Are you interested in the Girl's/Doll's Frontline franchise and want to know the story with out the need of playing the game and the pain it comes with it? then LET ME EXPLAIN WHY TO WATCH AND WHY NOT
Reasons to watch it:
1. YOU LIKE WAIFUS
2. YOU LIKE GUNS
3. YOU LIKE WAIFUS AND GUNS !!!
4. You do not have any knowledge of the game and the story itself but are interested in it
5. U are lazy and just want to know the general plot direction of the story.
Reasons not to watch it:
1. U dont wan't to see inconsistent scenes that don't make any sense and may hurt your brain because of the oopsie woopsie the studio made. (Just poor quality for short)
2. U are a veteran player of GFL or atleast have read the manga.
3. You are an anti who doesn't like the franchise .... *sad noises*
Simply put, I'd rather recommend watching/playing the Game and its story on Youtube or if you don't have the time to watch more than 15 hour+ AND MORE of content, then just read the manga that is currently being released.
[!! From here on its just me whining about the anime !!]
Since I’ve watched all episodes, I will go through some of the points that really bugged me about the anime and the points that I actually enjoyed.
Enjoyment: 5
In form of overall enjoyment. The anime already got negative attention from the community (pre-release) due to the studio adapting the manga version of the game. Like stated in my old review, the options for the story’s freedom is severly limited due to the commander being a fixed character and not a faceless commander. (Take note, it is hard to implement a faceless commander with the way the GFL game story is written).
The anime genuinely lacked the ability to catch my interest and even my attention. Many scenes and scenarios just seem lack luster, rushed and with no climax (I mean it takes them 2-3 minutes to take out the Boss, while I malded for more than a anime episode to beat the enemy with my weak af team back then when I was new). Reason for such is the way is just the execution made by the director with many scenes just being bland and missing of something. The plotline of the story also is difficult to get at first but it slowly gets better with the episodes. (I’d recommend to watch the first 4 episodes to get the grasp of what it is about). The biggest thing I wan’t to rant about is, how they just censored and changed so much. Like with StG44 being completly erased and replaced from the main plot or two dolls from the Negev squad not looking like the original Ingame model (I don’t get why the anime gets censored and the game models not getting censored in China, Japan or else where AND NO IM NOT TALKING ABOUT BOOBA CENSORSHIP)
Art: 6
The art is ok with the anime looking like a 2010-2012 like anime from the art style. It is something to get used to when you are a newer anime watcher. Many episodes though are lacking in quality with lazy drawing/animation. The art sometimes also lacks in depth, detail and have some major inconsistencies. Some frames even have wrong data or detail what basically says that the animators have no clue what GFL actually is. They borderline looked into it and no I’m not saying that the animators should read into 15h+ or how long of story content. They atleast should have checked or let someone look oversome frames for such mistakes and so on. (fellow GFL players will notice those mistakes I'm talking about).
(and ngl papasha is hella cute tho in the anime and Micro uzi has a different vibe in comparison to her Game art).
Sound: 6
The OP is a banger and the MV it comes with is also pretty well made, but for the BGM itself, it is not what I've expected. The BGM of the anime doesn't really help in creating and building up the right atmosphere/tension, or support the situation the characters are facing and that's just somewhat lacking for me. They just could have used the original BGMs from the game. The sound effects are pretty sure are just taken from a random-free-to-use-sound-effects webside.
For the VA's tho I'm super happy that they finally get more lines for the characters they voice ingame! All the VA’s did a great job.
Character: 6
For the characters .... oof I just keep it short.
I have nothing against the Female commander gentiane but they way they protrait her is just not interesting. She just doesn't really catch the attention like she does in the manga. With the other commanders, they just didn’t do well. They got introduced in a better way in the manga than in the anime and are more humorous. (the commanders are all Anime/manga original)
Looking from a manga perspective, they straigt up reduced some certain characters to: Hi me exist, me shoot, me ded.
Also as stated in earlier the change and censorship of characters is just weirdly executed…
(B U T (T) PPK’s personality is just perfectly implemented in the anime *^*)
Story: 9
Saying that from the entire view and experience from the game, I can say the story is really really good. It may be not for everyone but for those who are interested, it surely is! The lore itself and story both blend in together pretty good and as itself there aren't to many plotholes that are being left unanswered. The story may have its up's and down's but generaly seen it is quite enjoylable and interesting!
The ending feels like turning on the light and then leave it there until the second season comes. The terrible cliffhanger ending just let newbies sitting there like what just happend and veterans in possible pain and agony (jk). It is not a good way to end an anime and this ending is a clear call for an upcoming second season.
At last for a total, The anime just scratches the surface of the gfl story, but holds some value. You won't get the TRUE and FULL experience out of it since the story telling format of the game is rather difficult to transcribe into an anime (thus the manga). This review is just my opinion and a reflection of it and may also make me sound like I'm just super picky (in which I'm not.... my standarts are below the freezing temperature lmao....).
The anime adaptation truly fulfills the trope of an game getting an anime adaptation, it's just not the best. What is for me a disapointment that me and many others already saw coming.
Thenkz for reading my shitty review of me mostly whining and complaining about some stuff and I hope that this helped you or will help you in deciding to waste 12 episodes of your life or not or make you regret reading this review lul.
Not just that, I also hope that you'd give the game or the story itself a chance. (the game story -> youtube vids or just playing the game)
Also I'm not good with english so I apologize hereby for any mistakes or hard to understand sentences, I’m always writing these during class.
