https://imageswixmped30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/4d99d8319f854199928a397a43693f01/dcxdrb68f40add1aa214cbcafbd78dbbb477d9d.png Bandori has a soul that is emboldened by its quest to discover musicand its that initial encouragement that swept me along PoppinPartys 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 its still an origin story filled with plenty of sparkling and heartpounding moments. To form the allgirl band called PoppinParty Kasumian oddball who has an energetic heart and a voice that blissfully melts my hearthas 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 familys bakery Rimi a timid chococornetloving 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 Ill 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. https://i.ur.com/OkxoNgy.png 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 didnt put in enough effort to make them flow more naturally. As a result some scenesmostly the sedated humdrumsfeel out of place when theyre shoehorned in the storyline. And those scenes can be distracting considering the character development here rely a lot on nuances and subtleties. Its not to say all these small interactions are meaningless. In fact most of them are genuinely enjoyable to watch and not just because theyre 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 PoppinParty go through feel realistically intimate. Everyone has their own worries to deal with as is the case with Rimis anxiety Arisas social awkwardness Saayas burdens from her past Taes general apathy and Kasumis optimism causing her to become oblivious of her own self. And its through the startup of their bandwith support from each other and their familywhere they learn that they can overcome these things that are stopping them from seeking out the beat theyve been looking for. As they practice they discover more about themselves along with the wondrous prospect of being in a band togetherand its a development thats very fulfilling to see. https://i.ur.com/kQCSReh.png Artwise even though I find it couldve 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 oddlooking eye placements but there are also scenes that look beautiful in the characterdefining moments. The CGI isnt half bad either as outside of the occasional offmodel ones it captures the fun energy from PoppinPartys performances Speaking of performances the musical direction taken by this show is mostly lowkey with soundtracks that complement the relaxed atmosphere quite nicely. The insert songs are definitely the most notable ones considering they characterize who PoppinParty is as a novice band. It helps that the creators chose to go with a raw live feel rather than using the version from postproduction 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 PoppinPartys origin. They sparkle from their meaningful development and friendship. They make my heart pound when they perform. And Im definitely proud of what theyve learned before becoming such a lovable band. 480https://i.ur.com/rPk2hd4.gif
71 /100
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