Reviews for Black Rock Shooter (2012) (7.44) 1s2d2l

Black Rock Shooter began as a Vocaloid song, where Miku’s uniform was inspired by some illustrations made by a guy named Huke. An OVA was created in 2010 based on that song/illustration combo, which received a ridiculously huge hype by all the Vocaloid fans. Not a surprise since it was after all a fan catering title. Two years later (2012) NoitanimA decided to take this title in its timeslot and to expand it further, thus creating the current version.

Despite being only 8 episodes, it still feels longer than it needs to be. The plot is very simple; it is just about a bunch of schoolgirls going through an emotional maelstrom, caused by jealousy. The heroine Mato is looking for friends in her new school and befriends another girl named Yomi. This causes the other girls who were friends with to feel betrayed for loosing her full attention. While we watch the simple everyday lives of some normal girls, the plot will be going back and forth to an alternative reality, where we see them dressed in weird gothic clothes and fighting each other with fantasy-themed weapons.

The themes don’t need more than a few episodes to be explored. The alternative world where the action takes place in is a hellish place which represents their mentality. Them fighting is supposed to symbolize their emotions and their friendship being challenged because of jealousy. These parts are practically non-stop action with all sorts of over-the-top weapons and it looks like a fantasy videogame. It is very eye-catchy thanks to its weird imagery and fast paced action, and a contrast to the rest of the normal scenes. That is basically the main attraction and lure of this show. Watching some girls having an allegorical emotional conflict, made to seem in their minds like an all-out war in that other world.

Unfortunately there is nothing more beyond that, since there is no mystery or numerous characters going through similar situations. In this regard the show falls flat before Madoka Magica or the Persona series. It remains a shallow fan catering work, a simplistic concept presented in an extravagant way, that promotes the song/illustrations and intends to sell a lot to the Vocaloid fans, or anyone else who is into fighting lolis. Make that naked pseudo-lesbian lolis who have to embrace pain and keep going or some nonsense. When did we even see the girls trying to run away from the pain and thus excusing all this mess? Oh, right, we didn’t, the show didn’t bother to build up the conflict. That’s how much effort was placed on this anime.