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 The Rolling Girls
Anime Review
What does an anime studio do when you have a bunch of money from a successful licensed anime? They go and make an original series! Rolling Girls is a brand new anime from Wit Studio, the folks behind everyone's favorite, Attack on Titan. Is Rolling Girls actually bankrolled by the muscular behemoth anime? We don't know, but we'd love to think so, because Rolling Girls is a animated, cacophanous joy to watch.
Japan is in chaos. Set 10 years after a war that split up the country into the 10 original prefectures, we're thrown head-first into absolute zaniness. Each city-state battles against the other, represented by mercenaries and vigilantes from the war with special abilities. These unique individuals are called "Bests" and everyone else? Well, would it surprise you that they're often called the "Rest?" Yup, Rolling Girls is pretty on-the-nose.
 In the first episode we're introduced to several characters in a delightful hodge-podge of bizarre costumes and outfits, wielding over-the-top weapons like a gigantic safety pin. The episode dumps us right in the middle of a battle between Kuniko Shigyou and a Tokorozawa Best named Maccha Green, and it is quite the visual treat as they spar in a dynamic, snappy style. You'll be seeing .gifs of this show for a while!
If it doesn't make much sense, don't worry about it -- because neither does the show. Things happen in Rolling Girls because they're fun, not because they necessarily make any logical sense. Why is there a cosplaying security squad? Because they want to cosplay. That's all. You'll surely get some answers about the heart-shaped stones eventually, but otherwise just enjoy the ride.
 As mentioned above, Wit Studio has put in some impressive work so far, in both pure animation power and storyboarding. The first episode of an anime series usually has a bigger budget than the rest (to make an impact with viewers and make sure they come back next week), but rarely do you see that extend into the second episode as well. Especially in an original anime! The third episode drops comfortably into "average" territory, but hey: every episode can't be a stunner, eh?
 Still, it's a great start for the series and leaves hope that the rest of it will continue in a similar fashion. The story is mainly following four girls who are regular Mob members as they ride their motorcycles between the various prefectures in search of strange pink heart-shaped stones. Ai, Yukina, Chiaya, and Nozomi all have amusing elements to their characters, but after the dynamic battles in the first two episodes, their exploits seems much more subdued and significantly less interesting. Perhaps this will change as the show goes on.
 The opening is exactly what you'd expect for this kind of show: the four leads playing in a band to peppy J-pop, illuminated with neon backgrounds and splashes of bright colors. Also of note is the great background music, which is perfectly high-energy. The audio generally pulls its weight, which makes everything more rich as a result.
Rolling Girls is a surprise. It has one of the best opening episodes this season, and it shoves a colorful, zany world into your lap. It feels confident! The real question now is: can they keep this up for the rest of the series? It'll be tough, as the animation business isn't exactly kind and laid-back. But, watching Wit Studio put their best foot forward and create something truly unique and enjoyable is a real treat. Don't miss out on Rolling Girls!
Reviewed by Ben Huber, February 2015
Below: Scenes from The Rolling Girls.
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Below: Character designs for The Rolling Girls.
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