CITY: THE ANIMATION
***READ THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT!
I'm gonna be completely honest, I have never seen Arawi's work, nor watched Nichijou (Don't hurt me pls), so I'm keeping this review on an anime-only standpoint focusing on the story and animation I've seen so far.***
Ever watch something in awe and just enjoy every bit of it? That's how I felt when watching this anime.
ANIMATION
I'm gonna start by saying the prologue had me HOOKED, LINE, SINKER, AND ALL. You can really tell how much effort and love was put into it just by the first few scenes.
▶ Video [Episode 1]A world where nowadays most anime have a depressing theme or underlying tones, CITY reels you in just from its first scene. Most animation nowadays seems more rushed, with less thought put into it, relying on flashes of color or action to compensate.
I personally think animation should reflect the anime's themes and plot. Color can determine the mood of a scene, and if done well, it can even influence the narrative.
You only have one opportunity to make a first impression, and if I had to give someone a single clip that defines it, it’d either be the prologue or THIS scene.
▶ Video [Episode 5]Animation that compares to legendary animation studios like Studio Ghibli and Madhouse cannot be unseen. The attention to detail in just this scene alone outshines so much other anime.
This anime feels alive because of the efforts by the animators at Kyoto Animation, who brought something beautiful to life. Multiple animation styles were used across the season; from 3D, to 2D, to even CLAYMATION.
I definitely think this series will be re-watched many times over the years because of the animation and the level of detail, allowing you to nitpick so many things from many scenes.
STORY
Aimless daydreaming in high school is an ordinary part of growing up. But once graduation comes, suddenly there are bills to pay and higher education to tackle. Even so, Midori Nagumo never quite stopped dreaming—even after entering college—as she still wants to have fun while ignoring her responsibilities. Contrasting Midori's recklessness is her supposed best friend Niikura, the complete opposite of Midori, who has a goal of becoming a photographer after college. However, Niikura is often pulled into Midori's schemes, which leads them to meet Wako Izumi, a tenacious, yet air-headed classmate who is always taking pictures of things she finds fun. The trio ends up living together in the same apartment and attempt to navigate their lives in the city of City, where unexpected and out-of-the-ordinary things occur daily. - MAL Rewrite
I love this plot. It definitely resonates with a lot of people, especially me, who's bored with life but wants to keep it interesting by doing lots of different things with many different people, and seeing where it goes.
The story is spontaneous and super interesting. LOTS of things happen in a single episode due to it being a connected anthology, which isn’t seen much in anime. This presentation style brings everything together beautifully, and that is especially true for the ending of the season.
From the start, it was always random and funny, with spontaneous stories for our characters.
The main story follows Nagumo and her friends Niikura and Izumi as they mope around CITY, doing things they love and things they don’t, but still do anyway. Supporting characters also have separate stories that are equally asinteresting, like Matsuri and Eri, with Eri trying to move to the UK in secret, and Kamaboko and Todoroki dealing with CITY magazine manga’s ups and downs.
The anime keeps everything fresh, making each Sunday a great day for watching CITY.
Of course, what is a story without an ending?
Each story, character, and plot line converge in the final episode as they celebrate a musical-themed episode for the Michelin star awarded to Chef Makabe's Western Bistro. Chef Makabe asks the cast what they want in the end to give back to CITY, but suddenly…
All of that crumbles, but everyone is still happy just being around each other, cementing the anime's theme of togetherness and fun.
FINAL REMARKS
This anime is a ray of light for anyone looking for something modern and enjoyable, a breath of fresh air compared to many of today’s anime actions and dramas. Both the animation and story make this anime one of my top 3 of all time. I’ll definitely watch it again in the years to come, and I can’t wait for season 2. I’ll probably read the manga and watch Nichijou after this anime; an absolute treat.
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