Girls Band Cry

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Watching this show and the Shiny Colors anime back to back is like stinkin night and day! This is without question the greatest 3D animated anime I've ever seen in my life. It gave me so much hope for this style of animation to become more mainstream in the future. There was not a SECOND of stiff expressions or still, sluggish movement in this entire show! EVERYTHING is in constant motion and feels so alive and vibrant in ways that I never even thought were possible in 3D anime! Any sort of limitations or restrictions I thought the technology had was just completely shattered by this show. And it even sprinkles in 2D animation with its opening and in various flashbacks within the show that look equally as amazing! It's one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous pieces of art I've ever seen in my life. You absolutely should watch it, if only to see and acknowledge it for the incomparable work of art that it is. And not just with the visuals! The sound design is amazing, too! Not just with the songs that the characters perform, but also with the background music that accompany and perform alongside every scene and fit perfectly with the emotion of every spoken word throughout every single episode. If you for whatever reason are someone who tends to avoid "idol shows" or musicals, ~~skill issue~~ I highly encourage you to give this one a shot. It truly surprised me and gave me so many more things about the anime medium as a whole to be appreciative of. This show has also been long sought after since its taken so long to finally hit streaming services over here. Please support it now that its finally available for legal streaming. We need to see more shows like this. It's truly a game changer and I cannot wait to see what works of art will spawn in the future as a result of this one's influence. 9.5/10

Girls Band Cry is the best girls band anime I've ever seen. No, correction: the best anime I've ever seen, period. If you let the fact it's 3D dissuade you, you're missing out big time. Girls Band Cry is outstandingly well animated, written, and a pure joy to watch. On the topic of animation, the characters more expressive and detailed in 3D than they could ever be in 2D. From dynamic music performances to casual conversation scenes, they're nothing like the stiff, glassy dolls you may know from D4DJ or BanG Dream. I actually found myself realizing how underwhelming 2D can be after watching GBC. The story is refreshing. For the most part, it avoids overdone tropes in the music/slice of life genre by excluding the characters from a typical school environment. The story also strikes a wonderful balance between drama and comedy, never getting to heavy handed or losing focus. There's also basically no filler, each episode contributing to the overall story in some meaningful way. Characters, especially our protagonist Nina and guitarist Momoka, have real depth and relatability, but not in the memeable "literally me" Bocchi sense. Her story and those of her bandmates unfold at a natural pace, avoiding the typical "1-episode-per-character-arc" writing style that plagues slice of life anime. The ending of an anime can make or break it, and I'm glad to say Girls Band Cry's ending is pretty good. Many lingering questions are answered and we get to see how our cast of 3D girls have grown. That said, while the ending is satisfying, its not super "conclude-y." Season 2? Who knows. But just because I say Girls Band Cry is my favorite anime to date doesn't mean its without fault. To avoid spoilers, I'll say that some characters leave some development to be desired. They're introduced (in my opinion) too late into the story and I feel the writers are forced to gloss over their backstories. Also, this is a bit of an aside, but I feel the musical styles of Togenashi Togeari (the main band) and Diamond Dust (the rival band) are a bit backwards. Diamond Dust is shown to be an idol-like group, but their music is more "rock." TogeToge, to my ear, leans toward a J-pop sound, despite having an edgier aesthetic. That said, the music is okay overall. Not my vibe, but that's my opinion and it doesn't change what I think about the anime. In conclusion: watch Girls Band Cry. Or don't. But you should.

The 'girls making music' genre has been getting pretty saturated, and going in I felt like it wouldn't have anything new to add. I was surprised, however, to find an incredible Anime with massive depth, maturity and jaw-dropping visuals. Writing 9/10: (very mild spoilers, no plot details) There is genuinely intriguing and intricate character drama going on in this show, including lovable and hateable characters that struggle like real people. I see a lot of talk about how annoying the characters can be, especially the lead Nina, but I actually found this to be a breath of fresh air, and makes for a fascinating protagonist. She's a sheltered kid who struggles with insecurity, anger issues, and forces her ideologies onto other characters, but through this lens there is a very sobering and genuine growth. It would be one thing if the characters were annoying or troublesome without purpose, but the writing is executed with clear intent and maturity. Just in it's 13 episode runtime, it explores a lot of different themes: learning to love yourself, accepting change, rejecting cowardice, revenge, parental roles, independence, creative growth, and probably a lot more I can't intelligently analyze. All of these themes are explored with maturity and fantastic character writing, something that really surprised me when getting into this show. If there is one thing I could complain about, it would be that the pacing was a bit fast over-all, and it barely scratches the surface of actually being in a band and making music. Also, the whole "rock" and "rawness" thing is a bit silly considering their sound is pretty mainstream J-rock stuff, but maybe I'm just an elitist. (its good tho) Characters 9/10: The two main leads, Momoka and Nina are simply captivating to follow. Momoka desires Nina's singing, and Nina desires her music, but they aren't compatible. The way they see each other defies expectation. Their relationship is a constant rollercoaster, and that push and pull is a work of art in itself. Subaru is the one character in the show I feel is truly likeable at her core, and she's simply iconic, I love her. She serves as the balance to the volatile dichotomy of the two leads, as well as the comic relief. The two characters who end up being bandmates also add an interesting dynamic to the show, although I wish they had more development. The three main girls, Nina, Momoka and Subaru, are one of my favorite casts to be put to screen in a very long time. I really want to see them continue their story; 13 episodes was not enough. Art 9/10: Some of the most emotive, creative, and beautiful CGI-2D hybrid art I've ever seen. It's so good it almost transcends 2D animation at some points, for me. The amount of nuance in the facial expressions, the intricate and diverse mannerisms of the characters, the slapstick comedy moments, they squeezed every last drop they could from the CGI backbone of the show and it WORKS SO WELL. There are some brief sections with just 2D art that don't look very good, but it's overshadowed by the incredible CGI character animation/dramatic direction. There is also a great use of effects, especially the visual motif of the red and black sparks coming off of Nina in certain scenes, that are incredibly memorable and emotionally effective. The directing consistently proves how much love they had for this show, it just oozes with personality and detail. Music 8/10: I'm very glad that the song driving the entire plot is actually a banger; I think it would have been silly if a mid song changed Nina's life and set this whole story off to begin with. I love that Nina's VA is actually doing the singing, especially since it's a driving conflict in the show. I also love the music video style insert songs throughout the Anime, great visuals and outfits. Other than that, I don't think all the music is peak or anything, but it's not bad in the slightest. The actual OST of the anime itself, not the band music, was just fine. In some parts it sounded a bit cheap or emotionally ineffective, but it never bothered me too much. Again, this anime excels in it's character drama, the music is mostly a vehicle to deliver the themes of the show. CONCLUSION/TLDR: This anime blew me away. It isn't a masterpiece by any means, but as a 'girls making music' anime, it's probably the best written I have ever seen. Almost no fan-service or tropes, it relies completely on the characters and the plot, which has a very unpretentious, genuine, mature quality to it. The main character, Nina, is refreshingly broken and difficult to deal with, and this dynamic leads to fantastic depth, conflict and potential growth. It has some of the most emotive and well-performed CGI I have ever seen, borderline exceeding 2D animation for some of the emotional moments. While 'Bocchi the Rock' excels in it's music, animation and comedy, for me, I will always prefer genuine or even uncomfortable drama and complex characters over just pure fun, which this anime delivers excellently. It is an absolute shame this anime didn't get licensed, because it now has less eyes and ears to enjoy it. Even though it's gaining a strong cult following outside of Japan, I fear that it won't be enough for a second season. But I still plan to buy Blu-Rays, push for localization, and support them to show we care. Please, do the same! tl;dr tl;dr - it is absolutely worth watching, and gets better with each episode. 9/10 - Amazing show. Use NakayubiSubs for fan-translation please! Thanks.

