Atarashii Prelude

Allison & Lillia

Why are you so Kino's Journey-like? Of course, being from the same author, there is bound to be certain influences. I like anime set around this era, whereby most of the settings resemble that of real world during the early 1900's, but given a steampunk twist where fantasy elements are introduced to spice things up, not to mention paving the way for ridiculous yet imaginative gadgets and machinery that would have been impossible then and perhaps even today. Examples like Full Metal Alchemist, Steamboy and games like Arcanum come into mind. Also, did I mention the lead heroine is voiced by Nana Mizuki? Of course I didn't. Otherwise that statement alone would have negated what I've said earlier due to the fact I'm such a fanboy of hers, although admittedly is one of the reasons why I was so eager to give this a go.

The show starts off on a relatively peaceful note(don't they all?) where we are introduced to one of the central characters, Will(pretty sure he's not Lillia), a senior student at a renowned academy who is your everyday studious and level headed male character. Enter Allison who drops by to visit her childhood friend (in the most spectacular fashion at that), in a bright yellow biplane. Taking into account Will's personality, you can expect Allison to be a total opposite, with her somewhat brash, loud and tomboyish nature. Yes, she also possesses some tsundere-ness, which is a common trait among female childhood friend types these days lawl.

Granted, it starts off pretty slow, as the pair catch up on old times. They later set off to the countryside in Will's motorcycle, which comes complete with a sidecar, an obvious homage to the author's previous work. Along the way, they meet up with some old guy who sounds like a war veteran, as hinted from the long winded conversation and his place. Just before I dozed off, a large and burly man clad in a black suit pays the geezer a visit and takes him away. Suspecting that something is amiss, Will and Allison gives chase. Sure enough, it turns out that the man in question is with the military, and the duo is thrown off course after being shot at. Eventually, they reach an army hangar, and this is where things start getting exciting. Allison and Will arrive just in time to see a large carrier taking off, to which the former reckons is where the old man is being held. Displaying her forte in flying machinery, Allison hijacks a biplane, and together with a reluctant Will, they take flight and go after their target. Lulz at Allison leaving an I.O.U note for "borrowing" private property.

Well, this show was everything I've expected so far, and the pacing seems alright. If there's more action with some romance between the couple, I'm pretty much sold. Apparently, there's going to be lots of explosions and biplane dogfights in store for us, and it does seem like it's going towards that direction, which makes it even more worthwhile, with the OP suggesting lots of adventuring involved. Sounds like a sleeper hit to me. The character designs seems overly simplistic by today's standards, but I guess Madhouse is trying to keep it as close as possible to the original artwork. Having said that, I've already taken a liking to the spunky and adventurous Allison, though it does help she's being voiced by my favorite seiyuu ;P Regardless, the series feels pretty decent in its own right, especially if you're into this sort of stuff, so be sure to give it a shot at least. Next stop, Castle Wolfenstein! Or not.

 Loading ...