Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou

Strolling through a grey and barren wasteland, two girls are on a journey. Rations are their only food, each other's company their only comfort and a Kettenkrad motorbike and a protect rifle their only partners. This is a story about a post-apocalyptic future, cultures lost in war and appreciating the little things in life.

Few future settings display the thoughtfulness present in Girl’s Last Tour: war has, multiple times, left its mark on Earth and humanity. The numerous layers of the forsaken and metallic city tell tales of many civilizations long gone; their technology gradually grows more sophisticated and the cityscape more complex by the layer. ... Their different religious beliefs, or lack thereof, as well as their different perceptions of beauty are ingrained in them: some show idealistic symmetry spread evenly throughout, others are dominated by religious symbols resembling a progressed Christianity. However, their god seems more like an alien creature possibly playing a central role in mankind’s long history of war…

The themes and background of the show allow for contemplation and its war-ridden lands give ground for cynical criticism of war, but Girl’s Last Tour is not at all about nihilism, the cruelty of war or the dangers of technological advancement. With overpowering optimism and gratitude for life, it avoids dwelling on many of its philosophically potent and open-ended questions through the sheer simplicity of its appreciation for the here and now; there is solace in solitude and beauty in company.

It’s hard not to get swept up in the show’s pensive mood, but it is near impossible not to fall in love with the protagonists' fun antics: Yuuri and Chito have amazing chemistry and partaking in their intimacy is a truly soothing experience. The two share a heartwarming bond of love and trust and remind one of simpler days; to take the role of an onlooker is to embrace a heartwarming nostalgia.

Chito is the duo’s brain: she is literate and reliable. Over the years, she has learned to work around Yuuri’s shortcomings and deal with her eccentricities. At times, her diplomatic mindset clashes with Yuuri’s air-headedness. However, she has no issue striking back should it get overbearing, for she knows it’s the only way to get through to her dense companion.

In comparison, Yuuri might at first seem like an unpleasant person. She is a glutton, unreliable and at parts overbearingly annoying - but actually a very caring individual. She keeps looking out for Chito and ensures her safety, she is sorry when Chito is hurt and does her best to express her guilt. It is not only her shortcomings that need to be worked around: her partner has serious fear and submits to panic at the blink of an eye. Fortunately, Yuuri always stays supportive of her.

Rusty pipe systems, snow-clad plains filled with weapons of war and desolate temples - the show’s landscape is empty and its designs range from simple to highly complex. The dark, barely saturized, grey color palette only changes during dreams and revelations. Unlike one might initially assume, the empty and wistful world radiates a romantic feeling. While it may be devoid of nature and has no ecosystem to speak of, the countless tales told by the cityscape itself more than make up for it. The bubbly moe character designs help alleviate the central juxtaposition of the cold world and the comforting company of the two protagonists (and whomever they might meet along the way).

Such sparse environment rarely allows for much movement to take place, but through dosated usage of CG the show enables engaging camerawork and alleviates the overall experience. The CG itself does unfortunately not hold up to the gorgeous and detailed look of the hand-drawn backgrounds but it in turn allows the explosive scenes to benefit from the momentum achievable through animation - and they look great!

The show’s solid visuals are accompanied by both upbeat and melancholic music. In insert songs, the vocalist creates a great feeling of departure encompassing an euphoric mood and a grieving goodbye. On the other hand, the Opening and Ending songs excel through their sheer musical simplicity. They embrace modern electronic music and pop culture (the moonwalk and even dabbing), depicting and enhancing the fun shenanigans of the two girls and their endless journey.

Due to its metallic landscape, the soundscape of the show mostly consists of industrial sounds: petrol engines, gunfire and cold, metallic echoes dominate, and their prevalence is only trumped by the two girls’ dialogue.

Girls’ Last Tour is lighthearted and emotionally poignant; it excels through simplicity and thoughtfulness, but never dwells on the latter. The juxtaposition of its thematically dense but desolate cityscape and the intimacy of the main duo create a melancholically wholesome experience and make it one of the best shows of the year.

Score: 85

Imagine you’re trekking into a dense forest with your friends. The sun is going down and it’s getting late. Then, you hear strange unknown noises coming from all directions around you. You check your phone and it has no signal. You can’t find the compass in your pocket and there’s no food left. Now, you and your friends just realized…you’re lost. You’re in trouble.

I don’t know how many of you have been in this type of situation before but watching Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou brings a similar feeling. The idea of being lost in an unknown place evokes a sort of uneasiness. The constant fear of ... danger, feeling restless, and hoping to survive is what really attracted me to this show. To me, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (Girls’ Last Tour) is much more than just a world-end journey. It’s a show that combines slice of life with post-apocalyptic themes for the sake of survival. Do they need a reason beyond that? Not really. Yet, it doesn’t really need more to sell its masterful storytelling.

To be clear, this anime takes place in the aftermath of a vague apocalyptic event. What do I mean by vague? It basically means that the anime doesn’t fully explain the details of what happened in the past. It only leaves behind details with places, objects, and symbols that characters will discover. In the meantime, this anime does a solid job at world building. Essentially, their world is dead. It’s devoid of almost all life. What’s interesting to note is that the structures, gadgets, and weapons looks realistic enough to relate to our world. These range from food factories, libraries, tall towers, and among others. Even some of the weapons that appears in the show looks realistic such as the guns and iconic tank that the two characters operate. Throughout this anime, we can only interpret the various mysteries of their world. To be honest, that’s what makes it intriguing. The anime doesn’t give true answers and leaves the viewers to theorize with their own imaginations. “What happened to this world?” is a big question mark I’m sure most viewers will formulate throughout the show.

If you’re invested into a linear storytelling of complexity, turn back now. This show isn’t to please a certain demographic but instead relies on its creativity to do the storytelling. Every episode is an adventure of its own as Chito and Yuuri makes new discoveries during their journey. At times, it almost feels like playing an open world game like Assassin’s Creed Origins or Fallout. The vast open world of unknown leaves behind so much to explore and honestly, it’s what bought the most interest for me. From cultural symbols to mysterious ruins, it’s a show that carries itself without a plot doing the talking. Our two heroines, Chito and Yuuri walk the earth without an end goal and it’s dazzling at how much interest they bring in.

Of course, Chito and Yuuri are the main characters that ultimately connects the show together. Without these two, there wouldn’t be a journey. Watching Chito and Yuuri together really shows that the two has a unique relationship. Chito’s calm composure balances out Yuuri’s easygoing personality and two makes a dynamic approach to their survival. For instance, Chito has the skill to drive Kettenkrad (their spider-like tank). She’s the one usually making decisions thanks to her literate skills. On the other hand, Yuuri has the knowledge to operate firearms, a skill essentially for their survival. The two make an interesting team in that although they don’t always agree, they’re able to collaborate to survive. However, a big part that attracted me about the duo is their character chemistry. There really isn’t many characters in this show so watching these two connect really brings the best out of each other. There are episodes that show their imaginative creativity and make the most of their situation. Despite their current condition, Chito and Yuuri enjoys each other’s company and even has fun when the opportunities present itself. Their small talk is also meaningful that even includes some philosophical dialogues from time to time. Still, this show does introduce a few characters although they only make sparse appearances. Kanazawa and Ishii are human beings that our main duo will encounter. Their encounter with them brings an interesting side and provokes a question such as “are there others like them out there?” Their role in the show is also interesting to note as they help each other to survive while accomplishing their own goals. Later on in the show, there’s also another character introduced although it swings into the otherworldly category.

