The storytelling for this series so far is well above average, despite more than a few ham-handed, corny moments.
From the very get-go the story makes us want to keep following so that we can solve the mysteries of Kuroneko, Kuroha, and the mysterious alien Kuroneko spoke of.
As was mentioned before, the source manga is from the same mangaka who created Elfen Lied. With ARMS struggles lately, it makes sense that they open 2014 by leaning on works with ties to their two biggest successes, Elfen Lied and Kite.
But just like how Wizard Barristers was a different cat than Kite or Mezzo Forte, there are some substantial differences between Gokukoku no Brynhildr and Elfen Lied. Elfen Lied, for all it’s disturbing nudity, was essentially fanservice free. The Gokukoku no Brynhildr manga, though also full of serious and disturbing elements, is jam packed with bathing scenes that serve no purpose whatsoever other than to service viewers. In the manga, these scenes are tastefully censored with steam and the like, but we now know the TV anime will be far more revealing.
Elfen Lied had a ton of R-rated material, but it presented it in a way that was clearly artistic. Despite all the nudity, I never felt like Elfen Lied had sexual intentions. Gokukoku no Brynhildr is trying to be an artistic anime as well, while also leaving some room for the more sordid elements of anime fandom. In the end I’m guessing we’ll end up with an anime much like Shuffle!, one that can be both poignant and sexy at the same time.
In the second episode we see the first use of censorship, it seems bright light is the weapon of choice for this show. Obviously, none of these situations are intentionally sexual, so this could be an interesting if not awkward anime going forward, one that mixes unintended sexuality with intended sexuality. That mix might feel unwelcome for some. Mirai Nikki took a similar tact and the fanservice from that show drew mixed reactions.