Girls Band Cry is the perfect package to push 3d animation to the masses in a digestible way. We have a beautiful blend of 2d and 3d animation and a perfect medium to showcase it, band orientated choreography which is a nightmare for hand drawn animation. An anime original with a dedicated production value with zero drop in quality throughout the entire season. A very honest interpretation of the risk indie bands/musicians take when they dedicate themselves to their craft with no safety-net, along with the potential drama and internal struggles one might face when pursuing said path. The MC is the personification of this in it's purist form, who sticks to their morals and doesn't waver. When everyone else in the field faces the hardship of reality, and are "forced" to settle, she refuses. That inner childish dreamer that everyone once was when they pursued this career and those around her just can't help but root for her, even her competitors because deep down they want to see them succeed as well, which sometimes can come off as a bit annoying but it doesn't in this example due to the honest writing of her supporting cast members. All in all an amazing anime original, with amazing moments and stunning visuals.

Girls Band Cry is a real gem that came out of left field to dominate this season, even if it never got an official sub. It is a surprisingly nuanced story, and while it never again quite hit the highs that I expected from it after episode 8, it was consistently fantastic from beginning to end. To start off, yes; this show is CG. In past years, this alone would've been enough to have most anime fans turn up their noses at it. However, Studio Orange has in the recent past shown more and more that you can make a beautiful show with CG, and with this offering Toei has blown even that out of the water. While there are the occasional animation error, the characters are so expressive, both in face and movement, and the backgrounds are so well done that it's entirely forgiveable. Additionally, there are tasteful drops of 2d animation throughout the series that are used brilliantly to emphasize certain aspects (like a flashback or a character you should notice.) Overall, one of the better looking animes I've watched! The music is also phenomenal, and the band has also released numerous songs outside of the show (as this is looking to be a multimedia project). If you have the chance, you should listen to their discography, as if you like the music in the show I can guarantee you'll like everything else they have to offer. Up next, the characters. Nina, the main character, can be grating at first. However, as the series goes on, and her backstory is fleshed out, it becomes more understandable, and she mellows out by around episode 8. The other characters are all supremely well done, and most get episodes unto themselves that really flesh out their backstories and characters. They're far from caricatures, each having a distinct personality, all of which end up being enjoyable both on their own and how they bounce off eachother. Finally, the story. While still fantastic, this is probably the weakest point of the show. At points it's among some of the best anime I've ever seen (particularly episodes 8 and 10), though at others it feels like it meanders a bit. I also feel like, though every episode resolved well, there are some which I felt would've been better if certain other story directions were taken rather than what was shown. Still a fantastic story overall, and much more consistent in quality and plot than its main competitors this season. Overall, I cannot really recommend this show enough. If I could I'd give it a 9.5; almost there, just with a few plotlines that wrap up in a way that's a bit weaker than what I could've hoped. Far and away my number 1 for the season, really hoping that it's officially localized in the near future!

I like how this show feels less like a typical music anime and more like sitting in a cramped room while people try, and fail, to understand each other. It doesn’t rush to make you like its characters. In fact, at times it almost pushes you away. Conversations stall, people say the wrong thing, tensions hang in the air longer than you expect. That awkwardness is intentional. It gives the characters space to feel like actual people rather than cleanly written roles. The band itself isn’t some smooth, inspiring unit from the start. It’s unstable. Personal issues bleed into rehearsals, small disagreements turn into bigger ones, and progress comes in uneven bursts. When they finally manage to sync, even briefly, it carries weight because you’ve seen how fragile that balance is. The music works because of that context. Performances don’t feel like polished showcases, they feel like release. There’s a sense of built-up pressure behind each song, like something has to come out or it’ll stay stuck inside them. That makes even imperfect performances hit harder than technically flawless ones. The opening, “Wrong World,” feels energetic while The ending, “Nobody Knows,” goes the opposite direction. It slows everything down. Softer, quieter, but not comforting. Visually, the 3D animation is subjective. It's a mixed experience. Like, In quieter scenes, it can feel a bit stiff, especially in subtle expressions. But when the band is on stage, everything sharpens. The lighting, movement, and framing come together in a way that gives those moments a strong presence. The character models look so good when performing. One of the strongest aspects is how it handles isolation. Even when the characters are physically close, there’s often a gap between what they feel and what they manage to say. That gap doesn’t disappear easily. The show lets it sit there, which makes the rare moments of connection feel earned rather than forced. However, there are some issues. The pacing can feel uneven, with certain parts lingering while others pass too quickly. A few character ( Rupa & Tomo) dynamics seem like they could have been explored more deeply. Still, these don’t overshadow the overall experience. THANKS FOR READING.