You would think a show like this is about despair and sadness. No. If you take notice, you can easily discover that Chito and Yuuri lives their daily lives happily. Their journey takes them to ruined cities as they scavenge for supplies. They even hope to make memories from this journey with the help of a camera. Additionally, there are episodes that puts these two into ludicrous positions such as being drunk. I can also honestly confess that the show is emotionally appealing on different levels. Chito and Yuuri’s relationship give the impression that no matter how desolate a world can be, there’s hope and joy. Adapting a show like this really takes skill and I am very impressed by the craft the creators applied. As a manga reader, I’m also glad that the anime captured the mood of the show throughout each episode. It’s mostly faithful and really does a solid job at selling its ideas.

White Fox has been experimenting with a variety of genres recently. To make this anime really needed effort as adapting a desolate world is no easy task. Thankfully, I can say that they did a stellar job at adapting the visual quality of the show. The atmospheric feel really hits the marks with designs of the city ruins, cultural objects, and even weapons. Kettenkrad is a tank that people can relate to our modern world while the weapons such as rifles are visually realistic. The most interesting part is perhaps the character designs of Chito and Yuuri. The two look like characters from a cartoon. Some viewers might not be too keen on accepting them but it should be recognized that they are more complex than they appear. This is expressed through their character expressions. There’s no succinct way to put it but the two really draws a line between abnormal and normalcy. Their expressions evoke emotions from laughter, sadness, and curiosity. To note, there’s also some fan service but viewers should overlook that as those parts stand as a foil to the despair of this desolate world. You’d think these girls would be dressed like they are child soldiers read to go to war but in reality, they just live life.

I can’t say this enough but the soundtrack is stunningly beautiful. Music composer Kenichiro Suehiro shows his craft through the simplistic yet very convincing OST for this show. The melancholic tone with the eerie vibe every episode gives off matches perfect with the setting. Not to mention, I’m also impressed by the avant-garde style of the theme songs. It’s unique with a catchy tone that’s hard to miss. Finally, praise should be given to the two main heroines. It only took one episode to convince myself that Chito and Yuuri’s voices matches perfectly with their personalities.

I’ve watched this show several times during its duration and it still feels like I only scratched the surface. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is a rare anime that took on a peculiar premise and turned it into a near masterpiece. It has the ability to get viewers invested without an overlaying plot. The characters are deceptively complex. With a world setting filled with mystery, it’s no wonder you can find yourself lost. Don’t worry though. It won’t be like one of those trekking trips where you get drenched in fear. No, it’s a show that breathes life into such a post-apocalyptic world.

We can be in the presence of a deja-vu, an anime about children (I used that words before). Could it surprise us as Made in the Abyss did? Will we feel empathy with those kids in a post-apocalyptic world? The truth is that we can be surprised one more time.

We live our lives hastily surrounded by numerous technological devices. We consider that our daily tasks, such as eating and taking a shower, are "habitual," and we never asked ourselves what would happen if life change due to destruction and a terrible war. What would happen if we lose those things? What would we ... do to survive? Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou takes us to a time where civilization disappeared because of war. The only memory of the existence of the culture lies in the numerous ruins of cities and the devices that once served humans. The animation captivates us with an incredible story of friendship, trust and the constant struggle to survive. Day after day the actions of two girls are a ray of hope in a desolate world.

The story 9

The world is a hostile, challenging and sometimes somber place. The constant struggle between nations led to chaos and destruction where countless lives were lost. The war took to oblivion the meaning of the civilization that once existed. The bonds of this condemned world are reflected in the few survivors who day after day must be scavengers to obtain a supply that can prolong their existence in a dead world and thus give meaning to their lives

Two girls, Chito and Yuuri, wander in the middle of the solitude, the ruins and the deteriorated structures of what was once a society. In the same way, they struggle to find their daily sustenance. A simple ration bar could be a treasure, a place to bathe would be a longed-for dream. In summary, all the dreams changed for the constant struggle to survive. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou's story has an incredible context that could make you remember writings from Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre that talk about human existentialism. In the same way, the story leads this duo to question about life, death and human nature.

These girls have dreams, feelings, fears that are exposed in each episode and are perceived by the spectators. They transform a simple rain into a musical festival and maintain a high level of optimism that we can observe in the various actions, games, and jokes that they make throughout the plot. However, you can ask yourself if one day you will find an answer to what happened to the world and if these girls will live long enough to grow and have a happy life if there is one.

The setting of Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is excellent. The anime portrays the scars of a war that happened a while ago. Abandoned buildings, rusty pipelines that vanish in the shade as the last sign of life and in the midst the survivors. Elements such as the environment show the catastrophic scenario that these girls have to endure in order to survive day after day. Maybe those details add more realism to the story.

Something you can notice is the constant need to move, climb and reach higher levels. We can compare that world with a spiral without an apparent end. What will they find in the higher levels? What difficulties will appear? Moreover, the world is full of mysteries, one of them is the reason for the war, another the "statues" that arise during the adventure that perhaps are part of a higher purpose and a camera that keeps the records of the lost memories.

The most exciting part is how the information is delivered to the viewers. The story advances with these girls and the audience advances with them. The viewer is an active part of the story since it depends on these girls and is not a simple observer. The story has good pacing it has a lovely narrative that will keep you hooked until the end.

Sometimes, for a lot of spectators is difficult to sympathize with children or to find an animation about children engaging. However, this duo maintains the innocence of their age no matter what problems they have had. They still act like little girls in a devastated world. Yes, I know that, under certain circumstances, they must make decisions as adults, but I liked that they still have dreams, that they question everything and that they want to discover new things. In other words, they are not adults, Chito and Yuuri still have a childhood to live. For example, I will always remember when Yuuri tried to draw Chito in the diary. That kind of moments matches the innocence and youth of the characters that sooner or later will have to mature. Finally, the series highlights several ideas such as friendship, trust, the need to be together to survive. What would they do if one of them were in danger near death?

Pitifully, the story does not conclude entirely. Maybe we will need to wait some time to see a full conclusion. However, the final episode could give you a partial completion where the emotions (sadness, love) were present. It will reveal some mysteries and facts that we were suspecting.

Characters 9

The most delightful couple of the season. Chito and Yuuri could be very different, but they care for each other. Moreover, they are in a constant fight to survive, but they maintain the innocence of a child that isn't corroded by the war or any other event.

Chito. She is the brain of the group, she takes smart decisions but also is very fragile and has some fears. She likes to read and writes a journal. Also, she keeps the duo working for a higher cause, surviving or maybe feeding Yuuri.

Yuuri. She is the muscle and the comedian of the group also is a good shooter. You can see her as Chito's guardian. Her humor is fantastic she can make us forget about that desolated world with her actions and jokes. For example, it was hilarious when Chito comment to Kanazawa "she burns others books," and Yuuri's expression was pretty amusing.

Art 8

Each episode offers excellent detail and artistic quality. However, some CGI can be observed in some camera angles (mostly on the Kettenkrad motorbike), but they are not so strange and do not damage the narrative. Also, the series has an intelligent use of lighting. You can feel that the world is gone. The light is contrasted each scene showing the designs where the decadent world (rusty pipes), abandoned machinery, weapons. The camera angles used in the scenes are correct and keep the eyes occupied in the critical parts of the narrative and the main characters.

The characters' design is not very detailed. Moreover, they are a bit simple, they follow a chibi art, for some persons they have a mocking style, but I liked it in general, and it helps to have a better idea of ​​the personalities of the main characters.

Sound 9

The sound is pretty amazing. I am a bit amazed by the score; it can compete with Made in the Abyss. Also, the track rises the climax of each episode. For example, the central theme (Episode 1, Ending) adds the concept of mystery and innocence to the story. The sound mix is excellent, you can feel with your senses the desolation and the ruins because the sound boosts the ambiance and the characters actions.

