Watched 10/2016
Producers: Starchild Records
Studios: Silver Link
C3 Cube x Cursed x Curious is a Light novel adaptation by Hazuki Minase.
Bronze – Just
Having watched this all the way through I came to two conclusions. They had no idea what they were making when they made this. It’s in their preferred ‘moe’ style and while it’s very colourful and the palette is very pretty, art does not make up for a bad story. Or rather, in this case, extremely bad story telling.
The second conclusion is that they knew they were getting a second season so instead of trying, they just shoved as much as they could into the 13 episodes they had. If ever you wondered what a story looks without the padding, this is it. It’s way too rushed and feels it. There is no time to connect to the characters or believed they form any real connections to each other. There are three story arcs and it really feels like if they had just taken their time and made 26 episodes it would have been considerably better.
The supernatural elements to this story are often explained in the form of an information dump, in a way which is usually boring and occasionally just plain confusing. Too much information at once and just leaves the view wondering if they needed all that information. It’s almost like they did their research without working out just what makes these types of shows likeable. Even the sodding fight scenes are yawn worthy.
The characters are tropish to the point of looking like carbon copies of other programmes. There is no unique character designs or any real form of characters development in this anime and if there is, it is stuffed into an information dump. Even their basic information is basically stated all in one go and then the rest of the program just treats everything like normal because it’s already known. Basically leaving nothing to be worked out, fleshed out or even made so we can even remotely care about the characters. Hence the bad fight scenes.
The fight scenes are sparkly but with no real to care for the characters or what them to win, they are kind of just sparkles and blood. A considerable amount of blood and gore for the the moe style. I’m assuming the were trying to shock people? I seriously don’t think they knew what they were doing. They just seem to throw effects on everything without care.
The main character is incredibly cute and annoying. Her ‘normal’ appearance is that of a child and her voice matches but when she’s more in her [form I have no clues what to call. Cursed object form maybe?] her voice is mature as an adult. The story will go dark and serious at strange moments and just switches without warning or story clues. She at least has a clear split personality. The others have no excuse for the dramatic switches in personality.
It is a harem/ecchi anime it’s not as ecchi as you would assume. There are a few panty shots and a few breast groping moments but to be honest, most of the episodes are clean and you can almost forget its meant to be an ecchi,to be honest. Until episode 9 where there is basically a tentacles scene and you are shocked back into realisation. Either that or modern anime as just shocked me into not really noticing mild stuff anymore.
Also, the enemy for the first arc of the program is an annoying blonde whose catchphrase is ‘bitch’. Gets extremely annoying. It is the only real curse word in the whole thing and just feels out of place.
The voice acting is fab, most of the issues for the speaking of the characters is down to lazy animating. They can add sparkles all they want to the scenes but it’s not hiding the fact that the studio was extremely lazy at making people’s mouths move when they are talking in this one. The mouths move but that’s it. No real shapes other than ones used for emotions.
Oh and the music! Half-assed at best. Some attempted made but it’s not edited together very well. The beginning and ends songs are good but when they cut from a fighting scene to the soft and gentle ending music, it’s not very dramatic. Just leaves you feeling unimpressed and unenthused with the editing .I do wonder why the opening chances at ep9? we have 4 episodes of a different opening than the original and it makes no real scene as it wouldn’t have been a new anime season? Unless they just didn’t want to waste one made for if they got a season 2, I guess.
so yeah. Not one I’m likely to go back to again.
Hiddenhearts' Anime Thoughts 