Rolling Girls performed a semi-smooth recovery this week. We didn’t return to the high-energy mania and glorious animation of the first two episodes, but at this point, I think that just isn’t what this show is. What Rolling Girls actually is is a story of freedom and growing up and punk rock, more “Naota sleeping on the back of the vespa” and less “Haruka in a bunny suit slamming the guitar.” The show’s art direction remains excellent, but the key points this week were the quiet moments – both Nozomi and Chiaya’s conversations with their mothers, and the easy conversation about favorite bands that played the episode off.

In light of this shift, I’m not really surprised that a lot of people are jumping shift – the show tricked people, it’s not what it initially appeared to be. But fortunately for me, the show’s new thing is obviously well within My Kind of Thing, and so as long as the show maintains the easy grace of this episode’s last few minutes in its upcoming character moments, I’ll still be enjoying the ride. And either way, it sure is pretty.

My full ANN post is available here. Notes below!

The little dog lowering its shades on this dude’s head goddamnit

It’s the tiny details that make this show, I think

Oh shit, bomb roomba!

These watercolor backgrounds are so nice!

Noriko, one of Thunderoad’s subordinates, is helping them. They’re staying with her mom, who’s got their bikes. Noriko used to know Yukina (blue-hair)

Yukina makes terrible portraits

“Stealing is as serious a crime as murder, because the things people steal are as, no, more important than people’s lives.” A great detail of the otaku country Always Comima

And that pineapple image for decapitation. Lol

Nozomi is being incredibly stubborn. She refuses to give up on what she thinks Ma-chan would do, even if it’s ridiculous

Chi-chan’s now sobbing about her stone

Nice background music

I like that the mom actually looks like a mom

I really like this scene with Thunderoad talking about why she loved the Rickshaw character. Good music, just a nice simple little turn

Aaand Thunderoad immediately loses the stone. Nice going

Nozomi talking with her mom on the phone. Great little honest conversation, making sure she’s safe

Yukina finally asking Chi how she knows their nicknames

Lots of lovely shots in this episode. Not much animation, but nice shots

OH MY GOD THE BOMBERS PLAN. “You’re making your parents cry.” Devastating all the otaku of the land. Amazing

And the bombers are mad because Tokyo is so silly now. This is great

And one of them is plagued by guilt because of a cute cosplay girl. Okay, this show’s coming back together

“The Dynamite Bombers” right

The show finally just outright says the stones power people

Oooh, I really like this almost chiptune-style action music

Nice hand-drawn shots for a moment in Thunderoad’s transformation

And great animation for this chase

Such lovely colors for this explosion!

It was Noriko all along! She made up the bombers!

The gatekeeper at the next country is the same person, somehow

Chiaya’s gonna keep rollin’ on. Punk rock

Looove that shot of Chiaya taking a breath in the free air. “Everything’s fine,” she tells herself. It’s a bracing feeling

Nozomi doesn’t want a stone

The girls just talkin’ ‘bout who got them into classic old bands. This is great stuff

The last few scenes here nailed so many true emotions and moments. This was great