Backed into a corner, the ropes cold against his back and every muscle burning, a boxer has no choice but to fight. He's down, but certainly not out. One of the underdogs of 2024's anime season, 'Girls Band Cry' is a story about a similar battle that hits every emotional weak point throughout its duration. It's a battle to prove your worth, and Nina Iseri has surprised us all by not admitting defeat, even in the fourth quarter.

'Girls Band Cry' is a show coming out of left field. Off the first episode alone, you're blown off your feet, instantly hooked on Nina's character and invested in her relationship to Momoka. It's a wonderful starting point that highlights all of this show's strong points: Beautiful 3D animation that's enhanced by the visuals accompanying it, strong character focused writing, and the spirit of rock. Each and every subsequent episode pushes these to their limits and beyond, highlighting feelings of truth to yourself and strength with others along with new, interesting plotlines to follow. It's almost hard to find the words to describe how almost nobody saw the popularity of this show coming. There are so many risks being taken here that have all paid off with larger returns than anything else this season. What started off with a response of 'What's that?' has now become 'I love that show', 'It's beautiful', and 'It saved me'. That's the mark of something special. This is absolutely the fault of 'Girls Band Cry' and its mass appeal. A story about a girl moving to a new city and starting college is something that almost everyone can see themselves reflected in. Many friends of mine, even those who I'd never expect to watch something like this, have told me that it's a new favorite, and it's clear as to why. Seeing the fans grow with this show was almost an experience in and of itself, each week seeing more acquaintances become invested in the wonderful world created by Kazuo Sakai and Jukki Hanada. It's safe to say they've outdone themselves here (Hanada-sama especially), as expected. We get such a new focus here on a cast and story that evolves what's become the norm for so long, tearing down many cliches of the genre it's apart of while elevating others to new heights. Momoka's struggles especially echo the typical anime band girl and yet manage to be so real and human which makes her character so delicious to dig your teeth into.

For as much praise as this show could be showered in for all of time, there are some faults of the story worth mentioning. Some of these will likely be fixed in a subsequent season, but rating this show on its own is a must. The first, most glaring issue is the lack of a dedicated episode to flesh out Rupa. While a more pretentious me would say 'Rupa's character benefits from having most of her story shrouded in mystery', even the show's writers have come out and said they wish they could have done more with her. She's got a lot of moments scattered throughout the show that are amazing, but nothing that you can point to and say 'this was her moment' as the other characters do. Much of the show's writing depends on what you get out of Nina as a character, and for those who struggle to stomach her completely this might put them off. How you'd manage to hate Nina is beyond me, but.. people always manage to surprise. Finally, (mild spoiler warning) there's a few scenes that have describe suicidal ideation which are quite heavy in their emotional scale, so for viewers sensitive to this it's worth making you aware.

Nina Iseri and Momoka Kawaragi's bond is something truly special. It's the northern lights above a moonlit sky, the sun setting at dusk; something you only get to observe once. Our main characters are bound by the fates of their lives, many strings pulling them each in different directions, yet always ending up in the same spot. I can't recommend this show enough. Watch it with your friends, watch it alone, watch with everyone you know. You'll understand that these thirteen episodes go by faster than you could ever imagine, and by the end, you'll understand that 'Girls Band Cry' is a show that will move you like no other, throwing in all the anger, joy, and sadness of life. Perfect for anyone, it will teach you to never back down, to fight for what's right, and most importantly, it'll teach you to take all the obstacles in your life and flip 'em off. It's perfection.