Reflecting on The Reflection


This year for anime has truly been a great one already, and this current season is no exception. With one of my largest currently watching lists in a while, there's so much diversity and uniqueness to the shows this season.
One such show that I feel I must discuss is one that has been truly divisive, and generally touted as "not good" mainly due to its choice in art direction and animation. However, I feel like this is such a disservice to the show as has incredible voice acting, excellent pacing, and one of the best stories of any show this season, in my opinion. That show is The Reflection.
The Reflection is a truly unique endeavor as it is a brain child of Marvel's own Stan Lee, including production credit to his own POW! Entertainment, and animated by Studio Deen. The art is...unique to say the least, and is the immediate barrier most face when first watching it. With an almost cell-shaded, intentionally 2-dimensional look to it, it effectively looks like a comic book come to life. With little shading or definition of the environment's shapes and shadows, it uses a minimal look to highlight the colors, and contrast the characters to great effect. When viewing the animation, you're either going to love it or hate it, but either way, there's a reason to keep watching...
That reason is the story. Even with so many great anime out this season, ones filled with joy, love, sorrow, adventure, and fright, The Reflection still manages to stand out and provide a compelling narrative, filled with turbulent twists and turns. Essentially a story about super heroes, there's much more going on here than on the surface. Subverting expectations, providing commentary on super hero paradigms, and painting the world in a much darker, more realistic view than the usual colorful super hero aesthetic would, there's a lot here to enjoy.
It's hard to outright suggest everyone go and watch The Reflection, as it will certainly not appeal to many people. However, if you're a fan of super heroes, compelling narratives, or just itching for something different, then it's worth giving The Reflection a shot!

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