The OP is very catchy, has a constant rhythm where you can see some traits of the main characters, and it has interesting lyrics. About the ED, it isn't as good as the OP but in general is a good song.

Enjoyment 9

In each episode, I expected to see answers to some mysteries, and I was waiting for what this pair would find. I wanted to follow the story. However, maybe the plot has some problems since we will not have all answers to all questions and there is no real ending that reveals us the future of this unique duo because the manga is still in progress. No matter this issue I liked how this pair acted and tried to find answers to philosophical questions such us life and death, and the reason for the existence.

Overall 9

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou was a surprise. In my case, I want to see the answers to the mysteries, I want to understand more about what happened to that desolate world and, above all, I want to see if these girls will survive the adventure in this world. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while for that, and I'm sure you will have similar feelings towards this magnificent story because you will see it regardless of my recommendation.

Girls’ Last Tour is one of the easiest masterpieces to drop, or worse yet, finish and have entirely missed the point of. Its visual presentation does such a clever job at obfuscating the story’s deeper, darker meaning, you’d hardly be at fault for viewing it as your average cute girl show which just happens to be weirdly surreal. I mean, whether you find yourself here because you saw a gif of moe girls dabbing or because you’re genuinely interested in watching the show, you probably didn’t come because you were invested in exploring its themes of hopelessness, aimless despair, philosophical stoicism, and the inevitability of ... death which its suicidal creator subtly imbued it with.

I first learned of this series not as an anime, but as a manga. The manga was said to be boring; a story with cuteness, but no real depth. Since this was said by someone who, at the time, I knew was intelligent enough to recognize the fact CGDCT shows still had the ability to be smart and meaningful, I took this appraisal as gospel and promptly forgot the series existed. Having since gone back to have a look for myself, I now appreciate the manga as a powerful, deeply emotional work which weaves the bleakness of Texhnolyze through the enchanting, brutalist world of Blame! plus the soothing atmosphere of Mushishi, with just as many breathtaking displays of visual artistry.

While the anime doesn’t reach the manga’s conclusion where the point becomes clear, that which the anime does adapt is wonderfully done. The background art is nothing short of masterful, and its brilliant landscapes are only complemented by the expertly balanced, minimalistic color design. The music builds atmosphere perfectly, and it can easily send a waterfall of tears streaming down your face. This is one of those rare anime which ran the risk of looking too good. Should this have been adapted by a studio like Production IG or Kyoto Animation, the result would’ve been lavish enough to betray the intentional drabness of the setting, so what we got was the absolute ideal.

As for those heavy themes I bluntly stated in my introduction, Girls’ Last Tour, just like any series with the expertise to properly explore such topics, handles its message almost entirely via subtext. I could spell it all out for you, since I honestly see myself as even more of a depressed mess than tsukumizu, but I feel that would kind of undermine the point. I’m not against spoon-feeding in general, but I feel like people who have trouble understanding the worldview this series promotes are perhaps lucky. Should you take the show to heart, and the show then makes you feel something, it did its job, but if it doesn’t, it didn’t strictly fail, and you probably really enjoyed yourself.

If you were here for those dabbing memes, however, then I thank you for enduring my lugubrious analysis, and I’m happy to say the adorable protagonists, Chito and Yuuri, will do those gifs all due justice. If you're looking for some hardened men, killer action sequences, mind-breaking cliffhangers, brutal action sakuga, and most importantly NO MOE, then this is certainly not for you, but if you're looking for literally anything else, I promise Girls' Last Tour will have something to offer you. Be it a quaint little slice of life that follows two cute girls who you can’t help but love, or a bleak reflection on your existential dread which you can find embedded in its grim thematic undertones.

Thank you for reading.

Let me make it clear that I will now write a lot about how this anime left me feeling, and reasons for it... Reasons for why many people like myself like this show so much...
[There will probably be quite heavy spoilers]

So let me begin with saying that this show really left me feeling with the "void" feeling after finishing it, the type of feeling of... seeing something so true (if that makes any sense). It goes over some very dark ideas throughout the whole series which might at first be quite apparent but there's way more if one cares to delve deeper.

In the show we ... are shown what only seems to be a destroyed world far into the future, not a single type of plant or animals are still alive and at no point in the show do we see foliage of any kind, instead, we see the world covered in metal presumably to make it easier to live on for humans, to basically, create a "perfect" home for those living on it. Of course the dreams of life are rarely no more and with great cities destroyed the way it is in the show, it becomes almost impossible to live.

I think one important part of the show that I feel makes a lot of people like it, is duo to how mysterious it is. We aren't really told what destroyed the planet more than subtle hints every now and then and it really never explain things in the story, yet even though this is true, it feels like everything has a reason, it feels like everything has a backstory that makes sense. They've created a world that seems so believable it might as well be our earth.

By having such rare encounters with people in the series, it creates something I don't think I've almost ever seen in a different show... It's the feeling of isolation in a world were millions and billions of people once roamed the earth. This creates not specifically a suspension each type they meet a new person, but almost as if a new hope, something which the 2 main characters seem to lack more and more the more they go on.

Also when speaking about lack of hope, Yuuri, one of the main characters, keeps singing a tune about no hope, but she doesn't sing it in a way that's specifically sad but almost as if happy and cheerful. I think it's quite obvious to say that she isn't "happy" with everything being the way it is now, but more so, trying to make time pass while creating a mood. In such desperate times there's no real need to make it any worse, therefore this could be her (like we also see her do in many other ways) to try to cheer up Chito (the other main character).

To be completely honest, it is really hard to explain this story without seeing it with your own eyes. I've had many people tell me and other reviews say that "literally nothing happened in the show", which if you're one of these people I believe you misunderstood the reason this show is so loved. It's not because it very specifically gets to a goal at the end, but exactly because it doesn't. They wander the earth with basically no real confidence and hope, and that's exactly what they get.. they get a endless world filled with nothing but metallic buildings destroyed and a reminder that they too will soon enough join this rubble.

One show that I could say is kind of similar to this is "Made in Abyss", another one of the series I've given a 10 (I haven't given many shows a 10). Both aren't scared to really show how the real world is, everything doesn't always have to end well and things don't always have to coincidentally happen just so the main characters of the show can continue on a mission, this is one idea that sparks life in both of the these shows and gives them a sense of relatability.

I find myself often listening back to the songs from the series, for example the opening, the opening itself has quite a happy tone, yet each time I listen to it, I almost shed a tear, remembering the greatness which is this show, it means more to me than I could possibly convey.

This show is easily a 10/10 for me, in fact I'd like to give it a higher score. If you haven't seen this show (then sorry for spoiling some basics of it, but you will certainly still enjoy it) then you really should check it out! "Don't watch anime with your eyes closed"

It's basically Aria if Amano Kozue read a lot of positive nihilistic philosophy. The world has ended and everything that we once held dear has been rendered a moot point? Who cares, life's still worth living anyways. Look at that gorgeous sunset over there, or this snowman I made on top of your head and used a bullet for a nose. I find it to be very uplifting and inspiring. The ability of life to adapt and overcome in the face of overwhelming adversity.

You might also note that I rated this a perfect 10/10 so yeah, I'm not exactly unbiased about my opinion of this ... show. Take that as you may.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou - Series Review

What if there really was a world where you and your very best friend were supposedly the only two people left in the world after a post-war society? How would that feel, being with the one and only person you ever wanted to be with until you die, experiencing hardships, connections, good times, and everything in between? Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou gives me an idea of how that would feel and for some reason that idea has kept popping back up in to my head. You and your friend are just lost in what seems like an endless “sandbox world” to ... yourselves, maybe even seeing people along the way. There’s always that tense feeling of not knowing what you will see next or what’s waiting for you in the near or distant future. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou may not be seen as the best anime series ever by most people, but to me, I felt a connection. A connection with the environment, the characters, and the dialogue… everything. I want to explain why this is my favourite series of all time without being biased. This is all my opinion, and I hope that you can understand why this is the best anime I have watched as of the time I have made this review.

