I noticed that we didn't have a first impressions for this show, so I thought I'd make one now since the next episode is airing in a couple hours. There was actually a pre-airing that Pearz linked me to, but I quickly dismissed it because I saw that it was going to be a mecha show. Personally, I'm not much of a mecha fan, only having seen the likes of Macross Frontier, Infinite Stratos and Tiger & Bunny. In fact, any die-hard mecha fan would be ashamed of such a list, especially since they aren't really true mecha. After having watched the first episode, I can say that it was a very solid premier. The production quality is quite good, the characters are pretty awesome so far, and I really like the music score they used.
I have heard nothing but praise for the main character Madoka, and I wholeheartedly agree. She's energetic, a bit eccentric, excels at everything she does, yet acts like any human girl would. Her personality is extremely likable and she won't be fazed by anything life throws at her. I really enjoy watching her as the protagonist. The other main character, Lan, is pretty cool as well. Her actions gave me a few laughs because it seems she doesn't know much about how humans act. With these two running the show, I'll definitely keep watching.
The production quality of this show is definitely above average. The lighter and brightish coloring is really easy on the eyes. The music, especially during the latter half of the episode was pretty cool. The character designs are simple and aesthetically pleasing. I don't watch much mecha, but I thought the robot designs were pretty good looking too.
Dat german suplex! As for the show, I believe it will be two cour, with a break during Spring, sort of similar to what Fate/Zero is doing. From the first episode, a bit of the setting is established, so I think we'll get more into that in the coming weeks. What really interests me is that they seem to hint that Earth may have been previously destroyed. The premier really accomplished what it wanted by getting the viewers to like and care about the characters and immediately shoving them into action to pull the viewers in. I definitely feel like this is one of the better shows out of this rather lackluster season. Looking forward to the next episode.
-Bern