This is one of those anime of which I will have much to say, so, buckle in, I guess. This anime is a spiritual sibling to "Bocchi the Rock", and yet it couldn't be more different. "Bocchi" is kind of a gag anime that happens to have a story - which is, I guess, somewhat understandable considering its origination as a 4-koma manga. "Girls Band Cry" is an original anime, and doesn't have any of that baggage coming from source material, so it is free to be what it is. I loved Bocchi and I considered her story to be inspiring and at times emotional, but other than being about the formation of a girl rock band, it has very little in common beyond the atmosphere, which both seem to share to some degree. Maybe that just has something to do with rock being a bit grungy, by nature. And what it is, is a story about coming of age, about self-actualization, about finding comfort in the most unlikely of friends as five girls who are very much unlike each other form a band and try to make it to the top. While there are some very funny moments in this anime, this is not a comedy. This is a drama. There is a lot of emotion, a lot of crying, a lot of confrontation (the number of times they have a loud confrontation smack in the middle of a public place is somewhat beyond belief). But at the end of the day, there is no character that escapes the "coming of age" that this anime, at its core, is about. And the characters... wow, the characters. They come alive. It's almost like they're real people, that's how well written they are. Nina is an annoying "Morality monster" with a strong sense of justice that has gotten her in a whole heap of trouble, Momoka is a guitarist who left her previous band just as they were on the cusp of going pro, Subaru is a high school drummer who Nina didn't get along with at first, Rupa and Tomo are friends who have their own story.. So much care is taken with the characters that they just come alive, and it's amazing. I have never seen a character with Rupa's name, by the way. And as they bumble through forming a band, you start to think they're real, and that's what makes this an amazing anime, and worthy of a high rating. There is some controversy about the animation, and I think it's warranted, because they used 3D animation all the way through, which is pretty unique. And they did it well. My complaints about the animation have nothing at all to do with the fact, itself, that it's 3D, my complaints have to do with the fact that they did *exactly* what almost every other 3D animated show/movie does - and that's using overexaggerated movements. If you've ever seen a Disney/Pixar movie, you'll know what I'm talking about. Sometimes their movements are fluid and natural, and those are impressive. Other times they're pretty much hamming for the "camera", and that is so amazingly annoying I can't even describe it. They *almost* had it. *Almost* had a beautiful anime with animation that would have been almost impossible for any other 2D studio to match, and they blew it. That's so disappointing. The music is really good, the OP is unironically good, and that's not the most common of things. It has some really weird rhythms that work really well. All the insert songs are pretty good, and I'd say that they took a lot of care to get that right. Though the instrument animation isn't really all that great, especially the keyboard animation. I know that's difficult, but they took so much care with everything else, that's just a mite bit annoying too. In summary, it's a high quality anime with well written characters, great animation, and great music, that somehow manages to just fall short on the animation, and given how much care they obviously put into it, that's a disappointing and borderline unforgivable self-own. Recommend from me, strong recommend, actually, but don't be surprised if it doesn't really blow your socks off.

I'll be honest I almost skipped Girls Band Cry. Not because I thought it looked bad, but because I barely even knew it existed. It was one of those anime that somehow flew under a lot of people's radar. It was already difficult to get into since it wasn't properly available in many regions, and honestly, not gonna lie, I literally had to go out of my way just to watch it. Which is honestly crazy when you think about how good this show turned out to be. Because after finally watching it, I genuinely couldn't understand how something this good was being missed by so many people. Girls Band Cry isn't just another cute girls forming a band anime. It might look like one at first glance but underneath the music and colorful visuals is a surprisingly raw story about anger, loneliness, failure, and trying to find a place where you actually belong. - A DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSIC ANIME There are countless anime about music, but surprisingly few are actually about what music means. A lot of music anime use songs as milestones. A performance represents growth, a competition represents progress, and every obstacle exists to push the characters closer toward success. The music becomes the reward at the end of the journey. Girls Band Cry takes a different approach. The band isn't formed because everyone dreams of becoming famous. These girls don't come together because they have everything figured out. They come together because they have things inside them that they can't properly express anywhere else the music is not the destination, the music is the outlet. Every song feels like an emotional release. The performances aren't just flashy moments where the characters look cool on stage. They are the result of everything they've experienced their anger, regrets, insecurities, and the things they were never able to say. When Togenashi Togeari performs, you're not just listening to a song, you're listening to everything these characters have been struggling with. - NINA ISERI: A FRUSTRATING BUT REAL PROTAGONIST One of Girls Band Cry's biggest strengths is Nina Iseri herself. Nina is not written to be an immediately lovable protagonist. She is stubborn, emotional, impulsive, and sometimes incredibly difficult to deal with. She says things she regrets, pushes people away, and often creates problems because she doesn't know how to properly handle her own feelings. A lot of anime protagonists have flaws that are easy to like. They're shy, awkward, or clumsy, but the story always makes sure the audience knows they're lovable. Nina is different because her flaws actually hurt herself and the people around her but the show never treats her as a bad person. Instead, it shows what happens when someone carries years of frustration, loneliness, and pain without knowing how to process it. Her anger isn't just anger, it's a defense mechanism. It's someone desperately wanting to be understood while being terrified of showing vulnerability Nina wants connection, but she doesn't always know how to accept it. That contradiction makes her one of the most grounded character in recent anime. - NOBODY COMMUNICATES PROPERLY One thing Girls Band Cry does incredibly well is showing realistic conflicts. A lot of anime drama comes from annoying misunderstandings where you spend the entire episode thinking, "Why don't they just explain what happened?" Girls Band Cry doesn't really do that. The problem isn't that these characters don't communicate, they can communicate but still fail to understand each other. The characters aren't silent because the plot needs conflict. They actually try to express themselves. Everyone has their own experiences and emotional baggage, so even when someone is being honest, their words can still be misunderstood. Someone can apologize and still not fix everything. Someone can have good intentions and still hurt another person. Someone can care about you but still not know how to show it. That's what makes the relationships feel real. The characters aren't fighting because the plot needs drama, they're fighting because they're flawed people trying their best and sometimes trying your best is simply not enough. - FRIENDSHIP DOESN'T MAGICALLY FIX EVERYTHING Another thing I really appreciate about Girls Band Cry is that it doesn't treat friendship like some magical solution. A lot of coming of age stories have this idea that once you find your people, everything suddenly gets better. Girls Band Cry understands that real life doesn't work like that. Finding friends helps, but it doesn't erase years of problems, insecurities, or emotional baggage. Growth isn't about suddenly becoming a completely different person. Sometimes growth is just accepting help when you're used to doing everything alone. Sometimes it's admitting that you were wrong. Sometimes it's choosing to come back after running away. Girls Band Cry understands that becoming a better person is a slow process filled with small decisions, and that's what makes the characters feel so human. - THE CGI THAT MADE EVERYONE CHANGE THEIR MIND Let's talk about the elephant in the room the CGI. When Girls Band Cry aired, a lot of people were already skeptical because of the animation style, and honestly, I understand why. A lot of 3D anime has a complicated reputation. Many shows struggle with stiff movements, unnatural expressions, and characters that feel disconnected from the world around them just uncanny valley. But Girls Band Cry was different the CGI isn't just there because it was easier to animate, it actually becomes part of the storytelling. The characters move in ways that feel surprisingly human. They shift their posture when they're uncomfortable, avoid eye contact, hesitate before speaking, and use their body language to express emotions just as much as their dialogue does. Those small details make a huge difference. The characters don't feel like CG models moving from scene to scene. They feel like actual people with their own personalities and emotions. The animation style that many people were worried about ended up becoming one of the show's biggest strengths, adding a level of expression and realism that fits the story perfectly. - THE PASSION BEHIND GIRLS BAND CRY Another thing that makes Girls Band Cry special is how ambitious the entire project was. This wasn't just an anime with fictional songs added afterward. The real life band Togenashi Togeari was created alongside the series, with the performers also becoming the voices behind the characters and you can FEEL that passion through the songs. The music has this raw energy that fits the anime perfectly. The vocals aren't just impressive because they sound good they have emotion behind them. There’s a sense of honesty in every performance that makes the songs feel like a genuine extension of what the characters are feeling. It feels less like you're watching fictional characters pretending to be a band and more like you're watching people who genuinely believe in what they're creating. The anime, the music, and the real life performances all feel connected. Everything works together toward the same purpose, giving these characters a voice and making their emotions feel as real as possible. - FINAL THOUGHTS: A STORY ABOUT BEING HEARD Girls Band Cry is one of those anime that is really easy to misunderstand at first. You see the CGI and you might assume it's just another experimental 3D anime. You see the band concept and you might think you've already seen this story before but once you actually watch it, you realize it's something completely different. This isn't just an anime about making music or chasing a dreams. It's about people who feel like nobody understands them, people who struggle to express what they're feeling, and people who are still trying to figure out who they really are. The band doesn't magically fix their problems, erase their past, or suddenly turn them into perfect versions of themselves. Instead, it give…

