In the first of Crunchyroll (and Funimations) latest Simulcasts, we have the rather lovely looking ISLAND From Studio Feel.
The titular island is far from the mainland and the society is somewhat closed off. We open with a young man laying alone and naked, washed up on the beach. He’s found by Karen, a high-schooler and daughter of the Mayor, who falls face-first into his crotch. I’m not sure if that was comedic or disturbing, but I did chuckle so I guess it’s the former!
The young man, who only remembers his name, Setsuna, remembered little aside from being a time traveller sent back to save someone and, in a slightly more sinister twist, kill someone.
Setsuna meets two more young girls - the first is Rinne, the daughter of a rich household who also believes she is a time-traveller, having herself been washed up on the beach 5 years ago. Setsuna is taken on as the house maid, and while here he is visited by a third young lady, Sara, the shrine maiden. While friendly and cordial, it isn’t long before Sara tries to kill Setsuna in the most comically botched way imaginable. Setsuna takes pity on her and simply leaves, while she swears to assassinate him, albeit in a rather timid manner.
The first episode is littered with flashbacks, most of which involve passionate moments with each of the three girls he has met - I didn’t know it going in but I realised pretty quickly that this was most likely a visual novel adaptation, and lo and behold it is! That’s not to say the anime is any lesser for it, but it certainly seemed to be setting up a love triangle in a pretty ham-fisted, visual novel way.
On a a technical level, the show looks lovely. It’s standard TV animation, but the backgrounds and sense of tranquility on the island are palpable. I’d certainly book a holiday there, and it did remind me a little of islands I’ve visited in Japan, most notably Sakurajima and Miyajima.
The music was lovely, and Rinne’s song, which moved Setsuna to tears, was rather good too. Overall I was impressed by the design, execution and audio for the project.
As a first episode, the show lays out its stall well - the mystery element, coupled with all the possibilities the time-travel elements lends to the plot, is intriguing for the time being. I do hope the show doesn't become a puzzlebox of the sort J.J Abrams likes to distract us with, it needs questions AND answers to be a satisfying tale. I'm also hopefully that the love-triangle element will be handled deftly, as so far everything is rather convenient in terms of encounters and exposition.
As it stands, I'd recommend a trip to the ISLAND - it's bright and ripe with possibility. Only time will tell if the mystery lives up to the potential.
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