The story is set in stone right from the first episode. Chito and Yuuri are supposedly the last two people left in society, maybe even the last living organisms in society. Everyday they rely on what they learned from what they found the day before. They are always finding new things to discover, and the show really pulls you in from what they find each episode. In this post-war apocalyptic environment, you’d expect quite a melancholy of a story if anything, with the whole story being about how the last two people left in the world only have the small things that are ahead of them to look forward to. That’s not the case for Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou. In fact, Chito and Yuuri’s journey is fairly merry and joyful. Most of the experiences that are bad overshadow the good because of how short the bad moments last. It makes this show much more enjoyable and shows that all the sad moments in life should only last such a small amount of time, and you should only focus on the best parts of it. That’s what I love about this show. Maybe you have depression, and you really connected with this show. That’s basically the same case for me; I think that this show tells you that even if life is hard at times, nice things still happen, and you should shift your focus on those nice things. Then, your life will be much happier. Chito and Yuuri had left their parents from a society that seems to have no backstory other than that, making it raise a lot of questions and makes this anime more mysterious as it goes on. Who knows what could have happened to that society besides the fact that it was most likely torn down by war? To be honest, anime that propose a question or have mystery elements to them are some of my favourite aspects of anime in general.

White Fox is known for being really experimental with what they make and they always love to reach out to new genres. They have made a lot of amazing anime and I appreciate how hard they work on making things perfect. Steins;Gate was an amazing anime for me and it’s honestly unforgettable. They also made some other really great series like Katanagatari, Akame ga Kill, Re:Zero, Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka, Hataraku Maou-sama, and probably more. Of course, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou adds to the amount of great series they have made. Their way of adapting Tsukumizu’s art style was perfect and it feels like Tsukumizu could have even made the anime herself if she could. The landscape and scenery stand out a ton in many episodes and attention to detail in scenes that need to be pointed out as the most important parts are absolutely stellar, hell, maybe I can even call it flawless. I have this attachment to how cute the style of the characters are and it makes me happy everytime I see them. White Fox just did really good at making this anime adaptation and I’m so glad they did.

Chito and Yuuri are characters that feel real in a way that makes it very relatable to many people. They are almost like opposites to each other, and their interactions display many different emotions and they clearly are happy that they are together in this end of the world society. It makes me wonder how it would feel like if me and my best friend were in a society quite like the one in Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou. Chito is the character that worries a lot about what’s ahead and does repairs to the Kettenkrad. She seems to be a lot more of a survivalist than Yuuri is, but her personality is really adorable. Yuuri is the carefree and happy go lucky character, and honestly the one that you can have more of a connection with. She may be a bit greedy, but she can be really wise and she reminds Chito that the world isn’t always full of tension and despair. There’s always something to look forward to and you need to see more things positively. Both Chito and Yuuri make the plot of this story and I couldn’t ask for more. Their opposites attract, and it makes watching this anime just amazing, especially when it gets meaningful and emotional.

I really want to point out how beautiful the soundtrack is to this anime. Some tracks are quite sad and depressing, and some are really, really happy. However, the part that really stands out the most for me is how each of the tracks sound. It’s a beautiful and unique soundtrack, and I haven’t heard such an amazing soundtrack since Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and Made in Abyss. The passion used to make this original soundtrack is just beyond my own comprehension, because it sounds perfect in my ears. Kenichiro Suehiro took many different elements of music and combined them to make the soundtrack for this anime, and he did it near flawlessly. The soundtrack is used so precisely on the perfect moments and it makes the vibe of each part of the anime feel so good. Whenever Chito and Yuuri are in a dark area, a more calm or eerie song plays. Whenever they discover something amazing or they look out into the distance and see the beauty of the layered city, a song that will make the scene so much more emotional plays. That’s what I love about this OST, it’s just perfect to me.

This anime is so powerful even after a first time watch. I want to rewatch this so many times, I bet won’t ever get tired of seeing how amazing this is. The meaning behind Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou probably goes far beyond what I feel like it already is. This anime is such a rare find today that there’s almost nothing like it, even now. This may just be one of the most unique anime ever made and I appreciate White Fox for it. The amount of time and dedication to make this anime amazing is beautiful. I felt happiness, sadness, emotional connections, and all the meaningfulness from this show just go right into my head, never to come back out because it’s so worth it to keep these memories in my head after watching this. The complexity of Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is so deep that maybe even if I watched 10 times I couldn’t find out the true meaning. I just stick to what I think it’s about and I’m happy that I think of it that way because it makes the viewing experience so much more enjoyable. There hasn’t been a single anime like this one that I’ve watched before and it’s the most unregrettable and unforgettable experience I have ever had watching anime. My opinion may be biased compared to most, but I felt too many great emotions when watching this.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is my favourite anime.

Story: 10+/10
Characters: 10+/10
Art: 10+/10
Sound: 10+/10
Enjoyment: 10+/10
Overall: 10+/10

What makes a good post-apocalyptic story?

The atmosphere. A dense and foreboding feeling that life was at one time much greater than it is today, but now all that's left is a hollow shell of a former civilization that you'll never be a part of. What makes the story of Girls' Last Tour (AKA Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou) great is not just the slice of lifestyle plot. It's the storytelling that makes it extraordinary.

As Chito and Yuri explore the desolate city, they learn more about the setting, giving the audience helpful information to piece together the lore. The world they live in is implied to be ... Earth in the distant future after a war has wreaked havoc and left the world barren. Chi and Yuu spend each episode exploring, looking for supplies, and finding new aspects of their world that they had never known before. The show implies that they were born after the war because of the director's impressive ability to tell us about the characters in subtle ways. Whether it be how they react to finding something that would seem normal to people like us. For example, They find a fish at one point and can only identify it based on distant memories. From that simple interaction, we have enough information to infer that they have never seen live fish and most likely a body of water.

Little details like this are all over the show. You'll constantly be learning about the world of Girl's Last Tour without a single line of exposition.
I was impressed from beginning to end because of the well-executed story. Girl's Last Tour understands that simplicity is beautiful, and it shows us its understanding at any chance.

The overarching plot is relatively simple and could be categorized as a slice of life by some standards. In every episode, the girls go somewhere new. They're constantly driving, after all. They make pit stops at a place each episode to refuel or investigate a new location. We gain insight into what Chi and Yuu know and comprehend about the world through their various pit stops. The show's foundation is the two main characters, Chi and Yu. If you don't like their chibi designs or childish personalities, chances are you won't enjoy Girl's Last Tour. For me, their childish look and goofy banter made the show incredibly pleasant despite taking place in a desolate post-apocalyptic world. Throughout their journey, they meet several enigmatic inhabitants of the city, all of which have interesting information to provide to the girls and the audience.

Frequently CGI is used for the car that they drive, but the world has an undeniably arresting aesthetic. It's a bleak world with a color palette of primarily black, white, brown, and grey, but there is beauty in the lighting and great use of shadows. While the visuals may not inspire as much imagination as a show like Made in Abyss, they still tell a story. One of the best ways the director tells a story through visuals is his obsession with stairs. And I mean that in the best way possible. Every time the characters are shot climbing up in their little car, the scene has a double meaning. The further they rise, the more they learn about their world. In the show's very first scene, the lead characters are introduced to a dark cavern driving along as they always do. By simply shooting the characters in a visually compelling factory, the artists do a fantastic job of establishing that the story is about these childish characters and their journey to becoming adults.

