Estab-Life: Great Escape

Estab-Life: Great Escape is a tricky anime series that few viewers will give a chance. However, if you decide to really give it a try and apply the three-episode rule to it, then chances are you will get hooked and enjoy it a lot. This is not just my opinion, but a statement backed up by statistics from MAL, where this anime series has a weak rating of 5.86/10 at the moment, although if you look at the user reviews, there are four, and they all give the series an 8/10. The first and absolutely obvious reason why this anime series has such a low overall rating on some databases, and so few people have tried it (and not lasted more than one episode) is the animation. There is heavy use of CGI (especially the characters) and many, including myself, do not like that. Of course, there is a difference between bad CGI, passable CGI, and good CGI, and the more anime series you have seen where this type of animation is used, the quicker you can tell which is which. Estab-Life: Great Escape was made by Polygon Pictures, a studio with quite a bit of experience in this field. While they are far from the best studio working with CGI and 3D animation (which by general consensus is probably Orange animation studio), in my opinion, they have gotten to the point where what they produce is tolerable even for the average consumer who is not a fan of CGI. And that is exactly why I would describe the animation here as tolerable. Unfortunately, many cannot see it that way, so they quit this anime series after one episode with a low rating. Plus, it is quite a shame that the anime's creators only really take advantage of this animation style once in the first episode, when they use the "bullet time" effect which looks pretty cool. Anyway, the biggest draws of the anime series, the things that make it well-executed and, in my opinion, a great experience, are the interesting setting, the well-thought-out screenplay concept of each episode, and the rather likable trio of the main female characters. On the other hand, I have one criticism about the main characters right away because this anime series failed to use two of the five main characters. So even now, I feel that the wolf and the robot were criminally underused, and at the same time, it is a real shame because they are the most visually interesting characters who could have offered so much more. In contrast, the main trio was given just enough screen time. Each had at least one episode dedicated to them, developing their characters, and there were even episodes focused purely on their relationships. In addition, the episodes that were dedicated to the characters worked well. This was because, for example, they managed to make me like even Martes, who at first I thought was just another pink-haired annoying character with an obsession with her "senpai." She reminded me of Momo from The Executioner and Her Way of Life, who managed to ruin my impression of that whole anime series completely. That brings me to the most important thing I enjoyed about this anime series in a roundabout way I guess, how well the episodes are written. For some viewers, it may all seem confusing, crazy, and chaotic (and they may also leave after just a few episodes, leaving a low rating). However, over time, you will find that each episode has an important idea giving the viewer a lot to think about, just as the whole anime series has its own main and important theme that ties all episodes together. The anime's creators even help you by practically throwing the most important thing you should be thinking about into the very title of each episode. The screenplay really benefits from a great setting that gives it plenty of opportunities to work with the various narratives. There is a myriad of clusters with their own rules and laws. You cannot move between them, so each inhabitant has a predetermined role that implies many restrictions. That is why it makes sense that some of the inhabitants get tired of this, so they decide to run away, and that is where our protagonists come in. Almost all the episodes are basically about that, and I accept that it may seem repetitive to some, although it is just the foundation on which much more is packed. The anime’s creators have a lot of fun playing around with various important themes that permeate this show. While it may seem like they took three seemingly unrelated concepts and somehow connected them (like freedom, underwear, and goddess in episode five) into a basic structure, the way it all connects and gets to the point of the episodes is simply brilliant. The first time I understood everything the anime's creators wanted to convey was in the third episode, which I found so bizarre that I really thought about it. And sometimes you have to engage your brain and imagination because, for example, an aquarium can have meaning to the plot as a setting and as a symbol or a metaphor if you like. In addition, when you understand its meaning and how it relates to another important theme of the episode, you suddenly understand why the title of most episodes is "You can't escape...". The funny thing is that you first think it is nonsense because the characters can escape, although then you think about everything and realize that all is not really as it seems. Plus, if you understand the modus operandi of the screenwriting in just one episode, you can suddenly apply it to the other episodes, and then each one starts to surprise you, entertains you, and makes you think. On the other hand, one criticism is that the pattern is almost the same in all the episodes, as there is a common basis to each story. However, the execution and the endings make it really worth it. Plus, thanks to the aforementioned time the anime's creators spend building the personal stories of the three main characters into all of this, humanizing each of them a little bit, you are going to start to like this group, and so the more emotional parts towards the end start to work, and you really enjoy the whole thing. Estab-life: Great Escape is a very good, cleverly written, funny, and cute anime series with a few shortcomings, even though they could not stop me from awarding it 8/10. (2022.06.02) (kevesebbet) (több)