The Spring 2021 season has been an absolute buffet for sci-fi fans, and Vivy: Flourite Eye’s Song is easily my favorite to come out of the bunch. I think it flew under the radar since at first glance it just seems like some idol anime, but it’s so much more than that. Been a long time since a new seasonal, original anime came out that I was very impressed by. It has one of the best female protags in anime I’ve seen in recent anime, and, just about everything in this show is amazing. While I wouldn’t call it a 10/10, it’s still absolutely worth your time watching imo.
--STORY—
FES’s (I’ll be calling the anime FES, and the main character Vivy to not be confusing) story is one as old as time in the sci-fi genre of “what if the robots we created completely took over and made us invalid”, but the execution of it is absolutely spectacular. Every ep uses it’s run time to its fullest, and there are so many excellent scenes that most anime wouldn’t even have 1-2 of. The pace is constantly moving, and there’s always some new twist or development to keep you watching. There’s crazy fight scenes and action, somber emotional moments, some light comedic elements, and just moments that will leave you shocked being absorbed in the moment of what is happening.
The story is pretty consistent and I didn’t notice any major plot holes (tho certainly feel free to point them out in a message if I missed something and I can edit it in). There were perhaps a couple minor ones, but nothing that bad. Worldbuilding is perhaps a bit lacking, but that’s really the only 2 flaws I have with the story. There’s great themes on trans humanism, and what it even means to be human. It’s fairly typical stuff for anyone who’s watched stuff like this, but it’s done very well.
--CHARACTERS—
Vivy, holy Vivy man. She is such a well done example of the “robot becoming more human” trope. She goes through so many trials and tribulations, but she’s still herself at the end of the day. She starts off pretty much as an emotionless blank slate, and by the end understands herself and the concept of emotions perhaps better than a good amount of us in the real world. Her development is paced very well, and over the course of this 100+ year story and all the interactions and events she experiences turns her truly an amazing character.
Matsumoto too is a very fun, great character. He doesn’t have as much development, but as his relationship with Vivy gradually changes, so does he. He’s funny, clever, a bit of a troll, but all around a dependable ally that has plenty of good moments.
Side cast and most antags are good, but I feel sometimes we could’ve gotten to know them a bit better. Since FES is a very episodic show, you may only know these characters for 2-3 eps max. I’d say for the most part you get to know them enough to connect or relate with them, but it really depends on the person. There were a few antags that were kinda meh, but for the most part they’re pretty good.
--ART/ANIMATION—
Quite possibly FES’s strongest point. So many scenes are an absolute spectacle to watch. Character designs are unique and very cool, backgrounds are detailed and colorful, the actual animation is very consistent and consistently very good if not outright amazing at times. Once or twice an ep, you’ll have an extremely detailed close up of Vivy, and it might sound weird to praise this but they’re some of the best “still images” I’ve seen in anime if you get what I mean. Point being they’re beautiful, and the anime is general is pure eye candy. The action and fight scenes are very dynamic and intense, and you can feel the weight behind the hits. I wouldn’t watch this series just for the action, but certainly it is a part of the package so to speak.
--SOUND—
FES’s soundtrack is full of epic, astoundingly good music. Since Vivy is an idol and one of her main goals is to make everyone happy with her singing, her songs actually play a huge part into the overall narrative. The actual incorporation of the music into the plot and her character development is one of my fave things about this show. The rest of the music is also great. There’s a nice mix of electro, orchestral, opera, etc. I’ll also make a brief note about the sound design/effects being really good, and there’s some really satisfying bits with the action.
Voice acting with sub is great. All the cast do their job well, and the singing is a joy to hear. No matter the scene, the voice acting never felt bad.
--ENJOYMENT/CONCLUSION—
Vivy: Flourite Eye’s Song is 13 eps of heart pumping, mind blowing, electric rollercoaster of fun and enjoyment. I loved watching it every week, and would absolutely rec checking it out. If I had to really nitpick, I would say I would’ve liked to see a bit more of the side cast overall and there’s maybe a few minor issues with the plot, but overall it’s an amazing anime.