To complement the sprawling world and the mystical atmosphere is a mellow soundtrack. I do love the music, but it's really underused. Many scenes have no music at all, only very effective use of ambient sounds. A myriad of background noises adds to the atmosphere and believability of the show's world. While you're watching it, you feel like you're there. The whirr of the car engine, the clinking of metal, and the well-performed voices of Chi and Yuu make up much of the show's ambient sounds. Thanks to the great voice actresses of the lead characters, their personalities come across really well without the show ever needing to tell us explicitly about who the characters are. The show is effortlessly enjoyable, thanks to the voices. Slight inflections in their voices are enough to figure out what they're thinking without requiring unnecessary dialogue to explain things.

I can't complain too much that the soundtrack was underused because the best songs were saved for the best scenes. During these critical moments, the melancholy soundtrack rises in volume until it becomes the only thing you can hear. It does a great job of hammering home the impact of some crucial scenes.

The show lives and breathes the phrase, "The journey is more important than the destination." Even though it is a slice-of-life show, you're constantly being given details about the setting through Chito and Yuu as they learn more about the world on their journey. Some of the shenanigans they get into are funny. However, don't expect a comedy because it's mostly just a cute and uplifting tone that keeps it enjoyable. There are very few jokes. This is fine because it would probably drain all the tension from the moody atmosphere.

An exciting setting and fantastic visual storytelling immediately make Girl's Last tour worth watching. Whether or not you will be immersed in the Girl's Last Tour world depends on how interested you are in the world and the journey the lead characters undergo. It's so content with simply being happy and heartwarming that I didn't feel like it was missing much. I like my slice-of-life shows with meaningful subtext, and Girl's Last Tour has that. The atmosphere is dense, the visuals are breathtaking, the audio engages you, and the mysterious setting offers something more substantial for you to chew on.

Imagine you could take a step back for a moment, and take a long, hard look at humanity. Where will we be in 1,000 years? Are the issues we face in the present really that important in the grand scheme of things? What does it mean to live? If our civilisation comes to an end one day, will it really be that bad?

Girl Last Tour is a unique take on post-apocalyptic fiction and in my view one of the most beautiful shows to come out in a long time. The setting might seem bleak and depressing at first glance, and whilst those feelings are present, ... it’s mostly used as a backdrop for the talking points of the main characters. It might also seem like another Moe, slice-of-life show that has value in its cuteness and not much more, but it’s really much more than that. It’s an abstract journey through history and human culture through the eyes of people who never got to experience it themselves, with a perspective completely detached from our everyday lives and personal drama. It makes you think about how insignificant many of our stresses and quarrels really are in the grand scheme of things and often brings into question the meaning of why we live and do the things we do. Themes like war and human greed are brought up and criticised, just as is the importance of knowledge, keeping records and the preservation of life. In many ways this show is a harsh introspection of ourselves as a species and in many others it’s an optimistic exploration of the beauty of living and learning. More than anything, it's about finding hope for the future even when the world seems bleak and empty.

Both the setting and characters are vehicles for the social commentary of this show, and as such don’t end up being particularly interesting in themselves. There’s no grand, overarching plot or a great deal in the way of character development, because that’s not really the point of Girls’ Last Tour. It’s not a show about fictional characters, it’s a show about how we think about the world and ourselves, and it works exceptionally well.

Two chibi girls on a vintage Kettengrad motorbike explore the war-ravaged city that they once called home. This sentence without context sounds ridiculous, but Girls' Last Tour manages to pull it off by providing one of the best shows of the season with beautiful background imagery, variation between the two leads that mimic those of two sides of a brain, and a soothing yet melancholic soundtrack

The quality of the backgrounds can be mostly attributed to the widely used post-apocalyptic setting and the source material of the show. Tsukumizu's elaborate ruined cityscapes of rusted pipes and war-torn steel fully contrast with the two chibi, moe ... leads.

Chito and Yuuri compose the dual leads that this anime relies on to contrast it's grim setting. If you were to divide the two into the halves of a brain, Chi would be the intellectual right and Yu would be the cheery left. Both care immensely for each other, as seen in the show, and operate almost as one conscious entity. The very design of our two main characters is the antithesis of this show's setting of a post-apocalypse, something that has been done in other shows such as Made in Abyss. The interactions the two have with each other can only be described as nostalgic, and the soundtrack of this show furthers this by a significant margin.

The soundtrack is very well supplemented with acoustic guitar and vocals among other instruments and is often used to evoke a sense of discovery or nostalgia as the two girls venture throughout the city. The warmth of the guitar clashes with the frigid concrete, providing another point of divergence that fuels the nostalgia train.

The technical aspect of this show is pretty impressive on its own, but the themes and thought-provoking questions that Chito and Yuuri impose upon the reader also need to be taken into consideration. They might be open-ended but hint towards a deeper learning that is happening as the two girls adventure through the wasteland. The story itself might be disconnected in some regard, but the experiences that our two leads are having could be interpreted as rediscovering what it means to be human. The episode titles contribute to this as well, with simple names like Bath or Friends.

To conclude, Girls' Last Tour is without a doubt the best show of this winter season, displaying an array of insightful themes with impressive execution. I hope Studio White Fox makes a second season for this gem

I've watched almost every anime listed in MAL, but this is my first time i really want to write a review here, special for this pure gem.

Story: After watching so many anime of course it is so hard to find a new anime with a fresh plot. As listed in synopsys, this anime is about 2 girls journey in post apocalyptic world. What makes the story special is because of the nihilistic life lesson that the girls discuss from what they experience in their journey, meeting new things, people and even robot.

Character: This probably what makes me falling in love with this anime because ... of the 2 main characters, Chito and Yuuri. Chito is always try to be rational even though she is so shy. And Yuuri who is so eccentric, and somehow always found a way to almost kill chito accidently. The interaction between the two is pure gem. They help each other to stay positive in the end of the world, where almost nothing is positive.

Enjoyment: Well, i am 100% enjoy watching this anime. Even though the atmosphere if this anime is kinda dark kinda similar to Made in Abyss anime, but the Yuuri and Chito interaction always lifted the mood. They discuss heavy life lesson, such as the meaning of life, hope, happiness, and even about God, with simple thought from their experience. Even though i usually don't like philosophy anime but it doesnt really a bother for me, as they present it lightly and wrap it with comedy from Chito and Yuuri, which always give me smiles afterward.

Art and sound:
I never grade an anime based on art and sound, because for me the core of anime are the plot/story and characters.

In term of art I think this anime is pretty good as you could even guess what is in the blurry background perfectly, even people could know the type of war weapon and machine that the duo passed in the journey. Well with the Characters moe blob design, I think this is also perfect to lift the mood and make me reminiscing Hidamari Sketch anime.

Well, for sound I'm pretty sure this anime has best quality in this section, as I always hear people compare this anime has soundtrack as good as Made in Abyss anime, which is already famous for its soundtrack. Not to mention this anime has Inori Minase as Chito VA, Opening and Ending singer, also there is an insert song where the characters sing together with rain.

Overall: Probably the best way to describe this anime is: this is the fusion of Made in Abyss, Kino no Tabi, and Hidamari Sketch.

Out of all anime ever made till now, this is my favorite in Slice of Life genre. This anime makes me cry and laugh, give me hope in hopelessness, and teach me that everything will be fine even though nothing is fine.

To those who wonder why I give 10s for everything, I’ll explain why.

This anime left me speechless and it truly is a diamond that’s shines bright within the animes that I have watched. If you like adventure, moe, drama and a bit of slice of life, I highly, highly recommend you to watch this show.

