Rule of Three: Granblue Fantasy: The Animation - Moving Pictures

The Rule of Three is when you watch three episodes of a TV show and make a judgement based on that, whether you'll continue watching. If a show isn't going to sufficiently entertain after about an hour (not counting ad breaks), then it's probably not going to.

Having played Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and Granblue Fantasy: Relink, I decided recently that I wanted to learn more about this fascinating world of airships and sky islands. Well, I did not have the time, money, or patience to play through the original Granblue Fantasy gacha game, which was when I discovered that part of its story had been adapted in Granblue Fantasy: The Animation.

Whilst the games are perfectly playable with no prior knowledge of the characters, I did find myself not knowing what certain talking points were referring to. That had to change! Coupling this with wanting to know the backstory of characters such as Gran, Io, and the rest of the Grandcypher crew; with nothing in my "to watch" list, I decided it was about time I gave Granblue Fantasy: The Animation a watch.

The first episode, Girl in Blue, opens with the titular girl (Lyria) fleeing from armed knights of the Erste Empire aboard an airship with the aid of Katalina. It was nice to recognise characters straight away since I'd played the games first! Anyway, the two are separated after an explosion flings Lyria from the airship. Here we meet our main hero, Gran, and his irritating lizard-thing companion, Vyrn. The two find Lyria unconscious after her fall. They have a cute little conversation before being set upon by more knights. Some fighting, a well-timed Katalina save, and some brief introductions to one another, and the four characters band together in order to flee.

So far, it feels like a trope-heavy opening to an RPG. You know the one: average country boy meets strange girl with a strange power and amnesia, and they set off on an adventure around the world. I wasn't immediately hooked, but, as someone who loves RPGs, I was intrigued to see how it would play out and expand upon this relatively cliché opening.

Which, as it happens, it kind of does! Gran does battle against some kind of multi-headed dragon summoned by who I'm guessing is one of the series' main antagonists: Pommern. This guy seems comically villainous, but less of a "Team Rocket" type of comical and more of a "he's pretty irritating" way. Anyway, Gran loses his fight… and dies. The end. Okay, okay, not the end. Lyria uses her power to resurrect our fallen hero, binding their life forces together in the process.

Episode 2 starts right where the first one ended. Together, Gran and Lyria summon Bahamut, a Primal Beast, who makes quick work of the Empire's monster, causing the knights and Pommern to beat a hasty retreat. After an action-heavy start, the remainder of this episode focuses on world-building, which answers a fair few questions. We see a younger Gran reading a letter from his dad, who left years ago to venture to the Island of the Astrals. Parent of the year right there!

We also get to learn a little about Lyria's ability to control Primal Beasts and why Katalina decided to betray the Empire in order to free the enslaved young girl. Again, I enjoyed learning more about the Granblue universe and was quite happy to have a slower-paced episode.

By the third episode, our three protagonists (and Vyrn, unfortunately) have taken to the skies in a tiny airship. After a disastrous landing by Katalina, the group meet Rackam, a former skyfarer (someone who sails the skies in search of adventure) who quickly becomes fast friends with them. Another relatively slow-burn episode, especially since each of the two seasons is only 12 episodes long (excluding the specials), but a nice introduction to Rackam nonetheless.

Three episodes in, and the clichés and tropes, as mentioned, are prevalent. The animation is rather hit-or-miss, with some stilted action sequences being the biggest issue for me. And yet, I found myself genuinely enjoying the show!

Is this a show I'll continue watching? Yes, I'm pretty into it so far, and it's an easy anime to watch. Getting to know more about characters I've played as across three games and their backstories has kept me engaged and eager to keep watching. Is it the most must-see, gripping 3 episodes of television I've ever seen?

No, but that doesn't mean they were bad! If you've played any of the games and, like me, cannot begin to comprehend starting a gacha game years after its initial release, then Granblue Fantasy: The Animation is a good way to get to know these characters and the fascinating world better.

If you want to give Granblue Fantasy: The Animation a try, it's available to stream now on Crunchyroll.