Review of Black Rock Shooter
Black Rock Shooter ended up being a lot better than I thought it would be. It had something to say. And that thing wasn't wrong. > The first episode blew me away with its excellent direction, spectacle and artistic vision. There was intrigue, there was action, there was an interesting scenario to explore... > However, the second episode made me concerned that I'd already figured out the show's gimmick and was afraid that it didn't mesh well. > By the fourth episode, it had allayed my fears somewhat, and by episodes 6-8 I was on board for the message it was trying to impart. So: it has alot of pretty lights and sounds, the characters are reasonably likeable, the pacing is snappy and they string you along with enticing cliffhangers to keep you engaged. The premises for the characters, and the story, is good and seems to make sense.
And perhaps most importantly, the message it wishes to impart to the audience, that the whole show is built around, is true.
But that begs the question: why am I not gushing over this like it's a really great show you should 100% watch? Why do I have mixed feelings?
Well, that's because I think it's probably an acquired taste.
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I suspect that the complaints surrounding this show are with regards to the rather loose plot and relatively simple characters surrounding the core idea that the show wishes to communicate.
Let me explain:
Some people watch shows for the voyeur experience. In this mindset, shows allow you a window into another life, where you can get to know new friends and watch them overcome the various obstacles in their path. There's a "basic problem solving" itch that gets scratched with that, as well as a sense of familiarity and belonging.
This show doesn't do that very well, because it doesn't "fill you up" in that regard. It feels shallow, even when it's actually doing a lot of stuff right.
It feels rushed, because it burns through its ideas too quickly. It would have been nice to have at least 3 extra episodes, with an extra layer of interconnectedness and complexity to the story, to make it feel like we'd gotten comfortable and properly explored everything.
Instead of pottering around seeing the sights, we're rushed through everything at breakneck speed and are left struggling to keep up, and while the plot keeps moving and there's no filler, it honestly felt like we needed to slow down a bit and smell the roses.
It also doesn't tend to juggle A plots and B plots, it's quite linear usually with only "one thing happening per episode" - probably because we already cut between the "SLICE OF LIFE REAL WORLD" and the "ALTERNATE REALITY BATTLE WORLD", so the author decided to "keep it simple, stupid" and not juggle too many plates.
But this means we aren't able to get comfortable, mull things over, and watch things gradually unfold.
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IN CONCLUSION:
It's sort of like watching an arthouse film, with big ideas and impressive visuals, but most of the regular audiences either wouldn't really get it, or else would just shrug it off as a "one and done thing" that "killed a few hours of your time in the afternoon" before forgetting about it.
There's nothing particularly wrong with it per se, it just doesn't end up being fleshed out enough to make you fully invested in it, like you'll find with some fandoms.
IF IT WAS A MEAL, it'd have a lot of green vegetables that you understand on an intellectual level are very good for you, and some of them even don't taste half bad. The drink accompanying the meal is top notch, and there is even a (somewhat small) portion of meat on the side. But there is not quite enough meat for you to feel happy, and there are no potatoes at all, no "filler" to round out the meal and leave you feeling completely satisfied. Oh, and to cap it off, you also had to eat it in a hurry, because the chef wanted to close the restaurant early.
This leaves you with a slight bit of indigestion, and you still ultimately feel a little bit hungry by the end, but not necessarily for more leafy greens...