Have you ever been to a neighborhood that’s just being built? Have you ever been inside the model homes when they weren’t finished (and were prepared to run away real fast if someone yelled out, “Hey you kids!”)? I have, and seeing what looked good on the outside and what didn’t pan out inside is probably the best way to describe Atelier Escha and Logy — Alchemists of the Dusk Sky.
The early episodes are beautifully animated, and the theme music is top-notch. So far, so good. The setting also draws you in, being a slowed-time, wistful, slice-of-life steampunk tale of an alchemy bureau in a small town. However, you soon realize that the pacing isn’t meandering, it’s immobile. When characters are developed, the whole episode just becomes back story for that character, and their relationships to others aren’t explored at all. Then the obligatory fan service episode shows up. After that, everything finishes in a rush to explore the one thing that’s been obvious since the first or second episode. It all feels like a less polished, less emotional To Heart. Even the ending collapses into a maudlin pit of mush; the bittersweet tinge doesn’t save it.
Save your time and your eyeballs. There’s no real reason to watch this as it never turns the corner and it delivers so much less than it promises. With that said, there’s nothing objectionable except for the fan service episode and that’s the usual hot tub obscured nudity for no real purpose.
Welcome to the graveyard, Escha and Logy.
Oduza, Okasa 