Glass Maiden aka Crystal Blaze...
I watched Glass Maiden aka Crystal Blaze yesterday...
My first impression of the look of the opening of Glass Maiden is that it reminds me of classic American live-action detective shows of the 70s and 80s -- complete with a suitably dated sounding opening song. The detective agency in Glass Maiden seems reminiscent of several other series, while, at the same time, different. Glass Maiden has an aura that feels similar to Phantom Quest Corp and Ghost Sweeper Mikami, but, without the supernatural elements and also lacking much of the humor. Glass Maiden also reminds me of City Hunter, but, Shu, the protagonist in Glass Maiden, takes himself far more seriously than his counterpart in City Hunter.
I've never seen Glass Maiden before, but, it seems to borrow elements from a wide variety of series that I have seen. That being said, there are some unique elements that elevate Glass Maiden out of the ordinary. Porilyn, the cross-dressing man who provides Shu's agency with some of its more unusual cases, is certainly someone I haven't met before. Doc and Monica, on the other hand, are very reminiscent of toned-down versions of Doctor Sawaru Okeguri and his nurse, Ruko Tatase from Ogenki Clinic.
There is some violence in Glass Maiden, but, very little blood and gore. There are some adult themes that may not be suitable for the youngest anime fans, but, not really any naughty bits. Although, Glass Maiden isn't very old, the animation quality does seem to lack the highly polished look that I've come to expect in other recent productions. Overall, Glass Maiden suffers from a number of short-comings and could have been a bit better. Even with my less-than-enthusiastic first impression, I would still give Glass Maiden a 2 out of 5.
I'm not entirely sure why the name was changed from Crystal Blaze to Glass Maiden. The only reference to Crystal Blaze listed in Amazon is an episode title in an obscure TV series. Apparently, there is a metal band in Finland with the name Crystal Blaze, but, I haven't found any definitive source beyond a brief comment on Facebook about the name change.Shu's a detective; the brooding, enigmatic type with an eye for the ladies. Together with his kid brother Akira and "the girls" Manami and Ayaka he runs an investigative agency that takes on the odd case here and there. Okay, odder than usual, given that their main broker is a cross-dresser and their closest associate's a doctor with a "thing" about cosplay. Then the oddest case of all comes through: a "package" intended for "delivery" that turns out to be a lot more trouble than expected.
Shu's always considered himself a quick study (he can see through most lies in a second), but when he goes head on with a girl who doesn't even know who she is, he'll be seeing through more than he ever imagined seeing through. Unfortunately, there are other people who want Sara back and they know a lot more about who - and what - she actually is than she does!
My first impression of the look of the opening of Glass Maiden is that it reminds me of classic American live-action detective shows of the 70s and 80s -- complete with a suitably dated sounding opening song. The detective agency in Glass Maiden seems reminiscent of several other series, while, at the same time, different. Glass Maiden has an aura that feels similar to Phantom Quest Corp and Ghost Sweeper Mikami, but, without the supernatural elements and also lacking much of the humor. Glass Maiden also reminds me of City Hunter, but, Shu, the protagonist in Glass Maiden, takes himself far more seriously than his counterpart in City Hunter.
I've never seen Glass Maiden before, but, it seems to borrow elements from a wide variety of series that I have seen. That being said, there are some unique elements that elevate Glass Maiden out of the ordinary. Porilyn, the cross-dressing man who provides Shu's agency with some of its more unusual cases, is certainly someone I haven't met before. Doc and Monica, on the other hand, are very reminiscent of toned-down versions of Doctor Sawaru Okeguri and his nurse, Ruko Tatase from Ogenki Clinic.
There is some violence in Glass Maiden, but, very little blood and gore. There are some adult themes that may not be suitable for the youngest anime fans, but, not really any naughty bits. Although, Glass Maiden isn't very old, the animation quality does seem to lack the highly polished look that I've come to expect in other recent productions. Overall, Glass Maiden suffers from a number of short-comings and could have been a bit better. Even with my less-than-enthusiastic first impression, I would still give Glass Maiden a 2 out of 5.
