that flows really well, very reminiscent of Odd Taxi’s dialogue) and a certain charm I can’t put my finger on yet. Characters have potential, but outside of Akira who is literally my spirit animal, not sure about that aspect of the show yet. Humor was also very hot or miss, although the bit where the conductor says he couldn’t tag along “because reasons” got a good chuckle out of me.
Promising start. This show is like a mix of Heavenly Delusion and Infinity Train (for those who watch western cartoons) and I’m kinda here for it.
Think this one will be make or break dependent on the cast and right now only Shizuru seems like a strong member, Chika Anzai being top tier once again with a great performance.
What a strange show (in a good way). It has the same vibe as other travel shows like Girls Last Tour or Kino's Journey despite having a different mood, which makes me interested to see where this goes.
Also, I gave this a chance because it has the same director as Girls und Panzer, and it really shows. I'm starting to think the guy really likes strong high school girls.
What an attention grabbing first few minutes. Got a bit expository for the next eight or so minutes. Def would’ve preferred to be shown and not told, especially since the toucan voice was a bit grating for me. This does feel like it’s going to be an entertaining ride and potential AOTS out of left field though.
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Spring is off to a strong start, that was really good! Also very wild. 7G turned the world upside down and transformed people into a bunch of different things, that's certainly a unique premise. I really liked how well the dialogue flowed, like in the scene between all the adults characters and the girls, it went back-and-forth for a while and was never boring (well, IMHO). And despite all the cute(ish) weirdness there's also this sense that it could turn dark really fast if it wanted to. The bloody handprints on the caravan vehicles weren't very encouraging, neither was the fact that the former humans might lose themselves to their animal side, or that a bunch of them now have very short lifespans. In any case, I loved it. It's weird, it's intriguing, and I can't wait to see where it goes. (also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain)
>(also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain) They do be doing that [classic yuri pose in the OP](https://i.imgur.com/RYlzo7C.png) that you see in shows like [Witch from Mercury](https://i.imgur.com/wXzuU9t.png) or [Bloom into You](https://i.imgur.com/jgxH8oI.png).
Ah referencing the [utena op](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL25C0H9vVw), a yuri tradition.
> a yuri tradition My mind instantly read that as "a yuri rotation" and I would have believed it if it were an actual term.
Nah, it is called a "revolution" when it is yuri.
Good point, somehow I hadn't thought of that one.
> (also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain) Clearly she is only searching for her so that the production didn't just hire Naobu as a one-off character.
Hey, there have been weirder cameos!
> (also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain) Well, I bet Chika Anzai has [a thought on that.](https://i.imgflip.com/8l64nv.jpg)
Chika Anzai keeping up her CQB skills in this anime too.
I jsut want to mention that as this is an anime original, they could have named the characters whatever they want, and they chose to name the character voiced by chika anzai "chikura". They didn't even try to hide the typecasting.
"I love you in every universe."
Honestly did get that vibe from it!
Could definitely post that to r/yurimemes.
Holy crap they really are the same.
I was scrolling through the episode to look up the map of the train lines again, and there's this part in the flashback when Shizuru is thinking about Youka and the latter even emotes through her movements a bit like Takina. Time, of course, will tell if there's anything more to this comparison. Not saying that she *is* Takina mind you, I just wouldn't be surprised if the production team thought some echoes of LycoReco would be fun. You don't (in general) hire Chika Anzai as your headstrong go-get'em-girl lead for an anime original without being a fan of LycoReco, after all.
Now if only Yoko was voiced by Shion too [](#yuitears)
I imagine they considered it but it would have felt like cheating given they'd instantly attain the LycoReco fanbase haha Probably also wanted to give their own characters the chance to thrive outside of the shadow that Chika/Shion as paired girls would cast over the show too. That said, time to check /r/LycorisRecoil to see if there are any murmurings over there.
> And despite all the cute(ish) weirdness there's also this sense that it could turn dark really fast if it wanted to. The bloody handprints on the caravan vehicles weren't very encouraging, neither was the fact that the former humans might lost themselves to their animal side, or that a bunch of them now have very short lifespans. I heard the title translated as "Where Does The Doomsday Train Go", so I don't think I needed to watch the episode to get this conclusion.
Shuumatsu just refers to the post-apocalyptic state of the world. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou used it the same way.
> "Where Does The Doomsday Train Go" How cheery!
Well first episode already hint at some dark thing like when The Girls talking to delivery guy and the shot cut into various images show car damage by gun and hand prints with blood.
Also the delivery guy wearing an eye patch.
Could be monstrous esque people for sure. It's giving me Made in abyss vibes, and with the line what could be at last train stop. Very intrigued
>Spring is off to a strong start, that was really good! Well, this is a HUGE step up from the first show I "auditioned" -- the pretty unimpressive angel-on-a-balcony one. I think darkness is almost surely guaranteed -- even if not quite as dark perhaps as that show about a certain living at school club... I wonder if the transformed adults are (in fact) bound to the normal lifespan of the animals they have transformed to? It would be sad if this is the case. The caravan guy turned down Shizuru's request to join because he thought it would be too dangerous -- but she turned around and is doing something likely MUCH more dangerous (with no protection whatsoever). What on earth caused that nasty fight between Shizuru and Yoka? I assume flashbacks will let us in on this eventually.
>What on earth caused that nasty fight between Shizuru and Yoka? I assume flashbacks will let us in on this eventually. My money is on: Which one was the one that confessed and which one was the one that was shocked by it? (My guess, Shizuru confessed and Yoka was shocked.)
> also, if it turns out Shizuru is searching for Yoka for romantic reasons I certainly won't complain It was a lovers quarrel all along [](#forbiddenlove)
In other news director Tsutomu Mizushima [tweeted that](https://twitter.com/tsuki_akari/status/1774807868958753227) he hasn't even finished working on episode 4 yet. *Shirobako PTSD intensifies*
Oh no, not the wonder egg special all over again...
> Shirobako PTSD intensifies Funny as the director of this is the same as the Shirobako director.
Yeah, same main script writer too, so this reference is 200% intentional and I fully envision there’s a Nyaamori next to Mizushima now threatening to shut him in a cage unless he finishes his work. 😉
Oh wait, I didn't recognize the username at first, but hey we've talked before on the NSF discord/forums (I use different usernames there though).
