Fairy Gone Episode 1 Review: Ash-Covered Girl

Spring has sprung upon is so quickly and it brought with it new anime titles. Fresh and original out of the oven with a intriguing premise and trailer comes P.A Works newest work, Fairy Gone. Every time a new P.A Works series comes out, I’m all over it. This studio brings meaning to the word ‘intrigue’ with its original series. Action-packed vampire thriller Sirius The Jaeger last year is a great example. Now we have beings known as ‘fairies’.

Fairy Gone‘s premiere episode was full of kick-ass action. There seems to be so much to learn about these Fairy Soldiers and this first episode was an interesting start.

Let’s take a closer look into this world of wonder!!

Japanese Original Title: 灰かぶりの少女

Plot

During the war of Unification, weapons known as Fairy Soldiers were used. The entities ‘Fairies’ reside within animals, giving them unique powers. By transplanting a fairy organ from a possessed animal, humans can call it at will and use it as a weapon. After nine years, the war is over and Fairy Soldiers lose purpose in their existence, turning to illegal activities. Main girl Marlya joined the Mafia in order to find her childhood friend from her home village, Suna. During a security job at an auction, Marlya is reunited with her friend Veronica. But it’s not a homely reunion and Marlya is recruited for illegal agency group ‘Dorothea’.

Episode Highlights

Opening Theme: I’ve been waiting to talk about this cracking opening theme for this series. ‘KNOCK on the CORE’ by (K)NoW_NAME. Damn… the main girls vocals and the guy’s rapping, it’s perfect harmony. Along with the rocking guitar and drum backings, this is a season OP favorite for sure. I’ve been so addicted since the first time I heard this song and seeing it alongside the opening clips I must that it worked brilliantly. I LOVE particularly the opening clip where Marlya, our main girl, is standing there, three drum beats that zoom in closer each time. Then she opens her eyes, and the song takes off from there, SOO GOOD!!

These Fairies Are Cool: For the first episode there was plenty of action to be had. The concept of these fairy soldiers is fascinating. Getting to see them in action during the battle scenes was awesome. These beings are just SO COOL when they fight. Having humans summoning them at will, like they are a familiar in a way, is brilliant. I love that each fairy is unique and have their own special powers. I loved every second of these fairy battles.

Free: I’ve already got a soft spot for swashbuckling Free. More than the introductions of Ver and Marlya, he had the strongest presence and I loved watching him fight with his wolf. Totally catching me off guard was the moment of unveiling his fairy and have it charge towards Ver’s fairy. It was a very surprising moment. I can’t wait to learn more about his role as first commander of Dorothea and his time in the war.

Animation: The mixture of the characters’ 2D and the fairies’ CGI looked great. Especially the CGI animation for the fairies didn’t feel out of place. A mixture of animations like this is no easy task. But P.A Works are masters of animation and it wasn’t disappointing in the slightest.

Wolfran Who?: Pretty random scene of Free shouting out to a fellow fairy soldier Wolfran. After a messenger announces the end of the war, the blonde soldier starts walking away. So we will be seeing him later on I assume?

Themes And Trivia

Veronica: Veronica is the only character left in mystery during this episode. All we know at this point is that her home village Suna was burned down by the older man known as Lay we see at the beginning. Then during the scene of running away with Marlya, Veronica vows for revenge. I don’t know why she left Marlya then? Not wanting to drag her into things?

Auction: The auction during the episode was run by the Mafia and traded illegal fairy items.

No Transplant: It’s interesting that Marlya got her own fairy without a transplant as usually anyone else would need one in order to become a fairy soldier. So what’s up with that?

Fairy Jar: Those floating translucent dragonflies Free referred to as Fairies. I am so curious to know the process from this form to a fairy soldier.

Comments

Fairy Gone’s first episode was a good start for the series but left me with a million questions. All these original series do when you don’t have much to go on, but that makes it all the more fun. I was initially fascinated by this series and after this episode, that curiosity has grown even more. Who discovered the power of these fairies so people could use them as weapons? Why Ver, Marlya’s friend, abandoned her? UGHH, so much to know.

The action was my favorite part; watching the fairies fight was so damn mesmerizing. I couldn’t take my eyes away for a second. The fact these beings are residing with these Fairy Soldiers who can call them forth whenever is so damn cool!!

The music was absolutely splendid and brought this swashbuckling atmosphere into the mix. I loved there was the use of urban rap. IT ALL WORKED SO WELL!!

In terms of characters, I already like Marlya for some strange reason. She has this sweet nature about her and I can’t wait to learn more about her. Veronica is just shrouded in mystery and she’s a woman on a mission for revenge right now. Free was the strongest standout. I have a soft spot for that handsome soldier.

This episode for Fairy Gone was a good foundation base. There is still so much left to discover about this series. But there is no question that Fairy Gone is one of the coolest series of the Spring 2019 season. I can already tell this series has folklore influences and cannot wait to learn MORE.

Fairies Gone Bad

Fairy Gone had a good first episode. This series is surrounded with such intrigue at the moment, I can’t help but be curious, oh my god. The action factor is what did it for me; it kept you glued to the screen throughout. I can’t wait for next episode where we see Marlya joining Dorothea and learning more about this illegal group.

Tell us in the comments: Do you think Fairy Gone is off to a decent start? Are you intrigued by this fascinating series?

Don’t forget to check out the other series we are reviewing for Spring 2019.

Next Time: Wolf Collar + Swan Feathers (狼の首輪と白鳥の羽)