Review: Re:Creators – Episode 1: The Wonderful Voyage (I will Remember Everything that Happened to Me)

Review

Sota Mizushino is your average high school otaku. One day, while watching the anime adaptation of a light novel series, Sota finds himself dragged into the anime, right in the midst of a battle. After another series of events, Sota winds up back in his world… along with the protagonist of the show and an unknown assailant! This begins a wild ride through the city as Sota is caught up in a battle that he has no place in. One thing becomes clear: these fictional characters are out for revenge against their creators!

Reviewing this first episode is difficult because it is mainly focused on action and animation, leaving little room for the premise or characters. While the art style isn’t necessarily unique (a critique that I feel is all too common with the modern era of computer animation), it is crisp, clean, and detailed. Simply put: these characters are beautiful to look at, and the quality of the animation is consistent. In the same way, the action sequences are engaging. The clashing of worlds is given the detail it deserves, and the characters react in believable ways to the situations they find themselves thrown into. Put another way: the action is done in such a way that you can feel the “impact,” so to speak. 

Unfortunately, the premier episode is lacking a hook. Simply put, there isn’t enough to make me hungry for what happens next. That’s not to say I’m dropping the show. I fully intend to keep watching, but, generally speaking, when I watch the first episode a new anime, there is something there that drives me to say, “I want more.” That element is lacking in the first episode of Re:Creators, at least from my perspective. I suppose most people would be drawn in by the question of why these characters want to attack their creators–a premise that, while not explicitly stated, is easy enough to piece together between the show’s title and a few bits of dialogue that occur during the episode’s run time. 

The two biggest elements of interest to me are the characters and the plot. A show can have good characters, but a boring plot, which usually leads to a loss of interest. Similarly, a show can have a great plot but be ruined by shallow characters. What I look for in a first episode is some sort of connection with (at least) the main character. Who is this person? What is their motivation? Why should I care about them enough to spend the next season (or two) following them, their story, and their development? At the end of the first episode, I don’t know enough about any of the characters to even piece together a rough idea of who they are, and I can only make assumptions about the plot based on off-hand comments by individual characters. In short, this introductory episode ironically lacks an introduction to both its plot and its characters.

Content Guide

Language: 1 “b*stard,” 1 “p*ss”

Alcohol/Drug Use: None

Sexual Content: Some cleavage is shown.

Violence: Selesia and another character battle several times throughout the episode; missiles are fired at a character, and also hit surrounding buildings. A character throws herself in front of a train. No blood or gore is actually shown, but it is still a horrific occurrence.

Other Negative Content: Two characters steal a car

Positive Content: Much of the episode is action-oriented, so there isn’t much to draw a lesson from; however, one positive point is that the animators had several instances where they could have used cheap fanservice shots (particularly in regards to Selesia’s short dress), yet they did not. This may seem like a small thing, but when you consider the amount of anime that go for the cheap upskirt shots, it’s refreshing to see one actively avoiding those types of things.

I suppose I could also commend Selesia and the second character who the military woman attempts to recruit. While we don’t know this military woman’s intentions, we can certainly say that turning against her creator (or god, from her perspective) is not right or good. Imagine how we, as Christians, feel when people rebel against God. Rather than give into this twisted idea, both Selesia and the other woman adamantly refuse, even though it means fighting a battle that they may not win.