Musical Thriller. Yes, you read it right; Vivy isn’t a normal AI vs Humans story but it combines music, its charm, and post-apocalyptic future in one single theme. Because of this, the show actuates something completely different for the viewers. One of the most interesting things about this musical thriller is how beautifully it integrates suspenseful yet jolly drama, soulful music, and an undefined purpose. But let’s be honest, the heart of Vivy lies in how elegantly it can depict an overarching theme through the medium of music.
Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song is simply a spectacular journey of finding purpose in one’s life. It’s unnerving, honest, and a bit erratic. You know one of those megahits, chartbusters, and stuff? Yeah, Vivy feels like that. The over-the-top portrayal of our potential dystopian future where humanity is crushed by its creation. I mean, there have been so many anime series as well as movies out there that focus on the same thing. So why does Vivy work? Is it any different? Let’s find out what makes Vivy shine.
‘The burden of these hundred years is far too heavy’
The Plot:
AIs have gone haywire and they are on their way to eradicate humanity. The streets are burning with the grotesqueness of AIs and the blood of humans. In order to prevent this disaster from ever happening, a scientist bets everything on the world’s first autonomous AI – Vivy. A songstress by profession i.e. the singular purpose she was bestowed with; she is just another idol girl hoping to make it in the big leagues. But what awaits her is something she would have never imagined – the end of humanity aka her audience.
From thereon, the story follows the tale of an AI who was able to sing a song of freedom for the future. It’s something that we all need right now – hope in bits and pieces that will make us feel complete.
And while we are at it, I am also going to talk about the fabulous score and soothing songs. There is a very eerie and grand feeling about Vivy’s entire OST. It emanates such a harmonious melody that’s bound to move your heart. Along with that, I genuinely loved the opening, in-between, and ending songs; all of them are equally beautiful. Bless Satoru Kousaki for composing such melancholic music.
The Vivid Animation:
For god’s sake, we are talking about Wit Studios here. They are one of the best in the industry and Vivy just showed us why yet again. From cool character designs of most of the AIs to the phenomenally crafted action sequences, the series packs a punch. Again, just to let you all know, the animation is fantastic. However, there is heavy use of blue and white colors and over time, it just gets monotonous.
Although this seemingly monotonous color palette of blues and whites are compensated by the fluidity of the show. Vivy is a smooth buttery ride with a lot of dialogues and pretty awesome fighting sequences. This is pretty obvious but the hand-to-hand combat of the AIs might seem a bit robotic and jarring but that’s where the charm lies. It complements the idea of AIs fighting against each other so yeah the mechanical clicks and clacks are necessary. In my opinion, it was an excellent decision; makes everything more exciting and gullible.
Hereafter, the review contains major spoilers for the series so read at your own risk.
To Pour My Heart Into Singing:
As Vivy races towards an uncertain future, there’s this dilemma that gives birth to a question regarding her purpose. She was the very first autonomous AI created by humans with the sole motive of singing and that was it. Although, in her journey to save humanity, she was constantly seeking an answer to a question from AIs and humans alike. The question was:
“What does it mean to put your heart into it?”
Just think about it, is it supposed to be a question that someone like Vivy can ask? Yes, in fact, it can only be asked by her due to her being autonomous and the journey she goes through. It changes her entire perspective towards everything she was striving for. All she wanted was to enchant the audience with her songs but was unable to. As a matter of fact, she did everything to make them like her singing but she was unable to pour her heart into what she did. The reason being her superficial understanding of the definition of heart.
Understanding The Definition of Heart:
For Vivy, a heart was something that beats in your chest. But she didn’t have any so how could she pour her heart into singing then? If one would’ve asked the same question to the humans, most probably every single one of them would’ve given different answers. Because our experiences and memories shape up the answer to this very ambitious and vague question. So basically, we give the question its own meaning and answer accordingly. Thus, her asking the answer to everyone else wouldn’t have given her a definite way out of it. She has to find it on her own, all by herself, through the people and AIs she met. And let’s not forget the MVP here – Matsumoto. I mean, he was the only one who said: ‘If you can’t define anything because you can’t have anything to compare it to, then just make your own definition’
That says a lot and answers pretty much everything that Vivy was in search of. It doesn’t matter if she has a heart or not, because she does have beautiful memories. They are carved in her and she will carry them forever and it is for them, she will sing. Because her heart lies in the memories she was able to cherish; the bittersweet and horrific ones alike.
The Negatives of Vivy:
Is a review complete without telling the bad aspects of a show? Certainly not. While the show is amazing through and through, it has its flaws. Some of them might not please you but hey it is what it is.I don’t like the character design of Vivy; it’s very off-putting for me. From just the look of it, she seems like a very bland character. I mean, her character design was the reason I didn’t watch Vivy last season. It just looks boring, that’s it.
Vivy’s development is something I was looking forward to but the time skips made it a bit erratic. I’m not denying that she doesn’t develop but it would’ve been great if I was able to see what she did in between the time skips. I’m not joking when I say this but a montage would’ve done the job for me. But again, it was just 13 episodes so it’s understandable.
One thing I die for whether it be live-action or animanga is narrative exposition. And in this original series, there isn’t much of it. Technically, it is there; Matsumoto saying everything at 2x speed and being the epicenter for the exposition. I like dialogue-heavy stuff but when you’ve to show backstories and make your audience understand about the world, you don’t do it like Vivy. On a side note, Mushoku Tensei did a great job handling the notion of narrative exposition. While it has its unforgivable and irredeemable flaws, the show was able to portray its world and characters splendidly.
Okay, I guess I am in trouble for saying this but I honestly didn’t like the hyper-detailed art as much as others did. Don’t get me wrong, they look beautiful; they reflect chaos, confusion, and contemplation very well. But as time passes by, they kind of become hazy. Again, no disrespect to the artists whatsoever.
Wrapping Up:
I love the new Wit Studio, they were too stuck up with the AoT franchise. Once they let go of it, they are outshining everyone. I had a great time watching Vivy, an absolute blast it was seeing the female lead go through so many situations. It was a bittersweet and melancholic ride, sprinkled with beauty and pain everywhere. Without any doubt, it’s one of the better originals and a great show in general. And that reminds me, I never said that Vivy is also one of the most well-balanced shows out there; thus making it a good fit for a blockbuster anime.
In all, watch it if you’re looking for some action-packed rollercoaster of emotions and some profound thinking.
That’s it, the review is done, now go and watch it.
Rating: 8/10
PS: Ensemble for Polaris is one of the most beautiful songs my ears ever laid their eardrums on.