When a nuclear disaster hits Tokyo, schoolgirls with short skirts are called in to save the day.
What They Say
In the not-so-distant future, a catastrophic event has turned the old capital of Japan into a wasteland, forever changing the lives of its people. Decades later, three schoolgirls set foot into the now forsaken city.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Coppelion is based on a long-running Kodansha manga, and was originally planned for an anime adaptation in 2010. The series, however, is about a nuclear disaster that hits Tokyo, which became obviously taboo with the tsunami and nuclear disaster of 2011. But now in 2013, GoHands decided to go ahead with the adaptation, with the awkward modification that the cause of the disaster is never exactly named. “The environment” of the capital has changed, and it’s pretty obvious to tell why, but it remains unspoken.
Coppelion is about the Coppelion unit, made up of three schoolgirls who have been genetically engineered to be immune to radiation. Therefore, they are able to explore the capital for survivors while wearing short skirts and kneesocks. It’s not entirely clear if this is some meta commentary of Japanese culture or pure pandering, and although the camera lingers lovingly on legs, there is at least no obnoxious panty service. Ibara is the one who’s all business, Aoi is the girly, bubbly one, and Takeo is shy and reserved. The characters don’t really grow beyond the basic stereotypes in this first episode, but the basic team structure is tried and true.
What I did not expect from the trailers and promotional material is how slowly and carefully paced the series is. It lingers on scenes of nature overtaking the once busy capital of Tokyo. It’s a beautiful series in its backdrops and framing, although those who hate GoHands’ use of filters will find it obnoxious here. Animation is fluid, although the thickness of lines in the character designs hops back and forth between scenes, which is somewhat distracting. Just like K, it’s a beautiful series to look at, with attractive Shingo Suzuki character designs.
Not a lot happens in the first episode in terms of plot. The girls walk into Tokyo and pick up an SOS signal. They set down a flare so that their handler can go pick up a survivor in a helicopter. They find another signal that leads to a suicide, and the girls are then attacked by a dog. Exposition is delivered and scenes are staged to contrast the order of the former city with the seeming chaos of nature. It’s an episode that’s all build-up, so it’s hard to say what the payoff is. For now, however, I’ll keep watching to see where it goes.
In Summary
Slow, steady, and beautiful. There’s nothing here we’ve never seen before, but the fundamentals are strong, and the show is lovely to look at, from backgrounds to character designs. It’s not clear where it will go, but it’s obviously very tonally different from K, so those who are afraid of a repeat performance of that silly, fun show, will still want to check this one out.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Viz Media
Review Equipment: Sony VAIO 17″ HD screen