I don't think it's and exaggeration saying this is one of the best music anime out there. Looking only at the music this is for sure on the same level if not better than something like BTR. Storywise, they have very different tones, while BTR is more of a comedy/slice of life. GBC takes on a more serious approach, diving into the indie bands/artists and its intricacies. It's not easy to make it big. as well as pursuing a dream you don't even know will work out. I will first address the elephant in the room. Many will get discouraged seeing it's a full 3D animated anime. But surprisingly enough, it doesn't affect the experience in any way, it might even enhance it. Since it would be a little weird seeing a whole 2D anime. just for the concerts/performances to be junky 3D animated. It is very smooth and it does a really good job specially with characters expressions, we've come a long way since Berserk 2016. The lighting is amazing and the concerts are so smooth that it looks like rotoscoped animation. If you really have a problem with it, it probably won't take more than one episode to get used to it. The characters are all amazing, they are very realistic and none of them look out of place or are forcefully quirky just to stand out. They all make sense as characters, they are very mature due to their circumstances. Which brings me to the main point most people hate on; the main character Nina. She can be a bit annoying and over the top, but imo it's far from being a bad written character, or making the show worse because of her. People have different personalities, and considering her upbringing; a very strict household, getting bullied and portrayed as the wrong, it does not surprise me her being over the top. She has friends that accept her the way she is, so it's very obvious she'll just be herself, after finally having some sort of freedom, leaving her school and hometown behind. That's why she went to Tokyo anyway, to not be chained and do whatever the hell she wants, and she clearly grows as a character. I prefer this 100% over some plain, uninteresting character that has no development whatsoever. The drama felt incredibly natural, I didn't think at all that they were forcefully pushing drama just to make it interesting. They seemed very real problems that any of us could have. Every character with their backstory and dealing with their own life coming together, and one by one resolving their problems with the help of each other. It seemed very realistic to me, making it even relatable sometimes. While the anime is pretty damn good, it doesn't close off the story in these 13 episodes, so we'll hopefully get a second season as the first one just seemed like a prologue, setting it up for a second one focusing on them growing their audience and stuff. Finally, the music. They are just bangers. Not much to say about it. The last concert hyped me up as much as Bocchi doing her solo. Overall I would say this is a must watch. If you liked shows like Bocchi or Further than the universe, it's definitely worth a try. 9/10 will flip 'em off

THE GOOD: The show displays some incredible CGI: the expressiveness of the MCs is as good as the best traditional productions, with a touch that only 3D models can give (e.g. hair physics, dynamic shots, etc.). Then we have the concert sequences: their visuals, animations and direction are nothing short of impressive. This anime is definitely worth a watch for those alone. Music production is also quite decent... It's a series centered on a band, the opposite would have been a disaster. :) The main characters are well written: they all have their unique personality and motivations, and most of them showcase an interesting growth. Some don't get the development they deserve, like Rupa, and Nina is a royal PITA up until ep. 10, but their banters and interactons are enjoyable. THE MEH: No matter how well they are done, CGI models still appear stiff and unnatural at times. Moreover, the use of these models alongside traditionally animated characters in some scenes can be jarring. From writing perspective, the pace of the show varies wildly, with some tight and emotional episodes followed by others that look like filler. Nina's motivations are well presented, but the backstory supporting them is confusing: they could have simplified it and made it clearer without losing any impact. Also, the plot deflates spectacularly in the last 2 episodes, with an unsatisfactory anticlimax. Granted, this development triggers more character growth, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth: when episode 11 feels more of a closure than the last episode, you know there's something wrong in the script. THE BAD: For a series focused on an indie band with "rebel" vibes, the showrunners chose to stay on the safe side. There's nothing "rebellious" in Toge-Toge's pieces: lyrics are pretty generic, with some forced and "fake" rage sprinkled here and there. The music follows suits, with basic pop/rock progressions. Ironically, they sound as mainstream as their mainstream rival band. I would have loved something more ambitious: dissonances, weird tempo changes, wild modulations, strong lyrics that hit you like a punch... alas, Toei wanted to please a wider audience. Maybe they already had Spotify playlists in mind? FINAL THOUGHTS: Good show carried by aesthetics and production value. The story has issues but it's not without merits. Pity that the "rebellious indie band" ends up being as safe as K-ON. And I'm sorry Rupa: you slap really hard, but Mio is still the best bassist girl around. :) A must watch for those who really like "girls doing music" series, and recommended also to people who enjoy character-driven stories, provided that they can stomach the MC.

