Now, I lovedPacific Rim, and I'm one of the few people who didn't hate Pacific Rim: Uprising. I was moderately intrigued when I saw that an animated series was in production, since I thought there was potential here. But the trailers didn't leave that good an impression, with it's focus on younger pilots again, so like many people seemed to be, I was skeptical. But it came out when I had some free time, so I watched it all in one sitting, and I actually found myself enjoying a good amount of it, though by the end, I can't say I was particularly sucked in.
One of the biggest strengths of the series is that, unlike Uprising, it doesn't bend to negative anime tropes. Neither Taylor nor Haley are especially annoying, or repeatedly make stupid decisions (aside from the first episode perhaps), and they are both left with a lot of room to grow and develop. The side characters are hit and miss for the most part; Mei has an interesting arc, Shane is delightfully despicable, and Boy has some mystery behind him enough for me to want to learn more. The rest of the characters are pretty one note, though, and I can't say they left much of an impression.
Some watching may be displeased by the fact that there isn't that much robot vs monster action in this, but as I was watching it, I got the impression that that isn't the point of this series. I'd say it's more about surviving, and pressing on in the face of an ever surmounting obstacles. When it does do action like that, it's not bad, but compared to the first movie, there is still much to be desired. The animation style is also an acquired taste, and while I kind of liked it, I can understand that it isn't for everyone.
The story is... alright, I suppose, but only having seven episodes, much is left unresolved. There are some interesting ideas and elements, that definitely have my attention, but there is a lot left hanging; too much in my opinion for a series with only seven episodes so far. Now it's not necessarily a bad thing to leave the audience still curious, and wanting more, but I think having such a short first season with so much left hanging may be putting the cart before the horse. If the season was longer, I think it'd be a different story, but as it stands, seven episodes isn't enough to really give these elements the weight needed, and I wasn't left very satisfied.
In all, it's a good series, but it's not great, and has a lot of room to grow. I've read that a second season has been confirmed, and I'll definitely tune into it when it comes out. Maybe I'd recommend waiting to watch the show, until it comes out so you can get a fuller picture.
Anime Good, but not great (yet)
Now, I loved Pacific Rim, and I'm one of the few people who didn't hate Pacific Rim: Uprising. I was moderately intrigued when I saw that an animated series was in production, since I thought there was potential here. But the trailers didn't leave that good an impression, with it's focus on younger pilots again, so like many people seemed to be, I was skeptical. But it came out when I had some free time, so I watched it all in one sitting, and I actually found myself enjoying a good amount of it, though by the end, I can't say I was particularly sucked in.
One of the biggest strengths of the series is that, unlike Uprising, it doesn't bend to negative anime tropes. Neither Taylor nor Haley are especially annoying, or repeatedly make stupid decisions (aside from the first episode perhaps), and they are both left with a lot of room to grow and develop. The side characters are hit and miss for the most part; Mei has an interesting arc, Shane is delightfully despicable, and Boy has some mystery behind him enough for me to want to learn more. The rest of the characters are pretty one note, though, and I can't say they left much of an impression.
Some watching may be displeased by the fact that there isn't that much robot vs monster action in this, but as I was watching it, I got the impression that that isn't the point of this series. I'd say it's more about surviving, and pressing on in the face of an ever surmounting obstacles. When it does do action like that, it's not bad, but compared to the first movie, there is still much to be desired. The animation style is also an acquired taste, and while I kind of liked it, I can understand that it isn't for everyone.
The story is... alright, I suppose, but only having seven episodes, much is left unresolved. There are some interesting ideas and elements, that definitely have my attention, but there is a lot left hanging; too much in my opinion for a series with only seven episodes so far. Now it's not necessarily a bad thing to leave the audience still curious, and wanting more, but I think having such a short first season with so much left hanging may be putting the cart before the horse. If the season was longer, I think it'd be a different story, but as it stands, seven episodes isn't enough to really give these elements the weight needed, and I wasn't left very satisfied.
In all, it's a good series, but it's not great, and has a lot of room to grow. I've read that a second season has been confirmed, and I'll definitely tune into it when it comes out. Maybe I'd recommend waiting to watch the show, until it comes out so you can get a fuller picture.