Genre: Slice of life, survival, cute girls doing cute things, adventure, post-apocalyptic

Rating: 12+

Studio: White Fox

Episodes: 12

Available on: HIDIVE

Overview:

Girls Last Tour is set in an dystopian future where two friends named Chito (Chi) and Yuuri (Yuu) seem to be the only humans left of civilisation. In the baron wasteland in which the girls call home they ride from place to place in their trusty Kettenkrad motorcycle hunting for food and fun. As the girls explore the world around them they gain knowledge and new experience whilst making the best of what they have got.

Review

Girls Last Tour has always been an anime which peaked my curiosity ever since I first heard about it. Mixing an extremely sweet moe character design with the harsh coldness of military gear seems wrong. It shouldn't fit together. It shouldn't work. It shouldn't be a joy to watch a cute girls doing cute things style anime in the harsh reality of a war torn world. But somehow Girls Last Tour manages to pull it off beautifully creating wonderfully bittersweet moments throughout its twelve episodes.

The character design of Yuu and Chi has a soft roundness to them which is very reminiscent of other CGDCT and slice of life series such as Nichijou and Azumanga Daioh. Not only do they both look extremely adorable but they somehow look, almost comical when compared to their surroundings. The concept of the anime makes viewers feel as if they should be sad but the softness of the character designs makes things more lighthearted and fun to watch. Also, seeing two moe girls dab in military uniforms tells the viewer that this isn't an anime which will cause deep sadness or depression.

The lack of characters used within Girls Last Tour also adds to the charm of the series. Both Chi and Yuu do the majority of the talking throughout the anime and their polar opposite characters make for a good dynamic which is fun to follow along with in their situation. Chi is the levelheaded, more mature one of the two whilst Yuu is more of a carefree and immature character and the two balance each other out. They also both have an innocence and curiosity which is what makes the anime bright and fun. The two take their nomad lives with stride and they seek out fun, food or new knowledge wherever they can find it. They are unfazed about the world they are living in which from a viewers perspective may seem crazy but this is the only life the two seem to know of. Therefore, they don't feel saddened by their surroundings because it is normal to them to live this way. This take on a post-apocalyptic world is a breath of fresh air when compared to the copious amounts of dystopian future media out there. Instead of the series giving the message of 'this is bad and sad and we should all be depressed at this', the anime takes a more optimistic tone with the whole situation and instead makes it about loving the little things and making the best out of what is available.

Whilst I found the sparse meetings of other characters interesting within the anime, I found the side characters pretty forgettable. There were a couple of episodes which featured other characters which help to drive the plot a bit but I found myself happier seeing Chi and Yuu explore the world on their own and having fun in their own small ways. Episodes such as the one where Chi and Yuu make music using rain drops and objects such as pots and pans was just unique and beautiful. Music is something we take for granted on the daily but for these two girls it is a special moment for them as they learn what music actually is. The series make you appreciate the little things in life through Yuu and Chi's discoveries.

The world surrounding Yuu and Chi also really peaked my interest as a viewer as Girls Last Tour is just filled with mysteries which I doubt will ever truly be answered. Throughout the entire anime I kept wondering what really happened to the world to get it to such a state. Everywhere within Yuu and Chi's barren world is filled with military weapons, vehicles and buildings. Yuu and Chi wear military uniforms and carry around guns even going as far as to point guns at each other like it is no big deal. Even though the two question things a little, both them and the viewer will never truly know what happened. But, that somehow adds to its charm and beauty.

Girls Last Tour is a unique and special series amongst the plethora of slice of life, cute girls doing cute things and post-apocalyptic series. It is a beautifully bittersweet adventure which I recommend checking out if you want something a bit different!