[Slight Spoilers Ahead]

The story is more than amazing, it’s one of those stories that aren’t too generic, but not too unique to the point where you can’t wrap your head around it. The story is simple, two girls left in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world where humans are a rare sight. Their ... goal? Go up the layers that each cities has. This honestly was an unique story choice created by the author and you won’t see it in any other anime. As the story goes on, it’s quite amazing as the main characters develop. The ending is depressing but it spreads a very moral message about our lives. 10/10

The art is honestly something that I personally enjoy, you might not like this art style, but that’s alright! The characters are drawn in a more chibi style in comparison to the traditional anime. The background, scenery and motion are very smooth and it’s quite a beauty, in my opinion. 10/10

Music is almost always reoccurring. And it really enhances the show in a way that it almost makes scenes more emotional. The opening and ending though, they are one of the most cheerful tunes I have heard, I never skip them. This is actually the only anime that I’ve watched that I don’t skip the op and the ed. Cheers to the music production! 10/10

The characters aren’t your generic, anime girls in popular anime. Sure, they might possess a lot of similar characteristics, but they utilizes unique skills that they have to create diverse but not distant, personalities. For example, Yuuri is a girl who likes using force and not her brain. The authors expressed her personality as she carries a rifle and always wants to eat what ever she comes by that is alive. Chito is a girl who wants to learn about the environment around her. She likes reading and prefers peace over violence. The combo that these two girls often times creates conflicts but they are still good friends at the end. 10/10

The enjoyments speaks by itself from the previous reviews. It’s awesome, superb. It’s boring, but intense, it’s slow-paced, but can be fast-paced. It perfectly utilizes the mood of each scene and enhances them with other elements. The ending might be bittersweet but who cares? Sadness can leave quite an impression. 10/10

Overall, this is definitely one of my top three anime, you might disagree with me, but that’s fine. This is my personal opinion. 10/10

a story like no other, in a market full of isekai's, romances, slice of lives and comedic over the top stories anime tends to bring us, this stands out as something truly unique and unreplicable, the message behind this show is something that can be interpreted differently by each person who views it and covers many deep philosophical topics in a show disguised as two potato girls riding a strange little army tractor thing around a city that has been destroyed that consists of multiple layers, the visuals are quite beautiful and the show really shines with its world, how the viewer knows just as ... much as the protagonists about the world and how to interpret these things they are experiencing, girls last tour really stands out for it's story and it's message, it tells a story of war and destruction from the perspective of people who know nothing of it, causing them to find joy and sadness in things we take for granted in our day to day life, it really is a beautiful thing to watch, so if you're reading this and have not seen the show, please watch it, this masterpiece is worth your time i assure you.

this is a brief section about the manga with no spoilers, just an input some might want to know.
the anime covers vol 1-4 and gives a propper ending to the show, tho the manga has 6 volumes, 5-6 continue from where the anime ends and gives the "true ending" which someone finishing the anime might not know, the anime ending works well enough for what it is but I highly recommend the manga also.

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Shoujo Shuumatsu and while care has been taken to minimise spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis.

Intro and premise

In a world devastated by war two girls embark on a journey to find the truth and along the way encounter many new lessons that adds new perspective to their lives as they see the devastated world.

Based off a popular web manga of the same name Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou also better known as the Girls Last Tour is a sci-fi and mystery anime that makes use of ... a premise and setting not commonly seen in the anime world which is a journey by two young girls in a world that was devastated by large-scale war that killed off much of humanity and left the few survivors to scavenge the ruins for supplies that they can use to live another day. The post-apocalyptic world setting is not one that’s easily seen in animes and more commonly seen in games instead so having two girls travelling through such a world as they go on their journey was what drew me to this anime. Using the journey and the experiences and encounters that the girls encounter along the way the anime allows us to see the girl’s reactions and sentiments as they see a world that while in ruins and mostly devoid of human life still provides many lessons that can be contemplated and remembered.

Though the world in which the anime takes place in is never quite revealed it can be seen that the world itself is an advanced one that takes the form of a tower that has many floors. Each floor has its own unique climate and theme and seems to be divided into different areas like residential or industrial. Though desolate the world also contains many survivors that have managed to survive and scavenge through weapon littered fields for gear and equipment that can be used to survive.

The overall story for Shoujo Shuumatsu follows the life of two girls as they embark on a journey across the vast expanses of the world that they live and include the driver and leader the serious-minded but intelligent Chito and her partner the carefree but oddly positive soldier Yuuri who acts as Chito’s second and best friend. As the girls travel across the vast expanses of the world and explore the ruins of a civilisation they encounter plenty of situations and encounters that provoke deep thought and questions in the girl's minds making them realise that the world is much larger and more complex than what they had read in the limited knowledge that they had.

Chito

Chito voiced by veteran seiyuu Inori Minase of Re Zero and Re Creators fame is one of the main characters of the series and serves as one of the main protagonists of the series. A cautious, intelligent and strict person Chito serves as the pairs overall leader and driver that directs the overall path that they take as they advance towards their goal. While a serious and strict person by nature Chito is also a level-headed and calm person that likes to have all the facts about a situation on hand before trying to determine the course of action that they should take. This is in contrast to her partner and friend Yuuri who prefers to act on impulse rather than logic. While quiet by nature Chito is shown to be a realist and is not someone that will develop high hopes for something and indeed she is one that prefers to take things slowly but cautiously accomplishing what they need to do in the less risky manner possible. An interesting personality trait of Chito’s is her love of reading, learning and documenting and it can be seen that this comes from her desire to both know about the ancient world and at the same time hoping to create a record of what they had learned in their journey so that it can be used by others. As a result of this, it can be seen that Chito is someone that values knowledge and the maintaining of records and can get surprisingly angry when these are damaged. While a soldier just like Yuuri is it can be seen that Chito is someone that is a pacifist by nature and doesn’t like to use weapons even to defend herself which I found was rather strange for a soldier. While not hostile towards strangers that they encounter in the wasteland that they travel through it can be seen that Chito is someone that trusts slowly and wary of any strangers that cross their path. However, once they have proven themselves trustworthy it can be seen that she can be quite warm and trusting towards them.

The character of Chito I felt was an interesting character and one that was well developed and designed. In addition to serving as the one that kept the pair focused on the overall goal of the journey Chito also served as a contrast to her partner Yuuri serving as a foil that dealt with the worst of Yuuri’s impulses. While her calm and cautious nature is what stops Yuuri from getting too crazy with her impulses the fact that Chito is also an avid reader and believes in seeking and recording knowledge also serves as an additional safeguard and adds charm to her character.

Yuuri

Yuuri voiced by veteran seiyuu Yurika Kubo of Youkoso and Urara Meirochou fame is one of the main characters of the series and is Chito’s partner on the journey that they are taking. A carefree, positive and happy person by nature Yuuri is someone that is the very definition of a joker as she in contrast to her partner Chito is someone that can remain optimistic even in the grimmest of situations. While Chito’s serious personality often results in her causing somewhat tense situations Yuri’s personality as a joker is able to balance this out by introducing a number of light-hearted moments that help defuse such situations such as building snowballs on Chi’s head after a long trek and seeing snow in the morning. Unlike Chito who is well versed in both reading and writing Yuuri is someone that lacks both of those skills but is able to bounce back up due to her ability to adapt to new situations relatively quickly. While Yuuri herself can be overactive and careless at times it can be seen that beneath that happy side of her Yuuri is someone that is more perceptive than she first seems and is someone that is cautious and wary of strangers. When new situations and parties appear in their midst it can also be seen that her bond and friendship with Chito is something that she cares about greatly and values and as a result, she is fiercely protective of Chito. The character of Yuuri I felt was an interesting one as her personality contrasted a great deal with her partner Chito yet at the same time she also complemented Chito’s own flaws as well. One aspect of Yuuri’s personality that I particularly liked is her ability to create the most interesting and comical of questions from the most random things that she sees on her journeys something that is necessary in the long journeys that the girls go on.

