Manaria Friends – 01

(Anne & Grea)
“Anne & Grea”

The long delayed Shingeki no Bahamut spin-off Manaria Friends is finally here, and it’s an odd one. Billed as a slice-of-life school story that just so happens to be set in the world of Rage of Bahamut, these dual purposes show. For a magical-fantasy-school-slice-of-life series, the setting and background seem far too lush and detailed, as is befitting of a story harvesting the assets of an existing IP. Not a bad thing! The setting and art are my favorite things about this first episode, because it makes everything feel so much more than a simple school life anime.

By the same token, following a pair of princesses in Anne (Hikasa Yoko) and Grea (Fukuhara Ayaka) is an odd choice for a slice-of-life story, because usually royal persons are meant for grander things within a fantasy adventure/high fantasy setting. Everything seems so grand, so epic, and then it ends up being rather mundane (for the setting), and it’s hard to see exactly what this series is going for? Though I put that down mostly to a first episode that’s only 15 minutes long, so when it stops where the introductions feel only half over, it sort of is.

Manaria Friends is an odd duck of a series, and at ten episodes with only fifteen minutes per, it won’t be around for long. It’s pleasant enough, though, so I’ll definitely check out a couple more episodes myself. The setting is beautiful enough that I’ll tune in just to look at the pretty art.

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Epilogue:

 

ED Sequence

Preview

End Card

16 Comments

  1. Goodwill

    Lol, that end card. FAVAROOO!

  2. starss

    This looks like a really cute anime.

  3. Aex

    I’m gonna need more insulin for this one…

  4. Wanderer

    Cute girls do magical things….And some guy stalks them.

    • Wanderer

      Drat. I just realized that I should have phrased that first line as “cute girls make beautiful magic together.” 😛

  5. Chisel

    We need a cameo from FAVAROOO!

  6. BROOKLYN otaku

    was Favaro that dope??? maybe i need to go back and actually finish that series..gave up at like ep 4-5

  7. ZJZJ

    I wasn’t too sure about a bahamut series totally different from the ones I’ve watched, but the pictures look nice and the review gives me hope. I think I’ll try it!

  8. Worldwidedepp

    This Anime, well this Episode, is an full blown Suggarbomb (yes the same as in Fallout)But lets see, even sweetness can not cover up for “plot”

  9. Nork22

    This show is so gay, I love it.

  10. Worldwidedepp

    Ep 02:It is hard to follow this Anime without any knew of their background so far. Both are princess, some clumsy bookworm (she is also here in ep 01)it is just an jump in this “sweet lake of fun” without not knowing how deep it really is. is it an puddle or an Lake? Well, lets see with ep 03

  11. Hanover Fist

    I see this title and I keep reading it as Malaria Friends ;).

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