/anime/20997/charlotte
Emotions are dangerously powerful. When you're watching something, whether it's a full length series or a short music video, you're letting yourself to be vulnerable for that specific amount of time so that the said piece of work can deliver what it promised to do.
At the end of episode 1 of Charlotte, I had my vulnerability wide open for all the promise it showed. Some 15 year edgelord created menace by abusing his powers to the point where I started to despise him, but when he got some Karma for his actions, I felt satisfied. I was satisfied that I didn't ruined my mood in this 15 minutes for nothing, and I liked the fact that the show got the balls to make it's MC look pathetic without making it feel undeserved. A really solid start. But it took advantage of it and did very little than I thought it would do.
Up until one major turning point, the first half of the episodic show goes like this.
- It introduces a character/ability;
- Uses comedy as means not lose the viewer, for what feels like most of the episode;
- Delivers the emotional punch that feels as boring as air passing through my nose;
- Leaves some 'elements' to drive the next episode.
Now;
- Sorry, but I didn't cared. I didn't cared about a highschooler selling girls photos using thoughtography to gain some easy cash for his poor family, I didn't cared about some childhood friend's confession to a dead girl who's now possessing her sister's body, I didn't cared a pitcher cheating in his games using telekinis just so his 'catcher friend' can make into a prestige academy & I didn't cared about some random boy dreaming to become "Skyhigh Saito" using his flying ability. The worst thing here is how all my rant is making me sound like some emotionless asshole, which is not what I signed up.
Now why this happened? Or a more interesting question, how this happened? Well, it's because..
- ..that's what you get when you waste so much time. Why make unfunny, repetitive, done-to-death, cringe & boring jokes? WHY?! Why not use this time for something else like, oh I don't know..
- ..maybe flesh out those forgettable characters by showing their side of the story. They still might end up forgettable but atleast, they'll deliver that emotional punch. That would've been more investing instead of making the main cast fuck around and making those same jokes. But wait, there's a reason for doing this.
- It is to make the main characters feel more connected to the viewer. Lets see, that glasses-kun had one unfunny joke & one purpose who I lost all my respect when he wanted to lick saliva of his idol; Yusa(Misa) and I'm really starting to question why they killed Misa (Don't worry, not a spoiler) instead of Yusa, since Yusa is just your genki-genki girl, it actually would've been more 'emotional' if she's one who's on the possessing side, she's that unnecessary; speaking of 'genki' characters, Ayumi.. well, she was nothing more than a plot device.
After the turning point, it becomes more serious and let's see.
Our MC becomes an edgelord again and taking all the blame on himself for the tragedy, which.. I sympathize with. There was a time where I used to think that I'm the living incarnation of world's evil, for all the mess I've created to my dear ones so I understand why this episode has so much weight towards me. Being alone, with hard to explain feelings, and hatred upon oneself where you suddenly start to believe in destruction and think it is the ultimate solution for all problems. And since someone isn't there for him in this darker times, I really thought-
(Minor Spoilers - Rant alert)
> I was there the whole time.
... I'm sorry what did you say?
I WAS THERE THE "WHOLE" TIME.
(Now take one really big breath)
.
.
.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!
What the fuck, man! Holy Shit!
Look, I know the show likes to exaggerate a lot. Given the small time it itself has given to deliver that emotional punch, it tries to overexaggerate a lot and I more or less got used to it. But! but! BUT! There's a point, a time, where you should choose your words & actions very wisely. What the hell do you mean, 'the whole time'? And how the hell you just sat there and did nothing? You already have experience with mentally unstable people, you are the one who should know this better than anyone in the show.
("But..but.. I gave him salad". Fuck with your salad).
(Rant ends - Minor Spoilers end)
After this point, I really didn't cared about the show. I didn't cared about undoing the tragedy that has fallen on him or on Nao's brother, I didn't cared about the whole X-Men*ish* plot or anything else.
But what infuriates me, what I found really tragic about this mess, is just the effort it puts to impress the viewer. There are two slow-mo scenes where they create some life into the environment that I found really brilliant in both cases, the melody that hits during the emotional moments which was composed by Jun Maeda and a few of Avant-Grade Eyes are beautiful, the English lyrical song sung by "Miyuki Sawashiro"(one of my fav VAs) in episode 8 was pretty impressive, that well directed confession scene was pretty cute and even as fast-paced & non-sensical as it might've been, the final episode is actually pretty hard hitting.
#
Conclusion
This isn't bad or good.
It's just a very infuriating show. 
