Review of Listeners

If there is a way for you to experience Listeners in an audio-only medium like an audiobook or a musical album, that would be a much better alternative to what this eccentric mess has been. I'm probably a weird case here, where I was immediately hooked upon seeing JIN'S INVOLVEMENT in the anime. For those who don't know, Jin is particularly known for his Kagerou Project, which anime adaptation's quality is debatable. I am a huge fan of Jin's approach to storytelling, but Listeners just didn't cut it. For all its eccentric aspects, Listeners wound up being quite underwhelming. It could have been so much moreamazing, yet it ended up feeling like it only tiptoed from one theme to another. With an interesting premise and an intriguing world and cast (supposedly), it just failed to deliver the any punches.

However, I do like it, but more as a weird MECHA ANIME with quirks quite unique to its genre. A large number of mecha animes I've watched, I only watched for a simple and carefree non-serious viewing. I acknowledged their flaws but enjoyed them nevertheless for embracing the fanservice tropes of what makes a mecha anime. However, Listeners clearly wanted to be more. With the themes of music, love, partnership and a strange sort of individuality involved, the anime supposedly was meant to be packed, but the rough episodic arcs seemed to serve it for the worse.

The investment for each mini-arc felt unworthy. Maybe it would have been much better with 24 episodes, especially with the flamboyant narrative that it so wished to incorporate. And please don't get me started with the large amounts of ENGRISH in this anime!

Characters 3/10:
The set of characters partnered with a strange narrative left me with a weird feeling of disconnect instead. Meanwhile, side characters are severely forgettable. The episodic pacing of the anime for its characterization did not serve justice to a lot of these characters. They're mostly bland or would
easily fit in a trope, making developments not really that interesting or outright predictable. The characters felt like mere plot devices rather than people you would get affection for or investment with. I don't want to drop names, but I really wanted one eccentric character to have more screen
time.

Sound Design 10/10:
Then there is this. Huge fan. I will probably only suggest "watching" this anime to experience the amazing OST. A strong mark of distinction that fit well with the anime's intended atmosphere. I could even go so far as to tell new viewers to just listen to each song that the anime has and leave it that way.
It's fun. It's immersive, way more immersive than what the anime itself delivered. And it's powerful.

Art Style 4/10:
I feel the art style suffered from the vibrant sound design. It actually ended up feeling bland in comparison. Since I can't give an image example in a review, take the image of a scrap heap like that of Astro Boy's but make it look muddled in its colors. I feel that the anime wanted to give off a
dystopian feel to it, but it just felt lackluster or even lazy. Also with the premise of sound, the delivery of the "impact" of sound in this anime is very unfulfilling. It is seriously way more fun to just listen to the OST and just be carried away by that.

Plot 5/10:
One boy meets a mysterious girl with amnesia. Starts off with a trope, pushes through with a criminally underdeveloped world, ends with bland predictability. They set on a journey to search for information, and also fight in a weird and undefined robot system that's not really worth a second thought. It was fine. It's personally interesting enough to just follow along and let things happen.
I'm pretty sure others will see this anime as a waste of time, and I have no problem with that.

Final Note 5/10:
I will NOT suggest watching this anime, but I kinda liked watching it.