Rumble Garanndoll (2021)

[逆転世界ノ電池少女]

Director: Masaomi Ando
Studio: Lerche
Starring: Seiichiro Yamashita, Fairouz Ai, Aina Suzuki
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A host finds himself caught up in a rebel movement fighting for the preservation of Japanese pop culture against militarist occupiers from another universe.

Impressions:
I don't know what to make of this series. On the surface, it looks like some lightweight fun, but it dances around some heavier topics that it's not remotely prepared to address, which left me more annoyed than anything. Modern Japan vs. wartime Japan. That's some heavy stuff, but don't expect anything meaningful to come of this premise. I suppose just looking at the mech designs alone, you should know you're not supposed to take things too seriously, but there are moments of genuine character drama which shows that the creators are at least partially serious about the material. I will at least give the writers credit for having the protagonist be a host, a person whose work requires him to be shallow and empty when the plot demands sincerity (though it also means he's more adaptive to the different battery girls he interacts with). The cast is generally appealing, except for trashfire Munakata, and the production values are also pretty good, but I can't get over the fact that the setting is more window dressing than the philosophical core of the story. I wanted to see a stronger case made for Arahabaki's cause, but as I said, the show isn't prepared to have that conversation. Maybe it's just my fault for wanting to dig deeper, but I can't give this show much of a recommendation. If you just enjoy it for what it is, it should be fine, but if you see the potential you want explored, you're going to be disappointed. Take it or leave it.

Rating:
50/50