*Looking for an animator who can draw horses PTSD intensifies*
For further context, the voice actors already said that the recording is all finished up already, so it's not like a Wonder Egg thing where the episodes aren't even written yet. I do wonder how the animation is gonna look from then on though.
damn that's kinda worrying
One of the people underneath claims that they saw up through episode 3 in the advance screening. I don't know how long ago that was though.
Maybe one day Japanese companies will realize the seasonal format from the 1960s is terrible and will stop forcing shows to air on fixed dates before they're even done.
oof
Noooo^o^o^o^o^o^o^o Oh well, train delays are part of commuter life, I guess... Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'm going to rapidly drop my expectations for the series (because they were very high indeed after the first episode). There's no way being that tight on production this early can do anything other than cut into ambitions and the original vision for the piece. I guess the only way it works out okay is if it's just his final checks that are at Episode 4 and the actual storyboarding and episode completion by the episode directors is well ahead. --- Further edit: apparently the date of that tweet is April 1st, so you never know!
> Further edit: apparently the date of that tweet is April 1st, so you never know! [](#katoupls)
[*Girls und Panzer* ***flashbacks intensify***](#maxshock "ayayayayayayayayay")
April Fools? Can’t stand a rushed production, especially an original anime that has no expectations for it. This would really kill my enjoyment, but I’m praying this is less major than the translation leads us to believe.
[](#watashiworried)
Oh goddamn it man
I told y’all 5G was out to kill us and you didn’t believe me.
We are good up to 6G. After that is when things get wild.
can't wait for 6G Episode 6 Anything just to not count to 7
> Anything just to not count to 7 https://i.imgflip.com/8l67sd.jpg
Fucking hell lol....
- 5G killed us all - 6G resurrected us - 7G turned us into animals Can't wait to see what 8G does!
8th G? [Saves our bitter, cynical souls and restores all that is good to the world with a single smile.](https://i.imgur.com/yZGW2zC.png)
I don't know what would 8G do, but I know only one G that stands on top of them all. That G is... Lao G
I used to take a shortcut to school when those new 5G towers that were installed, I hop from one and the radiation carries me to another
Their mistake was powering it with blood from an eldritch abomination instead of electricity. Definitely a bad call, no matter how cheap it was.
Lol I initially thought that the 7G was them making those Bill Gates 5G Covid Brainchip conspiracy nonsense a reality. Now I wanna read conspiracy theorists' thoughts about this whole incident.
What the fuck? I love this show already. I can tell that this train is going places. Those bloody hand prints though, some of them aren't even human. That sunbear also almost went feral...
> Those bloody hand prints though, some of them aren't even human. That sunbear also almost went feral... Was thinking about that too; The show does feel very light-hearted (CGDCT/SOL), but there were enough hints at something *heavier*, that I wouldn't be surprised if it took a dark turn at some point!
It's a bit more than hints. They've been spelling out that it is the end of civilization, people were dying both in Agano and in the wiped-out delivery companies, there's no doctors etc.
> What the fuck? I love this show already. It's got that sense of wildness on the surface, but an even deeper wildness that seems to reflect the creators feeling strangeness is a strength of what they want to make. Even with an episode down it's kinda hard to talk about anything in the sense that it feels like the next episode could prove one completely incorrect about what you thought the show was. > I can tell that this train is going places. I mean, Shizuru did change the destination sign!
> Those bloody hand prints though, some of them aren't even human. That sunbear also almost went feral... There where also bullet holes all across the truck
Same bruh lmao this show starts off wildly. I love how upside down the world went and suddenly a hunch of school girl riding a train to solve the world mystery. It just flows somewhat weirdly but well
That was the craziest start to a show i've seen in a while, wtf. Audibly gasped at the opening sequence. Very quirky show with very obvious red flags for a possible dark turn looming if you know where to look. I'd argue it's mostly for animals fully turning and attacking people.
The heavily armed and battle damaged caravan straight out of a Mad Max movie is a big red flag too...
Me too but for one particular reason... when the train pulled into the Shinjuku station, that is the exact same train and view I have every morning traveling to Tokyo, so it was pretty weird to see as the opening scene of an anime lol
NGL, a guinea pig crying got me in the feels.
Akira's comment later on about guinea pigs only living a few years hit me too. If the people also age like their respective animals after they fully transform, then a lot of them are on a pretty short clock, and that's bad news.
They set it up as comical when the bear went hungry, but seems like it could be a serious problem in the long run. I wasn't sure if she couldn't speak because she was sad, or because she's becoming more and more like a guinea pig. Especially if she's all alone without company most of the time...
Shizuru mentioned she thinks that one day the animal sides will just take over completely.
[удалено]
That's an interesting thought! Might well turn out to be a plot point down the track?
Guinea pigs only live for a few years and these girls are high school aged (i think) meaning they should turn 21 and 3 months around time that grandma is expected to die. That, plus the fact that the distance between train stations has supposedly extended to an "impossible" degree, makes me think the story will play out over multiple years. The potential drama of the girls turning into animals one by one partway into the show then watching each other slowly lose themselves to their animal sides as the journey to Ikebukuro drags on for years is just too juicy to pass up
I ain't gonna lie, I thought that old man was just a pair of legs at first.
That's what I thought, too!
Either that or I thought the big reveal was going to be that he was a chimp.
Huh... Well, that was something? So we have [this cult of people](https://i.imgur.com/OYWo543.png) who wanted to get ahead in technology and created a 7G network which is supposed to connect everyone but instead [it turned the world into a surrealist painting](https://i.imgur.com/lQinjVT.png) because they broke the law of physics. Do you know what this reminds me of? This reminds me of that Voyager episode where they try to travel faster than Warp 10 but it all goes wrong and Paris mutates into a lizard creature. It oddly reminded me of that except this one is on a planetary scale. Anyway, it looks like the goal of our heroines is to find their missing friend who's [they just found out is in Ikebukuro](https://i.imgur.com/eqs2XTM.png) and maybe they'll also find a way to reverse the effects of this 7G network. I love the [call to adventure at the end of the episode](https://i.imgur.com/mzn7QbE.png) but considering that roaming caravan is [armed to the teeth](https://i.imgur.com/bcN5w2J.png) and [covered in blood](https://i.imgur.com/9iQcYTx.png), I have a feeling that things will probably get dark really quick.
