Really, everything from the zip-a-tone patterns in the background to Jirō’s jacket gives me pleasure. Every new episode brings new wonders; this is a series I watch for the world building rather than the plot. As i said before, this really is Astro City: the anime, mixing and matching half a century of anime tropes and archetypes and creating its own pastiche universe out of it, the sum greater than the parts. This is one of the few series in which a magic girl can stop a robot detective from blowing up a World War II vintage female android by transforming the rocket he’s firing into a flower…
Three episodes in the structure of the show has become much clearer. Though there are hints of an overarching plot, so far this has been more of a “monster of the week” type show, with a problem and resolution in the same episode. So the first episode showcased the magical girl, the next one had a shapeshifting ghost, while this one not only has two WWII androids, but also a robot detective with the memories of a murdered police inspector. I like this, I like that the series doesn’t feel the need to hurry with its plot but takes the time to flesh out its world. Luckily it has the time to do so, as this is a two cour series, meaning it will run for half a year and twentyfour episodes.
Concrete Revolutio is basically a superhero show, but because it makes uses of Japanese genre tropes rather than the more familiar American, it feels slightly odd. The characters don’t neatly fit into superhero niches. It reminds me of some of the attempts to force classic British comics heroes into the superhero mold. I’m not quite sure what to expect and I like that feeling.
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