What's with all these anime about girls making rock bands? Did Bang Dream start this new trend? And what's this? Toei is putting their hat into this pile as well? Why the hell not?! Sure, one could argue that Bang Dream started the trend of companies making shows about girls starting up bands, but the runaway success of Bocchi The Rock was apparently enough to convince others to jump on the bandwagon. Yes, that pun was intended. So when a promo for a show called Girls Band Cry popped up, with Toei listed as the producer for it, many decried it as just a knock-off made to ride the cottails of Bocchi The Rock's success. Then it was revealed to be a 3D CGI anime, making people think it was just going to rip off Bang Dream. Many were quite dismissive of the show, me included...but then Girls Band Cry actually aired, and people's opinions on it did a complete 360, for damn good reason. Not only was the CGI surprisingly good, but the writing and characters were much better quality than even other shows airing in that exact same season (Three of which were also shows about girls focusing on music, Sound Euphonium season 3, Whisper Me a Love Song, and Jellyfish Can't Swim In The Night). I was late to the GBC party, only just now finishing it and...yeah, I agree, this show is awesome. Life hasn't been going well for 17-year-old Nina Iseri. Bullying in school and being betrayed by her friends and family have left her so jaded that she decides to strike out on her own to prove to everyone else that she can live by herself and be independent. The only thing keeping her going is her favorite band Diamond Dust, mainly one particular song. But life in the big city is a new adventure for Nina, one she is woefully unprepared for. While struggling to find her apartment, she happens upon the very person who wrote her favorite DD song, Momoka Kashiwagi, an ex-DD member who left the band due to internal conflict. The two of them quickly bond of their shared love of music and troubled pasts, deciding to form their own band to use as an outlet to unleash all their pain, rage, and raw emotions into. Three other members join their band afterward, and with that, Togenashi Togeari is ready to take on the music scene! But forming a band isn't all sunshine and rainbows, as all of them face their own hardships and struggles on top of managing the band and trying to break into a scene that's already dominated by more popular competition. First off, let's talk about the thing most fans of GBC tend to notice right away: the animation. As far as I know, this is the first time Toei has ever animated humans in entirely 3D CG, and most of the time, CG models of people made for TV are criticized for how stiff and uncanny it can feel compared to 2D animation. Even well-known studios like Sanzigen and Orange had their growing pains with it before they really hit their groove with their 3D animation. Surprisingly, Girls Band Cry doesn't have this problem at all. Every 3D model of whatever character they're animating is expressive, smooth, and buoyant, with none of the usual stiffness you see in most CGI models, and the animators really took care in animating everything from subtle gestures to facial expressions, so it never gives off that uncanny valley vibe. The few uses of 2D animation are pretty good too, even by Toei standards...though I do have to question why they chose to mix both as opposed to just going with one style over the other. There are times when both styles of animation are used for a scene, and the differences between them are so obvious that they're almost jarring. It does make me question why Toei didn't just choose one animation style and stick with that as opposed to blending the two of them together. Individually, the differing animation styles are fine, but together they go about as well as mint and chocolate, which is an acquired taste for anyone, really. But in all honesty, GBC's clashing animation styles are but a minor bump in the road, as what really holds it up is its writing. GBC prides itself as being a girls band anime that's much more down-to-earth, grounded, and cynical than its more optimistic contemporaries like early Bang Dream, or even idol series such as Love Live, lacking a lot of the saccharine cheesiness and over-the-top positivity that they embrace. For one, the main characters actually struggle to start their own band, and said band's members are a mix of teenaged dropouts and adults in their early 20s trying to balance both the band and part-time jobs to pay the bills and put food on the table. They're only able to play short gigs at whatever small venue will give them the time of day, and one girl dropped out of her former band and had to sign away the rights to her original song as a result, and has to watch as her now successful former band flourishes off her work. GBC wants to explore the often unforgiving realities of being a professional musician and the constant friction between making art and making money, and unlike, say, Jellyfish Can't Swim In The Night, which would either resolve everything with a neat little bow or not at all, GBC more than succeeded on that front. I'm gonna be comparing these two shows a lot because they share the same premise and themes, but have completely different approaches in regards to their execution, and GBC succeeds in how it manages to pull it off whereas Jellyfish didn't. This really shows what good execution can mean for the overall quality of a story. One aspect in which GBC succeeds over Jellyfish is how it writes its characters. Now, I admit, I only watched one episode of Jellyfish and read blog posts and reviews of the other episodes. But just watching the first episode was enough for me to see its flaws and knowing how they persist throughout the entire show, I'm not surprised. Jellyfish's characters never felt to me like three-dimensional characters or flawed, awkward human beings with their own unique strengths or weaknesses; rather, they felt more like a combination of what adults writing kids THINK kids are like and mouthpieces/props that just spout moralizing, melodramatic speeches about the show's messages without even an ounce of subtlety and trust in its audience, only acting on whatever the writers feel is convenient to make drama in the plot happen. GBC's cast of characters actually felt well-rounded and true to life, with all the drama and conflict mainly being fueled by angst and optimism being at odds with one another. It helps that any angst is nicely balanced with some fun physical comedy and absurd slapstick that manages to keep the show from being a slog to go through. It also helps that unlike Jellyfish Can't Swim In The Night, the characters' actions and motivations are actually consistent and feel natural, and GBC actually understands the concept of "show, don't tell." These kids are flawed, awkward, and aren't afraid to riff on each other if someone deserves it, but their interactions felt believable and grounded, and most of them are well-realized and wonderfully layered. I say most of them because while Nina, Momoka, and Subaru have strong character arcs, Rupa and Tomo admittedly got the short end of the stick, Rupa especially. The latter two don't get as much screen time or development in comparison to the other band members, and while we're given snippets of their backgrounds, they're not given any proper exploration of their pasts, nor do we see their journeys to come to terms with and overcome their personal traumas. Considering how open-ended the series is, with quite a few plot threads left unresolved, this isn't much of a surprise. Hell, even the creators of the show have said that since Nina's whole arc takes up so much time that the other characters don't get to do much. I also would have liked more background on Diamond Dust and their newest member Hina, who is the source of most of Nina's problems. For what it's worth, the show's creators have said that th…

We're two for two for the unusually specific genre of "Disgraced former idol finds new life through a bunch of amateurs looking to make a name for themselves complete with a twintailed antagonist who is the vocalist of the former idol's group" in this season. Although, despite its superficial similarities, Girls Band Cry and Yorukura have different focuses and priorities, with GBC more focused on Nina's personal drama, and her outlook on her choices that took her there. You follow through Nina's journey with TogeToge all the way through the finale, whilst unravelling Nina's backstory on why she became a victim of bullying, and how she came to love the original iteration of Diamond Dust. It's a simple story told exceptionally well with masterful directing. The drama doesn't become too overbearing, and the characters have a rawness to them that is refreshing coming from the past decade or so of idol/band anime. All this is accentuated by the exceptional animation quality. I wasn't initially onboard this after looking at the trailers, as years of mediocre anime has made me biased against all 3D animation. It does take several weeks to get used to, but I can honestly say that GBC has some of the best animation I have ever seen this whole year, 3D or otherwise. One of the reasons why is that it's not trying to emulate the look of a 2D anime, but rather it's trying to do it's own thing. The animations are expressive and the frame-rate is higher than your typical anime, allowing for very smooth motion that you just don't see in a typical 2D show. Combined with great direction and pacing, the show looks natural and is a league above most other attempts at a 3D anime. If there is one nitpick, it's that the ending does feel rushed, and it's one of those shows that really needs an OVA epilogue to really wrap things up nicely. I also do wish Tomo and Rupa had more screentime, though them having any screentime at all is appreciated given that the crux of the show is Nina and Momoka. Girls Band Cry is a pleasant surprise. One that I did not see coming from the director + writer combo from Love Live Sunshine. But maybe, when given room to experiment and do something risky, some creators do excel in providing an unforgettable experience. 8/10

