Kiddy GiRL-AND

First things first, when I watched this series, I had not yet seen Kiddy Grade, but if I had I probably wouldn't have seen this fantastic anime.

An issue I have with several animes that I have seen is that they take a long time for me to actually enjoy them. Some examples of this issue were Code Geass and Durarara!! These both turned out to be on my top 5 list.

This anime did not have this problem. It starts out almost like a splice of life set in the future, with two girls who work at a trannies (Side note, what in the HELL is ... with animes and their trannies?) restaurant, when the president of this universes, well, security force, whatever! It doesn't matter, minor character, but basically she's a VIP and terrorists storm the restaurant and make an attempt on the president's life. After this point it kicks into a high gear with a very fast paced action scene where Ascouer, one of the two girls, takes out the terrorists and their metal dragon bakugon thingy with a bunch of high tech gear like a energy weapon in the form of a blade and tranquilizer darts. Oh and her ability to teleport.

After this the anime becomes very interesting with a semi-original plot line with some interesting characters. And Yuri. There will be Yuri.

Overall I found this to be an intriguing anime but if you want something like Kiddy Grade you will be VERY disappointed. The cast includes some of the original characters like Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dumb, but the storyline focuses on Ascouer and Q-Feuille. Eclair and Lumiere do come into play later, but their role is very minor and only in the first and last episodes. The storyline is almost completely different from Kiddy Grade and doesn't resemble it at all, so it's almost like a sequel reboot, if that makes any sense.

Pros:
+ Great characters
+ Decent storyline
+ Nice animation
+ Well done fight scenes.
+ Doesn't suffer from Bleach Syndrome.
+ Yuri.
Cons:
- Ending was eh.
- Lolicon.
- Tried to tie into Kiddy Grade, when it should have just referenced it.

Anyways, that concludes my review of Kiddy Girl-and, and I would suggest you go watch it.

"Kiddy Girl-AND" unfolds its narrative half a century after the original events. While it can be enjoyed independently, it heavily draws upon characters from its predecessor, albeit omitting crucial concepts like characters' agelessness. Instead, it introduces fresh ideas such as power resonance between partners and alterations in character abilities.

Navigating the ties to "Kiddy Grade" proves challenging, requiring viewers to keenly observe visual cues to grasp the storyline spanning recent decades, with pivotal details gradually unveiled. Unlike its precursor, this sequel offers less narrative payoff despite exploring themes of loyalty and societal exploitation, lacking the same depth and impact.

The central duo, Ascoeur and Q-feuille, pale in ... comparison to "Kiddy Grade" protagonists Éclair and Lumiere. Ascoeur lacks Éclair's boldness and charisma, occasionally verging on annoyance, while the bond between the main characters lacks sufficient development.

Nevertheless, the supporting cast shines brightly, with returning teams from the first series alongside new likable characters like Trixie and Troisienne. Even the formidable G Society teams evoke sympathy, though the main antagonist, Gaecht'er, loses allure once his motives are unveiled as mundane.

Structurally and in pacing, "Kiddy Girl-AND" mirrors its predecessor, with initial episodes focusing on episodic narratives before unveiling the overarching plot. Themes of memory, loyalty, and brainwashing resurface, albeit with some familiarity. Animation quality is decent, leaning more towards drama than action, with noticeable disparities due to changes in animation studios.

Musically, the series revisits themes from its predecessor, yet lacks innovation in other aspects. While lacking an English dub, the Japanese version retains continuity through the same voice actors as the first series. Overall, "Kiddy Girl-AND" is a decent sequel to the original series.

I really wanted to like this series; I truly did. It has some unique and interesting jokes thrown amidst all the chaos, like the cut-to-commercial screens, the fujoshi/seiyuu cafe half-episode, and taking G-Society's point of view for a few episodes, but these miniscule innovations are undercut by the show's utter banality.

In short, this show offers nothing new, nor does it go anywhere. I'd heard that they followed this pattern for the first few eps in Kiddy Grade, but GiRL never escapes from this quagmire. At least every other episode is filler, and sometimes the "plotpoint" episodes aren't even worth watching.

For example, in episode 12 where ... you can tell the show is starting to go somewhere, all Ascouer and Q-Feuille do is go out to where Eclair and Lumiere are trapped and listen to a trite story from Ecliar's adopted son. If that wasn't lame enough, the next episode is a swimsuit ep, in which there is literally no plot development. I simply implore you not to watch this.