Gunjou no Magmel [Review]
- Studios: Pierrot Plus
- Source: Manga
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Super Power, Fantasy, Shounen
- Synopsis: “A new continent named Magmel suddenly appears in the ocean, and a new age of exploration begins. Explorers venture to the island to find previously unknown lifeforms and resources, but experience one disaster after another.” – Gunjou no Magmel (manga)
Story:
With a unique story like this, you’d expect an immersive world filled with wonders beyond your imagination. I hoped that Gunjou no Magmel would be similar to Made in Abyss, with its world-building and interesting creatures. The story felt more like a series of filler arcs right before the main story arc (Naruto Shippuden watchers know what I’m talking about). There’s little to no progression at all except for the last two episodes that talk about Zero’s origin and Inyou’s younger days. Ractors, while seemingly infamous throughout the show, are still wrapped in mystery and we still don’t know the exactly how they have special powers as well as Shuuin who plays an integral role in Inyou’s childhood. The comedy throughout the show is decent, but after seeing them repeated multiple times throughout the show it becomes dull.
Artwork & Animation:
While the art and character designs are great and I enjoyed them, the overall animation was lacking as much of the in-between frames were unrefined. The use of CGI for certain things such as Zero’s robot interrupted what little flow the show had.
Character(s):
The side characters that show up throughout the show are very generic and one dimensional. Each character arcs are practically the same: Client comes in with a request, plot twist the client did something bad in Magmel, Inyou saves them and gives them a lesson, they become Inyou’s friend and have cameo’s throughout the show. There’s some development but not interesting enough to immerse the audience into the story. Zero and Inyou do get much more development than the rest, as they are the main characters, but it’s lacking. Hints are scattered throughout each episode but no real character development is established until the last few episodes, which still leaves a lot to be desired.
Sound (OST & Voice Acting):
The soundtrack is was a strange mixture to add into this already strange pot of the stuff. A lot of the songs were using traditional Japanese instruments, which made it sound as if the setting was set in feudal Japan (but it’s not). Then the other half sounds like a fun and simple songs you’d hear from a comedy with wacky noises. While on its own, the soundtrack is interesting but when paired up with a show like this, it feels out of place.
Enjoyment:
Gunjou no Magmel was so interesting to hear about and seeing the first episode made me get into it. But as the show dragged on it became dreadful and I wished that more care and attention was given to the show.
Overall: Score
5
Gunjou no Magmel is one of those shows that catches your attention the first few episodes and then after a couple of months, you forget that it even existed. Though it has great art and character designs, the repetitive story, unrefined animation, and lack of any sort of development create a mundane show.
Best Girl: Zero
With the limited selection of characters, Zero is the only character worth mentioning in the show. Her character arc was the most impactful out of all the others and I liked her design from the start.
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