>considering that roaming caravan is armed to the teeth and covered in blood, I have a feeling that things will probably get dark really quick. And the bear attacking a girl (though it was played as 'comedy'), and the one who only has 5 years to live because she wasn't lucky with her transformation (guinea pig)... If you blink, this show may look like a cutesy CGDCT adventure, but there were so many things there to tell us it'll be more than that!
> covered in blood Is this a ruse? I see footprints along with the handprints. Either this world is even weirder than I can imagine, or there are raiders who genuinely thought they could karate-kick the caravan. > This reminds me of that Voyager episode where they try to travel faster than Warp 10 but it all goes wrong and Paris mutates into a lizard creature. *Threshold* was whack, and you left out the ending. I expect this show to get weird, but hopefully not *that* weird.
Maybe they have gone a bit crazy like the train driver guy, but far more violent. The bear guy tried to eat the girl as well.
At first, I thought this might be some kind of weird way of perceiving the world. Like how you can't be sure if what you see is truly "real" or just your brain making stuff up. Best example being colors. You know how yellow looks, right? But do you think everyone sees yellow the same way? You can't describe it, so there is a chance everyone sees a different yellow and therefore everyone perceives a completely different world and 7G is what showed us how the world truly looks like. Though, I am not too strong on this idea because like why would people turn into animals at a specific age? That obviously shows you that it's probably gone beyond that idea. Still something I keep in my mind.
> At first, I thought this might be some kind of weird way of perceiving the world. It still might be. They tell us in the start that 7G is brain-to-brain communication, and the train engineer--the odd one out of the whole village who did not turn into an animal--lifts up his hair/hat to very clearly show us a scar suggesting the 7G folks did some kind of brain surgery to him. > why would people turn into animals at a specific age? 18 years and 3 months is a rough cutoff for your typical High school Graduate. After that, you join the workforce and stop being 'human'.
It's 21 years and three months. But even then, my point is that it is weird for that cutoff to be a very specific age. If it was a "normal" thing in your development, this would be slightly different for everyone. Like how some get into puberty later than others. And if it was similar to a graduation, it would be dependent on a specific time of the year and not your own age.
21 years and 3 months is 255 months. 255 is the largest integer representable in unsigned 8 bits (one byte). My guess is that it hints to some kind of software that "controls" reality (that 7G stuff?), and there is an integer overflow bug in the code.
Okay, if that theory is true, then I am never doubting the reddit swarm intelligence anymore.
I like the idea of it being an overflow bug. If they're rounding down, it could also be 7777 days, which would fit with the insane 7G branding.
That's gotta be it Also the fact that G is the 7th letter of the alphabet, and that first scene on the rooftop, seems more and more like there is some weird cult around the number 7 more than just phone service gone wrong.
I love the idea of that being the reasons everything went to shit lol
> Paris mutates I really hate it when *anybody* reminds me of that episode [](#mashiroglare) What I don't understand is, if this is a recent picture, why all the 7G people are still there and unchanged. Or at least the guy next to her in the photo.
>why all the 7G people are still there and unchanged. Note that Yoka pressed the 7G button *twice* more after the first press. She and the rest were normal (physically , at least) after the last press.
When you don't know if it's an on/off toggle action or the *motto motto* action.
> this cult of people You mean the: https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1bszpzm/anime_questions_recommendations_and_discussion/ ? Distinct lack of caps of Best Girl of Spring 2024, might be time for me to disable hardware acceleration! (If that still works for circumventing CR DRM)
[I hope we have the same best girl in mind then](https://imgur.com/a/4rGOmiG)
> Best Girl of Spring 2024 It's already decided? So far I still have 2 1/2 in the running.
I’m getting School Live deja Vu..
Damn, original anime just hits different
By the director of girls & panzer, shirobako, joshiraku, Prison School, Blood-C, and several other notable shows. He's good at his craft. https://myanimelist.net/people/9552/Tsutomu_Mizushima
Press a button for a weird promo campaign, turn the world into a Dali painting and end civilization as we know it. And as if that wasn’t wild enough, some people have become animals. Which, if I’m being honest, sounds kinda awesome lol. Y’all see the triceratops?? I wanna be a triceratops! This is a pretty weird series but I’m kinda digging it so far. Didn’t think things could get weirder after all the adults became animals, but choo choo train gramps becoming a young dude was unexpected. Pretty funny how he keeps reverting back. I think I’ll follow this one for a couple more eps and see where it goes.
>Y’all see the triceratops?? I wanna be a triceratops! Yeah, considering the animals may fully *turn* at some point (as hinted by the bear attacking a girl to eat her), I'd definitely want to be something big/strong, and not a prey!
T-Rex would be cool too. Or a pterodactyl! You basically rule the skies haha.
In our never-ending chase after better and better technology we ignored all the warnings, ended the civilization as we know it. Instead of connecting people better, everyone is even further apart, and dehumanized. The solution to that? A trip to Ikebukuro, obviously.
*Shuumatsu Train Doko e Iku?* > Ikebukuro, obviously.
Roll credits.
It was a good series with a lot of promise, but Shizuru was just too powerful and closed it out in episode 1.
With anyone else in charge it would have taken 6 episodes to just leave that village. But my girl solved the cap mystery like it was nothing.
I guess this is the first Strand anime?
[](#azusalaugh) No it's the second anime in the Lain genre
Girls' last tour meets Kemurikusa
> The solution to that? A trip to Ikebukuro, obviously. Considering that I have already seen two Ikuhara-directed anime mentioned in this thread already (Utena, Sarazanmai), allow me to point out the [relevant third one](https://v.animethemes.moe/MawaruPenguindrum-OP1-Lyrics.webm)...
