Soul Eater NOT!

Soul Eater is back! Well, sorta. Kyle Charizanis takes a look at Soul Eater NOT!, a spin-off series following a trio of teens attending DWMA’s (allegedly) less dangerous classes...

Of Weapon, but... not. A slice-of-life take on the popular t’s Soul Eater C supernatural shonen series, Soul Eater NOT! follows the everyday hoice lives of three normal(ish) girls: a wealthy tsundere aristocrat; a sleepwalking martial artist with the memory span of a goldfish; and Ia shy but determined schoolgirl/halberd. They’re all fresh-faced new students at Death Weapon Meister Academy in Nevada, USA, and two of them seem to have a crush on the third. TH VEGAS WELCOME TO DEA For those unfamiliar with the original Soul Eater – which is excellent, by the way – our story takes place in Death City (aka Death Vegas), located somewhere in the Nevada desert. Hallowe’en-themed imagery is everywhere: there are witches, lots of pumpkins, one Dr. Stein (first name Franken, of course) and the October holiday itself is essentially their version of Christmas. The focal point of the city is Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA), a high school run by Death himself that trains both Weapons (people who can magically transform into various armaments) and their talented wielders, known as Meisters. Most students start out in the NOT classes (Normally Overcome Target), but the best of the best move on to EAT (Especially Advanced Talent). The goal of training these gifted youngsters is to prevent the growth of Kishins; chaotic, evil deities that, surprisingly, have nothing whatsoever to do with this spinoff. No, Soul Eater NOT! is much more concerned with…

CUTE GI What slice-of-life animeRLS would be complete without them? Tsugumi Harudori is your typical shy-yet-determined schoolgirl protagonist. She’s in that awkward phase of a young woman’s life when she feels uncomfortable with her changing body, mostly because it keeps changing into a magical halberd. On her first day at DWMA, Tsugumi literally runs into Meme Tatane, a ditzy, busty, sleepwalking girl who can scarcely even remember her own name (and not because of amnesia – she’s just that airheaded). Glaring at them from across the room is Anya Hepburn, a high-class tsundere girl who is immediately jealous of all the attention Tsugumi’s getting from Meme. She’s got a nice ratio of about 40 per cent pouty tsun to 60 per cent endearing dere. Both Anya and Meme (Meisters) want to partner up with Tsugumi by the end of the episode one, which sets the stage for an adorable love triangle. It never feels like the build-up to a serious romance, but the constant suggestion of teenage sexual tension adds a playful element to the group’s adventures. It also opens the door for equally playful fanservice. Along with several other prominent characters, these three are all 24 fairly straightforward moe archetypes, but some combination of the character designs, voice acting and subtle personality adjustments really makes it work. Atsushi Okubo’s trademark goofy characters were one of Soul Eater’s strongest points, and NOT! his touch. proves that he hasn’t lost Soul Eater NOT! SOUL RES While it’s decent as a fluffyONAN standaloneCE anime, Soul Eater NOT! actually works best as a complement to Soul Eater characters, in-jokes and other subtle references. There that are onlytons fansof recurring of the original will catch. Cameos come with minimal introduction, and a few important concepts are given scant explanation (such as the ‘Soul Protect’ ability used by witches to camouflage their ‘Soul Wavelength’). These throwbacks are a big part of the show’s appeal, and they would be lost on anyone unfamiliar with the original. Like any good spinoff, NOT! It fills in some of Soul Eater’s gaps also with expands details the (for world example, of its a progenitor. hint about why some people can transform into weapons and the circumstances of a certain character’s untimely death). The daily lives of regular NOT students also provide a frame of reference for the exploits of the EAT class. While Maka hunted down corrupted souls and Black Star tried to assassinate gangsters, Tsugumi, Anya and Meme are more concerned with carving pumpkins and working part-time at Deathbucks cafe. The comparison proves that Soul Eater’s cast is actually incredibly gifted, even within this bizarre magical world. EGINS THE NIGHTMARE B Soul Eater is also unique for its combination of dark, macabre elements with an otherwise light-hearted setting. Without spoiling too much, it slowly becomes clear that there is a sinister undercurrent to the girls’ happy, peaceful lives. Surprise twists can turn seemingly insignificant details into serious warning signs. In short: yes, there is a plot. But the anime’s gravest moments also highlight Soul, every Eater combatNOT!’s biggest flaw: its inability to build tension. In Soul Eater scene had viewer eyes glued to the screen, and there was the constant threat of something horrific on the horizon. But here, most of the fighting is deflated by an almost Disney-like sense that there was never any true danger. Not to mention the increasing intrusions of fanservice – a climactic showdown is not the right time for a panty shot. To make matters worse, Studio Bones clearly skimped on the animation. The artwork itself is well done, but any attempt to make the pretty pictures move fluidly winds up looking stunted and awkward. It’s often not a problem, since most of the anime’s slower, character- driven scenes aren’t impacted by the somewhat low frame-rate, but Soul Eater NOT! falls flat on its face whenever something exciting is supposed to happen.

A BONE TO PICK It was a somewhat odd decision to animate Soul Eater NOT! at all, since the Soul Eater manga had already finished by August, 2013. The original anime adaptation suffered from the common problem of outspeeding the manga, forcing its staff to create original content for the latter half of the season. This situation mirrored the original Fullmetal Alchemist’s run – another great Studio Bones production which also took a notableTV downturn once the manga’s storyline ran out. At least in that case, fans were later blessed with the fantastic Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Soul Eater was ripe for a TV remake. So why did Studio Bones choose. its decent but less anticipated offshoot instead? One theory holds that this anime is being used to judge the strength of the series’ fanbase. If Soul Eater NOT! does well enough in animated form, perhaps its 25 creators will be more willing to commit to a full Soul Eater reboot. NOT! is charming and fun to watch, but it still can’t hold a candle to its predecessor. Here’s hoping one of Bones’ most beloved anime eventually gets the FMA: Brotherhood treatment it sorely deserves..