Sora no Woto 01: This is a top-tier show

If you’re going to say that Sora no Woto resembles K-ON in any way besides the character design (mostly eye design, really), screw off, because you’re sorely mistaken.

Since I’m not good at writing in paragraph form, I’m just going to list off the pros and the cons of this episode.

Pros:

  • Everything

Cons:

  • Nothing

I can’t really say much else than that.  This episode was absolutely perfect.  There wasn’t a single fault of this first episode.

And since I’ve run out of things to talk about, let me tell you why this show is nothing like K-ON!.

K-ON! focused on moe.  Anybody who claims it was based on music must’ve watched the wrong show, because I got assaulted by much more moe than I’ll ever need or want.  Sora no Woto actually focuses on music and war/the military.

Yui and Kanata are both clumsy, yes.  But whereas Yui would do every single thing wrong, Kanata has a believable bad sense of direction.  And even then, we see Kanata get “lost” while chasing after Rio’s necklace.  It’s not that she’s a dumbass like Yui who exists just to take up space and actually gets lost all the time (how can that even happen?), but that she has an admirable set of morals and often gets “lost” doing the right thing.

Heck, since I’m so pumped up right now, I’m going to tackle the elephant in the room: the artwork.  Sora no Woto’s first episode was significantly better looking than anything K-ON! had to offer.  When the characters turned, their heads did not chop off.  Their eyes did not fall off their face.  Their hands did not turn into play-doh.  And, perhaps most importantly, their faces did not become distorted.

OH SHIT I CAN’T TELL WHICH IS WHICH ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY LOOK THE SAME LOLS!!!111oneone

Yeah…. no.  Say all you want about me picking an especially bad picture of Yui, but the closest thing to a blatantly “LOL, LOOK AT THIS MOE FACE” shot of Kanata would be that split-second “:3” face she does while eating caramel.  There’s nothing else, because THIS ISN’T KRAP-ON.

I’m looking forward to the rest of Sora no Woto.  If the moe level remains constant throughout the entire show, this might just turn out a masterpiece.


21 Comments on “Sora no Woto 01: This is a top-tier show”

  1. kadian1364 says:

    For whatever wisdom one can glean from just a 1st episode, this is going to be a very enjoyable show. The presentation, background art, and gentle pacing, so much love.

    • fangzhao says:

      Definitely. I just hope this show can keep up with this brilliant first episode. From here on out, it could turn into ordinary slice-of-life, or it could become great.

  2. jusuchin85 says:

    The thing about K-ON is that there’s too much moe and less music. Yet, there are some fanboys who just defend the series because of their false claim of music! I feel that the moe and music both played a part in K-ON’s fandom; without those two, K-ON is just mediocre.

    That being said, I just hope that Sora no Woto lives up to its name. I heard rave reviews about it, and I even placed this on my watchlist. Should be the star beneath the almost bad winter lineup.

    • fangzhao says:

      K-ON! was almost all moe, to a point where it got old and annoying. I think that the moe was the bait, and the music was the rod. K-ON! fanboys got hooked with the moe and then used the music in defense!

      I think this winter’s lineup isn’t all that bad. There’s a lot fewer shows, but Sora no Woto has surprised me and a lot of others, so I’m optimistic.

  3. Ningyo says:

    your last line is exactly my sentiments.

    Anyhow, you’ve pretty much captured why, even though I dislike K-ON!, I wasn’t too bothered by the similar character designs. The premise of the shows are different – Sora no Oto’s setting allows it a mysticism of adventure, whereas K-ON! can only offer slice of life.

    I too am afraid that it may mellow into slice of life, but I’ll remain hopeful.

    • fangzhao says:

      I’m not so much bothered by the similar character designs as bothered by the hoards of people pointing it out when it’s not even that similar!

      Slice of life isn’t necessarily bad, but with the unique context this first episode has provided, it would indeed be a letdown. I’m hoping that the music will either tie into the myths or play a more minor role.

  4. mefloraine says:

    The artwork is certainly similar, though it’s not exactly the same. I don’t think you can argue with that, though I also don’t think the show should be blamed for that. The original Kishida Mel art was beautiful, but it’s not as if that caliber of art would have been retained in anime anyway. It’s just not happening.
    Still need to watch this first episode, but I’m looking forward to it.

    • fangzhao says:

      Kishida Mel is an exceptional artist, especially when it comes to hair and eyes. But yeah, as you say, it’s impossible to animate that kind of art.

      P.S.: Everybody and their mother, father, and half-brothers (even you, darn it!) has been using Kishida’s drawing of Kanata for their header pictures. It’s getting kind of annoying. D:

  5. Canne says:

    Since this anime is a must watch(in order to keep up with the conversations, that is), it’s a relief to hear that I won’t be watching utter garbage for the next season 🙂

    • fangzhao says:

      Oh, the woes of an anime blogger! Obligatory anime can be a pain in the ass (for me, K-ON! certainly was!), so I’ve decided to drop the ones I don’t like, even if I get behind in the blogosphere. there’s no way I’m going to suffer through 5.5 hours of junk!

  6. Razleplasm says:

    I’ll wait this show out so I don’t get drawn into crap again. Not making the same mistake twice, no I’m not.

    Can’t wait till Durarara!! though.

  7. Fat Nakago says:

    I agree with you on Sora no Woto, so far. K-on! was K-on! ((Just as Shaft being Shaft is Shaft being Shaft)), but Sora no Woto is very different. To be honest, I was picking up a bit of a Allison to Lillia kind of vibe…more so I guess from background and the war motif.

    Now don’t get me wrong, I loved K-on! It’s one of my favourite shows of 2009. I’m all for shows like that, but Sora no Woto is NOT K-on! goes to war.

    • fangzhao says:

      As an anti-K-ON! guy, I don’t share your feelings on that show, but yeah, Sora no Woto gives off a clearly different feel. It has almost nothing in common with K-ON! beyond some art and the music theme.

      Never saw Allison to Lillia, though. D:

  8. […] the surface of it all. The girls are ultra-moe, which as fangzhao from Mikotoism points out, is the elephant in the room, but character designs only make a superficial impact on good storytelling, so I’ve certainly […]


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