I personally think there's something to be said about execution in storytelling. There is nothing too absurd, too dark, too extreme, that cannot be brought into light with brilliant execution. And I realize that's a very vague statement to make; 'execution' itself is something difficult to even explain. In reality, execution - at least here, in the context of Houseki no Kuni - can simply refer to tone. Houseki's tension, development, flow, and message all effectively depend on the show's ability to appropriately assign and keep a stable tone. It fails on both fronts, but in a manner that still allows you to fully understand the theme: Change is, and always will be, unpredictable.
There are two main points I'd like to go into more detail about, and will absolutely outline what I feel about this anime, and how I felt while watching it.
From a in-world story/plot standpoint, there was no good place near the middle of the manga for the anime to stop at in order to have only 12 episodes. So much more happens past where EP 12 ends, and so many questions that are brought up before then are answered by the end of the manga. That being said, there's a thematic and simply mental effect (on the viewer) this hard stop has relating to what this story is trying to convey, and I believe it's important to underline that. All of Phosphophyllite's development comes from either her own actions or results thereof. Losing her legs, losing her arms, 'losing' Antarcticite, and losing her trust in Kongou are all results of things she decided were the best course of action given the situations she was in. So, when the anime just stops at the end of EP 12, the viewer is forced to accept that it's over, and then look back and question why Phos ended up this way. Whether or not you come to you own personal conclusions as to why she acted in the way she did is unnecessary to understand the theme, which I think is good. It shows a flexibility in the way the theme was integrated into the story and characters, and allows the viewer to understand the theme without needing to understand the story in the same way the author would/does.
Houseki's tone, especially towards the latter half of the episodes, is inconsistent and wild in a way that just doesn't work. There are times where a wild change in tone works for the scene and story, such as when Phos washes onto shore directly next to Cinnibar while the rest of the characters are looking for her, when Antarcticite accidentally(?) shatters herself while trying to remove Phos from her golden cage, and during the entirety of the scene directly proceeding the hibernation, where Phos is chased around and fucked with by everyone else. (That scene is done especially well, as everything besides prior knowledge and Phos' attitude - even including the actual background music - is set up as if Phos is just having a good time while everyone else playfully messes around with her, excellently adding to the tone and effect that scene had on the current tension of Phos' character.) Scenes such as the Lunarian dog chase and the teaming up of Phos and Bort, however, are either too lax or casual despite the situation outside of whatever was happening in the moment, or didn't feel like they were shifting tone in a way that made sense or even came to make sense by the end of the scene. The setting and character development of Phos is mostly toned as bleak, and radically altering it to a tone such as happy, hopeful, or even dramatic would have needed to be done with extreme caution. Sadly, it just wasn't.
I love this show, and while I do think the tonal execution was abhorred in some areas, it was so beautifully done in enough scenes for me to forgive the bad and admire the good.
6.7/10 Overall (I don't do gradings on individual aspects, as I believe properly interlacing them is more important than getting them individually correct.)
