Continuing with another series of the winter season 2020 and continuing with the quarantine, we have one of the most artistic series so far this year and seeing what the future holds for us, it will probably have an important place among my favorite series that premiered. Being the most recent work of Masaaki Yuasa with the direction of series after having worked on the tape Ride Your Wave (2019) and the highly spoken adaptation Devilman Crybaby (2018). The series to which I dedicate this review comes to demonstrate its talents as a visual narrator in an idealistic story about creative passion, teamwork and the reasons why people love to create something.
Midori Asakusa is a high school student who loves anime. Although she spends her days drawing all the ideas she has, she has not yet taken the first step to create one of her beloved anime, and she knows that it is an impossible goal if she is alone. The first to discover Asakusa's talent is Sayaka Kanamori, a girl who, although she doesn't have much artistic interest, shows a keen sense of business with which she aspires to be a producer. It doesn't take long for them to discover that a classmate, the charismatic model Tsubame Mizusaki, actually has the soul of an animator, so together they create an animation club with which to achieve their dreams of creating something.
The story we find in Eizouken is a simple tale of passion and imagination in pursuit of creating something. With a group of characters of different personalities united in the common goal of creating, this is a simple work that tells us about the creative passion and production problems that can be found along the way, all in a rather idealized environment shaped by the power of imagination. In a sense it can be compared to other series such as Shirobako, in which it makes a comment on how anime productions work, although in this case on a much smaller and not so technical scale, further idealizing its proposal in the world of imagination. The honest simplicity of its proposal is inspiring at moments showing a lot of love for the industry with references and details, but it can become somewhat repetitive in its formula to the point of boring some people. However for those who are interested in animation or connect with the series, it is still a pleasant experience.
In regards to the technical section and especially how the series looks, is where the really interesting is. Mixing Yuasa's particular artistic visions by adapting Sumito Ōwara's curious art, we are facing a series that, even though it is a school slice of life, looks unique among all the other series of the winter season. From the typical character designs to the chaotic stage architecture, everything shows personality. However the best and most interesting technical detail is how they represent the work process and the imagination of the protagonists with the animation changes, going from rough drafts to more stylized scenes as they take confidence and technique in what they do, in all a demonstration of visual creativity.
In regards to the soundtrack and how the series is heard in general, I can only say that it is fine. The work of the voices for the characters is perfect and accompanies them at all times. For its part, music works when it comes to building the right atmosphere for each scene. For its part, the opening is "Easy Breezy" by the female rap duo chelmico, which is an energetic and catchy theme that, combined with its visuals, has become a favorite to be among the best openings of the year. For its part, the ending is "Namae no Nai Ao" from the mysterious masked musical group Kamisama, Boku wa Kizuite shimatta which with its rhythm and performance stands out.
At the end of the day, Eizouken is a curious work that has caught people's attention and I hope it will pass the test of time ... or at least deliver a second season of its adventures. However, for better or for worse, it is a slice of life and as such shares its advantages and disadvantages. Being possible to interpret it as a love letter to the inspiring power of animation, or simply as an empty series where nothing happens, however I recommend that you give it a chance if you have not already done so, which may be that you are missing one of the most imaginative series of the year.
