I’m not crying, you’re crying.

So this anime wasn’t on my original to-watch list at all this season. However, a few other bloggers whose opinions often gel with my own were giving this series some positive buzz, and then one of my lovely commenters (shoutout to Dawnstorm!) also asked if I’d be covering the show.

Now I’m very often strapped for time these days, so I admit, my feelings going into watching a show I hadn’t intended to and then feeling obligated to blog about it were somewhat grudging. That should be all the more indication that we more than likely have a winner on our hands here, folks. The premiere took me a few minutes to really pull me in, but once it did, there was no way I was leaving. Neither mecha nor even sci-fi as a whole is typically my jam, but first and foremost, this is a father/daughter piece that yes, did genuinely make me shed a few tears.

I really don’t want to say too much else, as I feel that the less you know about this title going in, the more impactful it’s going to be. However, rest assured the brevity of this blog post is no reflection on the quality of the series so far – if you’re only watching a couple of new anime this season, Sakugan should absolutely be one of them. The general vibe and energy of the show, the striking background art, and of course, the unexpected emotional impact is all there; even if Sakugan isn’t necessarily ground-breaking in terms of its base premise or setting, the delivery of that premise does a lot of heavy lifting (no pun intended).

TLDR, assuming this maintains the same kind of quality as the premiere demonstrates, whether or not to keep watching is a no-brainer for me.

Score: 8/10