It’s generally against my philosophy on reviewing shows to do any sort of review after one episode (other than drops), but Kyousougiga‘s episode 00 is something I just couldn’t let go by without saying something. After Crunchyroll so graciously picked up the show a few episodes in, I gave it a shot out of boredom, knowing nothing about the plot, characters or anything else. I could try to describe the episode, but it’d be better for you to just watch it. Click the picture to take off on 25 minutes of excellence.

http://www.crunchyroll.com/kyousougiga/episode-0-646481

In case you need more convincing, allow me to highlight the strengths of this episode.

1. The Animation: It’s bright, colorful, active and fun. Kyousougiga basically makes full use of the fact that it is anime and goes all out in this episode to show off everything Toei Animation is capable of. From the shiny mobiles to the initial fight scene to the odd ending, the animation is a kaleidoscopic riot in the best way possible.
2. The Music: It’s fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that I once put myself to sleep just listening to episode. It’s not always noticeable (as is proper for background music), but a careful listen reveals excellent ambient choices. In spots where the music shines, like the fantastic track that pops up following our lead girl (Koto) as she walks through the town, it really shines.
3. The Energy: As I mentioned earlier, the animation is active, but that’s really only a vehicle for the energetic nature of this show, which in its slow moments simmers and in its fast ones bolts around like electric currents. Think FLCL or maybe Kill la Kill, but with a better cap. Kyousougiga never feels out of control, just hyped up.
4. Confidence: Despite the fact that episode 00 is only a recap episode, there are a lot of questions raised for newcomers to the series. As one of those, I must say that I never once felt like the creators of the show had lost touch with me. This the most obviously subjective assessment of the episode, but Kyousougiga managed to build a strong feeling of trust that it wasn’t going to let me down.

In short, I am super excited to watch the rest of Kyousougiga. Even if the rest of the show isn’t quite the same ride as episode 00, the pure aesthetics of the show are enough to keep me watching. If it rises to its full potential in characters and story, Kyousougiga has a good chance of making it into my top 10 or top 5. We shall see!

It’s this:

And this: