GO WATCH THIS SERIES.
Land of the Lustrous follows the journey of one "Gem" among many as she grows from an apparently clueless and talentless member of a group of unchanging homunculi to a much wiser and self-assured force in that same community. The main character's struggle is a struggle against her very nature as one of the most brittle gems in existence. She is as absent-minded as she is brittle, but she slowly manages to build herself up emotionally (and physically) against the backdrop of an unchanging cast of characters who initially seem nearly perfect. As she grows, she begins to see the weaknesses of the characters who seemed to utterly outclass her, and her own perseverance becomes her greatest strength. Personal development (mostly physical) as a main theme is ubiquitous in anime and manga, but the mirroring of her emotional growth in the change in her physical form illustrates and reinforces that theme beautifully. I appreciate that the writing is confident enough to never have a character scream that at you, the viewer, in case you somehow missed it.
I normally despise series which use 3D CG animations because it screams to me ‘BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS’ and tends to lack a cohesive art direction or utilize the strengths and power of the computers themselves. Here, however, is the best argument for why 3D CG animation can be a huge boon: The unparalleled ability to showcase the beauty of light in exacting ways instead of impressionistic methods in traditional animation. Much of the animation in this series focuses on the beauty and spectacle of well-formed crystals, lustrous fluids, and fractal geometry. Computer simulations of light reflecting and refracting off fluid metals and transparent crystals of all colors make this visually captivating in a way no other animation approach could. These tools equally elevate a quiet night-time chat by a glowing pond and a slow-motion spray of shattered gemstones glittering in the wind. It neither looks nor feels cheap, and I hope that other studios have realized they can use 3D CG animation to BENEFIT their work instead of simply reducing time spent in animation.
The music in this series is manages to interweave dread and beauty, and the sound design sells the wildly different materials in contact during combat.
Stunning animation, strong writing, and mostly brisk pacing come together to create one of the strongest series I have seen to date. It introduces an incredible world filled with miraculous beings, but the narrative only begins to unpack that mystery before the series abruptly ends. I have not heard a peep about a second season, so I doubt that will suddenly manifest three years after the first season ended. I eagerly await a second season, but I'm not holding my breath.