Girls Band Cry is not as much an anime about music as it is about musicians. It speaks of the struggles that lead them to search for a way to express their feelings, put them into songs, and the simultaneous fragility and awesomeness of making a living out of their art. If that sounds interesting for you, let’s dive a bit deeper into this wonderful project. At first glance, GBC seems to follow the trend of cute girls doing music, much in the vein of BTR or this season’s Yorukura; nevertheless, that’s oversimplifying too much what this anime intends to be. As much as it has fair bits of cute comedy, and also my god does it has some bangers to its name, I’d claim those aspects aren’t nearly the biggest selling point of the show. And that’s thanks to the powerful and raw mess of emotions that composes every character, specially Nina and Momoka. They’re the actual stars of the show, and the setting, the music and the interactions come up as means to convey their conflicts and dreams. The main group is composed of five teenagers/young adults, which end up making a band called Togenashi Togeari. The interesting part of this group is that, excepting Subaru, each of them has personal circumstances that make them almost need music as a way of life; it’s a means to prove themselves, to not be alone, to make their crying voice be heard and reach other people going through similar struggles. This is the first point that sets the atmosphere apart from other similar music shows: these girls aren’t doing it as a hobby, but rather as an all in gamble which, if it goes wrong, it’ll mean they somehow failed in life. This premise sets a tone that will be a constant throughout the show: even if there are lighthearted moments, things are to be taken seriously, and the show will compromise on talking about loss, bullying, anxiety and other such topics with the appropriate concern and respect for their delicacy. What I try to convey is not that this is an all out dramatic show- it still has an upbeat vibe in many moments-, but rather that what makes their music and the key moments so powerful and explosive is exactly the oppressive atmosphere around the characters, the blatant sincerity of their feelings and the freedom they find through letting it all out in their music. This conflict is mainly vehiculated through Nina and Momoka’s conflict (no spoilers). Momoka is the ex-composer and guitarist of Diamond Dust, a now popular band which she left due to refusing the idea to turn into an idol band in order to make a living; on the other hand, Nina is a cheerful and impulsive girl, though an extremely temperamental and overly sincere one, hindered by her past of bullying and family conflicts into social anxiety and school abandonment, and also a huge fan of Momoka’s songs, that have helped her through depression. Things are very serious for them both, music means their life, and this create rash and raw emotions and dialogues, harming themselves and each other by trying to come to terms with their dreams and fears. Finally, once you’re invested in the wonderful characters and understand their complicated feelings, come the climaxes of the anime: the shows. The songs are incredible, with great lyrics that help to reflect the characters, and the visual spectacle is sublime. Something I didn’t touch quite yet, but is absolutely praiseworthy, is the animation and direction; being a 3DCG anime nowadays is still a bit of a deterrent for many viewers, but GBC is in that same threshold as Orange shows where the CG is so incredible no one can really complain, and having a director that has previously worked on Love Live pays off hugely every time music performances come into play. If you’re into J-Rock, even if you’re not planning to watch the anime, please take a look at the songs and the concerts clips, I promise they’re absolutely amazing. In sum, this anime is an emotional rollercoaster. It’ll get you invested in every character, make you love every single one of their interactions and then hit you with some of most meaningful and emotion-packed dialogues I’ve seen in years- episodes 8 and 10 are masterpieces-, and once you’ve recovered, leave you grasping for air again with the stunning musical performances. Overall, if you’re into drama or music, this was one of the most pleasant surprises I could ever hope to get from an original show, and I absolutely recommend this anime.

