FIRST TIME RED WHISTLE

Coming into this pretty much blind. All I know about the show is that it’s highly, highly regarded, and it has a second season coming out in a few weeks. That’s it. That’s the baseline. Let’s go!

What an opening sequence this was, it did so many things well. That’s how you do a hook. Introduces us to the characters, our heroine, and the world by just dropping us into a seemingly-ordinary day and bringing us along for the ride, getting little clues about the nature of the world along the way to hint that things aren’t as beautiful and idyllic as the pretty setting would have us believe. You’ve got all that, a life-threatening encounter with a horrifying monster, and the discovery of a mysterious boy. All in 7 minutes!

We then get introduced to the orphanage, which is an evergreen setting for a darker show centered around kids (I’m assuming now this show is a bit grim) and gives me some Promised Neverland vibes, though with less overt evil behind it.

This insane classroom setup is fantastic. The kids learning about exploring the Abyss in a vertical classroom is such a cool touch.

I love how this show approached the world-building early on, it reminded me of Girls Last Tour, and not because of the chibi characters in helmets. No belabored set-up or info dump to start off, just dropping us right in and letting us glean information as we go. Despite the gorgeous backgrounds and setting, this world is clearly a horrifying place, and it’s not just the monsters. Little hints like Riko saying it’s the first skeleton in prayer she’s seen… for a while and is completely nonplussed, how she lives in a former execution chamber, and unless my subtitles are off, there was something about being strung up naked as a punishment? Christ.

On a technical note, the background art and settings are gorgeous. I’m not going to get bored looking at this show. And the music is fantastic – it’s almost ever-present throughout each scene, but in a way that adds to the atmosphere and overall package rather than distracting from it.

I kind of assumed the Abyss was going to be the entire world in this show, it’s interesting that it’s only one part of a much larger world. It’s not everything, it’s a phenomenon.

SHOT OF THE DAY: “What exactly am I?” Reg wonders, staring into a cracked mirror, reflecting his fractured sense of self

What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?

Riko really needs to work on her poker face.

What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?

Orth is gorgeous! Cave raiding is insane!

You're watching episode 1 of season 2.