Rolling Girls Cam Review
Ten years after the Great Tokyo War Japan’s prefectures have broken off to form independent nations ruled by superpowered combatants known as Bests. Nozomi is inspired by Masami’s role of Maccha Green in the green-suited suit. She takes up this mantle with three other people to settle regional disputes.
At times Rolling Girls looks and feels like a kabuki show; pretty visuals & varying music accompany a story that tells of a journey with lessons learned along the way.
Characters
The Rolling Girls is an outrageous, slapstick comedic film with flashy animation and lavish backgrounds. Its characters may not all mesh together perfectly but they are all endearing in their own way. Its easy to look at this show and dismiss it as a mess that is all style and no substance but it has so much heart. It’s a great performance and just what I needed to recover from Concrete Revolutio.
Rolling Girls takes place ten years after something that shook Japan to its core, leaving three prefectures (like states for us in the US) constantly competing against each other in a post-apocalyptic world. Some people, called Bests, have super powers and use them to fight while the Rest help by providing support in groups called vigilante squads. Nozomi Morimoto, the main character, is a simple Rest who wants to do her part by helping others.
Nozomi has a great personality and is a fun girl to watch. She has a charm that makes her easy to connect with. Her persistence also helps her to accomplish tasks that seem impossible at first. She is a good example of how anyone can make a difference.
Yukina is a great character who shows how you can succeed if you have the courage and persistence to keep trying. She makes many mistakes because of her insecurity, but she never gives up. She reminds us that we all have strengths and weaknesses, but it’s important to learn from our mistakes and remember the strengths.
Storyline
The animation is top notch, the characters are charming and cute, and the music elevates everything to an almost transcendent level. But despite the fantastic production values, the story was always a bit off for me. The smaller happenings were never developed and the larger ones lacked a sense of purpose, making it seem like the girls are just tourists who enjoy the sights but don’t get anything out of them.
When a young girl named Nozomi Moritomo sees her hero Best Maccha Green get injured during a fight, she takes it upon herself to complete the errands her hero left behind. She soon teams up with three other girls – Yukina Kosaka, Ai Hibiki and Chiaya Misono – who will help her traverse the land, settle disputes and have the adventure of a lifetime.
One of the most important things that Rolling Girls Cam does is highlight how ordinary people can achieve great things if they work together. The show is not without faults but its message is clear and strong. In a world of superpowers, the girls prove that a group of normal people can have an impact if they are willing to make sacrifices for one another. It’s a sentiment that is sadly often overlooked in today’s society.
Music
The visuals, art & animation on display in Rolling Girls Cam were a wonder to behold. This is one of the show’s strongest aspects but it doesn’t come close to making up for the fact that the story was a bit of a mess.
The girls’ travels are interspersed with musical performances of a variety of styles and genres. Cam’s music has a country/pop vibe, but her debut album Untamed also features some really interesting collaborations. These include artists like Sam Smith and Harry Styles.
As a band, the Rolling Girls have some pretty impressive talents as well. The Rolling Girls’ performances of “Burning House”, the theme song from the show, are particularly impressive. They convey the underlying message of the girls that ordinary people can achieve greatness when they work together, even if they may seem weak.
The girls are accompanied by their caretaker Kuranosuke Momiyama, who initially seems to be shifty and untrustworthy but eventually proves himself to be an incredibly kind man at heart. The Rolling Girls are voiced by well-known actresses, including Rina Hidaka from Kantai Collection’s Kisaragi, Risa Taneda from Ano Natsu De Matteru’s Silica and Yumiri Hanamori from Yuru Camp’s Nadeshiko Kabamihara. Their chemistry together is wonderful.
Performances
When Rolling Girls Cam first came to life in a burst of light and colour, it promised a lot. Its bright, zany visuals paired with an interesting premise made it seem like a promising new addition to the world of anime. But that promise never quite materialised, despite the best intentions of its creators.
The story is a mess. It jumps from city to city without ever really establishing a connection with the characters. The characters of Nozomi, Yukina, Ai Taneda, and Chiaya are often underwritten by anonymous viewers, despite their strong voice cast. Especially in the case of Lola, her fans are often unnecessarily cruel in their insults and twisted gifs.
The story isn’t without merits. The girls’ journey to various regions reveals them as a group of women who can make a difference in people’s lives, even if they lack the combat prowess and durability of a Best. The fact that they manage to resolve the issues of Always Comima, Aichi, Mie, Kyoto and Hiroshima via more diplomatic and peaceful means is a testament to their perseverance.
As they travel, the bond between them also grows. While there are very few outright conflicts, the different goals and reasons that these girls have for accepting the requests of the traveling mob add a lot of tension to the story. Small moments – restrained head pats, subtle nods of approval so slight that only a careful examination can reveal them – also give the show some genuine tenderness amid the clamor.