UNLIMITED FAFNIR #1 -- Special Review

We're sampling all the new pilots this Winter. Check out our thoughts on...

• JOJO'S - BATTLE IN EGYPT ** ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM ** DEATH PARADE


• MARIA THE VIRGIN WITCH ** YATTERMAN NIGHT ** THE ROLLING GIRLS


• THE TESTAMENT OF SISTER NEW DEVIL ** THE IDOLM@STER ** KANTAI COLLECTION


• ABSOLUTE DUO ** YURI KUMA ARASHI

25 years ago, an infestation of gigantic, horrifying, city-destroying monsters called The Kaiju from “Pacific Rim” er…I mean “Dragons” appeared out of nowhere and began terrorizing man-kind. 3 years ago, it was miraculously discovered that a small number of humans have the ability to use the same power as the dragons (namely the ability to summon dark-matter, transform the dark matter into weapons, and use those weapons to attack enemies). Therefore, these special humans (who all happen to be beautiful teenage girls because…it’s one of those kind of anime) were gathered together and whisked away to a secluded tropical island where they were taught how to master their powers and trained to become humanity’s greatest hope against the evil Dragons who threaten the Earth.

Today however, the lifestyle these girls have grown used to over the past 3 years is about to be thrown into complete and total disarray because, for the first time ever, a male has been discovered with the ability to use Dragon powers. And this 16-year old boy, Mononobe Yuu, has been ordered to train alongside the girls (yup, you heard that premise right folks, Yuu gets to be the only guy on a tropical island full of beautiful girls) in the hope that he too will one day be able to join the fight against the Dragons.

== TEASER ==

At first, the girls are deeply doubtful of Yuu, and question whether he really is a “D” (the codename for people who can use Dragon powers) like one of them. But when Yuu shows the class his “D” powers…they remain unimpressed. Complaining that Yuu’s powers are so underdeveloped that the only weapon he’s able to form with the dark matter he summons is a gun. (Psssh! Lame!) The girls, by contrast, are able to form much more powerful and potent anti-dragon weapons, such as books, cartoonishly oversized mallets, and large bowling balls.

Clearly, Yuu has a long way to go before he’s able to reach their level. But before he can even begin to properly train in earnest, an alarm blares across the island, announcing that a Dragon is preparing to attack! Will Yuu be able to prove useful and help save the island from peril? He only has two friends so far who believe he can. The first is his little sister Mitsuki. The second is Iris Freyja (a girl who tried to kill Yuu upon their first meeting when he stumbled upon her bathing naked in the ocean, but then warmed to him after realizing that his actions were an innocent mistake).

Watch the next episode to find out if their faith in Yuu proves justified. And when I say watch the next episode, I mean you guys, feel free to watch it. I probably won’t. This episode struck me as spectacularly average. An amalgamation of things I’d seen in other pre-existing, better-done shows and movies. I didn’t really see anything especially creative or exciting here to get me invested in the series and make me want to watch more. But if the show should develop over time and become better in the future, by all means, send me a message to let me know, and I’ll consider picking it up again.

Watch this pilot and decide for yourself.

Kaita Mpambara works every day to try and create shows, stories, and characters that are as exciting, energizing, and entertaining as the very best works that have been given to the world by both the western and eastern animation industries. Keep up with his musings on life, the universe and everything by following him on Facebook.

from Anime Vice Site Mashup http://ift.tt/15OKkpT