An emotional gut punch in more ways than one.

What They Say:
Episode #8: “Go Go Neverland SAGA”

The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of this review will contain spoilers )

The girls are riding high after their performance at Saga Rock. The manager is ready to launch the girls on a media blitz, but at the next meet and greet a very large and scary man approaches Lily. Out of all of the cast of Franchouchou, I wasn’t expecting Lily to be the first one recognized. Let alone by her father.

There’s an obvious desire to hide the fact that they are zombies from the public, but it turns out Lily only died seven years ago. She was a child star, and it was entirely possible someone was going to recognize her at some point.  

I will admit right away that I didn’t realize the context of the events happening in this episode until I read some discussion after. I should have realized, but I wasn’t looking for it. I figured Lily was just cute for cute’s sake, to fill out the cast. I wasn’t expecting her backstory to be not only extremely emotional on a base level, but the whole facts of the matter add a deeper layer which is far more meaningful than anything else the show has done.

Going back through the earlier episodes the signs were there, proving that everything the director and creator’s of this show are doing is calculated. I had wondered about some of their decisions, but now I’m convinced. The hints about Lily’s past were right there, with her concern about going to the hot springs and in her fears of hitting puberty when she was still alive. Sure, it could have been a little girl scared of growing up, but then you factor in her birth name and what would be shocking enough to give a girl a heart attack at the age of twelve. It’s so incredibly rare to see a transgender character in anime that isn’t being a stereotype or played to some horrible trope that I missed it. Even rarer to show a supportive, loving parent of a transgender child.  

To add icing on top of this perfect cake, the song performance at the end of the episode is devoid completely of CG. It’s lovingly animated and performed, and dammit if I wasn’t tearing up at the end of this episode.

In Summary:
This episode takes the member of Franchouchou I had the least expectations for and gives her a backstory which is not only touching but surprising for a myriad of reasons. It’s handled with a surprising amount of care, and it elevates this show to a level of emotional resonance which I didn’t think was possible. Kudos to the writers and cast for doing that character justice, I really wasn’t expecting it. Next week it looks like Saki is going to have a brush with her past, which I’m sure will be hard hitting as well.

Episode Grade: A

Streamed by: Crunchyroll & Funimation

Kate O'Neil

http://www.fandompost.com/author/sonicbug/

Kate has a long history of leaving pieces of herself all over the internet, alighting upon fandom after fandom to briefly taste of its nectar before flitting away. She has accrued a collection of manga so large she believes her home may now have structural integrity issues. She also watches anime, plays video games, and occasionally writes and draws. You can also listen to her on the Fandom Post Radio podcast, available wherever fine podcasts are streamed.

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