Visually Stunning, But Lacking in Substance
Makeine delivers shockingly high-quality animation for a series that hasn’t quite broken into mainstream popularity. Some shots are so incredibly beautiful, it’s hard to believe this much talent was dedicated to a show with such a simple premise.
Early on, the series is packed with humor and creativity. Each episode felt fresh, with clever editing and use of music that made the viewing experience genuinely fun and engaging. But as we grow accustomed to the characters, the novelty begins to wear off, and so does the comedy.
It almost feels like the creators started running out of ideas. Once the character introductions and basic development were done, the absence of a compelling overarching plot became impossible to ignore. The episodes became less engaging, and while the animation remained impressive, the team seemed less experimental and more reserved with their visuals as the series progressed, almost like they were losing interest in the show.
It’s still a good show, but it could have been amazing with a better story. There’s still so much potential for deeper character development, a melancholic character development arc could add so much value to the show. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the show is headed in that direction.
Often times, the show begins to introduce more characters with interesting personalities at this point, perhaps to keep engagement high, but it would be so much cooler to send the main character through an emotional arc now. His character is perfect for such an arc.
Complaint
I couldn’t tell which name belonged to which person, sometimes first name would be used and sometimes second name would be used. It is nice that the show doesn’t over-explain and lets the viewer figure things out as the story is progressing, but it was confusing.