Welp, Charlotte’s second half was just as ridiculous as advertised. This was one of the least coherently constructed shows I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen more than my share of extremely shitty anime. Even shows that are worse than this one in terms of moment-to-moment writing at least tend to have a narrative arc – Charlotte doesn’t really have anything resembling a narrative, and is more just a series of disjointed and ridiculous actions. Congrats Maeda, you are still the writer I’ve always known you to be.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my episode notes below.

Episode 8

MC is back at school

These idol jokes are still loud and obvious and annoying

We watch one of idol girl’s music videos, because Maeda likes music, I guess

They have two tickets to a post-rock concert

Wow, this show just completely jumped back to its first tone, huh

Of course, MC is going with her

He meets a girl who speaks english, and they go to get noodles. Woop, it’s the vocalist for ZHIEND, the band

The moments of him remembering his sister are the best bits. This show does seem to understand grief, and that helps its character writing significantly

And now the singer’s talking about missing her chance at fame, watching people her age already succeeding on TV

She bargained her sight away for a reason that isn’t really explained well at all

And now she’s singing to the crazed brother. This sure is some out-of-nowhere nonsense

There’s also the fact that the MC didn’t really have an arc – he was a jerk for one episode and then not anymore

And the music trick actually works

This works for MC’s character, though – he’s saving people for his own sake, now

“In the end, you were the one who changed me, Tomori.” lol

“Why does her gig feel so nostalgic?” More Tragic Pasts To Come

Episode 9

Going to the concert

MC’s connection with the band continues

This is pretty well-animated

He flashes back to hearing this song with his sister

Ah, when they were in some kind of facility together

“I wish big brother Shun were here too.” Shun apparently has a time leap ability. Oh my god, this is a time travel story

They’re planning a breakout

The heroine’s brother is there, unsurprisingly

MC can actually steal abilities

Ah, Yu is the MC’s name

This episode is actually thrilling. A crazy, power-focused breakout

And Ayumi is the little sister

The heroine knew Shunsuke, Yu’s other brother. The twists!

Time travel, memory wiping, etc

Episode 10

Shunsuke leaps back three years before he and his siblings get captured

He builds a syndicate of kids with powers to protect themselves, but it fails

They decide to enlist adults who were former wielders

“I need to time-leap soon, or I’ll get caught.” Jeez, his life is tough

His vision gets worse every time he rewinds

And he ultimately decides to build a school to protect wielders

And also to erase his existence from his siblings memories, because… reasons

It’s just one plot idea after another at this point

The ability to steal all abilities is pretty OP

“Plunder my ability, and leap to the past to save Ayumi”

It’s kinda like Maeda doesn’t see any difference between an idea and a story

The relationship between Yu and Tomori is easily the most consistently effective element of this show

Tomori immediately believes his time-leaping story

Episode 11

They’re working on a vaccine for special abilities

A long-orbit comet named Charlotte

Charlotte showers the particles on earth every 75 years, lol

From playing shogi, we’re now watching an interrogation

Aaand his nails have been ripped off

The show is just introducing and dropping plots and characters left and right

Episode 12

Pretty cool how Yu almost destroys a building several times an episode now

We’re really expected to care about Shunsuke after like no time

Ghost Misa reconnects with her parents on a live cooking show broadcast

This episode has just been a series of hospital visits

Tomori suggests Yu… take every single ability in the world, to stop people fighting. Wonderful

This is also supposed to be Yu’s redemption story, but he was redeemed after episode one

Episode 13

Now he’s crossing the globe, snatching up abilities everywhere

He’s in Afghanistan. This show is ridiculous

What awful pacing. How is this the last episode, after last episode’s hospital stay?

And now he’s losing control of himself, and going on rampages in his sleep

He can’t remember Tomori. Great