Take a dystopian nightmare and combine it with a cutesy schoolgirl slice of life, and you'll get Girls' Last Tour.
Chito and Yuuri find themselves sent out of their village by their grandpa, into a post-war, heavily industrialized world, in which they seem to be the only inhabitants.
And so begins a lazy exploration of a world free of people, but also worryingly free of food, water, petrol for their tank motorbike and any sense of purpose.
Which is all weirdly relaxing. The unrelentingly cheerful sniper Yuuri and the pleasingly sarcastic spotter Chito indulge in petty squabbles over chocolate, which of them is best at snowball fights and who gets the next go at the camera.
But in the background there's always the immensely sinister question of what's going on, and what will happen if they stop finding food. They live hand to mouth, travelling constantly in the hopes of finding enough supplies to keep them alive just long enough to find the next cache, but this is never given any major screen time. It's all implied horror, not helped by the fact that Yuu and Chi are children drawn in a chibi style. You can't help but relax while watching it.
Though there are occasional moments of high drama, they are almost immediately subverted, returning the mood to a comedic one, and never getting too bleak.
And the music is absolutely lovely. There are some wonderful choral pieces woven throughout, that give this thoughtful tone to the show. Though the opening and ending themes are remarkably different to the overall soundtrack.
It's a well put together piece that allows a slow watch through a dying world, that manages to stay happy even in the utter bleakness of their environment. It is very different to other things out this year.
Highly recommended.
Tagged: Anime Comedy War story Exploration Slice of life Amazon Subbed