AMV

In terms of animation, I felt that the character designs for the series main characters of Chito and Yuuri were well done and reflected well on the fact that in this world fashion and style pale in comparison to ease of maintenance and functionality. The design of the girl’s main form of transportation which though unnamed in the series I felt was interesting as it looked like a combo of a bike and a tractor and as a result allowed them to travel along many different types of terrain quite easily. The various terrain that the girls travel through as they go about their journey though I felt was well developed and designed though as each level and area that they go through was unique in terrain and theme and featured unique challenges that the girls had to overcome as they encounter it. The music for the series I felt was pretty good and the background music did well to complement the different situations that the girls encounter along the way. The opening and ending themes of the series, I felt were also well done with the former being catchy and funny and symbolising positive thinking and the latter symbolising optimism. The voice acting for the series was strong and I felt that despite the lack of an effective backstory that Inori Minase and Yurika Kubo who voiced the main leads of Chito and Yuuri respectively did an excellent job of portraying their characters and showing the unique interaction that exists between them when they are exploring.

Overall conclusion

In overall Shoujo Shuumatsu was an interesting anime that had among its main strong points an interesting premise, interesting story, character interaction and excellent voice acting. Though the premise of a post-apocalyptic world is rare by anime standards it is not unheard off but the concept of a journey in which two young girls explore the wasteland as part of their quest to reach their objective was one that drew my attention to it. The overall story of the series while thin along the lines of what their overall quest was still managed to accomplish the task of expanding upon the wasteland and developing the girl’s characters by introducing various situations and events that the girls encounter along the way. Each of these situations and events while not overly dramatic and indeed rather simple also did well to introduce us to the state of the world that the girls live in as well as provoke some interesting theories and opinions that the girls express. The fact that knowledge about this world is so few and far between also serves to enhance this process as neither girl knows about the things that they can encounter along the way and as a result, their opinion and theories are based on their personalities instead which makes every event and encounter interesting to see. The fact that these feature many different themes I felt also served to enhance this. Within the series there are many examples of simple things that we take for granted that no one no longer knows exists such as music, camera’s, elevators and watching the main characters reactions as they encounter this and be amazed by it also serves to remind us just how much this world has lost to the fires of war. The interactions between the two main characters I felt was also one of the strong points to the series as between the situations and events that the characters encounter are many quiet moments and seeing the conversations that take place between the two as they head on to the next encounter I felt was funny and refreshing and helped greatly by the fact that these conversations can start from the most random of topics that can create the most interesting of answers. The atmosphere of each of the episodes as the girls explore the various areas that they encounter I felt was also well done and helped convey a sense of loneliness to the world that harmonises well with the setting.

In overall Shoujo Shuumatsu was an anime that while having an interesting premise and characters expanded upon its greatest weakness, which was its weak story by introducing events and situations that the girls meet along the way that featured a surprisingly large number of themes and questions and answers that were also surprisingly deep and well thought out that resonated well with this world that the girls live in where knowledge is rare and precious. In terms of final score, I think this anime will deserve a final score of 9/10.

In a nutshell: Girls' Last Tour is a beautiful show about two friends travelling somewhere, anywhere, in a broken world. But even when everything is grey, bleak nothingness, Girls' Last Tour shows us that we can still somehow find joy and bliss simply by being together. This is a fairly relaxed show. There is no exciting plot to follow. There is no daunting enemy that our heroes must somehow conquer with the power in their hearts. This is a show that is much more about daily life and watching the world outside. It is the "sitting in a cafe ... on a rainy, staring out the window" rather than the "racing down an empty highway in a supercar" kind of show.

The part I love most about Girls' Last Tour is its emotional strength.
Combining wonderful art, music, and voicing, it is able to conjure emotion in ways that don't need to take advantage of the usual feelings-cheap-shots. And it doesn't just hit the usual emotional targets of sadness and happiness. What stuck out to me is the profound sense of wonder, tragedy, and simple bliss that I got over and over again. These are things that are usually quite hard and unusual to aim for. It's difficult to describe, but this show yanks on my heartstrings like nothing else while not taking advantage of emotional low-blows, if that makes any sense. However, this is not to say that this is just a serious or depressing anime. In such a dead world, Chi and Yuu are bright lights of joy and happiness. There's plenty of comedy as well, usually due to the antics of one character in particular.

Story, other than the fantastic world-building, is non-existent (and not the point). There are really only mini-plots, but no real major plot other than the tale of the past. (I've rated Story as 9 anyways because I'm a real sucker for mysterious world-building, even if it's only in the background)

Using moe chibis juxtaposed on a brutalist landscape is such an amazing contrast. Art in the show is wonderful. Though everything is usually grey and rectangular and sharp and mute, it actually never gets old. The background shapes and environments are always changing. In a way, the dullness of the world is so much more interesting than the usual fantasy/sci-fi worlds that are wild and brimming with vibrant color. And when there is color in the world, it is used spectacularly. Animation is also on point. The chibi faces are put to good comedic effect. Animated movement is simple but effective.

Music and sound design are, simply put, incredible. It's hard to describe without a spoiler-ish example, but there are great combinations of songs, sound effects, and art that just put you in awe. Voicing fits perfectly for each character, and some characters are really just enjoyable to listen to.

Overall, this is a show that I cannot stop loving. It is not action-packed. It does not have romance. It does not have an incredible rise of a hero against all odds. It is a wonderful piece of slice-of-life, atmospheric, and emotional art that reminds us that anime doesn't need intense action or distressing conflict to be great. I cannot express just how wonderful and amazing this experience is.

By the way, even if you don't end up watching this, I implore you to at least listen to the OST. Though some songs will not have the same impact without knowing the context, the score is amazing on its own.

Perfect in every way, for what it was aiming for.

The atmosphere alone won me over. Everything's bleak, in disrepair, nobody's around and hope's nowhere to be found. Despite all that, you have to keep going. Not unlike our everyday lives, no matter our personal situation or experiences. The anime however doesn't try to hide the fact this world is long gone. Ther are no messages about humanity's potential and the only time life is valued is towards the very end. Much like Turn A Gundam, the approach is "Look at how much destruction humanity is capable of causing; maybe we should get along instead ... of quarrelling.", except in Turn A there was hope from the beginning and Tomino constantly tried to show the joys and beauties of a simple life. There's even a hardcore soldier turned peace-and-nature-loving monk type of character after his defeat (and near-death experience!) to REALLY drive the point across. Girls' Last Tour feels like an empty dream, the kind where you aimlessly walk around a misty town desperately searching for something. Everything around you is long-abandoned and there's no one else but you there, but there's not a force that could stop you from pressing on, awake or asleep.

The way the lore is served up is fantastic too. The show only has about 5-6 characters max, yet everyone has their own little story to tell. The few times the girls interact with others, they all share tibids of their past and it's fun piecing together who they were before the war or what happened to the ones around them. Even Chito and Yuuri's chemistry alone is fantastic.They do argue from time to time, but they just make up and move along. Can't afford to remain angry in their situation, so they have learned to get along for however long they've been together. They make come off as simple tropes at first, but they don't just cover each other's weaknesses; they both learn from each other, give space, share their emotions and thoughs (some of the best parts by far are just the two of them sharing their views on life; their immature yet curious nature is adorable and fascinating at the same time!) and try to understand each other better as the show progresses. Best of all, they don't even have second thoughts when it comes to working as a team!

What beautiful music too! There's not a lot of it, but when there is, oh man it hits me like a ton of bricks!! Especially in the last episode... I'm sure the OP and ED songs will be stuck with me for a while. Both reflect the show's themes pretty well.

