Fireball Charming

Fireball Charming is a memorable series of 13 shorts of almost 2 minutes each. The anime was created by Jinni’s Animation Studios in collaboration with Disney Japan and aired in 2011.
Actually this is not the first time that this happens; in fact in 2008 the same collaboration produced Fireball a series of shorts that is the sequel of Fireball Charming.

STORY: 7

At this point in a normal review you will get at least a synopsis of the plot, the problem here is that said plot doesn’t really exist. Although in both Fireball and Fireball Charming some context is provided...
Fireball Charming is set in a distant ... future where robots and humans are at war with each other and feature the duchess Drossel von Flügel a female humanoid robot and Gedächtnis a robot that is her servant and guardian. The characters never leave the huge mansion where they live so you will rarely see the outside.
As I said before there is no real plot, the episodes are small random comedy skits that are well thought and beautifully executed.
I will assure you that you will laugh at some of the jokes.

ART & ANIMATION: 10

Fireball Charming is entirely done using CGI like its predecessor Fireball. Anime that are 100% CGI are rarely good and this one is an example of that small group.
In 2011 this was probably the best 3D anime produced with Cat Shit One as a close second, and even for today standards Fireball Charming is a beautiful anime.
If you focus on the graphics and animations you will note a lot of minute details in the 3D models, especially notable on Drossel, such as the arms and legs joints that accurately modeled and move appropriately based on the pose.
Drossel’s random gestures are hypnotizing to watch thanks to beautiful animations and help accentuating the feel that the robot is alive.

SOUND: 7

The music in the anime good, but it’s nothing special in my opinion. The sound effects on the robot movements are good and noticeable. The voice acting is spot on, to get characters that feel alive you need: good voice acting, good animation and art and an interesting personality so far we are two out of three.

CHARCTERS: 8

Finally the characters, probably the most important part of this anime, as said before we have two main characters lets start analyze Drossel first.
You can think of Drossel as the star of the show, she act like a spoiled princess that does what she wants. Usually she runs the gags and sometimes she seems aware of the viewer. Even if she doesn’t speak her character is characterize by random movements and strange poses.
Gedächtnis is the servant and guardian that acts like an older person and tries to contain Drossel, without him some of the jokes would not exist.

ENJOYMENT: 9

The jokes are good and easy to laugh at, since the episodes are short it’s almost impossible to grow tired of the characters and after the last episode you will probably want more.

OVERALL: 8

In my opinion this is a must watch, if you are not sure look at it this way, even if you don’t like it you will not “waste” a lot of time, so I will recommend to watch it.
On a final in my opinion you should watch Fireball Charming first and then Fireball because in the chronological order you will miss additional quotes that at first (in Fireball) don’t make sense.

If I were a millionaire, I would buy a copy of Fireball Charming and send it to every single anime screenwriter and demand that they watch it. Because it's just that good. Most writers start off with a great concept. It's unique, it's captivating and it's ripe for the picking. But they just don't know how to use it, and you get a mess of something that should have been fantastic(this review was spurred on by that regret from SAO). And in my opinion, Fireball Charming is the perfect example of how not to make a mess of that idea, even if it's a not ... so great idea to begin with. In simply 2 minutes of comedy and wonderful scriptwork, Fireball Charming can convey nearly any emotion in any way, and leave you wanting more.

Story:
Through the past millennium, robots and humans have evolved to a point of separation, and have eventually declared war on each other because they can no longer coexist. In the middle of this battle is the Tempest Tower, essentially a robotic Tower of Babyl, where the great robot duchess Drossel Von Flugel and her servant, Gedächtnis reside, weathering the ongoing war and attempting to uncover the past through ancient pieces of human and robot technology. The best part? This all plays the background to a much simpler and lighter comedy. Essentially, you get slice of life comedy with 2 clueless robots and the occasional guest. Some people may be turned off by this decision, but it works amazingly, it manages to be deep yet superficial at the same time. An air of absurdity accompanies every joke, the feeling that greater things are at stake, but then you realize, these are robots, which live forever and have no need for a sense of urgency.

Art:
It’s CGI Anime. Take of it what you will, but while the original Fireball was mediocre even at the time of its release, Fireball Charming is a vast improvement. Visual flourishes are everywhere and the environment of the Tempest Tower has a serene beauty accomplished only from its massive size and repetitive nature.

Sound:
Because each episode is less than 2 minutes long, you won’t ever be hearing more than the main 10 second theme. But it’s a nice short tune and actually surprisingly memorable. The robotic sounds are a bit stock-effect sounding but they work. The voices are great, but the superior part is the way that the voice actors speak in a nonstop, fast stream of words. Robots like Drossel and Gedächtnis do not need to spend the time a human would analyzing each other’s speech and considering a reply, they talk immediately after each other, as quickly as a computer can process. Absolutely perfect.

Character:
Here is where Fireball Charming excels the most. Despite having only 2 main characters, and a small cast of random visitors, each character is memorable and enjoyable. Somehow, these robots are just as lifelike as humans. Drossel seems to be your typical snooty 14 year old anime princess, yet she’s got an entire range of unexpected personalities and emotions that are surprisingly consistent for her character. Gedächtnis, who acts as her loyal and often abused elderly servant, is the ground for Drossel’s sanity and the one who explains the outside world. Both are immensely charming(no pun intended) and truly great.

Enjoyment:
The comedy in Fireball Charming is top notch. The original Fireball had excellent puns, wordplay and irony that made it an intellectual comedy that could still make one laugh out loud. Fireball Charming has added a range of slapstick to the mixture, without lowering the overall level of intelligence. The polar opposite ends of comedy go hand in hand in a way you’ll never have thought possible. The banters between Gedächtnis and Drossel are easily the most memorable duo lines made in anime and every word has been painstakingly arranged for maximum comedic relief. Make sure you get good subs, because they will make a major difference if you don’t speak Japanese.

Overall:
A true masterpiece. Don’t let the Disney production tag, short run time or CGI aspects fool you. This series is a wonderful gem of comedy that everyone should watch. And with the small episode lengths, you’ll only be wasting 30 minutes of your life for a whole season instead of 12 hours. Each bite sized episode is small but brimming with flavor and personality, one can only hope Disney will treat us to another season sometime soon.

Rate a 4
English subtitled

story
-for most episodes had the same introduction. "lady, we are a late for a ball." You have the character in different attire almost every episode but you struggle at finding different word choices?
-I liked the concept of somewhat flawed history. History has always been kept but things to get lost in time. Whether from translation of items. Thus creates a different history from the original.
-In relation to the ball segment i referred to earlier where is it? To me a ball is a social gathering to dance. Yet, all that seemed to transpire after such need is game time.
-ending i didn't get. ... After a critical discovery of finding an error to what was upheld to be a highly regarded event why feel the need to rest?
-For something for all ages why were there a few sexual remarks?
-comedy was used but it wasn't of the ha ha variety more low leveled.

art
-sleek and overall gorgeous.
-definitely lived up to the appeal of futuristic for a setting choice.

characters
-lacked in back story. Yes, the basic functions are known. For example, what role they serve but how did they get to that position?