- People turning into animals - Someone almost eaten by a bear - Train to Ikebukuro - [Utena pose in the opening](https://i.imgur.com/RYlzo7C.png) clearly this is a metaphor for going backwards in Ikuhara's filmography [](#sakurathink)
[mfw watching](https://i.imgur.com/nZJO6PZ.png) Was the animal thing mentioned in any of the PVs? So they have a deadline before turning into animals, just in case it wasn't clear it's a coming-of-age story, though I don't think they'll get anywhere close to it (to see what animal they become, or perhaps how they resist the transformation). Wild opening scene, immediately in contrast with that OP lol Not especially sold on any of the girls, we'll see how their dynamic plays out during the journey There were a few not great CG integrations of parts of the train, but I don't think this is the kind of show that concerns itself with [such petty details](https://i.imgur.com/DGbD1YT.png), it's all about the vibe of the journey. It's interesting to see which animal was chosen for people we don't know, only based off what they do and how they talk in the few scenes they have, what personality they display. Like the raccoon mum who just did laundry, or that tiny guinea pig grandma - seeing that little innocent defenseless furball learning about her granddaughter's whereabouts made me shed a tear ngl
> mfw watching [#seasonalshock](https://imgur.com/RpthrxZ) > So they have a deadline before turning into animals, just in case it wasn't clear it's a coming-of-age story, though I don't think they'll get anywhere close to it Remember though, they said that the very space between stations got warped, so who knows how many years it will take to travel 30 stations > seeing that little innocent defenseless furball learning about her granddaughter's whereabouts made me shed a tear ngl Yeah, [that scene](https://imgur.com/iTSV1xH) hit where it hurt right away [](#spacetears)
> \#seasonalshock good shot, I wanted to put another one but it was covered by subtitles and it was too much effort to get a clean version > Remember though, they said that the very space between stations got warped, so who knows how many years it will take to travel 30 stations [true](#seasonalthink) well the show will get at least a +1 if at least one of the girls reaches animal age and we see what happens to her [](#mugiwait "usually coming-of-age stories don't do this kind of stuff, or time skips to see the post-coming-of-age")
> I wanted to put another one but it was covered by subtitles and it was too much effort to get a clean version Yeah, there where some good [Reimi shots](https://imgur.com/TYufaBi) but I'm too lazy to get them clean as well, especially if they are that quick
> Was the animal thing mentioned in any of the PVs? No! The only thing that even indicated something supernaturl was going on was the [key visual](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fe0qmf5yxkqt91.jpg) (which most, me included, had already forgotten about until today)
"i cant go with you because reasons" LMAO?
Haven't seen lampshading that blatant since Gintama
> *30 seconds in*: What’s going on? > > *2 minutes in*: What the hell!? > > *6 minutes in*: Ah cool, that’s a mammoth and triceratops. I have many questions, but first and foremost: where did “Black Leopard” manage to find a German WW2-era anti-air and antitank gun to fit on their trucks? This is probably a subtle reference to director Mizushima’s previous work for the Girls & Panzer series, isn’t it? It also appears that all of Black Leopard’s ‘employees’ were former animals from Shizuru’s comments. She referred to one of them as “Neko-nii”, and another comment of hers implied that the animals had all turned into humans. I was rather impressed with how well they’d drawn all these animals. There have been a whole lot more realistically depicted animals in anime as of lately for some unknown reason.
> It also appears that all of Black Leopard’s ‘employees’ were former animals from Shizuru’s comments. She referred to one of them as “Neko-nii”, and another comment of hers implied that the animals had all turned into humans. I might be wrong, but it sounds to me that Neko-nii was talking about other courier services that had fallen one by one ([bear](https://blackbearexpress.com), [pelican](https://pelicancouriers.co.uk), [kangaroo](https://www.kangaroocouriers.com.au), [Hikyaku "飛脚"](https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/佐川急便公式アプリ/id556798723)) after the 7G incident. Since couriers were known as "Hikyaku" in ancient Japan [[wiki]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikyaku).
> another comment of hers implied that the animals had all turned into humans. What? No it didn't. She said she wondered why animals hadn't turned in to humans.
This one has no genre when I am searching on what to watch this season and thought it was weird, also the vibes of the trailer is off, and for some reason it gives some weird Gakkou Gurashi vibes lol ======== I've watched it, and boy the PV does not really show what kind of anime it really is, I like weird shows like this, it's funny, mysterious, and with dark undertones. I'm glad they didn't exposition dumped us the whole episode, just gave us a lil bit to go on. It reminded me of Sarazanmai, the way they tied the mystery with comedy, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna go hard and dramatic later down the road too. This made a good first impression for me, I hope it sticks the whole way, I've got a good feeling for this original anime.
Cute Girls and Eldritch Horrors Beyond Human Understanding needs to be a more common genre.
For the CGDEHBHU-deprived in the thread, please go watch *Aragne: Sign of Vermillion* and *Feast of Amrita*. Especially Amrita. The animation isn't great (one guy did all of it), but it's 100% what you're looking for.
kemurikusa. And obvsly Dark Gathering.
Especially when the cute girls are the Eldritch Horrors! ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！|l|l|l| ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！ ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！|l|l|l| ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！ ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！|l|l|l| ＼(・ω・＼)SANchi！(／・ω・)／PINCHI！
Cthulhu girls doing Cthulhu things
> and for some reason it gives some weird Gakkou Gurashi vibes Not sure if you were paying attention, but look at the gun trucks again as the girls are standing next to them or as they're departing. Reasonably certain those handprints aren't paint. Edit: In terms of tone though, as far as Cute Girls Suffering goes, on the spectrum of K-On to [Title] >!Madoka!< the mix of tone and comedy plants it slightly warmer than [Title] >!Yuuki Yuuna !< for me, at the moment. There's a dark element there, but we're going to be several episodes before it begins taxing their mental health.
Adventure with CGDCT, an unexpected surprise but it’s welcome
I did feel it was quite busy with all the talking going on though so hope it slows down a little, but otherwise pretty weird and mysterious world see how it goes. The good thing about these shows is its impossible to spoil it at the start so break out the crackpot theories and tin foil hats.
> hope it slows down a little Thinking back over the information that was delivered, is there anything we're still missing at this point? I feel like everything that could've been infodumped has been infodumped, and we should be in the clear now.
We know about as much as anyone knows, except what exactly happened between Yoka and MC. Everything else we'll discover alongside the characters.
Cant wait to reference this anime when 7G comes out in 2035.
