Overview:
After going to sleep like normal, Haruto Tsukishiro wakes up to discover something unbelievable—he’s stuck in dream world! Here, witches plague the dreamscape and are more than dreamy figments—they’re the trapped souls of young women who’ve rejected reality and are afflicted by the “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome.” As he searches for a way out, Haruto will face the witches and their terrifying powers.
– From Crunchyroll
Review:
First episodes don’t need to show the whole hand but sometimes it would be nice if they made it clear what you were going to get. This episode deliberately leaves the viewer lost through a lot of it (unless this show really plans to just have Haruto wake up, find the latest witch and save her each week). Visually it is interesting but it does this weird split screen thing way too often and at times it seems to be actively throwing too much movement and too many colours at the viewer, again to add to the overall disconcerting feeling of the show.
I’ll admit, I am intrigued with what this show might do in later episodes and if nothing else it kind of has an Alice in Wonderland feel which is kind of nostalgic, but other than a very cool theme song, this first episode isn’t great at making you think that this show is going for anything other than random quirkiness with a paper thin plot.
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Thanks,
Karandi James.
I agree with everything you said, how it is visually intriguing but nothing really has come from it yet with this first episode. We will see whether it can be visually smart or just visually distinct, as this year alone Hand Shakers has already proved that just being weird and have a unique visual style can’t always work. I find myself often turned off by Alice in Wonderland aesthetics or references because while I love the original book by Lewis Carroll I can’t say they have always been used well. I really hope something comes out of this before I decide to permanently put it on hold, and so far I haven’t steeled myself enough to start on episode 2.
I’m still not sure if I like this or not at episode 3, but I will admit both episodes 2 and 3 are a bit better than episode 1 was (which makes me wonder why they started with that).
Seems interesting. I’ll keep an eye on what you have to say about this one. After Gunslinger Girl I plan to finish up Kado before finding a new one.
I gave up halfway after seeing the animation and I was nope.
I was thrown off from the very beginning. Is the world that the guy wakes up in his normal world or a dream?
Also the contrast between the cutesy motifs and the sinister intent behind them, while I understand what they’re going for, just left me really tonally confused.
I don’t know if I’ll follow this one, but I’ll check back to see how you like it to decide if I should catch up.
Probably one to wait and see on. I’m a few more episodes in and we’re no closer to knowing what’s up with the guy and why he’s running around the dream world, but the encounters with the witches have been better after episode 1. Still, without knowing where this is actually planning to go outside save the witch of the week, it is pretty impossible to recommend.
Dream worlds as a concept for a plot offer so much potential. It’s a bit on the cheap side if they don’t establish rules, but the possibilities are endless. I’d hate to see that get squandered, so here’s hoping the rest is better.
Episode 2 and 3 are much much better! The second episode is really dark but it makes you want to know what happens next in this series. Keep with it even though the first episode is kind of off-putting.
I finally did watch the next couple and I’m still not sure where I’ll end up with this series overall, but I’m sticking with it.