Review of Land of the Lustrous

Obviously, not many people heard about this show until the crunchy roll awards. I saw that it was nominated for a lot and called one of the few good CG shows. I must say, it did not disappoint. The story is about a gem being named Phos feeling useless and being told they were useless to the world and them attempting to find their place. It’s easily relatable. Through the season, we get to see the relatively young gem mature both mentally and physically. By the end of the show they are so unrecognizable, that the show points this out. On top of this maincharacter arc, we get to watch most of the supporting cast shine and have their moments as both mentors and warrior....or just as a bunch of awkward golems.

The art is clearly the selling point of this show. This must have been some kind of passion project for the studio. Kinda of like Devilman Crybaby, the animation really makes a statement. It is shows like this that both help and hurt CG anime. It creates a desire to see more like it, but the problem is that most will not be done with as much care as this.

The sound is very soft and whimsical. Even when the antagonistic Lunarians attack the gems island, the music becomes a beautiful orchestra. While there aren't many tracks to the ost, the show uses them effectively. The OP and ED are also pretty good and I rarely skipped either.

The characters are just under the art for me with this show. Nearly all the characters that the show focuses on are interesting and have a unique personality. The banter and general dialogue between characters is also pretty entertaining.

Every episode is paced very well and I was constantly getting a sense of Miyazaki off this show. The camera directing for episode 10 in particular was absolutely incredibly. The fight animation flowed well and the slower parts had great tension and camera pans. The music during those parts only added to the scenes. The faces of the characters told the whole story when things were silent. All of the dialogue was brief and to the point. It’s probably one of the best single episodes of an anime I’ve seen in a couple years. On top of all this, it was one of the easiest Marathons I've had watching a show. I give most of the credit to the surprisingly adept dub that this show has.

Overall, I would obviously give this a glowing recommendation. Go out of your way to watch this show. Hopefully, like me you'll be chomping at the bit for the next season.