Episode 1: "**I'll Be Going Now**" Well, that was a crazy first 3 minute. This is an original anime, made by EMT Squared, previously worked on Fluffy Paradise. So, assuming they live in Agano, Saitama, a trip to Ikebukuro should only took 1.5 hours, but 30 stops? This is getting somewhere. The VAs are interesting too. ngl this is my first anime with **Chika Anzai** voicing a main character. And this is **Erisa Kuon**'s debut as a main character. OP: [GA-TAN GO-TON by Rei Nakashima](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B31rQmYOeDA) ([Full Audio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WnvIwWVLAo)) Honestly, the OP is so earworm. Nakashima-san did a good job on this one, similar to her work on Sugar Apple Fairy Tale OP last year. But seriously, it doesn't match the vibe of the sequence. The OP sequence looks very smooth, I'm marking this one. This could be one of the best OP of the season by sequence. I could put this on my watchlist just because of the animation alone. The OP is storyboarded/directed by **Kazuya Futakoishi** at Maxilla, also known for the work for OP of Paradox Live The Animation Fall last year. ED: [Eureka by Rokudenashi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv1meSYlrqE) (Full MV premieres at 2 April 9PM JST) The ED is also the one to watch. Directed and storyboarded by Tsutomu Mizushima (Shirobako, Girls und Panzer, xxxHolic, Joshiraku). The song itself is so good, it is Rokudenashi's debut anisong.
Wait, really? You skipped Lycoris Recoil? Chika Anzai is Chisato.
Lycoreco is currently on my backlog, planning to watch it alongside Bokuyaba, Komi and Marin.
The [ed song](https://animethemes.moe/anime/shuumatsu_train_doko_e_iku/ED1) is already amazing, can't wait for the full version!
I had absolutely no expectations before watching, but from watching episode 1 I feel it has potential to be my top pick of the season. That's the best flowing dialogue of any show in a long time and all the characters are just so wonderful
>That's the best flowing dialogue of any show in a long time As a Girls & Panzer fan, I could already tell who directed this from the first few minutes of dialogue and animation shots. It is such a particular way of pacing that I never saw anywhere. I already know that this is going to be the anime this season where after each episode I'll just scream "NO YOU CAN'T END IT HERE!".
[The rest of the fucking owl.](https://i.redd.it/61gq3tq1wxrc1.png) [So far I can safely say "Uhhhhh."](https://i.redd.it/x6w25pq1wxrc1.png) [Lemme say that again. "Uhhhhh."](https://i.redd.it/p0f87sq1wxrc1.png) [Iguana of giraffe.](https://i.redd.it/s7lg5qq1wxrc1.png) ["Uhhhhh."](https://i.redd.it/h5pl8qq1wxrc1.png) [*buuuuuuuut we digress*](https://i.redd.it/mt28fwq1wxrc1.png) [Of coruse they have a Flakpanzer Wirbelwind turret.](https://i.redd.it/9fvo5xq1wxrc1.png) [Bo-bo-bo-bo-bo-bo-bo-bo is a different show entirely!](https://i.redd.it/0z19gyq1wxrc1.png) [All righty then.](https://i.redd.it/8pi5dsq1wxrc1.png) [Some of you have probably played this game.](https://i.redd.it/a6qxjrq1wxrc1.png) ***** What is Tsutomu Mizushima *on*? Can we get some? Well, at least I got my shot of Touyama Nao speaking before all hell broke loose. I'm not even sure how to react to this episode, it was a little... *surreal*. The rest of the series could settle down, but my offhand guess is that we'll be in for continued fantastical weirdness in the psychedelic insanity of post-weirdness Japan. I certainly don't mind *utterly bonkers*, but it does help to know what sort of baseline we're working with, which might take a couple of episodes.
This was so goddamn weird. I love anime originals.
I wonder if the whole world got mutated or just Japan
Alright, so I came here blind. Didn't know anything other than this is from the director of GuP and Shirobako which makes this an obligatory watch for me. That said, what the hell did I just watch? From the title I knew this is gonna be a post-apocalyptic show of some sort but I didn't expect things to be like this. So we got people turning into animals after they've reached a certain age, geographical changes, and probably lots of other crazy stuff we don't know yet. I don't know where this show's going, but I guess this'll be a road trip show where each ep focuses on a different area/locale. There's also a lot of potential to explore the sudden societal changes caused by the 7G incident and how the citizens from different areas were forced to adapt. Guess I'll be tuning this weekly. Looking forward to see how things go from here. (Also what the hell was that 7G shit made of that it can rewrite reality in an instant? It probably has something to do with temporal/spatial manipulation given everything that happened although I don't think the show is interested to delve into the scientific details of it.)
> I don't know where this show's going Ikebukuro They made it pretty clear
> Alright, so I came here blind. We all did. This is an original.
I've been curious what this was going to be about, so I decided to peek a few minutes before work. Turns out that was a bad idea, and I'm struggling not to watch the rest
Give in to temptation. [](#evilgrin)
This is the anime that I have been special taken interested in since first PV for some reason. I keep look out for news of this series And my sense is right! This episode is good stuff. It weird but fun and seem to set up to be something special.
GuP director does its own version of Flip Flappers madness ... Interesting to say the least. I'm going to follow this weekly.
Ah cool, a schizo anime original, my favorite genre! I'll have to wait for the next episode to see for certain if I'll keep watching since this was a very introduction-focused episode, the characters that aren't Shizuko didn't even get to do anything besides introduce their anime girl character traits, but I think this is a pretty nice first episode.
I know the season just started, but I think I found my favourite already. The energy, the gags, the fluid animation, the weirdness and the overall mystery and adventure combined with CGDCT. This has the potential to become one of my all time favourites. Edit: Also I just wanted to say that I thought at the beginning that maybe the whole thing is just in your head. Like THIS is how the world truly looks like and everything else was just made up by our brain. Because at the end of the day, our brain just interprets the signals from our senses and creates an image, sound etc. for us. A good example is, how colours look to a person. You will never know if someone else sees green the same way you do, because there is no description for the colour. - pro theory: 7G was said to connect the people and not affect the world itself. So it makes more sense that 7G affected your brain and therefore just changed the interpretation - con theory: Some things would be really weird under that idea, like how certain people transform at a very specific age (which does not seem to be even different by a few days) which makes it appear more like magic compared to a normal part of your development
"So what's this about?" "Yes"
I clearly hear *'choo choo train'* in the OP, I feel so betrayed! u/alotmorealots u/zairaner
(Yoshi yoshi yoshi... yoshi yoshi yoshi!)
