Bandori has a soul that is emboldened by its quest to discover music—and it's that initial encouragement that swept me along Poppin'Party's ride towards becoming their own band. After having seen this, I can say that while it may not be the most perfect show out there, it's still an origin story filled with plenty of sparkling and heart-pounding moments.

To form the all-girl band called Poppin'Party, Kasumi—an oddball who has an energetic heart and a voice that blissfully melts my heart—has to meet the other members first, and earlier segments of the show introduce us to them. We have Saaya, a caring older sister who helps out with her family's bakery; Rimi, a timid choco-cornet-loving girl; Arisa, who is adorable because of her gap moe tendencies; and Tae, the dorkiest and most comical one of them all. At first glance, their tropey demeanors can come off as being too vanilla, but I'll assure you this. Those basic traits of theirs will eventually pave to way to some sincere development as they realize what lies ahead in their musical ambitions.

Before I get into the character development though, there are points throughout the show where the story gets quite shaky. Like the creators know how the plot points will chronologically line up, but didn't put in enough effort to make them flow more naturally. As a result, some scenes—mostly the sedated humdrums—feel out of place when they're shoehorned in the storyline. And those scenes can be distracting, considering the character development here rely a lot on nuances and subtleties.

It's not to say all these small interactions are meaningless. In fact, most of them are genuinely enjoyable to watch, and not just because they're heartwarmingly cute or humorous. With the constant focus on how the girls' dynamic with each other evolves through their actions, thoughts, and exposure to music, their flaws and personal issues are slowly revealed, and this is where Bandori sparkles the most.

Because the show is grounded with no overly ambitious goals, the changes Poppin'Party go through feel realistically intimate. Everyone has their own worries to deal with, as is the case with Rimi's anxiety, Arisa's social awkwardness, Saaya's burdens from her past, Tae's general apathy, and Kasumi's optimism causing her to become oblivious of her own self. And it's through the start-up of their band—with support from each other and their family—where they learn that they can overcome these things that are stopping them from seeking out the beat they've been looking for. As they practice, they discover more about themselves along with the wondrous prospect of being in a band together—and it's a development that's very fulfilling to see.

Art-wise, even though I find it could've been done better, the vibrancy at least works well enough with the narrative elements. There are stills and pan shorts here and there, with some odd-looking eye placements, but there are also scenes that look beautiful in the character-defining moments. The CGI isn't half bad either, as outside of the occasional off-model ones, it captures the fun energy from Poppin'Party's performances

Speaking of performances, the musical direction taken by this show is mostly low-key, with soundtracks that complement the relaxed atmosphere quite nicely. The insert songs are definitely the most notable ones, considering they characterize who Poppin'Party is as a novice band. It helps that the creators chose to go with a raw live feel rather than using the version from post-production as it makes their songs sound even more authentic to the ears. From a rough and basic start to a more delightful result, their music resonates together with their development as a band.

Looking back at everything once again, Bandori might have started off feeling uncertain, but its direction took for a better turn with its evolution towards an emotionally engaging story on Poppin'Party's origin. They sparkle from their meaningful development and friendship. They make my heart pound when they perform. And I'm definitely proud of what they've learned before becoming such a lovable band.