New Original Anime from Dragon Ball and One Piece Studio is the Season's Sleeper Hit (2024)

Toei Animation Studio, best known for franchises like Dragon Ball and One Piece, recently released Girls Band Cry, an original anime that uses the formula of the musical band that made world hits like K-ON and Bocchi the Rock. Girls Band Cry, a music anime where a group of girls with troubled pasts form a band motivated by their joint passion for music, has pleasantly surprised fans with the use of CGI, an animation technique that generally faces rejection from viewers.

Girls Band Cry has fallen under the radar of Western fans since it is only licensed in France by Animation Digital Network (ADN), and there isn't currently a simulcast license available for North America.

However, the anime has become well-known by separating itself from the typical story of just cute girls playing music by giving extra depth to the characters, which has managed to gain popularity among viewers little by bit, making Girls Band Cry the sleeper hit of the season.

Girls Band Cry Has Gained Recognition from the Fans

The Anime Gained Popularity for Its Character Dynamics and Amazing Soundtrack

Girls Band Cry entered the top 10 of Blu-ray and DVD reservations on Amazon Japan, occupying tenth place and surpassing favorite titles like Spy X Family Code: White and The Boy and the Heron and although Blu-ray sales aren’t currently an indicator of an anime's success because of the streaming services, they do serve as a benchmark for a series' popularity. Additionally, Girls Band Cry is also in the top 10 anime of spring 2024 on MyAnimeList with a score of 8.07, overcoming popular series like My Hero Academia season 7 and Wind Breaker.

One of Girls Band Cry's selling points is the realism of the characters. Each member of Togenashi Togeari has a distinctive personality, and their dynamic in the series has been well executed, showing how different characters' traits often lead them to clash with each other, but also showing the best part of human relationships: how being understood and accepted can light someone's path. The anime also touches themes like bullying, loneliness, insecurity, and a sense of belonging and does a great job of portraying the emotions of the characters.

The atmosphere of the anime is reinforced by its soundtrack. As a band-based anime, Girls Band Cry’s songs are made to have a completely different level of persuasiveness, with a vibe that remembers the Japanese rock music of the early 2000s and a strong emphasis on the keyboard. Also, the background music fits amazingly to enhance the scenes, especially the sad moments. Girls Band Cry is full of incredible songs, with the opening song being a strong contender for the best opening of the season.

Girls Band Cry Stands Out by the Use of CGI

Surprisingly, the CGI Made the Characters Feel More Natural

Toei Animation has been betting on the use of CGI in its most recent projects, like The First Slam Dunk movie, the praised Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, and the upcoming science-fiction film Hypergalactic. Equally, Girls Band Cry's CGI has presented a consistent quality that has far exceeded viewers' expectations because it’s different from what fans have been used to seeing, a technique used by studios as an escape because something was difficult to draw, but rather as a way of delivering something unique.

Girls Band Cry has received praise for its visual style because the CGI enables a more fluid animation, which really suits the story of the anime and makes the characters feel more natural and laid-back. This demonstrates that, when handled with care and dedication, CGI can deliver a satisfying experience different from Western style or hand-drawn style animation. Girls Band Rock is definitely an anime that managed to slowly but surely become a hit among viewers and one of the best anime in the spring of 2024.

Source: MyAnimeList