Glasslip: A Visually Beautiful Anime with Major Flaws

Glasslip

“A Visually Beautiful Anime with Major Flaws”

Real-world relationships are complex, aren’t they? They require so much focus, attention, and dedication, and the list continues. Everyone is so different, and it’s impossible to make each one happy, so sometimes you just have to prioritize yourself too. Either way, because no one is alone in the world, we all have to learn to associate with people and come out unscathed in the long run. So let’s take a look at an anime addressing such relationships...

Glasslip is a 13-episode TV anime series that aired from the 3rd of July until the 25th of September in the summer of 2014. The producers behind it are Sotsu, Lantis, Pony Canyon, Showgate, and Infinite; the licensor is Sentai Filmworks, and the studio responsible is P.A. Works.

This series features romance and supernatural fiction genres alongside the themes of love polygon and the visual arts. The notable staff members behind it are producers Horikawa Kenji, Ooshima Yasushi, Nagatani Takayuki, and Tsuji Mitsuhito. Each episode runs for around 23 minutes, and the show received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older.

This original anime spawned a light novel series of the same name, which began publication on October 3rd, 2014, and is still ongoing. It features the genres of drama, romance, slice of life, and supernatural, courtesy of artist Shino and author Uchi Yoshimori. A manga series titled “Hina's Lip” also began publication on July 3, 2014, and features comedy, romance, and slice of life. Serialized in Ponimaga, it is the work of artist Katou Mayumi.

So what is this anime about? Imagine if you could hear voices or somehow see fragments of images from the future. Would that be a blessing or a curse? The answer becomes highly dynamic and variable depending on the person and situation. So the story of Glasslip follows the eventful life of protagonist Touko Fukami, an aspiring glass artist born into a glass artist family no less.

She typically enjoys her carefree existence in Fukui. Still, occasionally fragments of images that become visible to her disturb the peace. As she lives her life this way, she fatefully meets the transfer student Kakeru Okikura on her 18th summer at school and then once again at her favorite café, Kazemichi, alongside all four of her friends.

The voices from the future are actually leading Kakeru to Touko, and his sudden arrival drastically disrupts her mediocre existence. The stage is now set for all six of these friends to face the most unforgettable summer of their lives, filled with hope, affection, and heartache.

"On the other side of the glass, you can see tomorrow.”

The plot is dreadful. Apart from what you read in the synopsis, there is almost nothing else—just a bland story that moves forward with terrible development. Its main failing is its inability to keep up with what it's trying to do while losing momentum. Worse, you're led to believe there will be a lot of character development, even though there isn't. And don't be fooled into thinking they're attempting to establish a future version of the characters, because the only thing that awaits you is the sad realization that the show's sole focus is love drama.

As for the drama, it’s neither convincing nor likable, becoming a ridiculous mess in the long run. Do not seek out Slice of Life here either; it's primarily generic teenage drama without fluency. There’s just too much going on in the plot without proper explanation, as if the audience doesn’t matter. Furthermore, this show is so disconnected from reality that it relies too much on its fantasy tropes, causing a considerable imbalance between fiction and reality.

That’s not to say there aren't emotionally dramatic moments inducing real dilemmas, but they don’t work. Ultimately, the weak buildup gives birth to a tasteless conclusion, taking away the plot’s one chance at redemption.

Even when you finish this show, their motivations will be unclear. The show loves to jump from one character to another, even with minimal credibility in its vague backstories. The backstories are hardly dealt with, no matter how important they may be for the whole anime.

We are miserably left in the dark about what we think we know about the characters, creating an illusionary image of almost everything. The dialogue between characters even feels forced. By the time they decide to wrap everything up, there’s nothing good left to salvage from this cast. Overall, these characters just seem atrocious, lack proper characterization, and are incredibly shallow.

Moving on to the art and animation, which are decent, the technical artwork has been handled well, creating breathtaking imagery and backgrounds, be it the countryside, sea coastlines, or natural mountains. The visuals also feel oddly nostalgic and may remind you of softer melodies from your childhood.

While the character designs are generic, they maintain balance, especially regarding the accessories worn by the female characters. The artwork itself is commendable for being able to convey communication through gestures. Do not expect much fan service here, though, because it's more about innocence and youth. Another plus point is how they used seasonal changes to depict the atmosphere at a given time.

The sound and music are also decent. The central theme here is melancholy, which is consistently portrayed throughout the show to highlight the characters' thoughts or feelings. The OSTs are mostly piano tunes, which reflect what each character is going through at a given time. You can also expect occasional comedic dialogue, which makes more sense than the main story.

The opening theme is "Natsu no Hi to Kimi no Koe" by ChouCho, and the ending is "Toumei na Sekai" by nano.RIPE, which both keep up with the melancholic vibe. As for the voice acting, it was nothing exemplary, but they did an okay-ish job. The female characters often use dramatic voices that may seem quite pushy at times, while the male characters' performances are easily forgettable.

At some point, you’ll want to forget everything Kakeru said, thanks to his awful personality, and Touko sounds like an overly expressive, emotional teen worried about everything.

Overall, "Glasslip" is not a great anime. Even now, I’m unsure what on earth it was trying to achieve. The pacing is terrible, and a complete lack of balance is evident throughout the series. It just exists in an awkward spot where it isn’t a slice of life, but it isn’t fantasy either. The relationship building was terrible due to the lack of momentum as well. If you still want to watch this, prepare to blankly stare while the show jumps between characters however it sees fit. This lackluster comedy and love drama falls short of everything we love about the genres. I do not recommend this mess of a show to anyone.