I’m undecided whether or no longer this is applicable to the visible novels they’re essentially based on, but up to now as the anime goes, Phantom Situation off is something of a shaded sheep among the change Fruit of Grisaia titles. “Phantom Situation off correct is no longer as acceptable,” you’re going to progressively hear Grisaia fans command some model of, “And I beget no longer cherish the main group of girls as powerful.” But whereas you happen to might well furthermore procure got spent sufficient time in nerdy circles, that it is no longer rare for fan communities to pronounce they beget no longer cherish something just a few sequel series. What they beget no longer cherish is switch—that it is a fresh memoir, that comprises fresh characters, and so forth. Such would possibly be the case for Phantom Situation off. The films and OVAs weren’t something particular, but possibly that would switch since it has a TV series and time to beget things! Presumably folk are correct being too exhausting on it on myth of it is no longer the conventional group or memoir that folk are old to in Grisaia! That became as soon as what I hoped for, and I entered the series hopefully despite no longer having critically enjoyed the aforementioned Phantom Situation off films and OVAs. By the extinguish, there became as soon as no denying it: even on its own merits—wholly divorced from all other things Grisaia, Phantom Situation off is a slog of some degree to.
Phantom Situation off, whereas taking space in the same universe as The Fruit of Grisaia, is gorgeous disconnected from it (and its sequels). Obvious, there are some references to it every now and then, and a few other winks and nods, but that’s extra or much less it. Can procure to you would possibly perhaps furthermore procure got neither read nor watched Fruit, beget no longer pain too exhausting whereas you happen to are soundless taking into consideration about watching Phantom Situation off despite this. Because frankly, you’re going to bag equally as at a loss for phrases about what’s going on no topic how familiar or no longer you is also with the Grisaia universe.
Or no longer it is nearly impressive how simultaneously over- and under-explained this series might well furthermore be. How beget you even beget that? Used to be that intentional, or a complete accident? Whether they desire to or no longer, most series that fall into either camp are firmly in that camp. Or no longer it is no longer progressively one encounters an anime that, against all odds, can “end” doing both directly. I might well be in anguish if I wasn’t so profoundly bored by Phantom Situation off.
Or no longer it is some distance a runt bit worthy to order about what this series is ready, on myth of even now, after watching the complete series, I’m soundless no longer 100% certain myself. I bag that it is just a few college of assassin girls going on unhealthy missions. I will observe that powerful. But the rhyme and purpose in the attend of these missions? Most often the series makes efforts to new it. And then other cases, it does now not. So even at the extinguish, you are left with an uneven working out of why things unfolded the potential they did.
This anime has two settings when attempting to location up a storyline: either telling the viewers nearly nothing and hoping they correct roll with it, or giving us every that you just’re going to keep in mind fragment of data brief of every person’s social security number. As if that wasn’t traumatic sufficient, runt—if any—of this excess data is in most cases even relevant. So either potential, you are left at a loss for phrases about what’s going on. It makes this complete point to, which sounds cherish it is going to be so titillating, so sleep-inducingly dumb. It feels irregular calling an anime that has a exhausting time going extra than two minutes without something exploding, or some other manner of textbook-example-relaxing-thing going on, but despite all the things that’s one procedure or the other what this anime has going on.
Or no longer it is this dichotomy of the over and under explained that many of the relaxation of Phantom Situation off‘s points stem from: shaded writing, characters who beget no longer continuously definitely feel cherish they own sense, a sense that you just would possibly perhaps furthermore procure no belief why things are occurring the potential they are—you bag the belief. I might well command it is instantly to blame for all but one: to an even further extent than old Grisaia entries, it is cherish this series is aggressively attempting too exhausting to satisfy an edginess quota. The pain is no longer an abundance of edge—the pain is how compelled it progressively comes off as. Or no longer it is cherish Phantom Situation off is continuously and arbitrarily attempting to pile misery upon excess misery onto its protagonists, and crucially, doing so without giving the viewers a purpose to care about those self same characters since we barely learn something about them. Bigger than as soon as, it gets to the point the assign it feels cartoonish how over-the-top tragic these backstories are—as if the point to came across a list of top 10 saddest anime backstories and put them all in a blender and did that for every personality.
The series’ very finest energy lies in its animation, which is basically gorgeous acceptable. All the procedure thru the closing episode, some fight scenes see anyplace from mediocre to downright disastrous, and there’s a noticeable amount of moments the assign folk are talking but their mouths are no longer inviting—a shame, on myth of whereas I’d no longer command there’s any particular standout performances, the mumble acting is gorgeous stable. But that final stretch notwithstanding, this became as soon as one among the better (read: no longer the very finest) having a witness presentations of frosty weather 2025.
I set in mind when this point to first started airing, I became as soon as hopeful that since Phantom Situation off became as soon as getting a TV series, confidently that would give its memoir some powerful-needed dimension. Or at the bare minimal, possibly it would a minimal of own its characters extra endearing. But thirteen episodes later, and one procedure or the other I soundless definitely feel correct as misplaced as I did watching the old entries, nor beget I deem I care critically extra about someone in the cast. I’m truly gorgeous befuddled how an anime might well end so runt in all that time.