Picture this: you're a nice little anime girl, wondering what archetype you should fall into, what show you should be in, and what kind of character you're going to be. You've got a couple of options. You could be a shounen girl and live the rest of your life with people on Twitter calling you useless until the end of time. You could become a romcom lead and enjoy getting paired up with an embarrassing loser with a cardboard personality. Hell, you could even go the isekai route and end up being girl number 912 in some weirdo's harem. But what if you don't want to do any of that? What if you actually want to have the spotlight in your own show and not play second fiddle to the anime boys? Well, in that case, look no further than joining an anime girl band. I think you can tell what this anime MC, Nina, picked. It's the name, Girls Band Cry. There have been many girl band shows just this year, or hell even this season alone, from Doga Koba's iffy Yorukura, the production hell that is Sasakoi, or the beauty that is KyoAni's Hibike Euphonium. From that alone, you can tell this isn't a new genre or something fresh. When everyone heard the announcement for this, myself included, people thought this was just trying to ride the wave of success that was Fall 2022's Bocchi the Rock! But oh boy, were me and many others wrong about that. This anime is a shining example of the absolute best this subgenre has to offer. If you don't know what this is or what it's about, this is a Toei Production (yes, the people that made Dragon Ball and One Piece), and the premise is basically what you'd expect from all other anime in the subgenre: a bunch of Japanese girls meet and form a rock band. That's it. I never said they were reinventing the wheel here or anything. First off, I'm sure you could tell by now from some of the clips you've probably seen on Twitter or other places that this show is done entirely in CGI. Now, that might instantly turn some of you off because most people see CGI and think, "Ew what is this, Demon Slayer Season 3?" But I promise you, this isn't that nasty CGI you're picturing. The show looks good, like surprisingly good. You just have to watch a few minutes of the first episode to realize that they knew what they were doing with the art direction. The facial expressions are dynamic and very much anime-like. The cinematography is well thought out and purposeful. And oh boy, don't get me started on the live performances. They look breathtaking. We've come a long way from the awkward-looking CG performances of Zombie Land Saga, that's for sure. Everything about this show is just so well executed that it's clear this was a labor of love, with people actually putting thought into what was going on on-screen. Most girl band anime are scaled on a spectrum of either full cuteness, full drama, or a bit of both. I'd say this show lands itself nearing the full drama side, but even though it's not perfectly in the center, this show has the best balance of CGDCT and angsty melodrama. Most of that is thanks to the talented seiyuus giving it their all. If you didn't know, most are first-time actors in these roles, and they're better than half the seiyuus in the industry right now. Crazy. This show checks off so many boxes of how to make a great anime. If you want great characters that feel down-to-earth, genuine, and human, it's got that. You want CG animation with as much expressiveness and detail as a Studio Orange production? It's got that too. What about ACTUALLY GOOD music that doesn't fall into the traditional stereotype of just anime girls singing on stage? Well, get ready to hop on Spotify right after, because my god, does the music slap in this anime. It's not just the OP and ED; the entire soundtrack, which I recommend you ALL GO LISTEN TO, is music to the ears. I don't want to spoil any plot details or anything, because I think people should just go watch the show and experience the peak for themselves. That leads me to the final box to check off. Do you want to watch this show? Too bad you can't, because that's going to be pretty hard to do, which leads me into my next topic. While this anime is great, no doubt about it, if you don't live in Asia or some other place that's not in the eastern and northern hemispheres, or Japan of course, there's not really a "legal" way to watch this show. Girls Band Cry is in one of the worst positions that a show can be in. From my absolute praise you've seen me give for the past couple of paragraphs, you can tell that this show is really good and people clearly want to watch it. But there is no way to actually do so. This anime has not been licensed by any official company in the west. Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Netflix—hell, I'd even take Disney+/Hulu or even Amazon Prime at this point. None of them have this series, which unfortunately makes actually watching it in a decent state a lot more complicated. Now, I know what you're going to say: just go to one of the fancy, universally morally ethical unofficial sites to watch this series, and everything will be just fine. And you're right. But you're also completely wrong. You see, these sites don't get these subtitles for anime out of thin air. Those sites are not the ones making the subtitles for these series. Those subs more often than not, especially these days, have to come from either an official source like Crunchyroll or HIDIVE, or in rare cases, a group of fans dedicating huge chunks of their lives to fan translation. Thankfully for me, I understand Japanese at an N3 level, so I can understand the show with or without subs, but most people can't. And this show is in fact so good that it has spawned multiple different fan translations in the effort of bringing this series to the people. What I'm trying to get across is that, yeah, this series is surprisingly accessible for something that technically doesn't even have a single company localizing the anime, but it's only accessible because fans cared enough to step in and do what Crunchyroll and HIDIVE couldn't. But therein lies the problem. This leads to issues like some degenerate rushing to process this series through MTL, a.k.a. Machine Translation, and pumping out their butchered release before anyone else on the day of airing. "Just don't watch them," you say. Well, unless you're a weeb like people like to call us and go on that one site that's the noise cats make in Japanese, then you're most likely watching those MTL subs because the "streaming sites" use them. The real question I keep coming back to at this point is why. Why can't I watch this series? What would compel any of these companies to intentionally ignore such a promising and viral anime right from the beginning? Because it's really clear this show was targeted towards people in the west—the name's in freaking English for god's sake. Maybe instead of picking up literal garbage that not a single soul likes, someone like Crunchyroll could've gotten an actual product on their sites. But no. And Toei's not at fault either, because they obviously don't have any beef with Crunchyroll whatsoever; they air One Piece and Precure weekly simulcast, but not this. Ok. Hopefully in the near future, someone will pick up this show and people can watch it in all its glory. But for now, it seems these MTL and iffy fan translations will have to make do. Girls Band Cry is incredible, it's an achievement, it's peak cinema as the kids say. And I'm going to jump the gun and call this an AOTY contender. It's that good. So what are you doing? If you haven't watched this show, go and watch it, bad subs or not.

A stylistically expressive, yet realistic character-driven exploration into the world of music, an industry that prioritizes trends, money, and success, and those who struggle to exist in this environment while being true to themselves. Girls Band Cry is foremost a compelling interpersonal drama that uses the outlet of creative expression of playing in a band to support the overarching themes of independence, public perception, self-confidence, and acceptance. Stunning 3D animation allowed for dynamic perspectives throughout performances, visual effects cleverly captured emotional weight, and character interactions and narrative pacing were thorough. The world may not always accept you, but that does not mean you are wrong.

This is definitely the masterpiece among the 'girls rock band animes', especially if you understand the cultural background of Japan, and J-POP scene. To be honest, I wrote the apologize letter to Bocchi and Hirasawa Yui after watching the anime. Especially Eastern Asia countries, the harmony(Wa, 和) among the people is regarded as the important value in Japan. It means sometimes, to avoid conflicts, Japanese society forces a big pressure to individuals. In the case of the anime, you can think of the case of dealing with the Ijime of Iseri Nina. They focused on solving the problem without conflict, rather than judgement. Ijime culture was started in the context of Wa(和). They just want to exclude someone has the danger to break the harmony and make a different view. It leads to getting a popularity somewhat revolutional(?) songs among Utaite songs. You can easily think of Ado's songs - especially the case of Ussewa. Maybe I think it explained the interesting point of Girls Band Cry, too. Rock has been a symbol of liberation and resistance, and what they tried to do in the anime is ROCK in the Japanese cultural context. They didn't set their song's limit as letting people enjoy them. They were expressing their soul of resistance and wandering, at that time representing the spirit of 21c youths at least in Asia. In the one from similar cultural area (S. Korea), the anime led me to deep empathy, and gave a big meaning to me. It was the same thing my father said to me while turning on the Deulgukhwa's songs. "Don't lost your dreams and view, even among the situations of pressure." I want to end up the review with this joke: "among 'girls rock band animes', if you want to watch the 'girls', watch K-ON, in the case of 'band', watch Bocchi The Rock, and if you want a rock, watch it."

