During the first episode you are introduced to a gaggle of main characters, specifically, Touko and her party of five friends. When the new kid comes to town--as one often does in manga and anime--the group decides to remove the 'no dating' rule, for some reason vaguely related to the new kid being apparently a fine piece of ass.
Predictably, one thing after another goes wrong, and while I can tolerate love triangles, the ones utilized in Glasslip were poorly handled and did not create satisfying conflict.
Each issue that arises is solved in an incredibly calming way that, instead of delivering relief, leaves you bored. No one develops any particular hate for another character, nor do any of the characters interact enough for unique relationships to form.
Mostly, I belief Glasslip was riding on the artistic portion of itself. This may have worked for the show, if not for the art being just as uncomfortable and even a touch sloppy.
While you are introduced to scenic backgrounds, clouds, glass and stills episode to episode, the characters themselves are left out to hang, complete with strange ruffles in clothing, the frequent change of appendage proportion and an irritating, lopsided mouth.
The most the art does is add to the atmosphere, complimenting the artisanal theme with softness and a brushstroke-like quality. This is a success in a pile of ruins.
Sound is also used to compliment the aesthetic, and a wide use of classical violin and piano remains in the background at almost all times. It seems as if it is trying to make the tone of each episode dramatic, coming off as a sort of mock-soap opera soundtrack.
The OP is a sweet tune that fits the show, especially in that it is something you could easily fall asleep to. In all honesty, some of the best Glasslip footage is in the opening credits.
Contrarily, the ED is incredibly misleading. I have encountered the stylings of Nano.RIPE in many series, and have heard both slower and peppier songs--unfortunately, the choice was made to go peppy at the end of Glasslip, which does not suit the show whatsoever. Sure, it may be fun, but I believe something calmer, like the ED to Hataraku Maou-Sama, would have done Glasslip more justice.
Above all, the anime takes a big hit in quality because of its characters. The impression is given everyone will be fun and unique, but this is not at all true. Each character, from the supposedly forgetful, indecisive Touko to the blunt Yuki, does not fit the bill for the personality they need to level out the show. The screen time for each of them is so severely divided that you can barely start to care about anything they are doing.
For an anime, their reactions are bland and underplayed. While you may think it is better and more realistic to leave out the misunderstandings and the obnoxious 'uwaaahhh's, without them, there is nothing grabbing to keep anyone invested in the plot. By the final episodes, you barely see Touko's friends at all, and praise god if they get one or two lines. The romances and understandings Glasslip works hard to build shatter with the disappearance of everyone under the shadow of one of the show's main flaws:
Kakeru Okikura.
Scene after scene is spent trying to understand Kakeru, the new kid, and to bring out his complexities and sense of self, only to play it out to the point he becomes a one note, overbearing, pretentious loner. He begins as a mysterious new addition to the town and ends with a sudden amount of melancholy on his back that you're supposed to feel sorry for--they only problem is the script surrounding who and how he is is vague. The fatal flaw of Glasslip is the fact that the conflict of the show starts out as 'two kids who can see the future' and ends with 'no one loves Kakeru'.
Glasslip handles characters like a man with greased hands juggles: everything ends up in a disappointing mess by the end, and the worst part is, the mess is just a touch anticlimactic.
I wanted to enjoy Glasslip, I really, really did. Sadly, here I am at episode thirteen and without the romantic drama I was so looking forward to.
Glasslip is a relaxant. In being such, it does not stand even close to the other series premiered this summer, and it's usefulness extends to only about a good computer background.
