Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash – Review

Today I reviewed the season’s other trapped-in-a-fantasy-world show! Grimgar was great, in the end – the show had a wide variety of tiny issues, but none that could really substantially detract from the things it did well. It was lovely to see a show that actually treated one of these worlds as a living space, and treated the things people do there as actions with consequences. From what I’ve heard, a great deal of Grimgar’s merits came down to the excellence of its director, so I’m very eager to see whatever he does next. A great show is one thing, but a show that introduces me to a new artist to follow is even better.

You can check out my full review over at ANN!

Grimgar

2 thoughts on “Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash – Review

  1. I think I’m beginning to understand why you appreciate Grimgar more than Rakugo Shinjuu. Grimgar’s characters are very honest projections of ourselves in a setting that we often take for granted. We’re spoiled in RPGs with all of the save points and potions and magics spells – but Grimgar tells us that any misstep could cost the life of a party member. And there are no phoenix downs here – only the weight and guilt of regret.

    And I believe Grimgar capitalized on this insight to create a compelling character piece that breathes life into its world, allowing us to relate quite closely with the inner monologue of Haruhiro.

    Rakugo Shinjuu tends to be a self-composed piece, like a pristine porcelain figure that you can look at but not touch. It’s characters feel real, but like you said, I can’t connect with them, probably because I’ve never experienced a tragedy that could even compare to theirs. Certainly it’s there – the tragedy and the drama – but it feels very assuming of me to associate myself with any given character in the show just like that.

    And so Grimgar becomes a very personal montage that is highly relatable to. I still ranked Rakugo Shinjuu as the best anime for me last season, but I’ll admit – this was one damn fine show.

    Great write up by the way! And thanks for making me watch it per your advice!

    • Glad you ended up enjoying the show! And yeah, that sounds like a fine analysis of the core emotional distinctions that make the two shows feel so different.

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