Like many series before it, Girls Band Cry tries to make you care about our characters through their music. This isn't anything we haven't seen before - K-On, Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night and Fuuka to name a few - but as the anime industry starts to get more and more of these music-related series, I can't help but try a bunch of them out. Story & Characters: Girls Band Cry actually starts out very similarly to Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night, in that we have our main character, Nina Iseri, who can't quite seem to be able to find where she wants to be after just finishing high school. She's had a lot of things happen to her that make her feel like the world is against her - this ranges from bullying in school to unsupportive parents and peers. Look, finding our way in life sucks when you feel like you don't have a direction to take, so Nina's situation might feel familiar to some. I feel like whether you connect with her will kind of align whether or not you appreciate this series for its characters or not. She feels like a bit of a brat in the early going and I get why people may not like her all that much. There is some growth as the series goes on, but she sticks to her beliefs, for better or worse. After stumbling upon Momoka, ex of the band Diamond Dust, they decide together to form a band. Momoka isn't nearly as deep, even though I feel like the framework is there. She's seriously passionate about her skill in writing music, but man, she really likes giving up when the situation starts to go south, even a little. This is probably her only flaw, because she's pretty smart, but it shows up in the series more times than I'd like. After creating their "group", they realize they only have their vocalist and guitar player, and end recruiting Subaru, a drummer who comes from a family that isn't particularly supportive of her passion for music either. I do like that they went about her story in a different way than Nina's though, and that kept the early episodes feeling fresher than it could've. She keeps her focus on reality really well, and even feels like she has to play babysitter to Nina and Momoka at times. I liked her. As the story progresses, the girls' group starts to take form, and their dream starts to take a mold. However, there's a lot that gets in their way, and most of it does feel fairly realistic. Things aren't exactly given to them for free, and I like that this series tries to focus on that over anything else. There are times when the pacing does feel a little quicker than it should be, but it was never a huge issue. Rupa and Tomo round out our band as their bassist a keyboarder and both are strong characters. Rupa feels lot like Kaori from Whisper Me a Love Song, in that she puts on this smile 'all' the time as if she's kind of playfully going with the flow. Her backstory isn't very deep and she loves to drink, but near the end of the series, she's a fantastic character when she's being serious. Tomo is a great second to their duo because of how different she is, and she's almost overly serious. She takes everything like it's a life or death situation, and I really appreciated her character because of her background. It just kind of works. What they try to do with side characters is make them feel impactful, while only lasting an episode or two. Nina's dad, Hina, Subaru's grandmother and Ms. Miura all bring a certain chunk to the story in this regard. This series is basically all about our five girls. As the series progresses and our group gets closer and closer to their dreams, they do their best to get there, without trying to shortcut anything. This is a quality that I find severely lacking in seasonal anime due to the short length, and even though this series is an original work, others have still fallen victim to this flaw. Every other episode ends in a song, which kind of makes this feel like it should be 6 longer episodes, rather than the 13 present here. That's not a bad thing because I binged it for the most part, but more an observation than anything. As we get closer and closer to the end, there's not a very clear path to where our girls want to end up, aside being popular and professional. While this is fine, it does feel like there are gaps that feel almost necessary in terms of preparation and planning. This series tries to emphasize drama a touch too much, leaving no time to show the right way to do things in much length. Maybe that's a limitation that would make this series too long and slow, but they could have mixed it up a little more. All that being said, once our girls start to perform, the "fun" gets ramped up to 10 immediately, right until the end. I didn't love the way this series ended, but it was solid enough. (Story: 7/10, Characters: 8/10) Art: If you're someone that doesn't like full CG series, then this series will be an issue for you. Full CG series have come a long way since the days of Knights of Sidonia, one of the early series that I know in this art style, but I thought Girls Band Cry did just fine here. Toei Animation doesn't suffer from the typical seasonal art decline that tends to happen, which is appreciated. I found after the first episode that the style wasn't nearly as much of problem for me. (8/10) Sound: There wasn't a shot in hell that I was giving this series anything but a perfect score here. The music in this series absolutely ruled from the craziness of Voiceless Fish to the excitement of VOID. I loved basically every musical tune in this series and that just kind of matches the band style with me. It's exciting, has passion in the vocals and sounds awesome. I'm also a bit of a sucker for piano in rock tunes. They even add some extra audio effects to the concert versions of the tunes to make it feel more like "live" in some instances. The OST matches a similar style to the music in a calmer way, many of which are rehashes of some of the songs. Voicework was strong all around, even though I believe the VAs are musicians first and voice actresses second. It's really impressive. (10/10) Overall: Girls Band Cry was easily the most fun series of the year, even if it wasn't the best. The music was just way too good to pass up and the rest of the elements of the series was strong enough that it deserves high praise. It might be my favourite in the genre because of that. A lot of work was likely done to get this series off the ground because of the music work involved, but it pays off big here. This is a series to give a try for anyone looking for a music, coming-of-age series. (9/10)

3DCG in anime = bad? FOR ONCE I can say that this isn't the case! I know there are other examples of good 3D CG anime out there but this is the first one I've touched that I personally enjoyed. Plot is decent and takes a realistic approach to the indie music industry, its honestly quite relatable in certain levels, the MC leaves a bit more to be desired at the start and I can certainly understand why someone would drop it at episode 1 but trust me when I say "let her cook". Visuals/Animation, I never thought I'd see the day where I'd enjoy 3DCG but this one just does it in its own stylistic way. Its not trying to be a 2D anime, its conscious of what it is and what its good at, instead of trying to pass itself as a 2D drawn anime. They did an amazing job animating this! Music, all opinions here since tastes are different, but boy did I enjoy it. Their songs have a clear direction/theming or style. Those quick bursts of words are their iconic signature and they wear it proudly on all their songs.

To be honest, I was suspicious about the anime Girls Band Cry before I watched it. I don't like music anime, I haven't watched music band anime at all. So I wasn't sure what to expect. When I started watching, I was quite surprised that it was a 3D anime. I haven't watched a 3D anime in a long time. Although the first 1-2 episodes of the anime didn't turn me on, as the story continued, as I learned about the main character Nina's pain, as new members joined the group, I began to like the anime, even love it, and I understood why it received such a high rating. Although the anime is a musical anime, it tries to show the problems faced by teenagers through the point of view of the main character Nina. Difficulty expressing oneself, fear of moving to a new place, depending on family expectations, avoiding meeting new people, bullying problems, etc. anime has managed to win my sympathy by focusing on such important topics. I also really liked a lot of the songs that are played in the anime. The relationships between the characters were also very fun and interesting. Personally, when I watched the anime, I wished that I could form a music group like that. The relationship between the characters amused me a lot, the jokes didn't come across as clichéd or trite. As for the negative aspects of the anime, I think the ending could have been more exciting and interesting, I regretted that they didn't give a more interesting ending. Another thing I didn't like was that the characters often left the group. In particular, after Momoka created the group, she repeatedly left and returned several times. In general, there were a lot of pointless in-and-outs in the anime, which I didn't really like. Some characters' backstories were left unexplained. In particular, the story of Tomo and Rupa, the last two members to join the group, could have been covered more. Rupa was perhaps the most obscure character. A lot of people have complained about the anime being 3D, but I wasn't bothered by it, even I can say that I liked it.

This is an absolutely incredible show, I just want more. Out of all the cute girls do cute things anime that came out in spring 2024, not only is this the most surprising one (honestly this is the most surprising show of the entire season) but it is also the best one, by far, the character writing here is IMPECCABLE and the conflicts are so well written, the dynamic between all the members of the group is absolutely perfect. Even when two members are added halfway through it managed to surprise me to how enjoyable those two characters are. This is up there with bocchi for best band anime i've seen, no joke. I hope a new season is announced because at this point, the story is obviously not over and I'm really glad to have more of this, I love this show I understand cgi turns a lot of people off but please this give one a shot, the animation is incredibly expressive and the cinematography on display here uses all the advantages of 3d to its advantages and to create some beautiful and dynamic shots, not only that the animation blends the 3d and 2d perfectly even with characters, it doesn't feel jarring or anything, this is TOEI animation we're talking about and they made a great job.