D4DJ First Mix
“The New Generation's BanG Dream”
If you're like me, who only knew what BanG Dream was a year ago, you used the internet sparingly during the late 2010s. The franchise has been brought to life using numerous forms of media, and it's only natural that it's one of the biggest things in Japan. It's hard not to see something related to BanG Dream while visiting the land of the rising sun. But what’s D4DJ then?
D4DJ is like BanG Dream for the newer generation and something that DJs or aspirants of this music medium would love to no end. I'm sure the whole letters going from upper case to lower case and lower case to upper case have you lost already, but fret not—me and the anime adaptation First Mix are here to help you with all your doubts and queries. That said, let's look at what D4DJ First Mix is all about!
CGDCT but more prominent and way better
You're not a seasoned weeb if you don't know what CGDCT means. The title that contributed the most to this genre's success was K-ON back in the day. But then again, that was a very long time ago. These days, the genre is being taken to newer heights thanks to stuff like Bocchi the Rock and Yuru Camp, among others, that just keep melting our hearts over and over again.
D4DJ First Mix could be seen as featuring that setting, but in reality, the competition is fiercer. Sure, you can draw similarities with the fan-favorite series Beck, but all in all, D4DJ has an identity of its own.
The series's protagonist, Rinku Aimoto, has lived in Africa for most of her life. Now, she returns to Japan to attend Yoba Academy, where DJ units are the talk of the town. Just when she's taking it all in, the girl meets Maho Akashi, who teaches her the basics of DJ units and DJing.
Rinku Aimoto is taken by surprise, but after she witnesses Peaky P-key's performance, she falls in love with this music and decides she wants a DJ unit of her own. The two unite and recruit new members, becoming the DJ unit Happy Around, and aim to become the most prominent name there is!
From the start, the story is just great. Who doesn't like a bunch of girls pouring their hearts into music? Plus, on top of seeing these beautiful girls, we get music that gets better and better every other week. However, anime has its drawbacks, and some of them are hard for most viewers to look past.
So, can you DJ?
Let me put this out there: DJing is explained well in this anime. It's common for anime series to delve into great detail about what the show is about, whether it's rock climbing, boxing, baseball, or you name it. The same holds here. Fans of the DJ and EDM scene would love this anime just for the educational aspect of the show alone.
Many of my friends bought the equipment and started DJing after watching this show, only to fail miserably a day later. But it's a great way to acclimate yourself to the art while enjoying the bubbly personalities and great tracks on your screens.
Even after the anime is finished, the source material exists in various media that can be followed to see what happens down the road. Now, that becomes a must for most people since some of these music units have that lasting impact, making you want to support them and see them through to the end.
BanG Dream fans are in for a total treat since they have another series they can dive into if they are bored. But enough of that, let's look at what might brush many people off the wrong way regarding this show in particular.
Horrendous CG at times
I don't know who still needs to hear this, given it's been said a trillion times already: CG is not every studio’s expertise! We've seen great stories and action sequences tainted and razed to the ground thanks to CGI, and it's a wonder why it still exists in the anime industry.
Some excellent CG animation attempts exist, like Land of the Lustrous being everyone's favorite. But other than that, stuff like the newer Berserk adaptations has traumatized the fans, and many people are still in shock even after going to therapy for almost seven years straight. The character models and their expressions are done well at times, and nothing feels out of place for the most part. But some frames are totally out of sync, and this becomes a lot more noticeable during the performances when it feels like you're watching an entirely different anime, to be honest.
This stays a problem throughout the entirety of the series, and just when you're ready to look past it, another scene is there to remind you just why going CG wasn't the best idea there was. Well, I suppose the studio has considered this, knowing full well that their animation is constantly lacking because the music serves to divert the majority of viewers.
Is it Africa's fault?
One of the main attractions of shows that feature female idols and girl bands is the character department. That's what made BanG Dream a considerable success. It's safe to say that D4DJ isn't lacking in this aspect. But one thing annoys me, and I'm sure you, as well, is Rinku Aimoto. The girl is probably the most annoying character in the series, and even if her passion and love for the art are commendable, it's hard to look past her annoying personality.
She reminded me a lot of Asta when Black Clover was starting. Trust me; people had to shift to the manga just because his screams and personality gave them migraines left and right. But sadly, someone who had heard that voice even once was traumatized for life, and there was no way your ears wouldn't bang whenever Asta appeared on those pages.
But yeah, if you have her as your favorite girl in the series, I highly question your taste. We have so many characters to choose from; some of them are great. But you still had to pick her! Anyway, that's that. If you want to enjoy the series as a whole, you'll have to look past that until she grows on you because otherwise, getting through this show will be hard, to be honest.
SANZIGEN is at it again!
The studio behind the newer entries of BanG Dream is the one behind D4DJ, which makes it clear that messing this up with the CG was intentional. But something surprising was that the studio isn't all about female idols and girl groups giving us great music. The studio was also behind Arslan Senki and the newer Initial D reimaginations, so being versatile is one of this studio's best attributes.
The show also features a catchy opening theme song by our girl band, Happy Around, so you get a sneak peek at what these girls can do early on. But even other than that, the anime is filled with great tracks and even more incredible moments, and trust me when I say this: if you're a fan of music, then missing out on this one is going to make you regret it later on because it's bound to become pretty big pretty soon.
Fans of the BanG Dream universe can’t miss out on this series. It features great characters, and the DJing is spot-on, making you understand the behind-the-scenes process for some of your favorite music artists.
The series is also scattered around various forms of media, so it might be difficult to hop from one platform to the other. However, numerous websites and YouTube have come pretty handy in this situation. But that’s something for later. Let’s get into this show first and foremost and see where things go!
Please Like, Comment or Share, or if you wish to read another post, click one of the links below.
https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/random-thoughts-because-mondays-suck
https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/on-screen
https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/flashbacks
