Story: 7; good
The synopsis brought a lot of other series to mind, like World Trigger or something akin to it, but when I watched GatchaCrowds, I got something completely different. The synopsis is messy and complicated, much like the series itself. While Gatcha offers a story that is wholesome and unforgettable, its somewhat rushed ending and insignificant beginning bring its grade down. It's the middle that truly makes this show a fun ride, so putting aside what happened before and after, I truly enjoyed Gatcha's plot.
Basically, Hajime Ichinose learns she's to be part of a team of superheroes called Gatchaman who fight aliens that harm earthlings. However, the initial enemy, the MESS, are abandoned a third of the way through the series to make room for the new antagonist, an evil alien by the name of Berg Katze. Some see this as messy writing, but I think of it more as, simply, the enemy changing, and because of Hajime, the Gatchacrew was able to see a far more dangerous enemy to earth than the MESS.
Art: 8; very good
The art in GatchaCrowds is unique, with the coloring very vibrant and the atmosphere very fitting to the mood of each scene. The happier scenes had many pinks and yellows, while the calmer, more serene scenes had neutral tan tones, and the rare darker scenes were, well, dark. The show's art is really fitting to its mixed-up and crazy plot, so I had to give it a high score. What brought Gatcha's art down were the distance models and the frequent times when the proportions were just awkward and the face structures were laughable. The animation was pretty good overall, with expected CG to fit in with the robot scenes. Overall, my only complaint is the awkward distance models.
Sound: 10; outstanding
Not a lot to say here. I found the opening unskippable, with its catchy song and incredible visuals. The OST was outstanding, and I found myself humming 'Gatchamaaaan.... Gatchamaaaaaaann...." while making dinner or scrolling on the internet. The OST really sticks with you. The voice actors are also great, and I think that they couldn't have sounded more into their roles. They all seemed realistic and ready to provide the proper emotion to each scene.
Character: 7; good
In the second to last episode, the first 15 minutes or so are spent reminiscing on each character's opinion of Hajime and how she has changed their lives. Honestly, this was a good move, because while Hajime and a few select characters got a lot of screentime and development, some of the other characters were forgettable and really had little impact on the plot. But I won't be too harsh with this because it WAS only 12 episodes, and the development that the more important characters got was phenomenal.
About the protagonist, Hajime is a very deep character. She is incredibly optimistic and energetic, and from the beginning, the audience is almost inclined to dislike her. But as you get to know her, you find she has layers of personality, and sure she's always optimistic, but she is in no way obnoxious or naive.
As for the antagonist, it is a very interesting fellow. Berg Katze is an alien who seeks to destroy earth, of course, but its psychology and mindset is really fascinating. As Hajime puts it, "Katze-san is having fun, and when someone is having fun, they don't want to stop." Katze has fun doing what it does to earthlings. You don't often see a show go so in-depth with an antagonist, so I was very pleased with how much screentime and thought it got.
Enjoyment: 8; very good
Like I said before, I really enjoyed Gatchaman Crowds. It had a charm to it that I really liked and Hajime's unrelenting optimism brightened up my days. It has its flaws and its merits, just like every other anime, but in the end, I'd say it's definitely worth watching. Every episode flies by and you're left wanting more, even at the last episode. Should you watch Gatchaman Crowds? If you're able to follow a somewhat complicated story and enjoy the first two episodes, I'd say go for it. In addition, if you have seen the original Gatchaman series, I implore you to ignore the fact that this shares its name and think of it as a different series. They are completely different shows that happen to have the same name. If you abandon your previous bias, you will enjoy Gatchaman Crowds a lot more, I promise.