Couldn't have picked a better ending either. The more the show goes on, the less likely it becomes for the girls to make it through another day. Yet despite the challenges they face, the ending leaves me with a melancholic yet hopeful feeling. Kinda like when a long chapter of your life ends.

I wouldn't have it any other way, but I do wonder what the manga is like!

Personally I believe this show is not getting the respect it deserves, for even it's high rating it has on this site it is still criminally over-hated by people who refuse to look at the show for what it tries to do, expecting it to be something it isn't, why did you even watch the show when it says right there under the name of whatever app you use to watch anime, that is IS INDEED a Slice-of-Life.

The main problem with this anime is that it would go over most peoples heads with it's visual queues implying to the viewer what you could expect, maybe ... a psychological thriller? Something like Made in Abyss perhaps? This show IS to it's core and outer ends, a Slice-of-Life, it is in-fact, 2 girls all by them self in a seemingly life absent world, wandering around doing Slice-of-Lifey things. There is NO story. But you know what, that is what I like about this show.

The story itself could be just the moral, it's any way you paint it to be, and some people just choose to be negative and paint it as lost potential or boring, when you could paint it as a story of moral, teaching the value of everyday things we see in our day-to-day lives and take for granted. What exactly do these girls have? What do they make of the few things they do have? During the duration of the series I felt myself get excited over simple things, like when the girls got a hot potato, or finding rations amongst military equipment. It's truly a very interesting take on reality, taking a concept which could be used in a way people would expect it to, but then using it for something else, and executing it to tell a meaningful message, that is what I believe people overlook in this show.

The main point of the show, is the teach these hopeless girls how grim, and blank, the world can be, and to just accept that some things cannot be helped, to accept the reality that is the world they're in, and to get along with hopelessness. When you've failed, you can feel so carefree.

Two girls takes a post-apocalyptic trip...

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou by it's it's definition for LA was LA's zen anime for Fall 2017.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou follows Chito voiced by Inori Minase and Yuuri voiced by Yurika Kubo as they explore their post-apocalyptic world in a vast underground city of possibilities. Now you'd think this kind of anime would be boring but actually with the simple daily lives of Chito and Yuuri simply exploring a section of the world they live in actually gives off some platitudes about humanity itself considering the setting they are placed in.

Chito and Yuuri as characters are your typical characters of the ... strict and methodical one of Chito while Yuuri is the laid-back character only caring about food (no seriously this becomes a running gag). Their relationship by all means are unstable but we still know they are friends through and through from a world where they are the only ones, it's given that they would want company. Now LA did say that both Chito and Yuuri are the only ones exploring their world however LA isn't being exactly correct as do indeed met remnants of civilizations if it's only two characters they met in this anime screentime. Is this a problem?, no as it delves into more world building about this underground city that both Chito and Yuuri are exploring and surviving in.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou dives into some subtle themes about humanity (and thankfully they don't hammer it in!), due to how episodic the anime is, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou does explore even this and they do it discretely, from the simple act of rain touching empty cans making us think about music to robots clash over one another to preserve plants showing us if robots can have "feelings"...it's all nicely done and not at all hammered in.

In terms of animation done by White Fox, the character designs do have the chibified nature to them and LA is completely ok with that, though some wouldn't. The feature when it comes to Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou are the beautiful backgrounds. LA would think the only problem to all this are the clash of chibi and gorgeous backgrounds would be annoying and actually no...it's fine showing something of a "laid-back nature to what is showing the setting to be a depressed yet beautiful nature and counteracting the two together to actually work instead".

In terms fo voice acting, there really is only two MVP and that are Inori Minase and Yurika Kubo. Fun fact, LA thought Yuuri was voiced by Ayane Sakura at first but was surprised it was Yurika Kubo...she's come a long way since Hanayo from Love Live?. Other notable surprising voice actors in this anime would go to Yuki Kaji, Kotono Mitsushi and Kana Hanazawa. The voice cast as minimal as they are, was amazing.

Oddly enough the ending to Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou tied some world building threads together and finally gave us a bit of closure as to HOW this post-apocalyptic underground city was even made, but if that's not your cup of coffee, then the ending actually showed us that Chito really cares for Yuuri as much of a pain in the ass and annoyance she was to Chito in their trip together. Either way great ending!

What can LA say about Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou other than if you want a very zen anime looking at a beautifully post-apocalyptic world with two chibi explorers, then this is the anime for you.

I have never written a review for any anime, so apologies if this is not perfect. Before I continue however, I just want to say how masterful this show is, and why, in my opinion, is anime of the season.

With a lot of plots in anime, there is most often an end goal, a resolution that can be foreseeable. I am nowhere near someone who is truly experienced with anime, but for the reason that this show is more or so about the journey makes it really interesting.

The difference between the harsher moments and the cheerful moments almost makes the show more real. The characters ... bring out important philosophical questions with just mere conversation, and the supporting characters and entities help make those points. Their ignorance of many of humanities current issues, like war, makes the viewer think of our current world and relate.

Of course, for the characters themselves, they did an outstanding job of balancing the characters, of creating silly scenes but not overdoing it. Chito and Yuuri's contradicting personalities help blend in crucial scenes in the show and give more essence to any philosophy attempting to be presented in the show. Nuko is also really cute :3

In terms of art-style, I really like the blend between the scenes showing the characters and then the detail on the different pieces of technology; It helps build the contrast. The music is also really nice, and I love how they incorporated it into the show.

Overall, I highly recommend this if you want something fresh. I am not a fan of the Slice of Life genre, but they incorporate it here well.

<SHORT REVIEW>

Pros:
1. Heartwarming anime
2. Breathtaking music, seriously, so beautiful
3. Deep philosophical meaning behind each episode concerning war
4. Cute and likable cast of characters

Cons:
1. Too Slice of Life, may be boring for some people
... 2. Fanservice may bother some people
3. Character designs too moe, may bother some people

<LONG REVIEW>

Before Fall season even started, I have been hyping up for Girls Last Tour. This anime, at first sight while watching the PV, seemed very interesting. It takes place in a world where humans are nearly extinct because of war. There are only a few number of people left in the world including our main characters, Chito and Yuuri. This anime follows their journey as they wander around the post-apocalyptic world learning about things before the world came to an end.

After finishing this series, all I need to say is "Watch this series if you want a different anime than what we got recently". This series is extraordinary in a lot of ways. First, let's talk about the characters. Chito is your usual cute and serious female character. She can also be quite tsundere at some time, while Yuuri is a very positive character who loves eating. The contrast between these two characters are very fun to look at. Their interaction with each other are also very cute, funny and sometimes very heartwarming.

Moving on to the sound, this is AMAZING! I'm not kidding when I say that the soundtracks are god-tier level. Such beautiful musics can't be easily found in other anime. Suehiro Kenichiro, composer for Re:Zero, might be the next Kajiura Yuki. The soundtracks are so gorgeous. I can't find any more words to describe how good the musics are. Just listen to it while watching the series. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Then we have the art and animation. The designs for the characters are very moe/cute, but as a fan of this kind of designs, this doesn't bother me at all, but I've heard a lot of people complaining about it so I might as well put it here as a warning. The animation is fluid. Every scene is beautifully animated. The backgrounds are also mesmerizing, so beautiful. Praise Studio White Fox.

Overall, this is a great series that you can't often find in anime. It's unique, well-executed and beautifully animated. You can see so much the staff cares about this series while watching the episode. I'll recommend this to those who like post-apocalyptic setting and moe anime. Even if you don't like those, at least give the 1st episode a try, who knows, you might end up enjoying it. That's it for my review. Thanks for reading. :)