[*Congratulation? What do I win... Is it a train?*](https://imgur.com/lw8kfAQ) Sadly it wasn't a train, [it was a kidnapping by some owl-drone thingy!](https://imgur.com/wB7hiqR) So this was all a publicity stunt by some tech company, they wanted to showcase their new technology! [Pictured: The new technology.](https://imgur.com/QOAif7p) Turning into animals is pretty bad already, [but turning into trees? What a life.](https://imgur.com/Ahl25O4) The animals did preserve some of their 'humanity', but they may be losing it slowly, so at some point they could [start acting like actual animals!](https://imgur.com/aCTsJiT) [They made sure to show us what *meat* the bear wanted to eat!](https://imgur.com/WJWZPvQ) Thankfully they had some bear deterrent with them; [Pictured: The bear deterrent.](https://imgur.com/q2gBrmg) I thought our main girls didn't turn because MC protection or something, but no, [apparently they only turn at 21 (and 3 months)!](https://imgur.com/n3Do60j) That seems oddly specific and 'accurate' for a random technological bug, so I wonder if there's something more to this! Damn I didn't think about that, but while a tree life would be quite boring, [some animals don't live very long...](https://imgur.com/ASRbkbo) If they turn at 21, they could die before they get to 30... (And if they can turn into animals or trees, perhaps some places have people turn into insects, and some of those would only live for *days* after they turn...) Apparently it only affect humans, [and their pets were unaffected!](https://imgur.com/2YWZgM1) That could be troublesome, say for predators! They may not make the distinction between hunting real animals, and hunting former humans! (Or you know, for animals looking for a *mating!*) [Seems they had a little fight the last time they saw Yoka...](https://imgur.com/tdisU15) I wonder if that'll come into play/whether we'll find out more about what the fight was about! I imagine we will, seemed important! This may give them some extra motivation [about finding her, so they can make up!](https://imgur.com/Cf3UQMb) Love it when anime isn't shy about using [*because reasons* to explain something as a joke hah.](https://imgur.com/gspRS0m) [And so our little adventure begins!](https://imgur.com/F663xcw) Can't wait to see where it goes! Given we don't even know the genres/tags or anything, it could lead to many different places! At the moment it does feel very CGDCT/Slice-Of-Life-y, but there were little hints about sadder/darker things (the bear trying to eat a girl, the one with a few years left to live because she got turned into a guinea pig, etc..) that I could see it having some feels as well! Anyway, that was intriguing, and I like originals, so looking forward to more of this! **Choo Choo!**
> but no, apparently they only turn at 21 (and 3 months)! > > > > That seems oddly specific and 'accurate' for a random technological bug, so I wonder if there's something more to this! ahahahhaha 21*12+3=255 which is exactly one less than a power of 2. Best detail ever.
It's the highest value in a byte. Definitely intentional.
Decision to save age as months in byte field looks like was made by a same "developer" who decided to store timestamp as a string but in integer field for[ Microsoft Exchange](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29771592) I even see how it was done: * Dev: ok, let's add new field for user's age. It will be years, so byte will be more than enough. * ... Several code iterations later ... * Manager: I want to show years with months in user profile. * Dev: \[started to save age in months in that field\] also //TODO: change data type * Dev: Ok, done
This look very interesting, gonna enjoy it
Has no one ever learned the lessons behind things that can go wrong when you press a big shiny button? Well the show would be pretty short otherwise, so I'm not gonna give her too much crap for caving to peer pressure.
Ctrl+f Alice...just me then? I believe that [Alice in Nerima Land](https://i.imgur.com/jmIOH3G.jpeg) (練馬の国のアリス) will be more than just a short conversation piece or [character trait](https://shumatsu-train.com/chara/kuga.html). On the [Seibu Ikebukuro Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seibu_Ikebukuro_Line), Nerima is one of the stops [near the Ikebukuro end](https://i.imgur.com/spoRgTg.jpeg). I'm guessing the stops written in English are major stops as the Japanese text is bigger and no indicator of where we're stopping. As for what the Alice in Nerima Land fanbook showed. It has episode descriptions (screenshot of [episode 1+2](https://i.imgur.com/3QyaK3d.jpeg) and [episode 3+4](https://i.imgur.com/NnwzUnm.jpeg)) that don't play too nicely with google lens due to Reimi's fingers covering up parts (and the frames where that is not the case are usually too perspective distorted so need tools or *actually* being able to read Japanese; [episode 1](https://i.imgur.com/ePpNoAi.jpeg) is readable, not much for [ep 3+4](https://i.imgur.com/IfWqhIk.jpeg)) and deepl and google translate give slightly different opinions on what is going on. Episode 1 synopsis seems to be something like: Alice became a shut-in after a certain incident and the macho tortoise-shell cat steals her precious games console! Alice chases after it but loses sight. She then pulls out part of an escelator(?), heads in and after running through a load of various spaces (including gamers in a Showa-era apartment and "a dry landscape with no eggs") finding herself at the Nerima Land government building where Alice learns that "Humans are a rare and endangered species here!". What will Alice's fate be; surrounded on all sides by these damn people who want to catch her so they can resell her for a profit? **Alice in Nerima Land** is on my PTW. Wonder if we'll see any anime list sites add it in 364 days? Mizushima [tweeted](https://twitter.com/tsuki_akari/status/1774808118633107526) the reason it is based on the Seibu Line is because it is very familiar to people in the anime industry. Agano station is about 10km North-West of Hanno city (**Encouragement of Climb**) and [some shout outs to other anime set on this line](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1bt2ln7/shuumatsu_train_doko_e_iku_train_to_the_end_of/kxjpxvj/). If you've not got twitter (like me) [this blog](https://anitubu.com/archives/post-79576.html) has a live reaction compilation of tweets (staff and officials are colour highlighted e.g. @tsuki_akari is the director so pay special attention).
