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“Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!” is pure passion for animation. Every aspect of the show from its eclectic score to its quick, quippy dialogue is charged with a wacky, frenetic, creative energy that flows straight from the screen to the viewer through each lovingly crafted frame. It’s impossible not to have fun watching the off-beat, silly, and inspiring adventures of these three girls who just wanna make amazing anime.

Admittedly, the plot isn’t complex or deep -- there’s not much more to know than “three misfits starting an animation club.” Its lead characters Asakusa, Kanamori and Mizusaki aren’t amazingly nuanced or compelling either, but they’re expressive, ... unique, and most importantly, they work well together. Within a couple minutes of natural interaction between the trio I was sold on their friendship, and their dynamic is strong enough to carry the show into what it truly excels at: gorgeous and inventive animating sequences.

At least once per episode, “Eizouken” veers off from the girls’ daily lives and the motion picture club to revel in a surreal, hyper-animated fantasy sequence made up spontaneously by our main trio. These range from flying a dragonfly-like airship to escape from MIBs to bombing a building and flooding a city to create the ultimate windmill. The scenes are dynamic and unique, animated as if the girls really are drawing them as they go. It feels like you're there with them, truly impressing the wonder of animation that inspires Asakusa, Kanamori and Mizusaki on the viewer. Absolutely exhilarating.

Ultimately, it’s clear to me that “Eizouken” is about people who love animation, written by a person who loves animation, and adapted by people who love animation. While its story might not be particularly impressive, it’s refreshing enough to accompany this fantastic piece of moving art that reminds us how fun anime can be.

(also the op slaps, you gotta check it out)