GLASSLIP Episode #05 Anime Review

Maybe?

What They Say:
“Hinode Bridge”

Toko Fukami’s family runs a glassware craft studio. Toko and her friends often gather at Cafe Kazemichi, at her friend’s house, to relax. During the summer holidays in their final year, a new boy, Kakeru Okikura, joins their high school. He tells Toko that he can hear voices from the future. If she could know what happens in the future, what would she wish for? Toko feels a strange jolting sensation she has never felt before, while noticing an urge she cannot ignore welling up.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
In episode two, we’re greeted with stills that were not present in the first episode. Now in episode five, we’re greeted with these comedic caricatures (as they appear in the ending) of the characters in bubbles speaking. Both of which are likely cost saving measures, but both of which are also highly stylistic choices on the part of the director. I remember when I was watching Rose of Versailles and suddenly Osamu Dezaki stepped in and the direction seemed completely different. There were stills everywhere, most notably. Same thing with Space Dandy, but our own Thomas Zoth covers the episode directors on that show per week. I was wondering if there was a new episode director for episodes two and five, but Anime News Network doesn’t list any episode directors. Since the credits aren’t translated, I’d have to do some digging to find out. I just know that, stylistically, the stills and the comedic bubbles are a far cry from what the series normally is and it’s off putting.

That aside, I wonder if this is finally the episode. The maybe good episode. We have the future elements alluded to by Yanagi when she says she wants to see the future. There’s no reference of it by Touko, though, and she, to my knowledge, is the only one that can see the future. I’m reminded of AnoHana, which had such a prescient supernatural element to it, yet it never felt bogged down by it. Menma’s presence is never really questioned and eventually just accepted. The grieving friends wanted to accept that Menma was there, even though they knew it couldn’t happen. GLASSLIP isn’t about that yet, and probably won’t be at all. But this supernatural element needs to be center stage or that kind of AnoHana subtle for it to really work. They put way too much focus on it in episode two by introducing the concept at all and episode three by not fully exploring it. Know that by “fully exploring” I do not mean an in-depth exploration of the power. What I mean is addressing and explaining the power in any way other than happenstance, which is all it’s been used for thus far.

The good parts of this episode are with Yanagi, Okikura, and Yukinari. Yanagi and Okikura had their little moment last episode and it was a nice little callback when Touko walked in on a misunderstanding. This episode, she finally gets the courage up to confess to Yukinari. They are step-siblings, but she still loves him. This is how anime works. The confession itself is very in character though. She realizes that nothing can come of their relationship, but not because of their current relation. It’s because Yukinari loves Touko and Yanagi knows this. To get that feeling off one’s chest though is the monkey off the back and perhaps this will give Yukinari stop. Perhaps he will rethink everything about his life now, but I doubt it. Who knows what will happen between the young lovebirds.

As a last note, Hiro and Sachi’s relationship is still the most goddamn adorable little thing. Watching him sneak out the window was precious. And then the scene with his sister nailed it.

In Summary:
GLASSLIP is on an upward trend at least. I was really worried about the show because it seems to have no direction. This episode was the perfect balance of relationship between our principal characters, the future seeing thing, and glass blowing (but there could always be more glass blowing; perhaps a shonen training montage where we learn how to do it). GLASSLIP isn’t on my hit list anymore, but I’m ready to write it on there again.

Grade: C+

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

Equipment: Radeon 7850, 24” Dell UltraSharp U2410 set at 1920 x 1200, Creative GigaWorks T20 Series II

Kory Cerjak

I podcast about sports manga and anime at the Taiiku Podcast, talk about manga at Manga In Your Ears, and (you may know this one) write about manga and anime at the Fandom Post. I tweet about sports too.

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