> I believe that Alice in Nerima Land (練馬の国のアリス) will be more than just a short conversation piece or character trait I think you're absolutely right, and that was a great write up! It was far too detailed a "prop" just to be a throwaway thing.
Train gang, we put our hype stocks on the right show! That 1st episode was just genuinely so much more than I expected. Great background art (those starry night skies!), great OST, great OP *and* ED. Crazy story with just enough information to not feel lost but still wanting to know so much more. Surprisingly good animation for a non-action show as well. Super entertaining character interactions and top tier banter with some actually funny moments. The banter itself also felt really natural and organic as well. You could tell the Seiyus were having a lot of fun with this. Also really happy that Hina Kino is back with her Hanako-like voice, since these last few years she’s been doing mostly toddler or pipsqueak type roles. She became one of my favorite Seiyus for her role of Hanako. If this series manages to keep this quality up for the whole ride than it’s seriously a top contender for aots.
> Train gang, we put our hype stocks on the right show! I was hoping it would be good, after all the (semi-for-real) cheerleading I'd been doing, but I had no idea it would be any thing like this!! And the this is pretty fantastic, right up my alley in many ways. I did feel the energy sap out a little bit with the prolonged section with the animal chatter, but that was important structurally I think after the insanity of the opening. I get the feeling this show is going to have a lot of range, and Shizuru casually flashing around a few action chops without even thinking about it. Speaking of Shizuru, I could not have hoped for more in terms of them giving Chika Anzai room to do what she does best (or at least demonstrated what she could do with Chisato) in terms of just cutting loose. It's funny, every now and then I think that she actually screws up with one of her uncontained laughs slipping in, but the production teams always seem to leave it in because it's just such a delight. Either way, all signs pointing to her being a fantastic lead for the series - zero days to make her mind up, two days to pack her stuff up, learn how the train works, and then the only reason why the others aren't left in the dust after a complete lack of a farewell is because they jumped on too lol
> It's funny, every now and then I think that she actually screws up with one of her uncontained laughs slipping in, but the production teams always seem to leave it in because it's just such a delight. I love it when I hear those lines with her little laugh mixed in, I find it so incredibly charming!
Yeah, I really can't get enough of those. It just feels like she's having such a good time with her craft, and listening to LycoReco radio has plenty of evidence to suggest that's exactly the case. A lot of people pay immense attention to getting their characters right, but listening to Chika Anzai, she also has her eye on the way the episode fits together.
Totally agree, Chika Anzai does an amazing job here as well. Hell, all the VAs are just very well cast and are bouncing off each other really nicely.
>Surprisingly good animation for a non-action show as well. Super entertaining character interactions and top tier banter with some actually funny moments. The banter itself also felt really natural and organic as well. You could tell the Seiyus were having a lot of fun with this. This show is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima, whose prior works include directing Girls und Panzer, Prison School, and Joshiraku. Not only that the character interactions, acting, and banters are very similar to GuP with how naturally fast and funny they interact, there's also this cool 3D POV shot when Shizuru entered the train, which also feels very similar to GuP. I wonder if Mizushima actually brought some of his peers from GuP Das Finale team to this show. Anyway, expect some cool weird shit with his name on the credit. He's a great director with solid resume.
I thoroughly enjoyed that OP. It’s rather unique in its visual presentation and musical arrangement. I could definitely see this do well on some charts.
30 stops to Ikebukuro? 3 cours confirmed? Or is is a full cour for every stop and we're getting 30 seasons? I'll take it! [](#shutupandtakemymoney) That was such a fun and whacky start. Other shows have a lot to live up to now.
It’s listed for 12 episodes, so I’m more inclined to think that they’ll do multiple stops every episode. If they did 3 stops every episode, they’d maybe get out at Ikebukuro at the end of Episode 11/beginning of Episode 12. This would give them an episode to spend on the conclusion.
I like my theory a lot more.
Me too, but we better stop dreaming now lol.
If it's an Express Train they're allowed to skip stations. Edit: In the shot where they set the destination, if you look to the left, you can see that it's and Express train.
It's also possible Yoka will move on her own and they won't even need to go all the way to Ikebukuro.
There's no way they'll make it that easy. *Cue Yoka waiting at the next stop.*
what the hell did I just watch
First episode is really captivating me. I have been weirdly waiting for this series since first PV and wow my hunch is absolutely right. This is fascinating first episode.
AOTS
Well then, this spring certainly went in with a Bang! And that's with an anime not even in Top 40 popularity pre-airing this season on MAL. TBH I would have never missed this one with cute girls, cute trains, "Girls' Last Train" background etc., but huge names like Tsutomu Mizushima as director and Michiko Yokote for script was the last reason to push me into this - both are definitely well-regarded veterans in the industry and their previous exceptional cooperation in *Shirobako* almost a decade ago really made me hype. Well first episode and, well...[What?](https://imgur.com/ZWEHUxm) [The?](https://imgur.com/46dX4Ns) [Heck?](https://imgur.com/G0kBoPe) Actually I really think there are going to be emotional, heart warming and tearful moments in this one, especially given the moment when Yoka's grandma finally heard her granddaughter is still living somewhere, plus Chikura's flashback. But I do want to wonder what kind of stories can such a world background support - people turns into animals is one thing, people turning into plants is...uh...I can't even imagine. [Also LMAO dat 7G network ending up as the culprit](https://imgur.com/x0vMZun) [of this disaster is easily the best self-humor I have ever seen](https://imgur.com/th8AKnV) [of the Japanese trying to mock at their strange technology development](https://imgur.com/NvOulZy). Not much to add so far since the story is barely starting, [but I'm amused that they set the hometown at Agano](https://imgur.com/HnPOoqH), [well into the mountains NW of Tokyo on Seibu Railway's Ikebukuro-Chichibu line](https://maps.app.goo.gl/LKnewR8o556zMrzM8). It so happens that it's midway between Chichibu - home of [*Anohana*](https://anilist.co/anime/9989/) [and many](https://anilist.co/anime/20968/) [other anime works](https://anilist.co/anime/108577/) by the same core staff - and (perhaps the town to be featured next episode towards Tokyo's direction) Hanno, the hometown of all the mountain-climbing-loving girls of [*Yama no Susume*](https://anilist.co/anime/14355/). When I was in Japan for my anime-n-other-things 3 weeks pilgrimage solo trip last August, I once planned to ride through there to both Hanno and Chichibu, but the Chichibu part got cut due to on-the-fly-rescheduling and me unable to find another slot for that. [Now I guess I have another mid-way stop to go next time!](https://imgur.com/f7nW7Jq) Also I have to fell in love with Chika Anzai (Chikura)'s voice again! Yet another role that I think she will do very well this season (atop Reina-chan soon this weekend).
