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This is a very interesting case for a franchise. The origins of this series stem from 'Genshiken,' one of the earliest television series to focus on otaku culture. With any series, there is always a boundary of copyright where no real series outside of a creative group can be mentioned without having to pay product licensing (which makes me wonder how 'The Big Bang Theory' was able to compensate for those). 'Guilty Gear' is directly mentioned mainly due to the game's publisher being involved during the first season at least. So, for a series about otakus talking about manga, anime, & video games, they had ... to create a fictious one to use.

The first iteration of this series was a 3-episode OVA most likely released along with the 'Genshiken' DVD/VHS (my knowledge on this part is lacking.) Honestly, they're just sticked-together episodes of what was shown in the actual series trying to make a cohesive first episode before spiraling out with the second and third. But it was a bonus thing from the early 2000s, so what can you really say?

This, however, is different. Released before 'Genshiken 2', and I think sometime around the 'Genshiken OVA' (which is canon for anybody watching that series), this new Kujibiki is more grounded than the previous entry, yet somehow retains that parody nature you would expect from a series-within-a-series projects. If you can handle that level of 'it's a very anime series,' this is the one for you. Personally, I could not handle much of, but I would not call it an entire trainwreck. It's just not one many will remember unless they really dive in 'Genshiken', so far the best television series to focus on otaku that I have seen (unless proven wrong).

What probably makes this better is how during the episode preview, it's actually the 'Genshiken' voice cast doing one of their episode debriefs. That adds a bit of a meta-level to this. It's quirkily nice.

This is a very interesting case. When the project was first announced, it was announced as a collaboration project with the Japanese rail system. Off the bat, that already makes it sound like nothing more than a promotional project. That doesn't right off write the project as bad. It depends on handling. Fortunately, this anime project was not a train wreck.

The idea of this series seems to try to have a thematic connection with railways & how they are fixed lines that bring trains to their destination. The world is warped & everything is messed up, save for one rail line. Four girls embark on ... the line to try & find their friend who ran away. Against the random world, they trek on straight to their destination.

One part that seemed to conflict with the series was the number of stops. The series was slated ahead of time for a 12-episode run, but as soon as the first episode ends, an ending tag said there were 29 more stops to go. For the first 3 episodes, this raised a few eyebrows for me, but when they showed that not every stop was safe to get off at, it made the length not as bad. Done lazily, it could have been terrible, but the directing kept it going without resorting to being lazy. The goal was most important.

It seems to harken back to older episodic adventure series, most notably Galaxy Express 999. (Two series about trains.)

This series is also a good example of how to utilize insanity. Even if an idea seems absurd or ridiculous, as long as it has one grounding element, it can be an enjoyable experience. For this series, it's the journey to find a friend.

The one point of contingency is the dialogue. When they talk, they never let in a pause. There is so much dialogue that goes on in a shot that can be hard to keep up with. (Not one I'd recommend for first-time subtitle watching.) Though the argument could be made that since speaking has not changed, it's the one point of normalcy kept over from when the world changed. When they do stop talking, it does feel unnerving. This could be more a matter of taste.

One last thing: that ED is amazing.

Up front, I'm only saying this as a recommendation because of how much it gets me thinking about the themes & narrative structure. I'm not saying it's bad in a bait and switch manner, but it is definitely a unique series that would open a bit of discussion. This series has a lot going for it while also a lot of confusing content that may or may not hinder the viewing experience.

Pros: The characters are very well written. The world is very interesting and carries a bit of a social commentary with it that is hit or miss depending on the circumstances in questions.

The biggest ... issue with this series comes down to a mix of things. The series is very high-concept. It tackles a lot of topics and this is where a bit of it comes back in its face. A lot of the times when it comes to high-concept series, they need more time to develop for the audience to latch onto. It also comes into confliction when you factor how the characters play out which can either make them seem fleshed out or plot puppets, which is quite literally for this series at the very end, which is where the confusion comes into play.

This is not easy to explain. This is one of those watches where you can kind of need a second viewing just to see if it is really well written or trying to push too much into a tiny hole. One argument you could make is that this series needed to be longer to flesh out some of its elements, but it could also stand that in order to see the twists coming, a second watch would make you better appreciate them.

At the core of the series is the titular Rouge who acts as the main perspective for the viewers. She carries a naive, innocent air that makes the surprise plot twists feel like they came out of nowhere feel warrant as though she has been used, which plays into the whole overarching idea of the series.

At the least, Naomi is best girl. That scene in Episode 10. I wonder who had more fun, the voice actress or the animator?

When it comes to creating any series, trying to maintain a certain level throughout is a challenge. One problem with short run anime is trying to shove in as much content as possible in the time allotted when it's clear that the idea needed more time to fully develop. For this series, it falls apart by the 9th episode.

The reason I watched this series is because I like to look into certain individuals or studios and what all they've done. Currently that is studio White Fox. Being their only original work, this magical girl series has a unique take and is more playful with itself ... than it appears (given the stigma of the genre), but it's potential starts to wain with its quick run time.

The 9th episode starts the downfall. Up until his point, the series was well-paced, the lore & mystery was intriguing, the character were fun to watch, and was direct pretty fine for 2/3 of its life. One problem with this is how much time is given for the series' finale. Episode 9 kickstarts the final arc with a lackluster directing, a crammed plot, a villain that appears and dies as quick as they came giving no time for any sense of what they are about, and important plot stapled in. The following episode only suffers in the same manner adding the common problem of many anime of having characters babble out their thoughts and ends with random twist villain cliffhanger moment.

This is not to fault the team behind it. The animation is good; not White Fox's best but not unwatchable. Episode 6's self-aware opening where the comedic character inserts her face over the other girls is a fun little laugh. This is one of those cases where it should have been a 2-cour series, but being original it probably is harder to sell that especially given the saturation of the media increasing in the 2010s.

This is a conflicting watch for me & it's been a while since I've had this kind of confliction. On the one hand, they wrapped up the stories the series was focusing on, but on the other hand it felt like it was trying to weave more that it wanted to finish in a follow-up.

The premise is a hard to break down. Set in the future on a Mars city, a class set up to design rocket engines is assigned a new transfer student/manager to oversee their work. The school is under the authority of a larger corporation which make them employees. The business also ... has some officiations in politics which is less looked upon than the other factors but plays a role in the drama that pushes the story. Overall, these storylines are mostly completed by the end. There is mention of a higher figure in the business that we never see and by the end is briefly mentioned in a way that (like a great deal of series) sets him up as the next boss for the next season. It's a minor annoyance but given the focus of this season is fine.

The real problem is a lot of character stories. While a good deal of them are fleshed out, there are some that feel left hanging, especially the romance that ends with a love triangle. That might be the biggest detractor for some, especially those going in for that romance element. It's there but not pulled out enough.

In a way, the series feels very fast & very crammed like the director wanted it to be longer. (Interesting trivia, this is directed by the lead director of My Hero Academia.) It's not terrible, but it does leave an empty 'there could have been more' feeling. Many anime do, but this once is a bit more irksome due to being anime original.