Granblue Fantasy The Animation [Review]

Posted on August 3, 2017 by KiritoNarukami One comment

“This is a world of the skies, where many islands drift in the sky. A boy named Gran and a talking winged lizard named Vyrn lived in Zinkenstill, an island which yields mysteries. One day, they come across a girl named Lyria. Lyria had escaped from the Erste Empire, a military government that is trying to rule over this world using powerful military prowess. In order to escape from the Empire, Gran and Lyria head out into the vast skies, holding the letter Gran’s father left behind—which said, “I will be waiting at Estalucia, Island of Stars.” -Aniplex of America

After weeks of persuasion from a friend, I gave in and started watching Granblue Fantasy The Animation. As I’ve never played the game before, everything was new to me, I knew nothing of the characters nor the mechanics of the game yet the show was very satisfactory.

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Story:

Granblue fantasy follows a cliche plot line, where each episode they visit a new town, defeat the legendary primal beast that is threatening the safety of the town, and receive a magic item that tells them where they can find the next. Of course, they meet new characters along the way, some joining and some not. Although it’s very predictable and cliche, there’s something enjoyable about it. Maybe it’s the fact that there hasn’t been a series like this in a while and I’m kind of missing it, but I digress. The pace of the show is actually quite good for something that’s based on a game. Each episode holds a lot of information and story development yet only feels like it was 5-minutes long. However; the ending was a little strange, with the random appearance of many famous Granblue Fantasy character appearing one after the other. But this could also be a foreshadow for another season where they eventually join the Gran and friends on their journey. If they don’t join later on, then that was the creators trying to stuff their favorite characters into the show just because.

Artwork & Animation:

Staying true to the style of the artwork in the game, the anime takes the card artwork and breathes life into them as well as the worlds and locations that they explore. The animation is spectacular, this can be especially said on episode 12 where all the characters fight against Leviathan. Each swing of the sword or a throw of a punch feels strong and powerful. The elemental attacks are very flashy and satisfying to see.

Character(s):

Character development in the show wasn’t too bad, everyone had a little something to bring to the table. A nice little touch that was added was in episode 13 where the story switched Gran with Djeet, the female protagonist and, of course, added in a beach episode as well.

Sound (OST & Voice Acting):

The mythical sounding soundtrack definitely puts the audience i the right mood for the show, with all the fantasy elements going on. The Opening and Ending themes were a little tame for what I was expecting but they were both quite good in their own right. Voice acting is excellent, with the same cast member as the game it’s sure to bring Granblue fans to tears seeing their favorite characters come to life.

Enjoyment:

Even though I had no idea who the characters were and I had little to no knowledge of the game, the anime was quite good! It’s intrigued me a little more about the game, but whether I’ll be joining my friend in gatcha salt is a different matter.

Overall: Score 9

Granblue Fantasy becomes a cliche anime with a predictable story but stands out through its artwork and animation. With the introduction of many new characters in the final episode, it’s a possible foreshadow for the another season.