inazuma eleven strikers switch
It’s unavoidable to not notice the slightly stinky artwork and choppy animation by Studio 3Hz. From poorly animated fights to faces falling off models, the difference in quality compared to White Fox’s
first season is almost deal-breaking.
Luckily though what it lacks in depth of artistry it manages to make up with charming characters. The voice actors still have it when . it
comes to performing their roles, especially Maou and Emi, and their impeccable comedic timing is still fun to watch. The introduction of Alas Ramus, the mysterious fruit baby and the fallout of her insisting that the Devil and the Hero are her mother and father was hilarious and perfectly sets up the season. I like how this affects Maou’s and Emi’s relationship too.
5D movement via Live2D technology, and their conversations are depicted in a visual novel-style presentation that is prepared for each group, including the Virtual Singers such as Miku. Further dialogues are added over
time through events. EXP also improves a unit's rank, which unlocks additional chapters in group stories. Cards, which use a star ranking system to determine rarity (four stars being the rarest), are acquired via the gacha system, a luck-based mechanic in which players spend the in-game currency Crystals with the hope of winning their desired cards. Although Project SEKAI is a free-to-play game, players can spend real-life money to acquire in game currency. The game also features Virtual Lives, a mode where players can go to a virtual concert, similar to augmented reality or a Vocaloid live concert, where players can interact with one another. They can see other players all around the world and their favorite group performing via 3D animation. The game initially launched with 28 songs, with around four new songs added per month to the game; as of
December 2021, a total of 146 songs are included. The tracklist mainly consists of Vocaloid songs or those from Vocaloid producers, with most songs having two versions: the original version (or new versions specifically made for the game; named "Virtual Singer version" in-game), and SEKAI versions, having the song covered by the original characters, and sometimes joined by a Virtual Singer. Some songs also have a 3D MV or animated MV, with animated MVs either being newly created for the game (named "2D MV" in-game) or original. Songs without an MV are played with a static 2D background.
I would also love to shout out Hirotaka Mori, since it was his directorial debut in the anime sphere.
The characters were
quite a strong part of the series as well, with Kiruko and Maru’s relationship and chemistry being quite the highlight of the show. The dialogue between them felt quite natural and organic, like bros just having a great time together, rather than forcing
romance into the dynamic in a contrived manner. That said, as this show has quite a focus on human nature, there is an element of romance there, but it’s more that the show tries to explore human emotions, sexuality, and gender, so how the relationship is handled is quite natural and interesting to watch. They both have past traumas, and I have stated in my past reviews about my disdain for “sob story backstories”— but when an anime can build upon the traumatic past with developments in the present time, it can work well. In this case, it was handled quite well in this anime to create a coming of age narrative for the protagonists, as they tried to find meaning in this mess of a world they found themselves in. The children in the nursery admittedly were quite abundant and difficult to follow along at times, but with some thought, some of them still ended up being very endearing in their own ways along with the protagonists of the outside world.
Among the popular hitters like Oshi no Ko, Hell’s Paradise, and Demon Slayer, Tengoku Daimakyo has gone a bit under the radar, but I’m glad many people gave it a shot. It’s something a bit different, very thought-provoking, emotional, and something that will be quite memorable to me for quite a while. That said, while it’s one of the best anime of this season in my opinion, it’s nowhere near finished, so as the kids say, let it cook, and we may be in for another masterclass when the time comes for a sequel, which I hope we’ll get, even if it takes a while.
