Ikuhara, of course, is most famous for directing Revolutionary
Girl Utena, the shoujo masterpiece that never seemed to get the
attention its peers at the time enjoyed. His other major directing
credits include the aforementioned Penguindrum and some of
Sailor Moon's middle seasons. Though few, his works leave an
impression because of Ikuhara's penchant for surreal imagery. The
surrealism is cranked up to eleven for his latest work, but a half
dozen episodes in I'm watching more out of obligation than lasting
enjoyment because he's neglected other crucial storytelling elements.
First, the setting. Although all the crucial elements are outlined
up front, such as why bears are intelligent and the necessity of the
Wall of Severance, there are still too many questions. What is
the Wall, exactly? Why is everyone a girl? What is the Severance
Court, the significance of one's Yuri being approved, and the meaning
of the subtext-heavy “eating” that follows? Questions like these
are par for the course when viewing any of this man's works,
but I think this is the first time he doesn't give us a lifeline to
grab. Penguindrum, for instance, doesn't throw the crazy
imagery at us until episode 1's very end, instead taking pains to set
up a world (seemingly) exactly like ours and the struggles of three
siblings in it. We have solid ground beneath our feet to stand on,
and have only to figure out what the deal is with this Penguindrum
and possessed hat. Likewise, Utena gave us a simple yet
likable heroine in a typical, if gaudy, school. Although an
incredibly surreal show as a whole, we don't learn of the weird shit
going on in the shadows until we're already invested in the
characters' issues. Yuri Kuma Arashi just leaves us wondering
how anything at all works.
Which brings us to the next major failing, the characters. I'll
just say it: Claire is not interesting in the slightest. Though
maybe she isn't the intended protagonist if the opening credits are
to believed, Claire is certainly the focus thus far, and damn
does she drag things down. Her only apparent motivation is to find
true love, which even she knows is probably unattainable, but she
never really tries to attain it. Claire is the definition of a
reactive character, the opposite of the proactive go-getter Utena,
and as such difficult to root for. She mopes and moans about being
friendless and loveless yet always returns to her ridiculously nice
and comfortable house. Her herd-like classmates meanwhile, despite
their cruelty towards Claire, are unsuccessfully doing everything
they can to avoid getting picked off like flies. Who exactly has the
more pressing need here?
Third, and this is more minor a quibble, there are way too many
flashbacks. Penguindrum had its fair share of these too, but
I like to think they were fewer, focused on more important events,
and didn't interrupt the narrative's flow. Here, when a character
looks pensive or nostalgic, Ikuhara doesn't let the scene play out
and leave their thoughts to our imaginations. We will see a
flashback, even if it's one we've already seen multiple times, or of
events that happened only an episode ago. Given how hard it is to
figure out this world's rules, the irregular flow of time is not
helping things.
With all that said, I'm still watching to the end. I'm prepared to
endure any amount of moping until the final episode, when the
director finally reveals his inevitably dark thoughts on love. This
still feels different from anything else airing right now, and such
anomalies should always be treasured. I'm not saying there's no
chance to turn things around before the climax, and certainly not
that anyone should stop watching. But if you're considering picking
up this show to witness for the first time one of anime's most unique
directors ever, you might want to look at his previous works first.
Ikuhara's strengths are definitely more prominent elsewhere.
Any thoughts on this show or Ikuhara's stuff in general? I'd love
to hear them, so go ahead and post them!
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