Based on the poster, synopsis, studios involved, it being an original, and so forth, you may be inclined to think this show would be nothing more than a meh "cute girls doing (violently) cute things" kinda ordeal - I know I did. Boy, was I wrong.
One look at the staff roster and I went, "Huh... Wait, for real?!" So I gave it a chance. I now think this is en route to join the “elite” for the year, and that it’s currently criminally underrated. Oh, and “interesting cute girls doing seriously kickass things (with amazing writing)” may be more accurate.
Story 8/10 ***update after Ep5: 9/10
-Though Ep1 had me impressed, I was initially concerned this would be more episodic in nature (which I'm usually not particularly fond of), and was dreading another Joker Game, but Ep2-4 put me at ease. This is serious storytelling that knows what it wants, is carefully planned out, and delivers. A captivating tale of unlikely spies, but one which isn’t grounded in reality (or the expectations that come with it) - this is an alternative world and, as such, world-building is key. Think steampunk-esque Victorian era with a dash of magic-like scientific element. On top of that, the show is extremely character-driven (more on this later), even though we’re in the middle of something much bigger - not the easiest thing to pull off properly, considering this is not a “heros saving the world” kind of story.
-They understand the concept of SHOW instead of TELL. There are a few short narrated explanation moments in the beginning, but there's no painfully forced exposition and characters talking to each other as if they're utter idiots for the benefit of the viewer. The world-building is phenomenal because you are given just enough in context to make sense of it all and start putting it together yourself… and then you want to know more. Pacing has also been on point for the most part, but the “in between” Ep3 to Ep4 leaves a bit to be desired (-1 here because this can set a precedent for future episodes)
***Ep5 update: in context, I retract the previous criticism - the show is playing with chronology of events and very intentional time leaps in both directions, to extremely interesting characterization effects***.
-There are a couple of plot points that seem far-fetched, even for this world (e.g. the ballroom sequence in Ep2) - a stricter viewer may see some substantial fault in those when thinking objectively/realistically. These certainly didn’t pass me by unnoticed, but the series is doing so much more than that, and using these moments in such an interesting way, that I feel compelled to excuse them as a “poetic license” (nevertheless, -1 here). Of course, as an original, this can go anywhere, but with Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass, etc) on Script and Series Composition, I do think we're in good hands.
Art 9/10
Tying in directly with that last point, you can tell a lot of care went into designs and attention to detail. This is what makes the world-building work particularly well. The art really draws you into this world (no pun intended). The choice of color palettes in each scene, the contrast, the attention given to setting… it's all beautifully done in a way that adds to the storytelling in every instance. Then there are some truly gorgeous moments. And the animation is fluid. An occasional wonkiness here and there, but nothing too serious. Major props to art direction - then again, it's Nobutaka Ike (Paprika, Kara no Kyoukai).
Sound 10/10
Alright, I barely have anything to say here other than singing it praises (again, no pun intended… tabun). Yoshikazu Iwanami as Sound Director, and Yuki Kajiura as Composer (both have way too many exceptional credits to list)... what more do you want? Music does a great job in immersing you into this world, so does the sound editing. VAs are solid. Sound mix is top notch. OP is awesome, ED not bad at all. Next!
Character 9/10
We still have a long way to go, but the potential is there. The first episode threw a fair amount of characters at us without even naming many of them. That's actually not a bad thing - they understand that you'd simply not remember everyone anyway, so they focused on what you needed right now for the story - unusually straightforward and intelligent decision. The following episodes are now taking care of the rest in beautiful fashion, with brilliantly paced character (re-)introduction and development - well, for the most part… not sure I agree with what we have in Ep4, but we’ll only know the effectiveness of certain creative decisions when we place it in context after future episodes come out. I’m just hoping those decisions didn’t come about due to time/budget concerns. ***Ep5 update: as stated above, Ep5 addresses this piece of criticism***. Regardless, I have high hopes for this cast. Ange seems to remain somewhat of a focal point even among the MCs - she already has remarkable depth to her character, while still being enshrouded in mystery, inviting us to be curious and want to know everything about her, as well as Princess. Fortunately, the other characters are not just left to the sidelines either!
Enjoyment 9/10
In one word: engaging. This is not your mindless entertainment, but not the kind that requires constant deep thinking either. All of the elements are of such high caliber and come together so effortlessly, that I’ll go as far as saying part of the enjoyment comes from the appreciation of what they’re doing both separately and together. In other words, this is a show where my enjoyment is directly proportional to all the previously made observations. Most importantly, I eagerly look forward to it every week.
Overall 9/10
I expect this can be one of the best shows of the Summer, but I also recognize there's a lot here that can go wrong. So far, this is extremely high level of storytelling and holds tremendous potential. An overall grade of 9 may be pushing at this point, but that is what I believe the show CAN earn upon its conclusion, from what I've seen so far.
tl;dr
A roster of industry heavy-hitters on staff gives us an original with serious potential, boasting impressive technical and artistic elements, but that can still go anywhere at this point. Extremely immersive world-building with promising characters that can drive the story and are being handled well so far. Let's hope they're allowed to develop and that we have a carefully formulated and interesting plot ahead of us - everything is pointing in that direction, but there are still some causes for concern. Still, this can certainly be one of the best shows of the season, and join the “elite” for the whole year.
