All right everyone, let’s all calm down. I know you’re all very excited, but do try to take this information in s l o w l y, okay? So, this is a MECHA MAGICAL GIRL anime we’re going to watch. If you’re not comfortable with that, it’s okay, we can talk about it, but I just thought I should let you know, okay? I know this might be a first for you (it sure as hell is a first for me!!) but we’ll get through this together, okay? Much love.

Plot

Right. So, our protagonist, a pink short-hair girl named Mangetsu, has been tricked into cooking meals for all her friends who are looking for a free munch. This has nothing to do with the actual show. Nothing. At least not yet, WHO KNOWS, maybe we’ll have our minds blown even further? But for now that’s it. She cooks for people. I suppose that’s an excuse to get her out of her house in the middle of the night and back to school where she has forgotten one of her lunch boxes. Thankfully, it didn’t go bad! I feel this. Now somehow, Mangetsu’s late night school presence triggers her being transported to a word that is not… you know, this one. You could say it’s, like, another world even. THIS IS COMPLETELY NEW INFORMATION.

*brief tea break, lost my focus for a moment there*

ANOTHER WORLD. As she stares out of her classroom windows, she sees enormous neon colored robots just going at it. For reasons unknown, they are aggressive towards her. Even more inexplicably, all the robot pilots are young women in -what is mostly- skimpy outfits. Yeah. After hunting her for a while (still fighting each other, that is), the one who seems to be the ‘good’ one helps her escape. She also takes this chance to eat Mangetsu’s really average lunchbox, and explain to her something about magic being part of this world initially and then not and then the magic being sealed in a bubble in the SKY, a so-called MAGIACONATUS that is, and for some reason, yes, this causes all these over or underdressed teenage women to turn into what we’re now (and for the rest of this miserable season) will be calling Magirobos, Magical-Girl-Robots that fight every year on the day of the full moon. And, oh, my, god, guess what?? She’s like, one of them! And she’s also like, super good at this fighting business too! MIND-BLOWN.





Episode Highlights

Dy’all remember that fake Disney anime called W.i.t.c.h.? Boy, that was problematic material. The show’s setup kind of reminds me of this I guess – without the romantic interests, god forbid those girls have impure feelings towards any other sapient mammals. Can we also take a moment to appreciate how relaxed Mangetsu seems to be with all this?

So what’s good about this? The animation’s alright. I suppose that’s the best part about it. Having been dealt some pretty disappointing animation quality results lately I have to say I appreciate that. The hairstyles and outfits are nice too, albeit… well. I’ll let you finish that sentence. A bit too heavy on the neon maybe, my migraines don’t appreciate that, not one bit, sorry.

I thought I’d seen it all

Well, I hadn’t seen Mecha Magical Girl anime. This is completely new information. I just don’t know how to feel about this. Maybe I’ll go buy some cheap beer.

Also, let me put that out there – I haven’t watched anything remotely mecha since Neon Genesis Evangelion, (yep, I even dropped Code Geass before Episode 10, fight me) which I was discussing with some colleagues today. God, Shinji was a wimp. I suppose it serves me right for even remembering his damn name.

How did you find the first Granbelm episode? Let us know in the comment section! And don’t forget to check the rest of the Summer 2019 anime reviews on MANGA.TOKYO!

Granbelm

Summer 2019 | Anime Info | Simulcast