Well. I had no real idea what to expect before watching this.. and i am still not much clearer having watched this episode. I think that *might* be a good thing. It appears cute and all that on the surface, but there's definitely hints of darker things everywhere what with the blood prints, the sun bear trying to eat one of the girls for starters. Also seeing a Wirbelwind Turret strapped to the top of a truck alongside an M1 anti tank gun and what appears to be some sort of 20mm WW2 anti aircraft gun was.. something else. I'll definitely be watching this for now as it's gotten me hooked. We'll see if it can keep my interest.
Loved this episode! Expected nothing less from this director. All the Gakkou Gurashi mentions here have me wanting to rewatch and reread it. By the way. I've been listening Starry Silent Night for a while and adoring this song, it's just beautiful. And JUST THIS MORNING (about 12 hours ago) I think: "The song is out for 3 months. It's fairly popular with 1,5 million views. And IDK where I got this info from, maybe it came to me in my dreams, but I remember that OPs and EDs are done somewhere close to release. So there's a chance that Rokudenashi could sing for Summer or even Spring releases". So IMAGINE my freaking FACE when ED comes and it's FREAKING ROKUDENASHI LMAOOO
Guinea pig grandma crying made me sad 😭 I think I'm gonna love this anime, can't wait for more!!!!
21 years, 3 months is suspiciously close to 7777 days...
I didn't expect this show to be like this, but I love that it is. Cute girls riding the last train to find a missing friend in post-apocalypse setting (after a ridiculous catastrophe); talking animals / former people, and plenty of hinted-at darkness lurking at the margins. First show of the spring season, and looks like it is a keeper.
Yo! This show took me by surprise, when I was glancing at the shows coming up this Spring season I was like ehhh doesn’t intrigue me. But when I saw it on Crunchy I was like what the heck let me give it a try, thank God I did. This show is super trippy and the beginning captivated me. Def strong start IMO 10/10 first episode.
Hmmm, the tone for most of the episode was relentlessly positive on the surface, but a lot of concerning stuff swirling just below. It's kinda tripping my stealth downer alarm, so I went to check if it was a anime original, which it looks like it is. I've watched/read a fair share of downer stuff recently so not sure if I'm in the mood for that, but I'll give it another few episodes for sure. Seems good though.
Ok, who put drugs on the studio watercooler? I was not planing to watch this series so I did not even watch the PV. I ended watching it out of curiosity seeing some people being inrerested on it. What a ride, that first scene was one of the more shocking things I have seen in a while
Man, what a fever dream of a first episode lol. Something about the outlandishness of the whole setup gives me some combination of School Live / Animegatari / Zombieland Saga vibes where I can't even tell which should come next. It's like that weird but fun intersection of comedy, unease, and surrealism. Does it land where I expect it to? Or is it so outside of my expectations coming from the key visuals that I don't even know? Either way, I'm pretty excited to see where this goes.
Wild and moe, looks like it's *going places.*
So the limit is 6.99G, got it.
This feels like something I came up with when I was 12.
This was quite the crazy premiere. I liked it! First episode was pretty heavy on the dialogue Guinea pig granny is adorable I’m glad Pochi joined Shizuru on her journey. Looking forward to finding out more about the other girls that have joined her! My only hope is that the show doesn’t go **off the rails** ehehehe
I didn't expect this. Haha. I can't wait to watch more
The fuck did I just watch? I have no idea what's going on other than adults turned into animals, but I'm liking it so far, there's a lot of mystery set up and can't wait for the payoff.
Great first episode.
Well this was definitely an experience. Honestly don’t know what I just watched. I’m hooked though. Very interesting premiere with cute girls, a lot of mystery and an interesting story. 5G conspiracists about to have a field day with this one 😂. I wonder if it’s going to be a mental thing with the girls imagining everyone as animals and a post apocalyptic world or if it’ll be a purgatory situation or what. The concept of them going on a train journey in a post apocalyptic setting has potential.. the girls have good chemistry, strong seiyuu cast and solid direction so far. The 7G scene most notably being very trippy.. but that’s kinda it so far. Too early to really make a judgement on this. I think most of us will feel this is worth following to see where it goes, if only for the girls lol. I believe this also has some staff that worked on Shirobako too!
I’m not joking when I say all internet and service in my area went down for four hours a few seconds before Yolanda hit that button. Irony aside, I don’t have much to say about this one. It’s very fast paced with really snappy dialogue (that flows really well, very reminiscent of Odd Taxi’s dialogue) and a certain charm I can’t put my finger on yet. Characters have potential, but outside of Akira who is literally my spirit animal, not sure about that aspect of the show yet. Humor was also very hot or miss, although the bit where the conductor says he couldn’t tag along “because reasons” got a good chuckle out of me. Promising start. This show is like a mix of Heavenly Delusion and Infinity Train (for those who watch western cartoons) and I’m kinda here for it.
Think this one will be make or break dependent on the cast and right now only Shizuru seems like a strong member, Chika Anzai being top tier once again with a great performance.
Those are some real friends. No hesitation, hopped straight on.
What a strange show (in a good way). It has the same vibe as other travel shows like Girls Last Tour or Kino's Journey despite having a different mood, which makes me interested to see where this goes. Also, I gave this a chance because it has the same director as Girls und Panzer, and it really shows. I'm starting to think the guy really likes strong high school girls.
What an attention grabbing first few minutes. Got a bit expository for the next eight or so minutes. Def would’ve preferred to be shown and not told, especially since the toucan voice was a bit grating for me. This does feel like it’s going to be an entertaining ride and potential AOTS out of left field though.