Land of the Lustrous Episode 8: Phos is Golden

Review:

For all that Land of the Lustrous has some pacing and narrative issues, the overall anime continues to be an intriguing and pleasing viewing experience. Being easy on the eyes (and sometimes truly beautiful) certainly helps in this, but it is also how the story remains fairly ambiguous but not annoying. The world these characters inhabit is alien to the viewer and while occasionally we get a small exposition dump, for the most part we’ve learned about it as we have travelled with the characters and primarily Phos. It is amazing how well this show has managed to make me care about Phos despite her having many character traits that usually annoy me to no end.

And it isn’t just Phos. For all that the time we spend with some characters is brief, each leaves an impression on the viewer. They come into the story with a purpose and they don’t linger about unnecessarily. While this doesn’t make the story particularly realistic (of course it is a story about anthropomorphized gem stones so what do you want) it does make it very engaging as there seem to be no wasted moments or interactions even when you don’t initially see the point.

Episode 8 is a fascinating episode and I am going ot have to rewatch it at some point. Phos’ transformation takes a really dramatic turn and that certainly was interesting and did grab a lot of my attention. So much so that other points such as some of the master’s moments and the behaviour of the Lunarians, interesting though it was, didn’t quite get as much of my attention as they required and thinking back I’m certain I’ve missed some of the finer points.

I’m not going to claim Land of the Lustrous is any kind of game changing anime, but it is certainly doing its best to feel distinct. It isn’t quite like anything else I’m watching this season and while stories of weak underdog characters who gain strength are plentiful, the transition that Phos is undergoing has given this standard trope a unique feel. Really enjoying this show this season and eager to see where it will go now.

Thanks for reading.

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Thanks,

Karandi James.